My visit here was in 1991 so memories have faded somewhat after more than 16 years. I do know however that this is one of the most interesting areas in Algeria and should be on the itinerary of anyone visiting the country. Five small towns, of which Ghardaia is by far the largest, sit in a valley surrounded by barren desert.The valley has thousands of palm trees and a complex water supply system. I also visited two other of the towns, Beni Isguen and Melika.

The people here tend to have held themselves apart from the main current of Algerian history and are Berber with conservative religious views. The men wear (wore?) the low hanging baggy trousers as seen in parts of rural Turkey while the women dress in an allover white garment folded in such a way that only one eye is visible.

Each town stands on top of a small hill with its mosque, usually with a distinctive pyramidal minaret, at its centre. Most of the buildings are cream painted and well maintained. There are alleyways and daily markets (in which dates figure very large) to explore and in Beni Isguen a museum of local life. Locally painted signs advise the visitor on the modest dress expected to be worn.

Not many laughs here perhaps but with an atmosphere unlike anywhere else I saw in Algeria.