Sahara with Michael Palin
Michael Palin explores nine countries and cultures during a trek across the Sahara Desert.
- 2002-2002
- 1 season
- BBC Video
- Documentary, Action & Adventure
Michael Palin explores nine countries and cultures during a trek across the Sahara Desert.
Season 1 Episode Guide
4 Episodes 2002
Episode 1
A Line in the Sand
60 mins
Michael Palin travels Gibraltar; Morocco; Algeria/Western Sahara; then Mauritania: Gibraltar; Tangier (Euro-Arabic city), Fez (perfect Islamic City, 1200 yr old garment/skin dye industry), Marrakech, Aran (Berber village in Atlas Mts.), Ait Benhaddou (Town as movie set); Smara refugee camp in Tindouf; Zouerat (iron ore mining), Chinguetti (French Legion fort).
Episode 2
Destination Timbuktu
60 mins
Michael Palin crosses the Sénégal River from Rosso, Mauritania to Saint-Louis "French port", Gorée Island "Slavery port", to Dakar "capital" in Senegal. He takes the Bamako Express train to Bamako "capital", then along Niger River to Tirelli "Bandiagara Escarpment for Dogons", Djenne, Mopti, to Timbuktu.
Episode 3
Absolute Desert
60 mins
Michael Palin continues in Mali to Timbuktu visiting the ancient Mosque of mud. He follows a camel caravan of Wodaabe nomads to Ingal in Niger for the annual Sahara Cure Salée festival, to an oasis at Tabelot, then across the Tenere Desert to the border of Algeria.
Episode 4
Dire Straits
60 mins
He travels Algeria, Libya, Tunisia, coastal Algeria, Morocco, then Gibraltar: In-Guezzam (border) and Hassi Messauoud (Oil town) in Algeria; Tobruk, Benghazi, and the ruins of Apollonia (Greek) and Leptis Magna (Roman) in Libya; Djerba island, Caves at El Haddej, Sousse, Tunis (Carthage) in Tunisia; along Algeria-Morocco coast to Algiers, Oran, Ceuta; then Gibraltar.