There are journeys that can be explained.
And then there are those that are felt instinctively, almost physically, long after the engines fall silent.
In the vastness of the Grand Erg Oriental, where dunes roll endlessly and silence carries its own language, the adventure led by Pietro Tupputi, founder of Live Out, revealed something far greater than a motorbike expedition.
It became a journey inward, a space for reconnection, presence and quiet well-being.
The Call of the Desert, Again
For more than 25 years, Pietro has been travelling through deserts and guiding others across them. Libya, Morocco, Oman but again and again, he returns to Tunisia. Not by chance.
The Tunisian desert offers an extraordinary sense of adventure, a powerful feeling of emptiness. At a certain point, you realise there is nothing around you, and that absolute nothingness gives you a true understanding of what adventure really is.
In recent years, this call of the desert has resurfaced strongly, echoing the great adventure era of the 1990s. In Italy and beyond, a new generation of travellers is rediscovering the desire for wide-open spaces, dunes and silence.
People are drawn back to the desert. Dakar Rally images, adventure videos, they spark something. Today, the desire for the desert is exploding: by motorbike, by car, through organised journeys with local guides. And in this context,
Tunisia truly represents the essence of desert adventure.
Around the campfire, in the middle of nowhere
Just before the New Year, Pietro and his group set off on a multi-day desert journey deep in southern Tunisia. Days spent crossing dunes, sometimes technical, always demanding, and nights in tented camps scattered across the Sahara.
In the evenings, we gather around the campfire. During the day, we cross vast dunes, explaining how to ride properly in the desert. The camps offer comfort but without ever losing the spirit of adventure. Every night, everyone comes together around the fire, in the middle of nothing. That’s what makes it so special.
The experience is not about speed or performance. It is about presence.
We are not looking for people who want to race. We want people who love the desert itself, travelling through it, stopping along the way, having lunch in small local cafés, connecting with local communities. The desert is meant to be lived, not conquered.
An experience designed for confidence, not fear
Each journey is carefully designed according to experience level: from introductory desert immersion programmes to more technical expeditions deep into the dunes of southern Tunisia. Support vehicles, local guides, fuel and luggage logistics ensure that participants can focus on what truly matters.
People arrive in an environment they don’t know. But at the end, they all say the same thing: they lived a real adventure, in complete peace of mind. We travel calmly, and we pass that calm on to the group.
Over 25 years, Pietro has led more than 225 desert journeys, nearly 150 of them in Tunisia. A depth of experience that transforms uncertainty into confidence, and adventure into trust.
Almost every situation has already happened and we’ve learned how to deal with everything calmly. Participants know they don’t have to worry. Everything is taken care of.
Tunisia: hospitality, safety, belonging
Beyond landscapes, Tunisia leaves a deep impression on travellers.
People sometimes arrive with doubts or preconceived ideas. But once they’re here, they discover warm, welcoming people. Everyone helps you. Safety is real. You feel at ease.
Many participants speak of an unexpected feeling belonging.
It feels like being at home, wherever we go. People recognise us on the tracks, in camps, in restaurants. You feel like part of a family.
A journey inward
For many, the desert experience becomes something far deeper than a physical journey. Aldo, one of the participants, describes it as a moment of truth:
Facing the immensity of the desert is one of the most authentic encounters with oneself. The difficulty of crossing it is not a punishment, but a necessary trial, one that pushes us to go beyond ourselves, to strip away what is unnecessary, and to face who we truly are.
In those moments, we realise that our boldness and even our mistakes do not diminish us. They shape us. They can make us stronger, clearer and sometimes exceptional.
Women, the desert, and freedom
As Priska Gloor (Live Out) explains:
Women travellers, too, find something unexpected in Tunisia’s desert.
For women, this journey is a beautiful experience. In Tunisia, women are treated with great respect. They feel safe and welcome. Some ride motorbikes themselves, others travel as companions by car. And they all say the same thing: they never imagined the desert could be so diverse.”
Not just sand, but oases, plateaus, rocky tracks, silence. And emotion.
More than a destination
Ultimately, the motorbike is only a tool.
The motorbike is not the goal. It’s simply the means to experience the journey.
What remains is something deeper: connection, calm, and a lasting sense of meaning.
Seeing participants return with a smile, hearing their heartfelt thanks that’s what makes all the effort worthwhile.
And Tunisia, quietly, leaves its mark.
You feel like part of a family. Tunisia is truly wonderful.
Why These Journeys Matter | Tourismag Perspective
In a world saturated with fast travel and fleeting sensations, experiences like this remind us of what travel can truly be: a meeting with oneself, a connection with others, and a respectful encounter with place.
Yes, there is adrenaline, the thrill of riding across dunes, the intensity of vast open spaces. But this journey is never about speed. Here, adrenaline softens into awareness, presence and connection, allowing the desert to be experienced not as a challenge to conquer, but as a space to inhabit.
At Tourismag, we are particularly proud to have accompanied this journey in Tunisia and to have done so in a meaningful, symbolic way.
Throughout the expedition, all 29 Italian participants proudly carried the Tunisian flag, not as a gesture, but as a statement: one of immersion, respect and shared identity.
And this is why we will continue to stand alongside experiences that go beyond movement, journeys that become memories, transformations, and stories carried for a lifetime, across the world’s most extraordinary destinations.
