Writer: Helena Bergström
It was highly unlikely that the five of us would come together for a joint photo in the Tunisian city of Douz, the gateway to the Sahara. And yet that is exactly what happened. Sometimes you wonder how coincidence works... or if fate is somehow involved?
Tweet
Share
Share
Pin
Share
ShareTable of contents
On a press trip to Tunisia
We are currently on a press trip in Tunisia. In this case, we're travelling in a minibus with a driver, guide and four other travel writers from Sweden, Norway and Finland. We follow a set programme, focusing primarily on southern Tunisia and a hot air balloon festival taking place on the island Djerba and in the localities of Douz and Tozeur.
An interview, a trip to Douz and an adventure in the Philippines...
The first time we heard about Douz was when we interviewed ”The Swedish Camel Rider” Micke, for a feature story for a printed magazine that we published in summer 2022, and distributed to Swedish campsites.
Why a feature on the Sahara in a camping magazine, you may ask? Well, because Micke and Julia took their campervan Snigel to Douz in Tunisia, where Micke trained for several months to compete in camel racing, and made a name for himself as ”The Swedish Camel Rider”. A fascinating story! You can read the full story in the e-magazine here.
We ended up in Douz in 2021, shortly after we got to know Micke and Julia via social media, on a press trip to southern Tunisia. Micke and Julia were not there at the time, but since they told us about the coach Ahmed, we took the opportunity to visit him in his shop. It was a very nice meeting!
A little later, in 2023, we decided to take an adventurous trip in Philippines together with Micke and Julia. It was a very exciting and memorable trip with a local family boat in the island world of the Philippines.
After about a month and a half of adventuring together, we decided to split up and go our separate ways. Since then, we have not seen each other, but only had sporadic contact via social media ...
Back in Douz - an unlikely encounter in Ahmed's shop
All of a sudden, at the beginning of this press trip, I saw on Instagram that Micke and Julia had just taken the ferry from Italy to Tunisia. It was not something they had planned in advance, but a sudden whim ... and now they were in Douz, in the south of Tunisia ... where we were going! How unlikely was this? Of course we wanted to meet!
The natural meeting place for us in Douz is Ahmed's shop in the souk, that is, in the local market. Ahmed welcomed us cheerfully when we arrived and invited both us and our travelling companions, i.e. the other travel writers, to tea. He also took out his copy of our magazine, from 2022, which he had lying around in the shop. Great fun! And above all, it's great to see you again!
After a while, Micke and Julia also turned up. So much fun, and almost unreal, to see them again! And so incredible that it would happen here, in Douz, in Ahmed's shop. It didn't just feel like a coincidence, but it felt like fate had a hand in it...!
Camping Desert Club in Douz
When the other travel writers went back to the hotel, we accompanied Micke and Julia to the Desert Club campsite, where they are currently staying with their motorhome Snigel.
Here we had a few beers and talked about everything between heaven and earth. What an incredible coincidence that we should bump into each other by chance, and in Douz of all places on earth!
Camping Desert Club is in an excellent location, just a two-minute walk from the central souk of Douz. The campsite is also very pleasant with palm trees and fresh service buildings.
It's no wonder that camping is popular here, and during the little time we spent here, one camping vehicle after another came rolling in - many ”adventure cars” but also some ordinary classic motorhomes. Because yes, it is possible to get to and around Tunisia with a motorhome. There are both campsites and the possibility of fricamping.
Have you had an unexpected encounter while travelling?
Wow, how surprised you can be by chance, or fate, sometimes! Have you had an unexpected encounter while travelling? Tell us about it!
English (UK) 
Svenska
BP says:
It's a small world sometimes. Fun and incredible simply. Definitely think that fate was involved there;-)
Remember your trip in the Philippines and that you then shared. The revelation ”no hard feeling” between you, and it's really good:-)
30 October 2025 - 16:27
Helena says:
It's a small world sometimes! Yes, we travelled very close together under special conditions so it was challenging in the long run, but we wish each other all the best and it was very nice to see each other again! 🙂
31 October 2025 - 18:53
Anna i Portugal says:
Cool with surprise meetings, and yes it has happened to us once in Amsterdam that we met a couple of our friends there. Glad you met again and had time for some socialising again.
01 November 2025 - 9:57
Monnah says:
Yes, what a strange coincidence! We have met friends in an escalator at the airport in Chicago, they on the way up and we on the way down (and in a hurry). They were on their way to the US after a few years in China, so it was a particularly unexpected meeting (and quickly done, haha). Last time it happened in Visby, but it feels a bit weak compared to Sweden-Tunisia. Hehe. How nice with sun and heat for you! Hope your days are wonderful.
02 November 2025 - 9:57
Julia & Micke says:
It was really nice to meet again and in Douz of all places!
Fate clearly had a hand in it😉
Will be interesting to see where fate brings us next😉
Hugs from us🤗🤗
06 November 2025 - 20:17
Lena - gott för själen says:
Haha, festive and incredible! Lovely meetings here and there.
Once when we were in a tiny bungalow village on a tiny island in Thailand, the ex-husband bumped into a work acquaintance at breakfast. It also seemed completely unlikely.
Hug Lena
23 January 2026 - 12:40