Tunisia is an exotic country with beautiful beaches and historical sites, located in the North of Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea and Sahara Desert. It is a home to different cultures, has rich history, many historical sites and interesting nature with beautiful beaches. So, it’s very attractive touristic destination. According to the recommendations, suggestion was to visit Tunisia from April to October… we have decided to visit it in the June. We had a very pleasant charter flight to Tunisia (airport Enfidha) and the whole trip was well organized by the travel agency. Immediately after exiting the airport and walking toward our bus, the process of local trade has begun. Namely, a young man stepped to us and gave me some nice decorated flower stalk – actually, some kind of “welcome gift”. It has also smelled very nice – it was jasmine, famous local flower. All over, souvenirs crafted from jasmine could be found. But, immediately after I took and smelled the flower, this young man was waiting for me to give him some money. So, I would like to recommend, to always have some coins in the pocket or rather not to start conversation with potential salespeople.
For our Tunisia base, we chose Hammamet and one of their tourist resorts. We chose hotel with four stars and the service was really great. There were different kinds of very delicious food. Every day, we found clean room with different kind of flower decorations on our bed. We also had a great pool and a bar in the area of our hotel complex.
Just a few minutes walking distance from our hotel, a beautiful sandy beach can be found. On one part of the beach, you could find straw umbrellas, which you are free to use. There are also people who sell shells and other souvenirs on that beach. My husband almost sold me for a few camels;) So, I’d recommend not confirming any kind of trade on your way. Here you could enjoy sunbathing and swimming. Temperatures are high, but you do not feel it, since the air is dry with low humidity. So, take care of your skin, since sun is still strong.
Except for the lazy days on the beautiful beaches, we decided to look around. So, here are excursions/attractions and historical sites that we chose:
Hammamet
Besides the wonderful beaches, here you could find lush gardens littered with orange trees and bougainvillea. The jasmine flowers cover the whole city. In this colorful city, you could find handcrafted artifacts and a multitude of shops. Here is also famous Medina – the walls surrounding the tiny blue painted alleyways and ancient street markets give you a sense of the history of the area. Inside the walls of the city there is a 15th century mosque.
Tunis
Is the capital of Tunisia. In the city’s medina, you can find the massive Al-Zaytuna Mosque and a thriving souk. There are mixed traditional souks selling spices, perfume, leather goods and souvenirs. You need to know that bargaining is something that is “a must” in Tunisia and you always need to ask for some lower price. But be careful, it is not recommended to ask for extremely low price. In my case, I have just figured out the joy of bargaining and tried to buy some silver bracelet for as lower price… In the end, salesman has asked me to step out from his shop;)
Carthage
It was once the center of the ancient Carthaginian civilization.
The area of ruins of ancient Carthage sit in the Tunisia’s northern suburbs, on the eastern side of the Lake of Tunis. Here you can enjoy walking through the ruins of the ancient civilization.
Sidi Bou Said
Is located about 20 km from the Tunis and is known for its extensive use of blue and white. You will truly enjoy walking around that blue-white area. Additionally, you could visit well known outdoor marketplace where you could find something for everyone… traditional clothes, bags, souvenirs and different products made from leather.
Sousse
It’s located about 140 km from the capital Tunis. Here you can enjoy walking through the medina, surrounded by its walls and fortifications. It includes open and covered bazaars (souks). UNESCO has declared the medina of Sousse a World Heritage Site. So, buildings of historical interest include the rib at castle, the central mosque and a historical museum in the Casbah with mosaics from the area’s many Roman villas. On the other side, in the harbor, you can see a beautiful old pirate boat and enjoy the tour.
Camels
In Tunisia, you could experience a few days trip through Sahara, with sleeping under the tent and in a hotel resort, somewhere in an oasis. But, this time, we chose just one day excursion with riding camels and tasting of local olive oil.
At the evening, we participated in the traditional Arabian dinner, which has been mutton with couscous. During the evening, we also enjoyed in different performances. But, definitely the most interesting was a belly dance. Also, since local’s traditional way of makeup is using henna, during the evening I had opportunity to try making Henna tattoos and it is really interesting.
Additional thing that I’d like to recommend is to visit some of the local’s bars where you could experience one local habit – hookah smoking. For the local’s – it’s actually man’s habit, but I just need to try it:)
So, if you like to enjoy in the beautiful beaches and hot but dry climate, experience special culture and tradition of Arabian world, you will enjoy Tunis.
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