Tunisia travel guide: 9 amazing places to discover!
Discover its raw beauty with this Tunisia travel guide.
Tunisia is a North African country located on Mediterranean sea on one end and the Sahara desert on the other, sandwiched in between Algeria and Libya.
It is majority Muslim, but it has also a thriving Christian community with several Christian churches and an ancient Berber identity. The people are a wonderful mix of Mediterraneity, with all the shades of white, beige and brown that represent us.
Tunisian women are beautiful.
I have travelled far and wide and the beauty of Tunisian women astounded me.
You will find a lot of tolerance regarding clothing: from burkas, to hijab to miniskirts and vertiginous cleavage. And the beauty of it all is seeing friends hanging out together wearing all of the above.
Travelling through Tunisia
Tunisia used to be a top holiday destination a few years ago, but after the two ferocious terrorist attacks in 2015, its reputation was ruined and Tunisia plummeted into oblivion.
Today, the situation has improved drastically and Tunisia is trying again to write its name on the holiday brochures.
We were in Tunisia for two weeks between the end of August and mid-September and we loved every minute.
I never ever felt unsafe, not even in the evening in the medina; people were incredibly friendly and generous.
As a Sicilian, we share so much in common, people’s faces are very similar, the food, the traffic, the climate. When people asked me where I was from and I said Sicily, many would be able to speak Italian ( “I learnt it on Italian TV” they say), many have at least one relative that lives in Italy and we call each other “cousins”, because basically that’s what we are. Our DNA is shared. And at the end, Sicily is closer to Tunisia than it is to Rome.
So, yes I felt at home. Even when driving. More of this later.
Food
Food is what you can expect from a North African country: couscous, tagine and meat. And lots of fish as Tunisia is a main fishing country.
As a vegetarian, however, I was disappointed. I have travelled through many North African/Middle Eastern countries and food-wise, Tunisia was a let-down.
While I was salivating thinking along the same lines of Lebanese/Egyptian fare, the choice was incredibly small, so small that in 15 days, we had vegetarian couscous at least 8 times!
There was nothing else.
To compensate, we ate at Italian restaurants whenever we could, at least we had a little choice.
Nevertheless, the country is so amazing that I would still go back, but maybe I’d rent an apartment where I can cook my own food!
As a Muslim country, alcohol will be scarce and only served in tourist hotels.
But, they have a huge selection of mocktails and fresh juice!
Cats are loved in Tunisia.
We always carry some dry cat food (lots actually) wherever we go and we have fed some many animals (not just cats) everywhere.
We found that many people, in Tunisia, leave dry food and water for the cats and they are quite respected. However, some cats were seriously under fed and we did what we could, but we wonder about the future of these little souls.
I have contacted a couple of local refuges with little success, I’m afraid.
Tunisia is a land of contrast and we saw many and enjoyed them all.
Sidi Bou Said and its bustling streets full of souvenirs and carpets sellers, its whitewashed houses with exquisite Islamic flavours
Sousse and its historical heritage and vibrant Medina
Sleepy and contemplative Mahdia, where time slows down
The southern desertic part of the country, in Tamezret, and its proud Berber/Tamazight identity
The Star Wars trail, in Matmata and Tataouine, and the splendid sites that George Lucas used in his movies
Sun drenched Djerba
The capital Tunis and historical Carthage.
The questions that I asked before going and I’m sure many want to ask.
Is Tunisia safe?
Short answer: Yes it is.
We had an amazing time, we never felt unsafe, not even once, not even in the Medina in the evening, not even walking in a village in the evening, where we were the only tourists with all eyes on us.
People were one of the best part of the adventure: lovely, welcoming, helpful, generous.
Is driving in Tunisia bad?
I am Italian, so I am used to crazy driving.
Driving in Tunisia is not difficult, at least it was perfectly fine for me and I actually enjoyed it.
To dodge crazy traffic, we avoided having a car in Tunis, where it was not needed and we rented it just before starting our Southern Tunisia/Djerba adventure where a car really benefits you, as you are free to move as and where you want.
I only had to show my passport (EU) and my driving licence (UK) to rent a car and we rented from Hertz at Monastir airport.
The motorways are great and usually empty.
The roads in the rocky desert mountains were my favourite, driving and singing “A horse with no name” which completely fit the bill!
One thing you will learn to hate with passion: the yellow (once upon a time, in a galaxy far far away) speedbumps!
Those little (and not so little) frigging things appear when you least expect it, they creep on you and surprise you leaving two choices: flying over them, Duke of Hazard style, or dig in the brakes making everyone head-banging death metal style; the choice is yours.
I got so paranoid after a few days that I started to see them everywhere. You have been warned!
Is Tunisia clean?
Cleaning standards vary from country to country. Certainly it was not the cleanest country.
I was disappointed especially in Djerba, which I found quite dirty including some of the beaches.
I feel that, as tourism waned, so has the island. And it’s a shame because it’s a rough diamond.
If it was polished, like it used to be, it would return to shine much brighter than many other destinations.
But I still loved it and would go back immediately!
For more Tunisia blog posts: https://blog.worldswithout.net/tunisia/
Have fun!
