Tunisia
Archaeological features such as Dougga, one of the best preserved
Roman towns in Tunisia, the old Islamic town of Kairouan is Tunisia's
holy city, which has some of the finest examples of Islamic architecture,
especially the Great Mosque. The Bardo Museum in the capital of
Tunis is famous for its collection of Roman mosaics. The largest
of Tunisia's salt lakes, the Chott el-Jerid, its great drifts of
salt could be mistaken for snow if it wasn't for the heat. Matmata
is a major tourist attraction with its lunar landscape and troglodyte
pit homes of its Berber inhabitants. Last but not least the beaches,
the best being in the north around Tabarka, Bizerte and Sidi Ali
el-Mekki.
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What to do with the children
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The sea around Tunisia is clean and safe for swimming and most
of the large beach hotels and resorts will have a nearby waters
ports centre with windsurfing, water-skiing and paragliding. Also
available are donkey, horse and camel riding. If they want to meet
local children turning up with a football will soon have them involved
in a game.
Scrambling around ancient Berber and Roman ruins, in the desert
areas there are all types of activities available such as Camel
trekking, sand yachting, sand-skiing and ballooning. The reefs and
marine life are colourful and exotic and make snorkeling and scuba-diving
a real pleasure.
Not to be missed is the Tunisian specialty of briq a l'oeuf, a
deep fried triangle of crisp pastry filed with an egg. With over
300 ways of preparing it sweet and savoury, you are bound to have
at some point the national dish couscous (semolina granules), it
is usually served in a large bowl with stew and harissa (spicy chilli
sauce) and is eaten everywhere. Be pleasantly surprised by the quality
of Tunisian wines try Vieux Magon a delicious full bodied red or
Muscat Sec de Kelibia a fruity white. Finish of your meal with a
coffee, most cafes and restaurants have an espresso machine or if
you want to give you body a boost of tannin and sugar try a Tunisian
style tea.
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Where to dance the night away
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Discos are really only for the benefit of tourists and are therefore
associated with big hotel or resorts, Tunis being the only place
that offers European style clubs and bars but along the coast café
society is lively especially during Ramadan.
December/January the Sahara Festival at Douz and Tozeur, which
has everything from camel races to traditional marriage ceremonies.
The Carthage International Festival is Tunisia's cultural event
of the year, with music, poetry and theatre performances at the
Roman theatre.
Although not cheap there are some beautiful rugs and carpets. Beaten
copper and brass are also popular and available in most of the souqs
or bazaar, which are worth a visit even if you're not intending
to make a purchase.
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Language: Arabic and French
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Currency: Tunisian dinar (TD)
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Visas: 90 days without Visa
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Time: GMT +1(Oct to Apr) GMT +2 (May to Sept)
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Climate: North Tunisia has a Mediterranean climate with a maximum
of around 30ºC in summer, the further south you go the hotter
and drier it becomes with summer temperatures of over 40ºC.
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UK Tourist Office: 29 Prince's Gate, London SW7 1QG. Tel: 0171
584 8117
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Vaccinations: Hepatitis A, Polio, Typhoid recommended
Call us on 0870 1999 038 for further details
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