Our one and only trip to Tunisia took place in 2009. At the time it was still considered a pretty safe country to visit, with a stable government, consistently cheap deals on offer, and great weather year round. At least the weather’s still great, hey?
This was mine and Asia’s first proper holiday away together, long before we got married, and we truly did have a great time, and managed to see quite a bit of this amazing country. It’s the smallest country in North Africa with a population of just over 10 million, every single one of whom want to sell you something.
I’m not joking either, it’s one of the very few negatives I’d have about our holiday, the aggressiveness of shopkeepers everywhere. It got to the point we refused to enter shops, preferring simply to window shop.
We were based in Monastir, on the East coast, at the Kuriat Palace hotel – a pretty new-built (at the time) 4-Star, right on the beach, and about 15 minutes bus trip from town. Great location, excellent hotel too, and the staff were brilliant. They had entertainment every evening, and all the way through the day as well (beach games, Pool fitness, etc.).
We were on an all-inclusive deal, so ate pretty much all our meals in the hotel – these did leave something to desire, but if you’re going to go for the cheapest holiday available, don’t expect Michelin Star food!
We spent 2 weeks in Tunisia, and managed to see some of the more popular tourist destinations, and a couple of the lesser-known ones. Some of the places we visited included Sousse, Tunis & El Jem. You can read my separate posts to get a bit of an overview of each of these Locations.
One of my most abiding memories of Tunisia (besides the shopkeepers) was the heat. The country borders on the Sahara desert, meaning the days get crazy hot, especially in the Summer. I’m from South Africa originally, so i’m used to the heat, but this was quite extreme, even for me. Fair warning then, if you’re a lover of the Cold.
Date of last visit : 11 – 25 June 2009
We spent only one day in Tunis, Tunisia’s vibrant, colourful & busy Capital, on an organised tour. It’s a pretty long Private bus ride up from Monastir, where we were based, but I imagine it’d be a nightmare if you wanted you use Public transport to get there… Read More
El Djem is a small town with a big history. The town is about 65km South of Sousse & Monastir, easily accessible by Car, or by using Public Transport. it’s arguably most famous for the Roman amphitheater of Thysdrus that dominates the centre of town… Read More
