Tunisia (1 Viewer)

[SadieOutlaw]

has anyone been?
i'll be there in september for a week hopefully.
i'd love some, what to do/what not to do pointers.

 

[ms.b.haven]

damn no, but i'm going to brussels, anyone have any tips for me while i walk all over sadie thread here (sorry sadie)

 

[SadieOutlaw]

damn no, but i'm going to brussels, anyone have any tips for me while i walk all over sadie thread here (sorry sadie)

my best friend was taken on a surprise romantic trip to brussels once, when she found out where they were going she was a tad disappointed but it turned out to be amazing, blah blah blah, i'll ask her what stood out.

oh and start your own thread, silly.

 

[ms.b.haven]

yeah sorry, i was going to but then i thought it might look like i was competing against you, and now that i written that down i've realised how stupid it sounds!! thanks f though

 

[Latex lizzie]

Tunisia is a lot like morocco or so I'm lead to believe. I've been in a couple of muslim countries and they are really good fun. THe food is great,but be carefull that you only eat scalding hot stuff, if a plate is brought to you luke warm..no and no again.If you are in rural areas try not to use your left hand for eating as it will be considered rude, haggling in the various souks and bazars, can be fun but try not to insult the locals by offering shitty prices for stuff that you think is a reasonable deal. Arabic people really get off in general when you make a stab at their lingo, so pick up a little phrase book and have a go even when you get it wrong it is a good Ice breaker.If you are visiting any religious sites(old mosques,graveyards) make sure no shorts or short sleeved garments. Bringing something to cover you head too is not a bad idea for heat if you go into the desert or again in places that require more modesty.Bottled water only..no Ice cubes or salads at all!

Have a good time!

 

[Catwoman]

has anyone been?
i'll be there in september for a week hopefully.
i'd love some, what to do/what not to do pointers.

I went to Tunisia in August and it was lovely. Stayed in the Iberostar Phonecia, Hammamet, all-inclusive which is handy cos you don't have to bring money to the beach and stuff - you just hand in a card at all the cafes and bars. I heartly recommend it. All the food is included so you don't spend a lot. We went to a couple of restaurants though, very decent meals for a bit less than you'd pay here.

We did fuck all in Tunisia tbh - we just wanted to relax by the sea/swimming pool. We had a day trip to Tunis, old Carthaginian sites and Sidi Bou Said which is a pretty village, but swarming with tourists. Saw the national museum which has the biggest collection of Roamn mosaics outside of Italy.

If you go to a decent hotel or restaurant the food is dee-lish - excellent sea food. We met one couple who didn't go to a good hotel and got the shits. There is a stomach bug doing the rounds in the most humid months - July and August, but dose up on echinacea and bring plenty of imodium!

Tunisia is technically a muslim country, but there's a complete separation of church and state, hence there's booze readily available. They won't serve you if you're bolloxed drunk though. But that's a good thing - keeps the Brits Abroad at bay.

It's a very young country so there's not a whole lot who are practising muslims. So yeah, in Mosques and stuff keep your shoulders and knees covered, like you would in the vatican! Anywhere else there's no problem with wearing what you like. We were told that we might get a few looks from the locals, but we didn't.

Crime is a lot lower than here or the uk, and crimes agains women are virtually non-existant.

It's not your typical Costa del Sol type resort but I'd definitely recommend it...

 

[SadieOutlaw]

cool, thanks guys.
we'll be coming on the ferry from sicily, where we're thinking of renting a winnebego type thing for the whole trip. i'll have to look into how safe it'll be driving round tunisia though, and if there are places to camp etc.
don't suppose anyone's done that? i'd love to know if it's do-able

 

[rocktopus]

Wow catwoman- i had basically the same holiday! I also stayed in Hammamet but in a small hotel with no private beach.
Very friendly people. The souks(markets) can be a bit intimidating with the pushy sellers but its all part of it i suppose.

Carthage is very interesting and you if you take the tour you get filled in on all Hannibals history on the way. Sidi Bou Said is lovely. Our guide told us the very rich live there while the poor from the slums, which we drove though to get there, work as servants for them, sleeping on the streets of Sidi BouSaid in the summer.Which isnt so lovely.

We were ther for New Years Eve so it was pretty good fun. had snakes and belly dancers as entertainment as we ate. Ended up going to a ritzy casino and losing loads of money.

I'd love to go back. Down south is where Star Wars was shot. Lukes underground house etc. There are package trips that involve visiting those locations and camel trekking as well as a Berber feast.

Loads to do if you have time.

 

[hugh]

I've been there too.

Went for a week on a package type thing. Coastal resorts are much like coastal resorts anywhere else in the world, though not as crowded or full of assholes as most. We stayed near a town called Sousse which was a short taxi ride away and that was pretty good for visiting the Mosque, going to eat, wandering around the souk etc.

Went on a two-day organised "Desert Explorer" type trip. That was a bit weird and really quite annoying. You get in a nice comfortable air-conditioned bus and get driven for a couple of hours to some place (e.g. the place where they filmed parts of star wars ... yawn) and then get out of the bus whereby you are confronted by (a) locals trying to sell you dates and rocks and (b) such overwhelming heat that you just want to get back on the bus again. However. we did get to see a bit of the Sahara, dress up as Laurence Of Arabia and ponce around on camels.

Sadie, a Winnebagoe is some sort of car isn't it? I imagine driving in Tunisia would be fine. Roads are pretty good but I imagine if you are going to go anywhere inland you'll need to make sure you stock up on spare tyres, spare petrol, and buckets of water. It's relly fucking hot and getting stuck somewhere would be no joke ...

As others said, it's pretty relaxed and friendly. I had a good time but I have to say, it doesn't quite have the "fuck me I'm in North Africa" buzz that Morocco does.

 

[SadieOutlaw]

yeah it's a motor home/camper van thing. i think the safest thing to do would be to find a camping spot in one of the cities and go on organised excursions, i fancy some camel poncing myself!

 

[tomahawk]

about 18 of us went February '04 for the African Football Cup.
Small country, but some very nice hospitable peeps - especially the desert nomads. Watch out for gobbing camels. ew.

As for "like morocco" - no, not really. Morocco is much more full on (especially if you are a lady). Tunisia is pretty easy going - also watch a bit for the really hostile fukked-up Algerians who are not on a good buzz.
Go on the star wars!!