Tunisia - Port El Kantaoui

abatha

Me and my friend are looking at going to Tunisia for a week at the start of June.
We want to go somewhere cheap and hot, that is near a beach and has a good nightlife and someone recommended Tunisia, specifically Port El Kantaoui.

Has anyone stayed here before and have any tips as to where we should stay/where we should avoid?

I_luv_cats

abatha wrote: »

Me and my friend are looking at going to Tunisia for a week at the start of June.
We want to go somewhere cheap and hot, that is near a beach and has a good nightlife and someone recommended Tunisia, specifically Port El Kantaoui.

Has anyone stayed here before and have any tips as to where we should stay/where we should avoid?

I stayed in 'Sousse' and you can get a tuk-tuk/taxi or even walk there.

I would imagine Port to be more expensive as quite posh.


I went on a few organised nights out - Casino Cabaret, Bedouin feast etc. Other times stayed in the hotel bar etc.


Sousse has a beach, Medina. Casino,


Paid under £250 for a week inc. breakfast and dinner. Eating out at lunchtime etc. was dirt cheap.

abatha

Ah thanks for the tip! What hotel did you stay in?

I_luv_cats

Marhaba Hotel


http://www.travelrepublic.co.uk/hotels/tunisia/hammamet/hammamet/marhaba_hotel.html?oid=1506482&oid=1506482&mkid=53781605&aid=1&dev=t&gclid=CM7PyLPm5rYCFWfItAodRicABA



Merhaba is a popular name! I remember the fountain in the entrance!




Service was good, friendly waiters/reception/maids. The housekeeper did my laundry / ironing for a few dinar.

Room was massive and cosy.

mellymeepmeep

Been to Tunisia 5 times with family, its a cheap and cheerful poolside holiday in the sun. We've stayed in Port El, Sousse and Skanes all great destinations, never really been 'out' so can't say much for the nightlife beyond in-resort entertainment but I know last time we went in October my sister went out with the tour rep to a few nightclubs the locals go to and said it was 'alright' haha. Its a muslim country so drinking alcohol isn't a big thing outside of the tourist areas.

EmmaParsons

Tunisia is great for beaches and sunbathing etc. But nightlife is not really what it's known for. There are some bars and nightclubs in the marina area but the majority of hotels put on entertainment and things at night so most people stay within their hotels and the bars are not always lively.

If you're wanting good nightlife I think you need to look elsewhere. Greece obviously has some big party resorts such as Kavos, Malia etc but they aren't everyone's cup of tea. But they do have other resorts such as Hersonissos in Crete, Kefalos in Kos, Sidari in Corfu or even Mykonos which are all quite lively without being over the top and have nice beaches.
Other good options would include Playa d'en Bossa in Ibiza, Alcudia in Majorca, Marmaris, Icmeler, Bodrum or Gumbet in Turkey or Albufeira in Portugal.

budgetflyer

Agree. Nightlife is not really Tunisia's strong point.
Unfortunately most people go All Inclusive so a lot of entertainment is hotel based.
Lloret on Costa Brava has plenty nightlife and is cheap in June.

vegasvisitor

I agree, Tunisia is not good on nightlife. It does have other strong points - the beach, reasonably priced all inclusives, and tourist attractions like Carthage and El Jem if you like that kind of thing.

Many hotels are all inclusive, but it really works best that way anyway in Tunisia as many of the places out on the street such as cafes etc don't sell alcohol. It's not like europe where you can go into a cafe and have wine with lunch. Bars tend to be attached to hotels as well.

I have been in Port El Kantaoui twice. Second time was because we liked the hotel (Riu Bellevue Park) and we just wanted some sun and to go and see El Jem. First time we saw Carthage, Tunis and Sidi Bou Said (by train). The Marina area is ok, but not posh like marinas in other countries.

PompeyPete

PEK is like Yasmine Hammamet, a purpose built tourist resort with a marina as the focal point.

If all you want is a sanitised version of Tunisia, then both places are alright, safe, but more expensive than the towns.

If you want to venture a bit further afield away from PEK then it's easy. Yellow metered taxis are cheap, and will get you to Sousse in no time. You can also get the Noddy train to Sousse or jump on a public bus.

Sousse is a very large town, although tourists tend to stick to the seafront area, the main 'drag' called Avenue Habib Bourguiba, which runs from the southern-most end of the seafront up to the Medina, and the Medina.

Sousse Medina is well worth a wander round, and gives you the chance to put you haggling skills into practice. You'll get a bit of low-level hassle by traders in the Medina. If you don't want anything then a good phrase to know is "La Shukran" which means "No thank you". If you touch an item in a shop the chances are the trader will want to start the haggling game.

There are some 'Fixed-Price' shops too, there's a big one just before you enter the Medina called the Soula Centre...

http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attraction_Review-g295401-d2614815-Reviews-Soula_Center-Sousse_Sousse_Governorate.html

Females can wear relaxed dress in PEK, but to avoid unwanted attention in the towns then dress modestly, wear sun glasses to avoid eye contact, and a ring [any old ring] on your wedding finger is a good idea, and don't get involved in 'small talk'. Don't flash your wealth about either, Tunisia has been having a hard time in recent years, and a lot of people live from hand to mouth.

It's easy and cheap to get to places like Monastir and Mahdia by train (metro). The metro station is a few minutes walk past the pirate boats. Just follow the disused rail line outside the fron of the Medina.

There's also the main line station in town, which is useful to get north to Tunis and Sidi Bou Said] for a [long] day out, or south to the Roman Ampitheatre at ElJem.

You'll be able to buy all the excursions from your hotel, or the vendors down at the Marina. They'll be a lot more expensive than doing it yourself, and all excursions end up in a carpet shop or the like.

Enfidha Airport is fairly close to PEK, so the transfer doesn't take long.

The Tunisian Dinar is a 'closed' currency, so you'll need to buy it on arrival at the airport, or if your transfer is already sorted out, then you can wait until you get to your hotel, or in the Marina area. A Dinar is worth about 40p, and a Dinar is made up of 1,000 millims. You can tip in Dinar, Sterling or Euro. But it is much easier for the person you are tipping if you use Dinars.

abatha

Thank you all for your tips and advice!

I'm willing to give up a good nightlife if the place is worth it, I fancy trying somewhere different so think we'll start looking into hotels this week.