Tunisia??

mustmakealist

I've just got back from an AI holiday in PEK. We chose it because we just wanted to chill out and not worry about having to spend a lot of money over and above the cost of the holiday. It was ideal for relaxing on the beach or by the pool.
The hotels do run a number of excursions. We just went to the Zulu evening at the zoo where we also had a chance to ride on a camel. Other than that we took a taxi to Sousse and did a bit of bartering in the medina and we did get hassled by shopkeepers and stall holders wanting us to look at their wares. But it was our choice not to do anything else.
Some of the others that we heard talking had said how hot is was on some of the excursions so you might want to bear that in mind when considering what time of year you are going to book your trip. A lot of the trips also involved journey times of 45 mins or more to whatever you were going to see. I didn't really see anywhere that I could imagine going out for a meal in the evening and doing people watching.
If I wanted a bit of sightseeing and culture along with good food and drink then I probably wouldn't choose Tunisia as I don't think that this is what they really cater for. Other places do it much better........

Hope that helps with your original query.

PompeyPete

elsien wrote: »

I've done no research at all, so feel free to tell me to go away and look things up first!

Me and the cook are D-i-y types, and like to stay away from the masses for the majority of the time.
We've had 3 week trips twice, moving hotels 4 or 5 times.
What time of year are you looking at, for how long, and how many changes of accommodation are you prepared to have?
I'll offer a couple of itineraries then.

PompeyPete

#21 (mustmakealist).
Good posting. You obviously enjoyed yourself and got out of your holiday basically what you wanted.

But to really enjoy Tunisia, you need to be prepared to get out and stuck-in to the towns and countryside.

Getting on buses and trains, and using the mini buses (louages).
As you know it's easy to get to Sousse from PEK.

From Sousse [very close to the Medina] there's a metro station, with an hourly(ish) service that runs south down the coast to Monastir [40 minutes], and then on to Mahdia [90 minutes]. Both are easy day trips, well worth doing, and the metro is very cheap.

The Sousse main train station is also v.close to the Medina. From there it's an easy day trip south to the [must see] Roman Ampitheatre at El Jem. It's also easy to take the train north to Tunis for the day [early start and main line trains often run late], or to Hammamet [to see another touristy town]. Easy enough to do by bus too.

There are plenty of restaurants worth giving a try. You just need to know where they are, and which are recommended. If a restaurant is busy, has a menu displayed outside, no doorman trying to drag you in, then they're the places to try. Eating out is really inexpensive, and the food much tastier than most of the bland calorific stuff in AI canteens!

EdGasket

Tunisia is one to avoid from what I've heard. Not safe for women. A couple I heard of went there; wife went to do some shopping in the market and hasn't been seen since. That was some years ago. A female work colleague went and was practically ordered NOT to venture out of the hotel. On th eone trip she did go on, she was ordered to hide under the coach seat in case she was seen by the army and hauled off for you know what. If that appeals to you then good luck but it's a place I can do without going to thanks.

Sagz_2

Been to Monastir 3 time and had great holidays, last time we went was in 2010. Weather was best in early October, it actually rained when we went in June!

We have always been AI and only ever eaten out when on excursions, but there are supermarkets and shops around to buy snacks and ices.

Despite being female I never had to hide under any coach seats..... but you do need to be able to say a firm 'No thank you' as there are lots of people trying to sell you things.

PompeyPete

Basic rules for females outside of the tourist areas are...

- Dress decently.
- Wear sunglasses to avoid eye contact.
- Wear a ring [any old ring!] on your marriage finger.
- Avoid small talk with local males.
- "Le shukran" = "No thanks!".
- If you feel threatened by anybody then SHOUT, and whoever is bothering you will back off or you'll get help from other locals.

interstellaflyer

EdGasket wrote: »

Tunisia is one to avoid from what I've heard. Not safe for women. A couple I heard of went there; wife went to do some shopping in the market and hasn't been seen since. That was some years ago. A female work colleague went and was practically ordered NOT to venture out of the hotel. On th eone trip she did go on, she was ordered to hide under the coach seat in case she was seen by the army and hauled off for you know what. If that appeals to you then good luck but it's a place I can do without going to thanks.

This post is so laughable I nearly reported it as spam, what a complete load of rubbish, this is all, heard it from a bloke down the pub stuff, if you don't have any real experience of Tunisia then please don't post misinformation. It would not be advisable for lone females to venture out, fine, however that advise would apply to any unfamiliar place and actually, in Tunisia, crimes like rape are very rare, the main problem is that a lot of European late teen and twenty something girls have a habit of throwing themselves at young Tunisian males, generally waiters and those that work in the animation teams, it's little wonder that they think all European females are easy, however, this happens in other countries too, such as Turkey and to some extent, Spain. As for people going missing, never heard of anyone going missing in Tunisia, however just to balance things out and I case you've been asleep for the last 8 years, a little girl called Madeline MacCann went missing from a hotel complex in Portugal, however, perhaps you feel that Potugal is unsafe too.

Erinnire

I've just booked a holiday to Tunisia for me and my girls. AI, but hoping to do lots of excursions as well. I was a bit too nervous to go self catering as a first holiday.

Does anyone have an idea of the excursions you can do from Hammamet? I want to go to the Nebual market on a Friday but will just get a taxi there.

Sorry for Hijacking, there seems to be some knowledgeable people in here!

interstellaflyer

Erinnire wrote: »

I've just booked a holiday to Tunisia for me and my girls. AI, but hoping to do lots of excursions as well. I was a bit too nervous to go self catering as a first holiday.

Does anyone have an idea of the excursions you can do from Hammamet? I want to go to the Nebual market on a Friday but will just get a taxi there.

Sorry for Hijacking, there seems to be some knowledgeable people in here!

You will be fine and so will your girls, most of the bad stories come via 'heard it from a bloke down the pub' as mentioned in my post above, others tend to come from people who already have an axe to grind, ie people who find Tunisia isn't for them so they seem to think that because they didn't enjoy it nobody else should.

Erinnire

interstellaflyer wrote: »

You will be fine and so will your girls, most of the bad stories come via 'heard it from a bloke down the pub' as mentioned in my post above, others tend to come from people who already have an axe to grind, ie people who find Tunisia isn't for them so they seem to think that because they didn't enjoy it nobody else should.

Totally agree, looking at some of the reviews of the hotel i'm staying out (just a few negatives out of hundred of extremely positives) some people are so miserable...

It you are expecting 'British standards' (and even those can be debatable) stay in the UK!

I can't wait to experience a totally different culture and for my children to experience it too.

My hotel offers a 2 day Sahara excursion but I am wondering whether that might be too much for a 4 & 6 year old? I guess if mainly depends on the weather and how comfortable the coach is.

I read somewhere it is possible to swim with dolphins over there as well but I cannot find where I saw that again!