Some other posts
visitor
Anyone been to Tunisia on holiday
I'm thinking of going to Tunisia for two weeks during the Summer - anyone got any information re best resorts, must see, food etc?
rheinie
Frequent poster
Re: Anyone been to Tunisia on holiday
Went there a few years ago to Hamamat ,hotels are top class ,not a lot to do there night life is very limited .In July tems are up to 35 very hot,nice to visit but not one of my faourite holiday destinations
visitor1
Tunisia - unacceptable male interest
A few young girls that I work with hated it because of the males tormenting them - leering and annoying them generally, by that I mean, not the acceptable male interest.
They had been to Turkey before and as bad as the Turkish males were for tormenting them the Tunisians were a lot worse.
It was so bad in Tunisia that they said they would not go back again.
Sean
Tunisia
I know a girl (in her 20's) who went to Tunisia a couple of weeks ago with her boyfriend. She said she had a great time, and the men were in her words "gentlemen".
Maybe it's just like anywhere, just depends where you go...
monk
Frequent poster
Re: Tunisia
It's HOT, (too hot for my liking) go for a package that offers excursions(into the desert/mountains etc.) as they will be the highlight of the holiday. The other part I enjoyed was the street vendor's and the bartering. Great fun, but to this day I'm not sure what I ate at some of those night food stalls!
lukegriffen
tunisia
I'd imagine the mens reactions to a woman would depend on who she's with. If she's with a boyfriend, they're probably more likely to be more polite & less leery than if she's with another girl.
I know 2 girls who went a few years back , and they said that boredom was the worst part, followed closely by the men.
If it was me & I wanted to go to Africa, I'd go for Morocco, sounds like there's more to do there.
j
Registered User
holiday
North Africa - from my experience , no thanks, never again.
Halldor Laxness
Anyone been to Tunisia on Holidays?
Yes, I've been there four times, first time in 1984. Great country and great people. Never any problems. Always brought my wife and later my wife and children. Port El Kantanoui was my first destination which is approximately half-way down the country so to speak, not too far from the towns of Monastir (Airport) and Sfax. Other times I've stayed in Hammamet (further north). The capital city of Tunis is beautiful, wide open tree-lined avenues with restaurants and cafes along the sides. Coach tours to the south of the country are a must, visit the colosseum at El Djem and the salt lakes, Matmata with its lunar type landscape is a sight to behold. Hotels and restaurants in the tourist resorts are excellent with French cuisine very much to the forefront. Tunisia was at some stage under French rule.
Tunisia is not Ibiza or the Algarve but if you want to get away from those over-commercialised destinations Tunisia is well worth experiencing. Like every else one much exercise caution and avoid places where you are advised to stay away from. For girls on the beach, some locals can be a bit of a nuisance, but a stern word in their ear should sort them out once and for all.
Enjoy if you do venture there.
Trebor
Registered User
Tunisia
Hi.
Been to Tunisia twice....and I will go back. Port el Kantoui is a nice resort, less than an hours transfer from the airport. Its a purpose built resort, lots of restaurants, though a bit short on pubs/clubs if that is what you are after.
Stayed at the 'Kanta', which has both a hotel and apartments. Clean, friendly, good serviceEasy walk to the port.
Unlike Morocco & Algeria, Tunisia has a good welfare system so you don't get the mass begging as you get in the other countriues. There are people looking for money...but they all have permits and give you something in return such as a small bunch of jasmine flowers.
An town caled Sousse (....spelling..?) is a bit livlier with big open markets with the subsequent haggling and the odd beggar. There is a big, Govt controlled, fixed price store there with a the tack you could want...but it is also good for leather goods...got great value in leather jackets. Getting there is easy, a taxi is a few Euro or you can be a areal tourist and take the 'noddy'train...a small electric train which runs from the port of El Kantoui to Sousse.
Outside the resorts....loads to do. A trip to Tunis which includes Carthage is good. The old Roman citadel of Dougga is incredible. Its not an easy trip to get to it [we hired a taxi for the day] but if you like stuff like that it well worth the trip. It's on ok place to golf. You have the usual camel rides and trips into the mountains for a 'traditional' night. There are a couple of Casinos. And finally, if you are in any way adventerous, there is a 3 day/2 night safari into the desert. You visit the site where the English Patient was filmed and get to spend the nite in an underound hotel run by the Trogladite people......thats why I want to go back....didnt get to do that yet.
All that...and the weather is good too.
I'd say go for it.....and by the way....I don't work for their tourist board....I just love to travel and try not to go back the same place again...but I made the exception in this case....you can do as much, or as little as you want when you are there.
0
Frequent poster
Re: Tunisia
Tunisia has a good welfare system so you don't get the mass begging as you get in the other countriues
Or maybe that's because it's effectively run as a dictatorship?
[broken link removed]
heinbloed1
registered User
tunisia
Humane Rights Watch , Amnesty International , Interpol
are just a few you could check what is it like in Tunisia .It is one of the few countries where the state decides what the papers say so most foreign papers are banned . You will see statues of the " great leader " on every corner , heavily armed soldiers , secret police , and people afraid to show their faces , afraid to speak open .
That is what you will see .If you have the guts to leave the resort on your own . And don't trouble the staff in the hotel , workers can disappear over night and never be seen again because for the little reason to be to open to a stranger or trying to organise a union
You could check the PEN , the international journalists association .
You find a tradition of hospitality with the Tunisian cleptocrates . They invite nearly every (wealthy )criminal to enjoy " political asylum " , EU politicians included .
Halldor Laxness
Tunisia for the holliers!
Heinbloed, Halldor here!
If Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, etc., are the criteria on which you determine your holiday destination you'd be lucky to get beyond Bray any year. The Tunisia you talk about is not the one I've learned to know over the years. Following your line of argument there's scarcely a country in the world, including Ireland, that you couldn't find fault with - the USA would be first on the banned list.
Three cheers for Haibib Bourgaiba, a lovely man!
heinbloed1
registered User
tunisia
Laxness !
Do you have to HEIL the dictator in Tunisia ?
Or is it enough to throw yourself into the dust when you meet the " lovely " one ?
Have you " learned " to act responsible by denying
criminals the boot ? As far as I know most of the hotels belong to the cleptocrates .
" Over the Years " you have " learned to know " Tunisia
without asking questions , unable to hear the screams of the suppressed........Socrates would have send back such a miserable student .
Halldor
Tunisia re-visited
Heinbloed Quote:
As far as I know most of the hotels belong to the cleptocrates
In Dublin who owns the Gresham, the Burlington, the Conrad? Do you ask before you book in? Or do you really care? In this country (Ireland) a tribunal has failed to identify the owner of a track of land - the Jackson Way - and here you go on generalising about Tunisia being run be despots. Not so.
As African countries go Tunisia has a great standard of living and welfare and has opened up greatly to Western ideas since independence. Bourgaiba is long dead but he did bring the country through a difficult independence and is widely credited in history for that.
I suppose you're the type of person who wouldn't wear any designer gear manufactured in slave shops throughout south east Asia or indeed eat fruit harvested in regimes not exactly as you would want them to be. Slow down with your judgements. Give Africa a chance. Go and see Tunisia for yourself!
hooper
Re: Tunisia
Lovely, lovely country. People are frienfdly and mostly very genuine.
Two major warnings though: as other people have mentioned, if you are a woman, you are in for a lot of harrasment and ogling and touching, a real pain in the This post will be deleted if not edited to remove bad language to be honest. Second warning: avoid Panorama if you are planning a cheapie package job. If I was going again Iwould do my own travel arrangements, rooms and meals are very cheap and much better than you get from a package.
hooper
Re: Tunisia
Oh yeah. If you fancy having some major buying power should you fancy bringing back a nice arab outfit or something bring a bottle of johnny walker red label (nothing else though, not even a better bottle of black or blue!)
0
Frequent poster
If Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, etc., are the criteria on which you determine your holiday destination you'd be lucky to get beyond Bray any year
There's a big difference between an effective dictatorship such as Tunisia and otherwise democratic countries which have faced criticism of their current or past human rights policies and practice (including Ireland!). I personally could not square enjoying a holiday in a dictatorship with my conscience.
visitor
Tunisia
Thanks to everyone for the interesting replies - at least now I can make an informed decision