Tunisia Guide
Tunisia sits at the edge of worlds – Arabic, Mediterranean, and Saharan. It has been occupied by successive waves of cultures, and each has left an imprint, from the ruins of Carthage near the capital Tunis, to one of the holiest sites of Islam in Kairouan.
Tunis is really two cities – the medieval, Arabic, old walled city, whose well-preserved twisting streets still host markets and mosques, and the wide boulevards and French colonial buildings of the Ville Nouvelle. To the south, Kairouan is regarded as the fourth holiest city in Islam, its skyline dotted with minarets, while the underground cave homes of Matmata will be familiar from the film Star Wars.
Trek on foot around the oases of Tamerza and on camelback through the northeastern corner of the Sahara. Drive a jeep through the dancing mirages of the Chott El Djerid salt flats and explore the underground Matmata. The blue sea off Sousse invites a cooling swim and the cool pine forests of hilly Le Kef a relaxing stroll.
Stock up on dates from oasis town Tozeur and fig brandy and olives from Sfax. Barter for carpets in Kairouan, Berber drums in the Sahara, or silver jewellery and shisha pipes in Tunis' Medina. Buy painted tiles at the Bardo museum and delicate birdcages in Sidi Bou Said.
Couscous and lamb stew are Tunisia's staple dishes, served with spicy harissa condiment, fresh salads and abundant local olives. In the Sahara, tasty flat bread is cooked in the ashes of a campfire. Kairouan's famous honey-drenched baklava is delicious, as are the dates that drop from the palms around the oasis town of Tozeur.
Most tourists looking for a beach head to the well-known resorts of Sousse and Djerba, but altogether more hip is Le Marsa, just outside Tunis – a French Riviera style resort favoured by affluent Tunisians, complete with boutique hotels, sophisticated restaurants, and the country's best nightclubs.
