A week in Tunisia | A North African wonderland

What comes to your mind when you hear the name Tunisia? Is it about Star Wars? Or is it just another country in the Sahara? Definitely I did not think about Roman amphitheaters and a giant Colosseum - well, isn't that in Italy?!

Tunisia was very little known to me, not knowing anyone from there nor having heard many travel stories either. Then why go there at all? First things first: I hold an Indian passport and Tunisia is one of the countries that do not require Indians to have a visa to enter. There! Voila! That's reason enough, isn't it? Also the fact that it's only a 2.5 hr flight from Brussels, makes it an enticing travel destination. This is a personal recollection of a trip made in the month of December.

Why go to Tunisia?

Apart from the two reasons above, here are some quick facts about Tunisia.

• Strategically perched on the south coast of the Mediterranean, this Maghreb nation has a wide range of attractions, from coastal towns to desert terrains to medieval towns and huge oases.
• The Tunisian Sahel (Arabic sahil for 'shore' or 'coast') stretching along the eastern coast is a thriving holiday destination comprising medieval towns of Sousse and Monastir, and modern coastal resort towns such as Djerba. 
• Tunisia has one of the world's largest amphitheaters from the Roman era.
• It is the largest producer of olive oil outside of the EU and the fourth largest producer of the liquid gold! Be prepared to see miles and miles of olive trees, the sizes of which is surely going to surprise you.

The Tunisian Sahel near the town of Sousse

A week-long itinerary in this North African wonderland

Below is an itinerary that we followed starting at the east coast in the town of Sousse and making a loop tour going all the way via El Jem and Matmata, across the Tunisian Sahara and mid-south to Chebika and Tozeur, finally arriving back to Sousse. From Sousse, we traveled to Carthage and Bizerte, finally ending up in Tunis.

1. Sousse

We arrived in Tunis and directly left for Sousse on Day 1. You can choose to visit Tunis in the beginning or end of your trip, and we decided to do the latter. Sousse is a 2 hr drive by car or 2.5 hr by train. Located in the eastern coast in the Gulf of Hammamet, Sousse is a breezy town, the third-largest in the country and is a perfect place to kick-start your Tunisian adventure. 

Inside the ramparts and Kasbah of Sousse

Sousse is a popular tourist destination and resort town with a UNESCO World Heritage listed Medina, which is an absolute delight to walk down on. A stroll in the 9th-century Medina will immediately take you back in time, where the architecture, narrow alleyways and a never-ending cacophony of day-to-day business lends the place its very own inexplicable charm. The Kasbah, along with the city ramparts, the ribat and great mosque all lie within the Medina, together with houses of the residential population. 

Streets inside the Medina lined with colorful shops and cafes

There are also hotels inside the Medina that are popular with tourists, but be prepared to carry your own bags or get porters as the streets are too narrow for taxis. Numerous souvenir shops and cafes line the narrow roads with omnipresent vendors trying to lure you into buying things from their stalls. If you do end up wanting to buy something, remember that haggling is the norm here!     

Beautiful cave-like interiors depicting local decor in the restaurant of Hotel Medina in Sousse

2. El Jem Colosseum and the Roman amphitheater

Leave early in the morning from Sousse and head towards El Jem in the Mahdia Governorate. El Jem, known mainly for its Amphitheater, is a historically important city which used to be the center of olive oil production and export. The Amphitheater of El Jem, built by the Romans, is one of the largest in the world and could seat a whopping 35,000 spectators back in its glorious days. 

Inside the El Jem Colosseum

Declared a World Heritage site in 1979, the amphitheater had remained more or less intact in spite of enduring canon fires during battles between the Ottomans and the Turks. Walk alongside the Colosseum walls and revel in the ambience of this architectural masterpiece. If you have visited the Colosseum in Rome, you will find yourself surprised by the striking resemblance between the two monuments. Of course both being built by the Romans, the appearance is bound to be cognate!

The afternoon sun casting a warm glow to the interiors of the Colloseum

A good hour or two is recommended to explore around and inside this sprawling monument. Once having sufficiently explored the Colosseum, head to the nearby (~1 km) El Jem Museum to admire some Roman art and mosaics. The mosaics have been largely excavated around the area and transported to be displayed in this closed museum. Some mosaics also come from the north city of Carthage, which has oodles of history of its own.

Roomful of Roman mosaics on display in the El Jem museum

3. Matmata and its underground houses

As a country lying partially on the mighty Sahara, Tunisian temperatures can skyrocket to phenomenal levels during their harsh summers. The southern part of this country barely has any vegetation and is quite sparsely populated. That's why a trip to the old Berber villages in Matmata make for such an unique experience. Head to the southern village of Matmata in the vast Sahara desert. Once you arrive in the village, you won't notice any houses. It's all barren landscape with large open swathes of arid desert. But look closely and you will notice small doorways on the ground and dug out underground dwellings. 

Cave houses in Matmata are not devoid of modern amenities like the dish TV for this home

The housing structures in Matmata even have a dedicated term - they are called troglodytes, which are traditional cave-like dwellings carved out of soft rocks and stones. Carved in the form of a pit, the houses have an inner open courtyard connected to other 'rooms' in the homes. Such architecture shields off the sun, keeping the interior temperatures moderate and inhabitable. It's sheer ingenuity! The rooms are usually dome-shaped and the walls are hand-painted with traditional Berber motifs. Quite a few such nomadic homes in the area are open to tourists for a small fee. 

An underground house similar to the one above was built to include in a Star Wars scene as Luke Skywalker's home in the 1977 movie.

4. Tozeur and the oasis of Chebika

Head westwards from Matmata to the town of Tozeur, perched close to the north-west of the largest salt lake in the Sahara, Chott el Djerid. The lake largely dries out in summer to transform into a white and pink desert. Close to the lake there are many date palm oases. The most striking of them all is the oasis of Chebika. 

Springs in Chebika oasis fed by the melting snow in the close-by mountains

Adjacent to the Djebel el Negueb mountains in the north-west, Chebika is a oasis complete with waterfalls, date trees and turquoise waters. In December, you could still find some ripe and dried dates that could be picked from the trees and gorged upon! The blessings of nature are really great and can be found in the harshest of climates.

Mountain waterfall in the oasis of Chebika

5. Star Wars film set and Camel hill

Tunisia's obsession with their iconic Star Wars filming locations has practically translated into popular tourist destinations in the country. Star Wars was the reason that put Tunisia in the global map of exotic locations that Hollywood likes to explore for filming their movies. The towns of Tataouine, Matmata and Tozeur are a few of the favorite Tunisian locales that the movie was shot in, mainly due to its resemblance to a rugged extraterrestrial terrain.  

Structure created as part of a movie set

Abandoned post-filming, the sets of Star Wars still comprises of props that stand as relics even to this day. Most of the props are wooden, silver-painted rocket structures that lend an eerie unworldly touch to the vast open desert. The site is easily reachable from either Nefta or Tozeur by 4x4s. Fans of Star Wars or not, a visit to these sets is an interesting way to explore Tunisia's rise to fame thanks to Hollywood!

Abandoned props from the movie - Star Wars

The Camel's Neck or Camel Hill is another stop very close to the Star Wars set, which can be reached as part of a desert safari - like we did. The hill resembles a sitting camel and apparently shot to fame also by featuring in a few films. The area around here is made up of sand dunes which are fun for roller-coaster off-road drives, and if visiting with a tour company they will definitely take you off-roading as part of their tours. 

Camel neck hill in the distance

6. Carthage

Carthage, close to the capital Tunis, used to be a key colony in Roman times. It also served as a capital city of the Carthaginian civilization, Today, Carthage is littered with archaeological ancient ruins of both Punic and Roman periods and is a popular attraction for visitors.

Ruins of Carthage with the Malik Ibn Anas mosque in the distance

Arrive by train or taxi from Tunis to Carthage and explore leisurely the UNESCO-listed archaeological park. The remnants of the Carthaginian settlement and Roman periods are strewn around and have unfortunately gathered signs of neglect. Ivy and other climbers cover large patches of the ruins. Nevertheless, it's a treasure for any history aficionado. The imposing Malik Ibn Anas mosque and the president's palace are located right by the ruins. The Roman theater and villas, Antonine baths and the Carthage museum are a few other interesting points to visit. 

Roman theater in Carthage

7. Sidi Bou Said

The tourist hot-spot Sidi Bou Said is to Tunisia like Santorini is to Greece! But honestly, this blue and white haven close to Carthage is one of the most photographed places in all of Tunisia. Tucked right at the northern edge off the south coast of the Mediterranean is this quaint neighborhood with cobbled streets, lined with shops and cafes, that lends it a dreamlike vibe against the blue sparkling waters of the sea.

The blue and white of Sidi Bou Said is reminiscent of Santorini in Greece

Walk around town and get a coffee in one of the cafes lining the edge of the cliff where all photographers flock to. Anything around the area is horrendously expensively, so be wary of jacked-up prices of both food and souvenirs. Wander along the narrow roads leading down to the water's edge and soak in the views while continuing onward the promenade.

Views of the sea and beach of Sidi Bou Said

8. Bizerte

The resort town of Bizerte on the northern tip of this country is also the northernmost city in Africa. Located about 65 km from Tunis, Bizerte can be visited as a day trip or with an overnight stay. Apart from having been one of the oldest settlements in Tunisia, a striking feature of Bizerte is its magnificent old Medina. I personally loved getting lost in the maze of alleyways inside the Medina, which like other medinas give you this old-world charm and feeling.  

Marsa de Bizerte or the harbor with the Medina walls on the right

The harbor area is filled with restaurants, both static and located inside boats, which makes for an ideal setting to enjoy locally-caught fishes. Plop yourself down by the harbor waters and watch local life unfold during different times of a day.

9. Tunis

You cannot end your trip to Tunisia without a stop in the bustling metropolis of Tunis. The capital also has its very own grand Medina which buzzes all day long amid the cacophony of daily life. Get your shopping fix done in the numerous shops inside and outside the Medina, where you are bound to find almost anything. Spices, carpets, pastries, traditional felt caps and babouches (slippers usually made from leather) are popular souvenirs to pick from. 

Bab el Bhar or 'the sea gate' in downtown Tunis

The National Bardo museum is one of the country's top museums which houses huge collections of Roman mosaics and other art. The Bab el Bhar gate, also called the Porte De France, right outside the Tunis Medina walls is a nice spot to people-gaze while cooling off with a drink or ice-cream. While doing so be sure to indulge your taste buds in some moth-watering local Ful, a dish made out of mashed fava beans with vegetables and loads of olive oil served with bread or fries. In Tunis, I also discovered a pastry shop that makes traditional sweets out of pastes of various nuts. Try looking for the purple-colored shops by the name Masmoudi for some immaculately designed and delicious treats to take back home.

Traditional pastries from Masmoudi

Practical Information

Arriving in Tunisia

Tunisia has several airports but the largest is the Tunis Carthage international airport in the capital city of Tunis that operates ~20 airlines from about 60 destinations. European travelers can also choose to arrive in Enfidha-Hammamet and Djerba Zarzis, which are the second and third largest airports by number of airlines served. The biggest national carrier is Tunisair, based out of Tunis airport.

Getting around in Tunisia

Transport is served by a rail network that connects the northern part of the country until Tozeur and Gabes to the south. Trains are not the fastest and can be extremely crowded during certain periods of the day or certain routes that locals take more frequently. For example, a train we took from Sousse to Tunis was shortened by about 3 carriages due to 'technical reasons' and the rest of the carriages got jam-packed. To add to that, the cooling was broken too! Buses are mainly used by locals and can get quite crowded as well. Several tour companies operate from the major towns of Tunis, Sousse and Hammamet and work with 4x4 vehicles. Shop around town to find the most suitable tour company for your itinerary.

Language, religion and currency

The official language of Tunisia is Arabic and natives speak a dialect of Tunisian Arabic. Due to the country's history with France, French is spoken by majority of Tunisians as it is also taught in schools. English is rare to hear, but you can make your way around with only English too. It's handy to know a few phrases in French, as it will go a long way during your stay there. Tunisia is primarily a Muslim country, although there's a very tiny Christian community made up mainly of French-speaking Europeans. Visitors are not required to cover their heads, but modest dressing is advisable. The Tunisian dinar is the main currency, although Euros and US dollars are accepted by large agencies and institutions.