With a strong French influence, Tunisia has its own North African and Arabic culture with laid back locals and a very safe feel for holiday makers. The suburbs of Tunis are a good base to start exploring Tunisia.
Accommodation and Sights in Tunis
Tunis is a big, modern city but offers a fascinating glimpse into the past. The inner city is the Casbah with small, winding streets and alleys that eventually lead to the top of the hill where the Big Mosque and old palace of the Bey of Tunis stand.
There are big, tree-lined avenues with street cafés, terraces and shops all around Tunis with a distinctly Mediterranean feel, any of which are great to stop at and spend a couple of hours watching the world go by.
Accommodation in Tunis is plentiful and ranges from 5 star luxury hotels to bed and breakfast, hostel, mid-range and backpackers accommodation.
Tunis is close to Carthage, Sidi Bou Said and other places of historical interest. For the more beach-inclined holiday maker, Tunisia has around 750 miles of mostly white sandy beaches, many of which gently shelve into the Mediterranean close to Tunis.
Carthage – Tunisia’s Ancient Maritime Power
Inland from the harbor on the corner of Rue Hannibal is the Tophet or Sanctuaire which is beautifully signposted in mosaics. This is the location of the gods of ancient Carthage, Tanit and Baal to whom ancient Carthaginians would bring their children to be sacrificed. The statues of these gods and urns which housed the remains can still be seen down to today.
For a less grisly excursion, visit the Archaeological museum just across the main avenue in Carthage which houses a vast collection of Punic artifacts. In the gardens of the museum ancient columns, pillars, statues and carvings are scattered about and a little to the north are found the huge cisterns that formed part of Carthage’s antique fresh-water system.
Tunisia’s Cliff Top Village of Sidi Bou Said
The village perches on top of a hill approximately 10 kilometers away from Tunis. Sidi Bou Said has outstanding views overlooking the Gulf of Tunis and each building is uniformly painted a glaring white with dark blue doors and window frames. One can see the Spanish influence in the courtyards and architecture of the buildings, which comes from the time the Spanish dominated this area in the 16th century.
Sidi Bou Said attracts writers and artists from Europe and the village itself is considered by many to be a living museum. Romantic it most certainly is, the sky at night is studded with starts and during the warm summer evenings, concerts of traditional Tunisian music attract visitors and Tunisians alike.
Stay at the magnificent Sidi Bou Said Hotel which is a lively meeting place for both tourists and locals and be sure to ask for a bay view room which is a little pricier but well worth the extra cost. There are also several guest houses in the village.
