Tunisia

Quick Facts

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Capital

Tunis

Population

9,925,000

Government

Republic

Religions

Islam

Languages

Arabic

Calling Code

+216

Nationality

Local name

Tunis

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Introduction

Beduoin

© All Rights Reserved jamesRW

Tunisia has changed hands more times than a parcel at an eight year old's birthday party, but for us travelling folk that has some nice consequences. Phoenician, Jewish, Roman, Vandal, Arab, Ottoman and Spanish Muslim influences have each had their say in Tunisia's past.

Really, it's an attractive affair for any traveller who can handle the heat and wants some variety in their next trip. In the south, where the Sahara engulfs Tunisia, offer 4WD trips through the desert - not exactly an authentic caravan, but when you compare the air-conditioned climate inside the car to the pummelling heat outside, you won't be complaining. Carthage, Dougga and El-Jem are the most notable Roman ruins and you certainly won't be alone in visiting them. Nor will you be alone if you head to one of Tunisia's fine beaches. But any complaints will be erased quickly by the warm Mediterranean waters.

Brief History

Geography

Tunisia shares international borders with Algeria and Libya.

Regions

• Northern Tunisia stretches from the port town of Bizerte southward towards the holy city of Kairouan.
• Central Tunisia includes the island of Djerba and ancient locations like El Jem, which features a Roman colosseum almost the size of the one in Rome, but in a better condition.
• Southern Tunisia incorporate the northernmost part of the Sahara Desert.

Cities

• Tunis
• Sousse
• Sfax
• Gabes
• Bizerte
• Kairouan
• Tabarka
• Tozeur

Sights and Activities

For such a small country, Tunisia surprisingly has a lot to offer for the traveller, ranging from cultural to natural attractions. It has some good cities to visit as well and the old city of the capital Tunis is a real gem.

Kairouan

Kairouan is one of 7 holy cities of Islam and the religious hart of Tunisia, with over 100 mosques. It is an old city and its fortified wall structure proves this. Entering the old city (medina) through one of its gates is stepping back in time, although back in the old days tourists were probably almost unheard of, especially the lobster coloured one of today.

Carthage

The place to visit old ruins in Tunisia, Carthage boasts an enormous variety of remains of different people/periods in history, like the Phoenician, Byzantine, Arabic and Romans. This archaeological gem can be found just northeast of Tunis, along the Mediterranean coastline, which gives the place some extra beauty.

El Jem

Just like its counterpart in Rome, El Jem basically is impressive because of its simplicity alone. Not as known as the Colosseum, but this amphitheatre is said to be about the same size. It is built around 230 A.D. and today is a very popular trip for people escaping the crowds at the Tunisian beaches. The town of El Jem is nothing much by the way, so spending the night here just is not necessary.

Desert experience

Tunisia, like Morocco is one of the best countries for beginners to experience the desert. The southern town of Douz is reached easily along a surfaced road from where a camel brings you to the sanddunes which form a beautiful yellowish sea to the south of the town. Douz itself is pleasant enough to wander around and has some good places to stay, including a hotel with views of the sandy parts of the Sahara desert.

Chott El Jerid

This mostly dry saltlake is located in the south, roughly between the towns of Douz and Tozeur. Although Chott means lake, it usually is a dry salty flat, but in winter after heavy downpours there sometimes actually is a real lake. That said, it still is best to experience the vastness of this area outside winter, with spring (May) and fall (October) being the best months when it's dry and warm weather.

Cities

Apart from the holy city of Kairouan, Tunisia has a wider collection of cities and town which are very enjoyable to walk around and give an impression of everyday life, both outside and inside the medina (old quarter). The best examples are the capital of Tunis and Sousse, more south along the coast. Although the latter is more touristy (because of its beaches) and is smaller, it is more quiet than the capital. Both cities are linked by train to eachother and it takes about 2 hours to reach by train.
But there are also so smaller cities to be found in Tunisia, which are just as great to just wander around, admiring the people, their way of life and the historic structures. Some cities enjoy having a large maze of small paths, like Tozeur and Douz in the south.

Matmata

Part of the Star Wars series has been recorded here, which directed the place to the touristmap of Tunisia immediately. But not only for this reason. The area around Matmata is an area you would expect on the moon, or at least not on a planet like earth. With its barren plains, hills and craters. Temperatures can reach 50 degrees Celcius here and therefore some people are still living in houses beneath the surface.

Events and Festivals

Weather

Getting There

By Plane

Tunisair is the national airline of Tunisia and is based at Tunis-Carthage International Airport (TUN) near the capital Tunis. International destinations include those to and from Algiers, Amman, Amsterdam, Athens, Bahrain, Barcelona, Berlin, Brussels, Cairo, Casablanca, Copenhagen, Damascus, Dubai, Frankfurt, Geneva, Hamburg, Istanbul, Jeddah, Kuwait, Lisbon, London, Lyon, Madrid, Marseille, Milan, Munich, Paris, Rome, Stockholm and Zürich, among many others. Several French cities are served as well. About 20 other airlines serve the airport as well, mainly from Europe and Northern Africa. There are many charter airlines and several scheduled services mainly from Europe to a number of places along the coast, including Sousse, Monastir and the island of Djerba. These cater mainly to package tourists but can be a good deal for other travellers as well.

By Train

By Car

By Bus

By Boat

Getting Around

By Plane

By Train

By Car

By Bus

By Boat

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