Move over Morocco — we’ve developed a taste for Tunisia. While the former destination may be something of a default for travellers looking to take in the sights and sounds of North Africa, Tunisia can offer an amazingly diverse variety of experiences.
Visitors can find everything from the hubbub of markets to the glitz of a high-society seaside resort and the eerie desert landscapes that formed an otherworldly backdrop for Star Wars.
Start your visit in the capital, Tunis, a melting pot of African culture. The streets are busy with men who sit weaving jasmine petals into tight bunches — which locals wear behind the ear — and lined with European-style shops and cafés.
Avenue Habib Bourguiba, reminiscent of Paris’ Champs élysées, is home to some superb eateries, including the Café de Paris. This colonial haunt has a terrace designed for people-watching and serves the capital’s best coffee. Make sure to include an afternoon visit to the Bardo Museum, which offers a look at some of the world’s most valuable Roman mosaics.
On the outskirts of Tunis is the Phoenician city of Carthage. This world heritage site has incredible historical remnants and architecture, from archaic amphitheatres through crumbling Roman ruins. It’s a mystical place that provides the perfect backdrop for a dynamic music scene — the amphitheatre often doubles up as a concert stage.
The romantic blue and white village of Sidi Bou Said was once a pilgrimage site and has since been favoured by bohemian intellectuals who come to discuss art and politics over tea or dinner.
The village is perched on the hilltops, and local cafés have the best views over the bay of Tunis, providing you with the perfect excuse to lounge on the terraces and drink orange- blossom-infused Turkish coffee.
Then head southwards down the coast to the seaside town of Hammamet. Twenty years ago this fishing village was home to kitsch seaside hotels and swamped by package vacation tourists. Since then, the town’s status as high-society’s favourite address has risen as fast as August temperatures. This glitzy shore is basically the African equivalent to the French party town of St. Tropez.
The island of Djerba, off the Gulf of Gabes, is renowned for its seawater spa treatments and detox hotels. Visit the Synagogue el-Ghriba or shop at Houmt Souk market on Monday mornings and browse for quirky leather bags, psychedelic clothes or bold and gold Berber jewels.
If the spa treatments have worked their magic, cycle the 10 kilometres to the village of Guellala where you will find all sorts of pottery and the desert sand crystal, Rose des Sables.
The Sahara desert begins south of Chott el-Jerid, the salt lake used as a backdrop in Star Wars. By day, jump in a Jeep and discover the golden dunes and by night, start a campfire and sleep under Bedouin tents.
The lunar landscape of Matmata, built by the Troglodyte community, doubled as the town of Sidi Driss in Star Wars.
The Berber dug craters beneath the earth and created an underground labyrinth in order to escape the stifling heat.
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• For more information, visit www.tunisia.com.
