Tunisia

Types of trips: Geographical, Outdoor/Exploring, Foreign Art, Relaxation, Local Culture/History, Adventure

Best known for: Weaving (Rugs, Tapestries etc), Ceramics, Couscous, Belly Dancing, Tunisian Painting, Progressive Women's Rights in the Middle East, Location of filming for Star Wars, Red Lizard train journey

Why Go?: Sun, sea, adventure, beaches, desert, culture, only 2 hours or so away by plane

Fact File

Population: 11,000,000

Capital: Tunis

Language(s): Arabic, French

Ties to the UK?: Popular holiday destination thanks to proximity to Europe

Landscape: Mountains, Beaches, Hills, Plains, Desert

Climate/Seasons: Reasonably temperate all year round in the more mountainous north, with mild winters and dry summers. The south is made up of much drier and flatter plains, merging into the Sahara desert - very hot in this area for the majority of the year.

When to Go: Decent weather and entertainment all year round, but if you want the sun then the summer months of May, June and September (avoiding the peak heat of July/August) would be the best time as the winter period is more likely to see rainfall.

Reasons to Visit: There are many spectacular sights to see in Tunisia, such as the Red Lizard train journey takes you on some old mining tracks through the canyons in the Atlas Mountains - the Meditarraean weather makes anything you do here enjoyable, but in particular the unique blend of French/Arabic influences makes this a place like no other - you can see cultures mixing and evolving almost in front of your eyes.

How to Get There: There are a good number of international airports throughout the country, but it would also be possible to arrive by going through Europe and across the Mediterranean Sea. Internally, the country has an excellent road and air network and a decent rail connections. 

Places to Go: Tunis, Carthage, Isle of Djerba, La Marsa Beach, Tozeur, Museums such as The Bardo National and the Sousse Archaelogical and the inner city centres for stalls selling local and handmade products

Famous People: Albert Memmi, Hannibal (a leader defeated by the Romans in 202BC), Ammar Farhat, Mahmoud Messadi

Natural Wonders/Wildlife: Ichkeul Lak, The Atlas Mountains, the Saharan sand dunes, Cap Bon

History: Periods of revolution leading to a fairer election of government

Architecture: Great Mosque of Kairouan, The Fortress of Kebilia, Carthege Ruins, 

Culture: Local music, theatre and cinema, City Tourism, Local cuisine

Sport: Football, Handball 

Events: Many religious events based on the lunar year, Tarbaka Jazz Festival, The Festival of the Oases, Sahara Festival, Music and cinema festivals in the towns during summer.

Watch Out For: Pickpockets in the busy cities, Sunburn/sunstroke

Medical Issues: Some vaccination boosters advised, either consult your doctor or check here

Watch this video about visiting Tunisia!