Joanna James
Nestled by the Mediterranean Sea in the north and east and in proximity to Italy, Tunisia is endowed with a rich history, a stunning coastline and plenty of natural beauty. Read on to discover why this fascinating city should be your next holiday destination.
As a keen visitor, you want to gain some perspective on the local culture, since it equips you with awareness and empathy for the people around you as you travel the world. In Tunisia, there are many exciting ways to fulfil this. A simple one is to visit a local souk. Many of the Tunisia luxury hotels are not far from the Medina, a UNESCO Heritage Site and home to a bevy of souks specializing in textiles, beauty products, perfumes, spices and other goods. A visit to Kairouan, the cultural and spiritual capital of Tunisia, is another worthy experience, while many other options also exist.
With a rich array of ancient civilizations such as Phoenicians, Berbers, Vandals, Romans, Ottomans and others, each of which has left its mark on this land, visitors have a mix of historical sites. Aside from those, there are 9 UNESCO World Heritage Sites within this single nation, leaving you to pick the ones to explore, given the time you have in this fascinating land. As you are invariably exploring Tunis and other important sites, it is prudent to opt for a central accommodation. With several options available, the likes of The Residence Tunis are favoured due to many special offers extended to guests.
Tunisian cuisine offers an eclectic mix of flavours stemming from the cultural diversity of the nation. Although couscous is a ubiquitous staple, the array of dishes accompanying it can be combined to make a tantalizing meal, enticing visitors to savour each delectable morsel. Delicious seafood dishes, crunchy salads like slata mechouja and their spicy sandwich kafteji served with fries are filling dishes to try. To complement the food are the sweets like bambalouni (doughnuts) and heavenly gelat (ice cream) to cool your tongue from the Tunisian warmth. As you go around, you also get used to enjoying their sweet mint tea served hot, espresso and Turkish coffee.
For its size of 163,610 sq km, Tunisia is endowed with stunning and diverse landscapes offering a treat to visitors on their explorations. Its striking blue beaches stand out, inviting many beach aficionados, while the southern part of the country has the Sahara Desert with its golden dunes and random slices of oases with lush greenery and palm trees. The east boasts olive trees with rolling olive orchards. The northwest on the edge of the Atlas Mountains has rocky crags, verdant pastures and gleaming waterfalls.
The outdoor lovers can have an exciting time doing camel trekking in the Sahara Desert, which nowadays is combined with either glamping or the more rustic traditional camping. Dune bashing on 4-wheelers is another popular activity. Complementing these are the national parks that offer hiking trails, and opportunities for rock climbing, mountain biking and horseback riding.
A true believer that the pen is a mighty weapon, ventures into reaching the minds of every reader with the earnest hope of leaving an indelible stream of thought.
A travel writer who has a pas...
