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A beautiful unspoiled fishing town.
Good transport links to Tunis and the south. A short shared-taxi ride to El Djem. The town is five miles south of a 'tourist compound' of huge hotels, etc. to be strictly avoided if you want to meet Tunisians and live as the locals do.
Google map: bit.ly/v6GI12
Needing to get far away from the traditional family UK Christmas, but eschewing airports, my daughter hit the search engines. On 18th December we two headed south to Marseille, with three tight-knit trains delivering us from Brighton in time for a late fish supper on the port. The next morning we boarded – along with over 2000 Tunisian ex-pats, going home for the holidays – the huge ferry to Tunis. Bad weather delayed us a little, but we got to know our fellow passengers and had warm invitations which ensured we eventually arrived intact in Mahdia, where we had rented a beautiful flat, very cheaply, for three nights. After exploring this unspoiled coastal town – and nearby El Djem - we caught the coast train back north to Tunis. Warm hospitality again met us at the Dar Ed Medina hotel, in the old city, where the fantastic staff ensured that we had a non-Christmas to remember. We’ve often thought gratefully of our kind hosts as their society has been in upheaval this year. But Tunisia is still welcoming independent travellers… get booking!
Travel details: Eurostar and TGV London to Marseille.
Ferry SNCM: www.sncm.fr/
Marseillle-Tunis return. Journey approx 19 hours. Very comfy cabins.
Tunis-Mahdia by train: daily, 4 hours.
Mahdia: Villa Zouila Mahdia, only £25 per night for the beautiful Olivier apartment. Great meals cooked by neighbour on request.
19 avenue Taieb Mhiri, 5100 Mahdia
+32 479 414 910
Tunis: Hotel Dar El Medina www.darelmedina.com/
Atmospheric rooms and a stunning rooftop terrace, in the old walled city.
64, Rue Sidi Ben Arous Tunis 1006, Tunisia
+32 71 563 022
Port El Kantaoui comes into it's own at this time of year. It is still hot enough for a beach holiday without being uncomfortable. The port is a purpose built tourist resort and only a short drive to the older town of Sousse with it's traditional medina. The Hotel Kanta is a lovely hotel in the centre of the port with easy access to the beach and marina. It has a choice of pools and very friendly staff, all you could want for an enjoyable holiday.
www.hotel-kanta.com/index.html
4089 Port El Kantaoui Tunisia
+ 216 73 348 666
The souk in Sousse is absolutely amazing with hundreds of shops and stalls selling Tunisian souvenirs like carpets, blankets, cloth, copper ware, pottery and jewellery. Some of the leather and tiles for sale were the best I have seen. I would highly recommend the soft, fresh dates, displayed still attached to the branch where they grew and tasting nothing like the hard, sugary dates found in British supermarkets.
Haggling is, of course, expected and part of the fun. For those that prefer not to haggle, quite a lot of the shops selling tourist-aimed items are 'prix fixe', (fixed price).
We found the shopkeepers at the souk to be very friendly and felt both safe and comfortable.
The souk is situated in Sousse's Medina, a warren of streets contained within ancient walls. A map is highly recommended.
Google map: tinyurl.com/3alqae2
Lovely food. Not to much of a walk from the port. The staff are great - make sure you get a sea view table. Nice and relaxing.
Port el Kantaoui
The Douz Festival is based on an ancient Bedouin gathering when Saharan tribes met to trade and, legend has it, to marry off their daughters. Instead, today, the Saharan Bedouins compete in camel, horse and dog races, folklore performances and traditional plays. Their backdrop is the 150-mile salt lake of Chott El Ferid, which set the scene for the film, The English Patient and the golden sand dunes that were a setting for Star Wars.
Walk about, listen to bands from competing tribes, ride a camel called Mustapha, attend a busy market and eat fresh fish, such as red snapper, sea bass, bream, grouper, red mullet, tuna and prawns. The sweet baklava is to die for.
Usually during Ramadan, there is a great scarcity of food in restaurants as all respect fasting norms during the day. Most restaurants are closed so the only place you'd find food is the hotel where you are based. This causes travel hardships as you cannot stop at different places to have lunch or afternoon meals while travelling.
Dar Said is the former townhouse of a wealthy Tunis family, in the pretty seaside and artist’s village of Sidi Bou Said, perched on the cliffs in the northern suburbs of Tunis. It's a picture-perfect place of warm sun, cobbled streets, whitewashed houses with bright blue shutters and ornately decorated doors, with tall cypress trees and bougainvillea flowers spilling over garden walls.
Dar Said has been listed many times among the world's best boutique/individual hotels, and it feels small, quiet and intimate (how staying away from home should be!). All the rooms are spacious, cool, well-furnished, with opulent bathrooms, and open onto small courtyards of jasmine and gurgling fountains.
A gorgeous pool is set among terraces overlooking the sea, and breakfast is served poolside every morning.
Perfect for exploring Old Tunis, this hotel used to be the exotic home of an erstwhile Bey.
64 Rue Sidi Ben Arous, Tunis
A perfect example of ancient meets modern, this hotel adjoins the Carthaginian ruins and overlooks the Punic port, set on the hillside near the picturesque blue and white town of Sidi Bou Said.
Rue Mendès France
2016 Carthage Byrsa. Tunisia
Tel : +216 71 73 34 33
www.villadidon.com
A Moorish-Andalucian style palace that blends ancient and modern so effortlessly.
The Residence-Tunis
Les côtes de Carthage - BP 697 - 2079 La Marsa
Tunisia
Phone : (00 216 71) 910 101
www.theresidence-tunis.com
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