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Tunesia - Carthago, Romans and Star Wars

15 days round trip in March 2024

By Beyond All Maps - Portraits of our Planet by Thorsten Mehret

July 13^th, 2024

Motivation - why to go?

I did not choose Tunisia based on personal preference, but rather due to external circumstances. I had two travel coupons from Diamir.de that I wanted to use for a trip over Easter. After browsing their website for tours to places I had not yet visited, and which typically have pleasant weather during the intended period, Tunisia was one of the options that came up. The price was reasonable and the itinerary sounded interesting, so I decided to join the cultural trip "Auf Hannibals Spuren" (in Hannibal`s footsteps).

Then, I discovered that Ramadan falls during this period, which can have a significant impact on travel in Islamic countries. Although this made me think twice, I decided to give it a try after some research on the web what to expect travelling in Tunisia during Ramadan, which were not discouraging.

FACTS AND FIGURES

Size: 163,610 sq. km
Population: ~12 million
Ethnic groups: 98% Arabs, 2% Others
Religion: 99% Sunni Islam, 1% Others
Capital and biggest city: Tunis, with 2.7 million inhabitants
Languages: Tunisian Arabic, French
Currency: Tunisian Dinar, 10 TND = 2,96€ (03/2024)

Tunesia - Carthago, Romans and Star Wars

Climate and Best Travel Time

Tunisia enjoys a Mediterranean climate along its coastline, characterized by hot, dry summers and mild, rainy winters, making the spring and autumn months of April to June and September to October the best times to visit for pleasant weather. Summer, particularly July and August, can be scorching with temperatures often exceeding 40°C , ideal for those seeking sun-drenched beach days along the beautiful Mediterranean shores. Inland regions such as the Sahara Desert experience extremely hot summers and cooler, sometimes chilly nights, making winter, from November to February, an excellent time for desert adventures and exploration. The north of Tunisia, including cities like Tunis and Sousse, tends to be milder due to its proximity to the Mediterranean Sea, offering a more comfortable escape from the intense heat found further south. All in all I found late March for the trip a very good time. More climate info.

Itinerary

The tour plan followed a roundtrip through most highlights of Tunisia, providing a good overview of the country, within the given time. The max. group size was 12, just tolerable for my liking. At the end it turned out to be 10 participants, which worked well, although in general I still prefer individual travel (see final verdict).

Day 1 - Arrival in Tunis (El Mouradi Africa)
Day2 - Tunis - Carthage - Sidi Bou Said - Tunis (El Mouradi Africa)
Day 3 - Tunis - Bizerte - Tabarka (Dar Ismail Hotel)
Day 4 - Tabarka - Bulla Regia - Teboursouk - Thugga (Hotel Thugga)
Day 5 - Kairouan - Sbeitla (Hotel Byzacene)
Day 6 - Oasis Chebika, Tamerza and Mides (Hotel Ras El Aïn Tozeur)
Day 7 - Nafta - Tozeur - Salt Lake Chott El Jerid - Douz (Sahara Douz)
Day 8 - Matmata - Chenini - Ksar Ouled Soltana - Djerba (Welcome Meridiana Beach)
Day 9 - Djerba Island Tour (Welcome Meridiana Beach)
Day 10 - Gabes - El Djem (Hotel resto Dar Ammar)
Day 11 - Mahdia - Monastir - El Kantaoui - Hammamet (Le Royal)
Day 12 - Cap Bon Peninsula (Le Royal)
Day 13/14 - Relaxing in Hammamet(Le Royal)
Day 15 - Departure

Arrival

The Lufthansa flight to Tunis arrives on time. Our guide Ouni is already waiting for us. To my surprise, only one other person arrives with me. Stefan from Hamburg. The rest of the group arrived already earlier on different flights from Frankfurt and Munich.

At the hotel I meet some others from the group. One couple had cancelled the tour at the last minute, so there are 10 of us. We have dinner together before I walk with Daniela, Regine and Peter to the old medina, which is only a few hundred metres from the hotel. It's Ramadan, so the streets are full of people after dark, eating, drinking tea or having a chat.

A friendly guy wants to show us a nice viewpoint over the medina. We agree, although we are already expecting more than just a viewpoint. And indeed, after a nice view over the medina, we find ourselves in a carpet shop and soon after in a perfume shop. Fortunately, the whole experience is not too intrusive. After a look around, including the obligatory chat to find out where we are from, followed by a list of the various relationships the sellers have with Germany, we are released after a handshake and no further sign of buying anything. Now, although still friendly, our "guide" shows some signs of disappointment at not receiving a commission and quickly takes us back to the main road. Well, part of the business, sometimes it works, sometimes it does not.

Day 2 - Carthage, Sidi Bou Said

We have a long day ahead of us. The plan is to visit some of the sights in Carthage, just 15km outside Tunis, before heading to Sidi Bou Said, a popular artists' village, and ending the day with a tour of the medina and souks of Tunis.

Carthage, was an ancient city, founded by the Phoenicians around the 9th century BCE. It grew to become a powerful city-state and a major center of trade in the Mediterranean, rivaling the might of Rome. Carthage is renowned for its legendary conflicts with Rome, particularly the Punic Wars, which ultimately led to its destruction by the Romans in 146 BCE, which redeveloped it a century later as Roman Carthage. Despite its fall, Carthage left an enduring legacy in history, including its famed general Hannibal Barca and its innovative maritime trade and naval prowess.

Today, Carthage is an archaeological treasure trove, where visitors can explore the ruins of its ancient ports, baths, theaters, and the impressive Antonine Baths, offering a glimpse into its once-grandeur and significance in the ancient world. It’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1979.

The Carthage Amphitheater, is dating back to the Roman period and was built during the 3rd century CE. It once hosted gladiator fights and chariot races, now offering insight into the entertainment spectacles of the past.

The Cisterns of La Malga are a series of ancient Roman underground reservoirs built to store up to 60,000 qm of water. Dating back to the 2nd century CE, these cisterns demonstrate the sophisticated engineering of the time, providing a glimpse into how the ancient city managed its water supply.

Kathedrale Primatiale Saint Louis de Carthage and the Quartier Unique de Byrsa

The Roman Theater with a capacity of about 5,000 spectators is a bit of a disappointment. It’s modernised to use as a venue today and therefore lacks the ancient atmosphere.

The Tophet of Carthage contains a large number of children's tombs which, according to some interpretations, were sacrificed or buried here after their untimely death.

The Punic Port of Carthage featured a unique double harbor design, with inner and outer harbors connected by a narrow canal, providing shelter for ships and facilitating efficient loading and unloading of goods.

The Antoine Baths are the most impressive site in Carthage. Constructed during the reign of the Roman Emperor Antoninus Pius in the 2nd century AD, these baths were a testament to the luxurious lifestyle and advanced engineering of the time. It consisted of a series of interconnected rooms, including hot, warm, and cold baths, as well as saunas, massage rooms, and exercise areas, providing a complete bathing and relaxation experience for the city's inhabitants. Very cool to explore.

Sidi Bou Said is a charming village perched on a hill with houses painted in white and blue. It's no longer a secret, given the number of souvenir stalls. The weather is windy with occasional rain, perhaps the reason it feels relatively quiet today. Nevertheless, I enjoy the atmosphere and would have liked to stay overnight to explore the village during the blue hour for some more great photo opportunities.

Finally back at Tunis we revisit the Medina. Dating back to the 9th century, the Medina is one of the best-preserved medieval Arab-Muslim cities in the world and no wonder a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

As it gets closer to sunset, the streets empty as people head home to prepare for prayer and dinner.

Tunis is a city of cats

Day 3 - Tunis-Bizerte-Tabarka

10 min. before our meeting time at 9:00 (I’m just ready to leave), my phone in the room rings. I'm told that the group is already waiting. And indeed, they are all in the bus, waiting for me. At 08:56 we are on our way. I've travelled a lot in my life, but this only happens with German tour groups.

Of course we arrive too early at our destination, the Bardo National Museum, and have to wait 15 minutes for it to open. I make fun of the situation and we all take it in good humour. The museum houses one of the largest and best preserved collections of Roman mosaics in the world. Impressive indeed and well worth a stop.

Next we drive to Bizerte, the northernmost town in Tunisia and a popular weekend destination for Tunisians. Its colourful harbour was used by Turkish pirates to hide their ships until the 17th century.

We visit the medina and the lively and interesting market. The dark red and ripe strawberries look particularly tempting, less so the animal entrails. People here are quite relaxed and even pose for photographs.

The road we take to Tarbarka runs through a surprisingly green landscape of rolling hills covered in wheat fields. From time to time we pass shepherds with their flocks, olive groves and the occasional farm building. The landscape reminds me more of Tuscany than what I would expect here.

Tabarka, a 3 hour (180km) drive from Tunis, is an old Phoenician settlement by the sea, overlooked by a 16th century Genoese fort. It's a popular tourist destination, especially with locals in the summer. Now it feels almost deserted.

Our hotel, the Dar Ismail Tarbarka, is a huge family resort with well over 100 rooms and a large outdoor pool area, now closed. There are only a handful of other guests. So we walk alone through the endless floors to our rooms, a kinda strange feeling.

Day 4 - Tabarka - Bulla Regia - Teboursouk - Thugga

Today we start at 8:00. The road runs through forested mountains and green hills until we arrive at the popular archaeological site of Bulla Regia, renowned for its well-preserved underground villas.

Next is the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Thugga, which we reach after a 1.5-hour drive. It is considered the best-preserved Roman town in North Africa.

It is remarkable that much of the architecture has survived in such good condition for so long.

The area was inhabited until 1911 when the last residents relocated to New Thugga. During the Roman occupation, the settlement was governed by both a Roman and a local community. The Romans only brought male settlers, who took local women as their wives. Over time, the society became increasingly diverse, eventually becoming a Roman settlement.

Overall, Thugga is one of the most fascinating Roman ruins I have ever visited. I particularly appreciate that some of the ruins are situated among old olive groves, which creates an enchanted atmosphere. We spent 2.5 hours exploring the area without becoming bored due to the numerous exiting ruins.

We have a short visit at Teboursouk, before we reach our Hotel, Thugga. It appears to be a popular destination for wild boar hunters, and accordingly, we have wild boar for dinner. An unexpected surprise in Tunisia.

Day 5 - Kairouan - Sbeitla

Knowing that my travel companions are ready early, I arrive at the bus at 7:15 this morning, 15 minutes before the meeting time. However, I am still the last to arrive and at 7:20 we are already on our way.

During our two-hour drive to Kairouan, we pass through a fertile green landscape where wheat, watermelons, beans, almonds and olives are grown. As we continue, the scenery becomes more arid and brownish tones start to dominate the steppe-like landscape.

Kairouan is the 4th holiest city in Islam and its mosque dates back to the 7th century.

Our first stop are at the ancient Aghlabid Pools, built in the 9th century to cope with Kairouan's water problems in the arid region. An aqueduct carried water over 36km from the west. Unfortunately, the pools also proved to be a perfect breeding ground for mosquitoes. Only two of the original 14 pools have survived to this day.

Our next stop is the Mausoleum of Abou Djama el Balaoui, one of the Prophet's companions. Unfortunately, access to the tomb is restricted to Muslims only. However, the 17th-century building is beautifully decorated.

The Great Mosque, which was constructed in 671 AD, is the oldest mosque in Western Islam. The building incorporates a significant amount of ancient masonry that was recycled from earlier Roman and Byzantine structures. Since I recently have seen the huge Mosques in Istanbul, it's now hard to impress me, I have to admit. But still a nice place to visit.

Finally, we take a leisurely stroll through the Medina, which suddenly becomes quiet shortly before prayer time.

After another 1.5-hour drive, we arrived at Sbeïtla, one of the best-preserved Roman settlements and also the most distant major settlement from Carthage. The atmosphere feels quite different from Thugga due to the desert-like landscape.

Our hotel, Byzacene, is a huge, rather new complex that we have almost to ourselves.

Day 6 - Oasis Chebika, Tamerza and Mides

As usual, we start 10 minutes early. Today, we have a 3.5-hour drive to Tozeur, the capital of Bled el Jerid 'Land of the Palms'.

The road is good but runs through a rather boring, brownish landscape. Some parts of the road are lined with Eucalyptus trees, and I wonder how sensible it is to plant these thirsty trees in such a dry area.

After a stop in Tozeur, a rather dusty and less interesting city,...

...we split into two groups for the jeep tour to the mountain oasis of Tamerza, Mides and Chebika. The Canyon in Mides was a film set in the movie The English Patient.

Due to a recent sandstorm, the sky appears yellowish and dusty. Overall, the scenery and villages are nice but less impressive compared to the Dades Valley in Morocco that I visited a while ago.

After visiting the villages, our jeep takes us on a desert tour to a former Star Wars movie set Mos Espa, that some of us have opted for. The other group drives home. We make a short stop at a dessert fortress that was used as a backdrop in a Turkish film. Only the drive-through reveals the fake.

It is no surprise that the Star Wars team selected this location to depict the desert planet Tatooine. The landscape is barren, devoid of vegetation, but replete with small sand dunes. The movie set has been renovated several times by fans and, despite being over 20 years old, remains in relatively good condition. I like to wander around the film set, at least until a huge group of 30 people arrives. I picture them as an invasion of imperial storm trooper. Unfortunately I don’t have my laser sword at hand, so the only option is to flee. Lucky them.

Our hotel, the Raz el Ain Tozeur, is by far the busiest place we have visited so far.

Day 7 - Nafta - Tozeur - Salt Lake Chott El Jerid - Douz

We have a late start today at 9:00, sorry 8:45 of course. We drive to Nafta to visit the village and the adjacent palm oasis. A large, now empty hotel complex overlooks the oasis. Many hotels in the area closed after the revolution and terrorist attacks in the past.

After Nafta we return to Tozeur for a walk through the old part of the town, but I do not really warm up to the place.

Next, we drive for 2 hours to Douz. On our way, we pass the largest salt lake in Tunisia, the Chott El Erid.

We stop in Douz, a small town known as the "Gate to the Sahara". After buying some dates, we take a short tour of the town and check in at the Sahara Douz Hotel, where I make use of the swimming pool, the first time. It is quite a pleasant experience in this dusty environment.

Peter and I walk to the dunes for sunset, but the area is full of rubbish and not very attractive. In the distance, we spot some camel tours and are glad that we did not take the option today.

Day 8 - Matmata - Toujane - Chenini - Ksar Ouled Soltane - Djerba

Today, we have a long drive ahead of us with several sightseeing stops on the way to Djerba.

We hit the road at 7:00 and soon find ourselves driving through a dry yet picturesque mountainous landscape, dotted with Berber villages. We notice houses built into the rocks, which is a traditional way of coping with the summer heat. Unfortunately, most of these houses are now abandoned.

We make a stop at the Maison troglodyte, a well-preserved house that now serves as a museum run by local berber women.

A unique type of housing was constructed by digging a large circular hole into the ground and then excavating chambers horizontally into the rock. We stop at one of this locations, the Hotel Sidi Idriss. Star Wars fans may immediately recognise it as it was used as a film set and is now open to visitors.

The rugged mountainous scenery is far more captivating than the scenery of the previous days.

After some more driving, we stop at the Berber village of Chenini, beautifully situated on a mountain top. The abandoned village is no longer in use, but the ruins and nearby mosque are very picturesque. The locals are also very friendly. Besides the Thugga ruins, this is only the second truly impressive moment of my trip.

The third one follows soon after when we visit Ksar Ouled Soltane. A Ksar is a type of fortified village or, in this case, storage used by the Berbers to gather and protect wheat, dates or similar crops for hard times.

Ouled Soltana is a scenic location. Surprisingly, despite being used as a Star Wars film set, there are almost no souvenir shops or stalls to detract from the view. It is highly recommended.

From here to Djerba Island, the land becomes flat, brown, and dotted with small bushes, occasionally interrupted by olive groves.

An artificial dam and road connect Djerba with the mainland. It is the largest island in North Africa and a popular beach destination for sun-seeking Europeans. All-inclusive hotels, like our Welcome Meridiana Beach, seem to be the standard here. However, during check-in, we are branded with a blue band, indicating that we are not part of the all-inclusive package and have to pay separately. It appears that we are the only ones, as everyone else walks around with an orange band.

Day 9 - Djerba Island Exporation

Today we will take a tour of the island. Our first stop is the Fadhloun mosque, not very big but picturesque and beautifully renovated. After that, we visit Guelella, a pottery village (not too interesting).

Our next stop is 'La Ghriba', the site of one of the oldest synagogues in the world, dating back more than 2500 years, although the current buildings date from the 1920s. Unfortunately, in April 2002, an al-Qaeda suicide bomber targeted the place and killed 19 people, resulting in the implementation of an airport-style security checks we have to run through.

Djerbahood is my fourth Wow!!! moment in Tunisia. In 2014, 150 artists from 30 different countries painted 250 murals on the village's whitewashed walls. Since then, the number has significantly grown. I love street art, and this village is bustling with it. Every corner and niche offers something interesting. Besides the street art, it's a charming village with old doors and colourful flowers. Unfortunately, we ran through it too quickly for my liking. I would have loved to spend at least another hour exploring on my own.

We then continue on to Houmt Souk, the capital of Djerba. It's currently 33 degrees Celsius according to the weather forecast. Although the Souk area is quite charming, I miss a shady spot with an open café or tea house to relax a bit.

The Borj el Kebir is a fortress built at the end of the 14th century. In the 16th century, the Spaniards occupied it before it was captured by the Turks, who massacred the Spaniards and built a huge tower with their skulls. These were cruel times!

Our final stop for today is the yacht harbour before we return to the hotel for a relaxing afternoon by the pool and sea.

The weather forecast for tomorrow is for a pleasant 23 degrees, which is a drop of 10 degrees despite a full day of sunshine. It looks like we've been hit by a heat wave today.

Day 10 - Gabes - El Djem

Today, we are taking the ferry back to the mainland to save some kilometers on the way to Gabes.

In Gabes we visit the old spice market. The area is particularly famous for henna. Overall, I am not too impressed with the place.

Henna

Fun fact: Henna comes in three strengths, depending on how long the leaves were left on the plant: neutral, which strengthens hair; red, used as hair dye; and black, used for temporary bridal tattoos.

In El Jem we first visit the museum, which has some very nice mosaics on display.

Next we visit the amphitheatre. Wow!

Constructed in the 3rd century AD, the amphitheater is the third largest in the Roman Empire, with a diameter of 425m, a height of 36m, and a capacity of 35,000 spectators. It is well-preserved and provides an amazing opportunity to experience history. Walking alone under the huge colonnades emphasizes the grandeur of this structure. I can almost hear the bloodthirsty spectators cheering at the cruel and brutal performance they are witnessing in the oval, with gladiators fighting against each other or wild beasts.

Our hotel, Dar Ammar, is rather new with nice architecture but lacks soul. Unfortunately, it is located 2km outside of town with nothing around it. It would have been nice to walk to the Amphitheater to see it lit during the blue hour, but dinner is at 19:30. The set menu is cold and they forget about breakfast in the morning. Buhhhhhhh!

Day 11 - Mahdia - Monastir - El Kantaoui - Hammamet

During our stop in Mahdia, we take a short walk through the old town centre before visiting the old phoenician port. During our walk we are followed by a guy on a scooter, which irritates me because he does not pass us. Later, a police officer on a motorcycle and a police car join us and escort us around the whole city. Later, Ouni explains that they thought we were a VIP group with journalists. I have no idea how they came to this conclusion, but I wonder if another group was waiting for their escort at the same time.

During our visit to Monastir, we have the opportunity to see the impressive Mausoleum of Habib Bourguiba, Tunisia's first president, and the Ribat de Monastir, an Islamic defensive structure dating back to 796, which offers great views over the city.

In Sousse, the third largest city in Tunisia, we explore the souk, which is the most charming and interesting we've seen so far. However, we rush through it far too quickly for my taste. I appreciate the city, at least from what I could see during our drive through. The appearance of everything is neat and orderly by Tunisian standards, particularly the yacht harbour where we stop for coffee before continuing on to Hammamet.

Hammamet is a popular tourist destination in Tunisia with ample hotel accommodations. The Medina is small but charming, although the vendors are more persistent than in other places we have visited.

Our hotel, Le Royal Hammamet, appears luxurious at first glance but a bit run-down upon closer inspection. It is quite large, but there are only a few other guests besides us.

Day 12 - Cape Bon

Seven of us have decided to take the optional tour to the fertile Peninsula Cape Bon today.

Our first stop is Nabeul, where we walk through the Medina. As we have seen many other medinas, this one is only moderately interesting.

Next, we visit the Fort of Kelibia, which offers an amazing panoramic view. In particular, the view of the turquoise sea with the whitewashed houses along the coast is mesmerising.

Kerkouane was a Phoenician city located right by the sea, famous for its purple dye production. The site was destroyed twice, first in 310BC by Agathokles and then in 255BC by the Romans, after which it was abandoned. Nowadays, little remains besides the foundations, but it is still worth visiting to get a sense of the layout.

Day 13/14 - Relaxing

The next two days are for leisure and I mostly relax at the pool which to my surprise I enjoy. Damn I'm getting old. But the temperature is just perfect and I use the time to sort my pictures and prepare the travelogue.

Day 15 - Departure

A part of the group had already a very early morning flight, so we have had already yesterday our farewell. A transfer brings the rest of us in one hour to the airport and an almost punctual flight brings me finally back home.

Final Verdict

Moment of truth. As I said, my expectations were not too high, which is generally not a bad starting point for a trip. Maybe it's not fair to compare a package tour in Tunisia with an individually organized self-drive tour in Morocco, but both are popular tourist destinations in the Maghreb, so why not.

I saved a lot of planning time by taking the package tour, but in general I like the planning part a lot. The group itself was easy going, well travelled with lots of interesting stories to tell and there was a good harmony in the group. Our guide Ouni and driver Hakim both did a great job. The new bus after the complaint on the first day was very comfortable for the 10 of us. So nothing to complain about.

From a photographer's perspective, package tours are almost always sub-optimal and this tour was no exception. Some of the very interesting sites we visited were in very harsh light conditions and of course not everyone wants to start just after sunrise to make the most of the soft morning light. The hotels were also almost always outside the interesting areas and sometimes we rushed too fast through photogenic areas for my liking.

Most of the hotels were rather large and anonymous and dinner was almost always included. They were mostly OK, but none of them would be my typical choice as I prefer, whenever possible, smaller, unique and family-run guesthouses. I also credit a good and interesting location higher than comfort. Also I prefer the option of eating outside for more of an experience.

What was less of a problem than expected was Ramadan. Yes, from time to time we all missed the opportunity to have a coffee or tea in a nice place to relax a bit. This was only possible in the more touristy places. Some shops with sweet snacks or supermarkets were open, so there was no need to go hungry during the day. We took our main meals in the morning and evening and I tried to leave it that way, seeing it as a welcome opportunity for a long needed diet 🙄.

All the sights were open, maybe an hour shorter than normal but that was no real problem.

On the plus side, it was less touristy and the evening atmosphere in the cities was lively and energetic, which unfortunately we did not experience too often (see outside the hotels). Would I go again during Ramadan? Without a doubt yes.

Despite all the above, as package tours or individual tours are ultimately a personal choice, I found the Morocco trip quite a bit more interesting, scenic, varied and overall with more wow moments than I had on this trip. Morocco is still one of my favourite countries I've been to. The only point that Tunisia makes against Morocco, but a big one, is for the overall friendliness of the people. Also, taking pictures of people proved to be much more relaxed than in Morocco. This was a positive surprise.

All in all, it was still a pleasant trip and I don't regret it, but if I had to choose which country to visit again, my answer would be clear. Sorry Tunisia, but Morocco rocks!!!!

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