Tunisia

This is our holiday gallery from 2009 in Tunisia.

Travelling & Arrival 

It was almost summer and we had just started to think about our traveling plans. OK let's get to Egypt with our favourite agency... but they had only had a room for one person. Africa was a sure destination so let's look around, Morocco or Tunisia? Our choice fell to Tunisia and to tell the truth, it was a good decision :) So let's see how was it...

Hotel Orient Palace inside and outside & some more fun in Sousse 

This hotel used to be a 5* but as the website shows nowadays it has only 4*. Well things change. We were very satisfied with all the services our hosts provided. The taste and a large variety of meals, fruits, drinks, the service, and those wines from a sunny country all are very amazing. 

The staff was also kind and helpful, and ready to answer all our questions. The Mediterranean Sea is perfectly warm. The hotel's shore is a bit narrow but really enjoyable.

A few words about the room. Well, it was tidy and large with two king-size beds, which were comfy. Considering the 5* it could have been a bit prettier, however, it was still nice. 

Based on our experiences and a few years later, we warmly recommend the city and hotel.

We really wanted to see a traditional Arabic market "suc" and immerse in its hustle and bustle. The goal is given, the destination is the suc. We did not take a camera with us, but we'll try to give back the feeling in a few words. We went by taxi - which was cheap indeed - and also got some very useful instructions from our taxi driver. 

The most basic rules: bargain. don't buy jewelry, buy from a jeweler instead, only start bargaining if you want to buy something. We bought jewelry in a mall and it really wasn't expensive. 

But it is worth buying spices at the market, because there is a huge supply, and local handicrafts (for ex.: footwear, clothes, carpets - but you also have to take this home, count on it). We really enjoyed the bargaining, the fragrance of the spices, the atmosphere, the kindness of the merchants and certainly got rich with lovely, special things and experiences.

Most cultures accept alcohol, but not the Arabic culture. There are strict rules a traveler must respect. You are allowed to buy alcohol in bars and in certain shops, like "Magazin general".

Port El Kantaoui & Musical Fountain

For this day we chose a boat trip. So we headed to Port El Kantaoui. As the pictures show, the port was amazing. There was no need to make a booking, as there were many service providers in the harbor. We were really thinking about trying a submarine, but after a short discussion, we chose the motorboat instead. Today, we might have chosen to look at the underwater world, but maybe next time.

Just a lazy day

We did not spend all our holiday traveling and discovering. It was restful to enjoy the hotel's facilities at least for one or two days. 

The hotel provides other programs like bars, shops with local handmade products, henna-painting, musical night etc.

As Tunisia is a sunny country, its fruits are much more mellow than we can buy in our European markets and shops. Better fruits mean better wine. Great texture, higher degree of alcohol but not disturbingly high.

Besides the sea shore, the hotel has a bunch of pools, including one indoor swimming pool

The hotel provides every opportunity for those wishing to relax there to enjoy their relaxation.

Going to camel riding through olive groves & traditional bread tasting in a recreated Berber village

We usually chose from local programs, which are available in the hotel's lobby. So we voted for camel riding for a day-long tour. Another option would have been a quad tour into the Sahara desert to visit the Tatooine shooting scene from Star Wars. Although it was a very tempting opportunity to see where parts of the movie were filmed, traveling in the more than 40-degree Sahara was not very tempting, so we opted for camel rides instead. 

The program included a visit to a place created on the model of a Berber village, where we could taste the traditional tabouna bread baked locally in the oven. Before returning, we had a rest and met the members of the group.

All in all, we made a good deal. 

Thank you for being a part of our journey. We hope you also enjoyed it and will stay with us on our other adventures as well.

Orsi & Huba

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