Keen to explore more of northern Tunisia, Chris and I had booked a day trip to take in the highlights of capital city Tunis, the ancient Roman ruins of Carthage and the picturesque seaside town of Sidi Bou Said.
We were picked up directly from our Yasmine Hammamet hotel at 08.10 by our guide (Guess) and driver. Guess explained that being low season, we were the only participants for this trip so we would be driven around by car for the day.
Throughout the one hour journey to Tunis, Guess gave us a detailed run down of the history and geology of Tunisia. For example, he explained that Tunisia has the 3rd largest salt flats in the world, south in the country in the Sahara Desert.
Tunis
Tunis is home to 2.7 million people and our first stop was for a guided walk through the ancient souk. Our driver dropped us off next to modern Kasbah Square which, since the 2011 revolution is often the site of political protests.
The souk was first founded in 698 and developed throughout the middle ages. It wasn’t too busy on a Monday morning in January although it is mostly frequented by locals rather than tourists.
In the heart of the Souk we stopped in an authentic Tunisian Dar for an espresso. Guess explained the ‘Dar’ was previously a house or a safe sanctuary for women. It was atmospheric but with a large TV screen showing news and the Tunisian equivalent of ‘Good Morning Britain’ with its male and female co-presenters.
In the middle of the souk we suddenly came to an outside area and arrived next the mosque of which is surrounded by the souk. We were led back inside by Guess to continue.
At one point Guess took us into one of the little shops where we had some oils dotted onto our wrists for us to smell. These were locally produced and smelled of jasmine and lemon and suchlike.
At the end of the souk we came to Victory Square where the Royal Victoria hotel is located. This hotel was previously the British Embassy.
We were given an hour of free time to ourselves during which Chris and I walked along the modern Avenue Habib Bourgiba as far as ‘Little Ben’ a small clock tower on a roundabout.
As we walked back along the pedestrian avenue I had an uncomfortable experience… We had just finished coffee in a pleasant open air cafe and while Chris was inside using the facilities I was approached by two fairly smart looking men asking to see my passport.
I asked to see their ID but they couldn’t speak English. They both left but one of them hung around the entrance. In the meantime Chris returned and we went inside to ask the coffee shop server if he knew why this might have happened.
As Chris, myself and the coffee shop person went back outside we were greeted by 4 men one of whom was wearing a police uniform. We were reassured by the police officer and the coffee shop person that this was a routine check.
After explaining where I was staying, why I was in Tunis and showing my passport the police officer was quite apologetic and said “I’m sorry… you are welcome in my country” but not before taking a picture of my passport… which I was not too happy about but had little choice in the matter 🤨
Carthage
Anyway… onwards to nearby Carthage. Founded in the 9th century BC Carthage is the oldest ancient city of Tunisia. With its strategic position on the Mediterranean it was once an important trading hub and at its peak was the richest city in this part of the Med.
We walked around the archeological site of Carthage exploring the ruins of what previously been ancient bath houses.
Carthage had a long and bitter conflict with Rome, with the city being viewed by Rome as a major rival. Eventually in 146 BC Carthage was destroyed by the Romans.
Carthage was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1979.
From the archeological site we were driven up Byrsa Hill to the St Louis Cathedral, a former Roman Catholic church which was built in 1884.
We didn’t go inside the cathedral but after paying a small entrance fee to the site Guess lead us to the panoramic viewpoint which looked over the city of Tunis.
Next up was lunch in La Goulette, a province located about 10 km north of Tunis which was included in the cost of the trip. The sea was just behind the above line of restaurants most of which serve fish and seafood.
The Le Grand Vert was a bustling and a totally locals oriented non touristic restaurant. As soon as Chris and I were seated the set menu food began to appear and we were given the same as everyone else.
Above is Tunisian brik which is deep fried and contains parsley and runny egg. The runny egg is the traditional way of serving it and runs over the plate as you cut into it.
As well as the brik and the plate of perfectly cooked if-a-tad boney fish and chips each we were also served a bowl of hearty lentil soup each, a basket of fresh French bread, a plate of pasta to share and a plate of couscous to share! No need to go hungry!
Sidi Bou Said
Our final stop was to Sidi Bou Said which I was excited to visit. With its gleaming white buildings and blue doors and blue window frames as I had seen it described as “one of the most beautiful villages of the Mediterranean” and “like Santorini”.
We were fortunate to have excellent 22 degree clear blue sky kind of weather, a perfect backdrop for our Sidi Bou Said experience…
And as Guess led us through the village we passed along a few attractive cobbled streets such as the one above.
And many an ornate and imposing blue door can be found. It is said they are painted blue to match the colour of the sea.
It took about 10 minutes to walk around and that was it. It was, in my view, nothing too exciting and somewhat overrated. There didn’t seem to be the wow factor of gorgeous Greek villages like Lindos in Rhodes, Mykonos Town, Santorini or Capri or Ravello in Italy… or in fact any of the picturesque hill top villages of Tuscany. Maybe I’ve been too spoilt and my expectations need to be adjusted 🤔
With Tunisia in mind Chris and I both preferred the old medina of Hammamet which also had white buildings with blue trim but was a little more authentic.
We did however see a great view of Sidi Bou Said and the sparkling Mediterranean when Guess took us on foot to the highest point of the town.
Sidi Bou Said has been an artists haven since the 18th century where artists, poets and writers have lived in and been inspired by the town.
Following our short orientation walk, Guess gave us an hour of free time to experience Sidi Bou Said. However I felt we were missing something… we walked up and down the main street but didn’t see any quirky art galleries or rustic museums to wander around. Instead to kill time we sat in the sun with yet another espresso in the over priced cafe overlooking the tiny square.
Summary
Despite the excellent reviews I had read before booking, for an honest review from us we felt this experience was pretty average. At the end of the tour we arrived back at the hotel feeling a little disheartened. I felt we had a reasonable snapshot of Tunisian culture and history and to be fair, Guess the guide was knowledgeable and took his time to provide us with a great deal of detailed information. Tunis and Carthage were both interesting with Tunis being more modern than I had anticipated. However I was a little disappointed by ‘must visit’ Sidi Bou Said. Maybe we did miss something?
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