Impressions of Tunis / The Sahel / Sfax (Tunisia)

So, I'm finally back in Paris and as you can tell, I unfortunately didn't get a chance to blog while I was away but of course I plan on catching up on that now. I'll also get back to all your lovely comments today and tomorrow, so don't worry... I haven't forgotten about any of you! First up though, I thought I'd share some of my vacation pics and experiences.

As some may know, I spent the last two weeks in Tunisia, a country I had never visited before. The main motivation for visiting this particular area was that it was supposedly less touristy than Morocco, a country we initially wanted to target (and will probably visit at some point anyway). And while there are countries out there that are either very touristy or not at all, Tunisia falls somewhere in between. Because of its large coastline with sandy white beaches, historic monuments and architecture, colorful markets and mostly untouched landscape, it has become a bit of a tourist trap, resulting in giant hotel chains planting themselves along the coast and cab drivers or souvenir shop owners who will try to rip you off because you're a foreigner. Then there are other areas where you'll end up being the only tourist among locals. Unfortunately these areas are a little less accessible...

Clock tower on Avenue Habib Bourguiba in Tunis.

Tunis

Tunisia is a melting pot of different cultures, thanks to the Phoenicians, Romans, Arabs, Turks and more recently the French who occupied the country at various points throughout history. In big cities, such as the capital Tunis, the most visible influences are those of Arab Islamic and French origin. The ancient medinas (traditional old Arab towns) with their souks (markets), mosques, narrow alleys and old houses can usually be found directly adjacent to the French Ville Nouvelle with it's large avenues, grand colonial houses and outdoor cafes. In fact, the entire Tunisian lifestyle is a mix of old and new: traditional pastries are sold alongside baguettes and croissants. Outdoor cafes adopted from the French are very popular and while Arab is the official language of the country, French is spoken by almost everyone (it's taught early on in primary school).

French colonial architecture as seen on the Théâtre Municipal. The fancy street lamps can be found throughout the Ville Nouvelle.

Tunis itself was not my favorite city. The architecture was interesting enough, but I found the souks to be disappointing. I will do a separate entry on the markets and food in my next post, but safe to say that the markets here are very touristy and overpriced.

The Bab el-Bahr gate connecting the Ville Nouvelle with the medina. It used to be part of the medina wall, but only the gate remains.

Entrance to the main souk/market area in the medina.

Tunis' Great Mosque in the heart of the medina.

After spending two days here, we headed towards the coast to the smaller towns of Gammarth and La Marsa. Beware that many big resorts have opened up here and many so-called tourist zones have been built, so if you're not a fan of this, pick your hotel wisely. Sidi Bou Said which became known as an 'artist village', mainly because of painters such as Paul Klee or August Macke who paid it a visit and never wanted to leave, are still charming but are now swamped with expensive souvenir shops and cafes. The beautiful views and picturesque buildings make up for it though.

View of Sidi Bou Said from afar. The blue and white color scheme is the most striking feature of this little village.

Different buildings and pathways throughout Sidi Bou Said.

What I loved most about the Tunisian Islamic architecture were the intricately studded doors, a symbol of a resident's fortune and happiness. All doors taken in Sidi Bou Said, except the top left which was taken in Tunis.

Carthage, one of the most powerful cities of the ancient world, is definitely worth a visit as well. Most of the ancient buildings are now ruins, but still impressive to behold and are great examples of Punic and Roman architecture.

The ampitheatre in Carthage.

Part of the impressive ruins of the Antonine Baths (Carthage).

The Sahel

Our next stop after Tunis and its surroundings was the Sahel region, the East Coast of Tunisia which has many of the country's lovely beaches. Again, you'll find plenty of tourist zones and big resorts here. It's also one of those places where you can get away without speaking Arab or French, as most people around the markets and town center spoke everything from German to Russian fluently (which can be pretty off-putting if you're trying to experience a local culture). Mahdia and Monastir are charming coastal towns, the latter is very lively thanks to the university which attracts a large number of the younger population. I was most impressed by Monastir's ribat (fortified Muslim monastery), the oldest and best-preserved one in the country. Sousse is Tunisia's third-largest city and comes with a big medina containing souks (less touristy than those in Tunis), a great food market and a sprawling Ville Nouvelle.

View of Mahdia from above.

Bourguiba Mosque in Monastir.

Interior view of Monastir's ribat (taken from the top level).

Monastir's seafront and port.

One of the entrances to Sousse's medina, which is surrounded by a 9th century wall.

Sfax

Sfax is Tunisia's second largest city after Tunis and yet surprisingly, it was the most relaxing and most authentic place we visited. It's also the cleanest city of the bunch and the one that had the most lovely, well-preserved souks. When we went to the markets, we were the only tourists there and no one was pushy in trying to sell us stuff. People on the streets would greet us with 'bonjour' and a welcoming smile.

Colonial buildings in Sfax' Ville Nouvelle.

Main entrances to Sfax's medina.

Part of the medina walls which completely surround the old Arab part of the city.

View of Sfax's kasbah (castle/fortress) from the interior with part of the Sfax skyline in the background.

All in all, I had a great time and Tunisia is well worth visiting, though I will give some pointers: unless you can help it, don't stay in a resort hotel in a tourist zone (they're usually far away from the town center); cabs are safe but make sure the driver charges you on the meter; local cafes like charging tourists extra so make sure you see a menu with prices before you order anything and make sure you brush up on your French (or Arabic) before you go, as most people won't speak English. I'll probably visit this country again at some point, although next time, we'd be more inclined to head further South (near the Sahara) where you'll still get to see a lot of the more traditional Berber villages and stunning landscape.

Olive groves in the Sahel (taken from a train).