Set to a stunning Saharan backdrop

Tunisia is a small country that packs in a feast of history, culture and adventure. From sun soaked beaches to desert Safaris, Tunisia is a hidden gem that won't disappoint. 

Adventure and the outdoors

Tunisia’s most identifiable landscape is the Sahara desert, and much of the country's charm can be found set to this backdrop. For a memorable desert experience, set off across the sands of the Great Eastern Erg on a camel. If you are looking for a more unique adventure, a five-day trek from Douz to Ksar Ghilane may be the ticket. Sleep under canvass in a desolate landscape and enjoy mind-blowing sunrises and clear star-lit night skies. 

For those travellers not afraid of heights, taking in the Sahara’s beauty from above with a hot air balloon ride or a microlight trip is not to be missed. A birds eye view of the desert just as the sun is setting is an experience that is hard to top.

Speed-freaks and adventure nuts are spoilt for choice in Tunisia where dozens of white-knuckle, high velocity sports and pursuits promise to get the adrenaline pumping. Fans of water sports can head to the Mediterranean for excellent windsurfing, kite surfing, and waterskiing. Tunisia also offers some exceptional dives in the Mediterranean’s coral-rich sparkling depths.

 

Cuisine

With its heart in the Mediterranean region, Tunisian cuisine is a melting pot of culinary influences, although many dishes are formed from a base of tomatoes, herbs, olive oil, and fresh bread.  Hare, venison, lamb, veal, chicken, squid, sea bass and tuna are found on a vast menu of national and regional dishes, often in a stew (marqua) or soup (shorba). Freshly-cooked frittata (tajin) is light as a feather and delicious when delicately flavoured with mint. Yet it is Tunisia’s proud national dish couscous (coarsely ground semolina), that appears on every menu.  

Markets and medinas

Today, traditional markets still play an important role in Tunisian life. As well as being markets and bazaars, souks offer a tempting variety of places to go for a glass of mint tea and watch the hustle and bustle going on around. If you are shopping for something specific, it’s a good idea to find where the appropriate souk is before you set out, though exploring is half the fun!

Medinas are a town’s walled old quarter with shady and narrow streets that are full of interesting sights. There are also many small restaurants and cafes tucked away where everyone stops to catch up with the day’s news.