Tunisia Vacation

I had thought that this posting would give us a chance to see not only Libya but also a couple of other countries of Africa. But Vipin’s heavy work schedule and visa hassles kept us tied and all this time we could move no further than Tripoli . Then one fine day everything suddenly seemed to fall in place and we were off for a four day trip to Tunisia
Situated in North Africa Tunisia is on the Mediterranean coast flanked by Libya on one side and Algeria on the other. It is a beautiful country with a long shoreline dotted by small towns and beautiful beach resorts for the tourists. Each place has a historical heritage and plenty of leisure activities.It is easy to get around since language is not a barrier. Arabic and French are widely spoken and most people also speak English and German. Tunisia is a favourite holiday destination for the Europeans due to its temperate climate and closeness to Europe. Driving along the coastal road from the border at Zuara we come across Djerba, Gabes, Sfax, Mahdia, Monastir, sousse, Hammamet and finally the capital..Tunis. Southern Tunisia is a part of the Saharan Desert. Our time in Tunisia being limited we decided on staying at Djerba and Sousse .

A disappointing start!!!
Armed with lots of vegetarian food , juices and water and a lot of excitement we set off on our holiday at 7.30am .Our plan of going through the Zuara border had been altered by Jemal who suggested that the Nalut border would be closer for us and we would be able to reach Djerba sooner. The road to Nalut border is beautiful winding through dry desert mountains and about a hundred km long. At the check post our passports were examined and re examined and after a wait of about half an hour we were informed that we could not enter from there as the visa was valid for entry only through the Zuara check post! It came as a rude shock to us as we gaped disbelievingly at the guards and Omar the driver who tried to explain the situation in broken English. The prospect of the hundred km back then one hundred and fifty to Zuara and the further sixty to the border seemed daunting enough but we were not to be deterred. We crossed Tijee again at 10.30 am and continued non stop on our journey lamenting upon the loss of precious three hours.
The rest of the journey was spent listening to a cassette of old Indian melodies and dozing intermittently till we reached the next checkpost at about 1 P.M.
Here everything went off smoothly except that when the boot of the car was inspected , the guards removed a 20 litre can of petrol which Omar had put inside since petrol prices are very high in Tunisia as compared to Libya. This is done to prevent smuggling of petrol across the border. Well after that the passports and visas were again inspected and to our relief everything was in order and within half an hour we were in Tunisia!!

Djerba

Djerba is a small island town joined to the mainland by a six km long causeway. It is a beautiful drive ...the sea on both sides almost lapping the edges of the road. The island itself looks like a beautiful oasis covered with date palms olive trees and small orchards of fruits like apricots, figs, grapes, pomegranates and oranges occupying every inch of empty space. There is calm and unhurried atmosphere about the place and the people seemed to be friendly. We cruised leisurely through the neat little town, crossed the market and headed straight for the beach resorts about fifteen km further towards the sea. This area houses numerous beach resorts and hotels to accommodate tourists who flock to this charming town. These whitewashed buildings nestling in lush green surroundings gleam like pearls against the backdrop of the deep blue of the Mediterranean . It is truly a breathtaking sight. We went directly to one of these resorts Hotel Yaddis , where we were booked for the night. The hotel had all the facilities one could wish for.....bars, restaurants, gym, spa, swimming pool , music, indoor games, disco, well laid out gardens, and of course a private beach. Since it was already 5 pm by the time we checked in we decided to spend the evening inside the resort lazing on the beach walking around the gardens and going around the handicrafts shop inside the hotel.
The next morning we were packed and ready to go to Sousse. To leave Djerba we again came to the sea where the vehicles and passengers board a barge for the six km crossing back to the mainland. We enjoyed the three hundred and seventy km drive to Sousse stopping occasionally to look at some handicrafts stalls or for coffee and drinks at one of the wayside cafes. The countryside is very clean and we passed many small towns and isolated houses on the way similarly whitewashed and with nicely maintained gardens. There are miles and miles of olive plantations on either side of the highway. Finally at about four pm we reached Sousse.

Sousse
This is another beautiful resort city of Tunisia . We checked in at hotel El Kanta which is one of the numerous resorts lining the beach. The resort area is close to the city along the beach front going upto Marina Kantoui where hundreds of boats are parked to take holidaymakers for a trip out in the sea. The Marina is surrounded by a courtyard housing cafes ,restaurants and small village like shops selling local handicrafts . Behind these shops low rise hotels set between a foliage of trees and flowering plants blend perfectly with environment. It is a pleasure to walk about the narrow pathways and enjoy window shopping and seeing the boats coming and going with their passengers.
We spent a lovely evening strolling around the marina and came back to our hotel for a sumptious buffet style dinner and then went around exploring the hotel facilities ending up at the poolside where a live band played soft music. It was an evening I will never forget.
Early next morning we went to Hammamet about eighty km from Sousse on the Tunis highway. The lovely wide road edged with flowering shrubs on either side and the central verge made this drive very pleasureable. Hammamet is a pretty little town with a port , pristine beaches, fort ,city centre and of course a medina for the handicrafts lovers. A cute yellow and blue coloured train is available to take visitors for a tour of the city for a nominal charge. There are many restaurants and brightly canopied cafes on the sidewalks where one can relax with a coffee or a cold drink.
We then hurried back to Sousse where we had booked a two hour cruise on the sea aboard a catamaran boat for three pm. We took a short tour of the city centre and Medina before boarding the boat. The sea breeze was refreshing and we saw some dolphins frolicking in the water. On the way back the boat was anchored for the swimming enthusiasts to dive in the sea. We came back and walked around the marina again It was a pleasure to see that the Tunisians love Indian movies and songs and enjoy watching Indian TV. Amitabh Bachchan and Kishore Kumar are well known names here. Lots of people asked me if I was from India and wanted to talk to me about our culture and dresses. I was pleasantly surprised to see a group of young girls who came and stood in front of me with folded hands like the namaste pose. The evening was spent again by the poolside enjoying a folk dance performance.
We started back for home early next morning with the regret that we should have had some more time in Tunisia so that we could have taken a two day desert tour and a day trip to Tunis as well. I have brought back with me memories of a wonderful holiday made possible due to the warm and courteous people and breathtaking beauty of the places we visited.
Signing off in anticipation of a couple of more such holidays before we leave.......