Tunisia Travel - Accommodation, Attractions, Information |
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Fast Facts
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Map of Tunisia click to enlarge in a new window |
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This hospitable land of colors and contrasts, spices and scents invites you
to enjoy its natural beauty, ancient cities, lively festivals and warm
friendliness of its people. Welcoming visitors to its shores has long been
an honored Tunisian tradition and an impressive infrastructure of modern
hotels, restaurants, international airports, tourism offices and information
centers has been developed to add to our guests comfort and pleasure.
In this land of the familiar and the exotic one can watch the sunrise over the Sahara, enjoy a gourmet meal at a seaside resort and top off the evening with a midnight swim in the pool of a modern comfortable hotel. Whether you prefer a long walk along miles of sparkling beaches, wind surfing the cool Mediterranean breezes, exploring ancient sites and legendary cities a game of golf or just a long lazy day relaxing on the warm golden sands, Tunisia has it all. From one to three hours flying time of various European gateways, Tunisia is visited by nearly four million tourists annually. While the majority of these tourists are Europeans seeking sun, sea and sand, Tunisia offers the sophisticated traveler many more enticing attractions. As the breadbasket for the Roman Empire, the northern part of Tunisia is filled with wonderful antiquity sites, with many still to be excavated. These are often in portions of the country that have thus far, been spared the mass tourist development found in many coastal resorts. In addition, the south of Tunisia offers exotic desert landscapes, dotted with oases and architecture of a style that has changed little throughout the centuries. Tunisia is a reflection of the many cultures that have inhabited it, from its indigenous Berbers, to Phoenicians, Romans, Arabs, Ottomans and the French, to name a few. In addition, the warmth of the people is found throughout the country. |
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Carthage - Virgil's epic poem 'The Aeneid' is set here, but the city - now
in Tunisia - looked to be destroyed in 146BC when the Romans reduced it to
rubble. Luckily, Caesar had second thoughts and re-established it to make it
the second-largest city in the Empire - and allegedly a den of iniquity. The
fine ruins of theatres, baths, cisterns and temples stretch along the coast. The biggest name in Tunisian history is Carthage – arch rival of Rome in the second and third centuries BC and a Phoenician trading post founded at the end of the 9th Century, that developed into one of the most prosperous and powerful cities in the western Mediterranean. By the end of the 6th Century BC it was one of the main powers of the Mediterranean. During the second and third centuries BC Carthage came to blows with Rome, one of the other great powers of the Mediterranean, in the infamous Punic Wars. Despite successful battles waged by Hannibal, the Punic general who had lead his army, backed by elephants over the Alps into Italy, Carthage suffered in the last war, when the city was destroyed by the Romans, and its people sold into slavery. Tunis Medina - Tunis Medina, the 12th Century old town, is a site
not to be missed. It is a UNESCO world heritage site and home to bustling
souks, a maze of colourful streets, as well as the revered Zitouna Mosque,
where worshippers have been called to prayer for more than one thousand
years. Dougga - Dougga is Tunisia’s largest archaeological site, as well as one of it’s most impressive. Grandiose temples, forums and theatres stand in remarkable repair on a mountain stretching over 65 hectares, overlooking wheat fields and the valley below. Some 20 – 30,000 people lived in Dougga and their lives almost come alive whilst wandering through the remains of this remarkable site. El Djem - El Djem represents the glory of the Roman Empire. It is the third largest coliseum in the Roman world, dominating the local town and nearby countryside. The construction of this building was an amazing feat, particularly considering there was no stone to build it in the immediate vicinity, as the nearest quarries were more than 30 kilometres away! During the third century gladiators fought their bitter contests in this magnificent amphitheatre, which is better preserved than the one in Rome. |
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Weather in TunisiaTunisia is a mixture of a Mediterranean and an African climate. The climate of northern Tunisia is typically Mediterranean with hot, dry summers and mild winters. Temperatures in July and August can reach 35°C+, with up to twelve hours of sunshine per day. Southern Tunisia is even hotter, with temperatures reaching 45°C and more on occasions. During the winter there are approximately 5 – 6 hours of sunshine a day and temperatures are in the region of 18 – 20°C. The desert region will always be a few degrees warmer. In terms of annual rainfall, it ranges from 1000mm in the north down to 150mm in the south, although some areas of the Sahara go for years without any rain. |
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