Tunisia is a beautiful country with a lot of things to see from historic sites, museums to its beautiful beaches. Tunisia has become more and more popular amongst tourists. Here are some Tips for tourists who want to visit Tunisia.
20 Tips for tourists who want to visit Tunisia.
Here are 20 tips you will need when you come to Tunisia.
Before you travel
Before you travel, I recommend you to read about the Tunisian culture and etiquette. This means that your trip will be both interesting and educational and the culture shock will be less. I will elaborate this with more details later on.
Pack mosquito spray, sunscreen, wet wipes and a couple of packs of paper towels.
You can buy stomach regulators cheaply down here, you can also buy paper towels cheaply. Sunscreen and wet wipes are expensive.
If you want to explore all the ruins and sights down here, I would recommend a good pair of sneakers. By all means remember to bring abrasion plasters which are also expensive but you can find it at the pharmacies down here.
They do not have snus, so you take snus with you during your holiday. They have something they call “Neffa” which is a bit like snus but it is not recommended because you do not know exactly what this contains.
Tips At the Airport for tourists when you visit Tunisia.
When you check in your luggage, make sure it is wrapped in plastic and with a good lock on. Have everything of value in your bag that you take with you on the plane.
When you arrive at the airport and do not have your own shuttle, do not take the first and best taxi. Be sure that drivers are ready just outside to offer you their services.
Thank you nicely no, then go out and look for a taxi. ALWAYS remember that the taximeter MUST be on. If the driver says it does not work, thank you nicely no and go to the next. Do not agree on a price.
Hold on to your hat, the driving culture down here is completely different from what you are used to. They drive fast and aggressively.
Car rentals and money exchange
There are car rentals at airports and elsewhere so if you love to drive a car feel free to rent one so that you can have a look around. Driving down here is not for new drivers or careful drivers, you will soon notice that. It’s the right of the strong. Turn signals, forget it! Duty to give way, forget it too! The first who crosses is the first who comes and that’s it.????
If you have not been able to exchange money before the trip, they have both exchange offices and an ATM at the airport. Do not take it home again. Remember it is NOT allowed to take Tunisian dinars out of the country!
If you have to go to the toilet after the trip, it’s nice if you give the washers a little tip, they will be very happy about it. Pack paper towels in your bag, Antibac is a must. Not all toilets have toilet paper so every lady’s bag down here has toilet paper.
When you reach your destination
When you arrive at your place, whether it is your own apartment, hotel or holiday home, go through the rooms, if you have something to complain about do it right away.
Get to know your area and then you can relax after the trip.
Do not expect that everything is golden clean, a five star hotel down here does not have to be of the same standard as one in your country. However, you also won’t find a room overgrown with dirt. And yes coackroches exist but they do not bite.????A thorough check of the luggage before you go home again is a good idea so you do not get any extra passengers????
DO NOT leave anything of value behind when you go out so if they have a safe in the hotel use it.
Take a stroll around the local area, find the nearest pharmacy, convenience store, supermarket and you will know where to get what you may need. REMEMBER: drink plenty of water if it is hot and do not drink bottled water from the tap.
The cities have large supermarkets. I would recommend you to shop at the local small shops, they desperately need the income they can get.
Can I drink alcohol in Tunisia?
Alcohol can be bought from the largest supermarkets called Carrfour and Geant. There is usually a separate room for this. During Ramadan and on some holidays, these rooms are closed and on Fridays only tourists are allowed to buy alcohol.
Tips On the Beach for tourists who want to visit Tunisia.
On the beach or by the pool, you must be aware that you can not put away valuables without supervision.
On the beach you may notice that there are sellers who sell jewelry (no it is not gold or silver) and tabacco (do not buy from them, purchase from stores that have signs of tabacco). They can be reasonably aggressive in the way they behave.
If you are tempted to buy something go for it and you can bargain about the price if you think it is expensive. If you are happy with the price then both of you are happy right?
There are also children who sell jasmin flowers, feel free to buy from them but remember that it is often organized by adults …. There are Beggars so you can give them money if you want, this is also often organized so do not think that they are what they pretend to be. Begging is “big business” down here. I will also elaborate it a little later.
On the beach, especially if you travel alone as a woman, men will contact you. If you are not interested in a chat, thank you definitely no, avoid eye contact, smile and continue with what you are doing and they will eventually go.(Tips to avoid harassment In Tunisia)
On the other side if you are interested it is up to you to keep contact but keep in mind that these men live off tourists and what they are worth. This also applies to waiters and hotel staff. Be polite but determined on what you want and you will get it much easier. I will write about this also in a later post.
Tips for tourists who visit Tunisia when you are out among People
Feel free to take pictures but it is polite to ask first, especially if you take pictures of shops or restaurants. Not everyone likes to be photographed and it should be respected. DO NOT take pictures of public officials and close to the Presidential Palace, then you may have to give up your camera or be strictly instructed to delete photos.
If you’re in the capital or in any big city then take a walk in the market, it is worth a visit. Take your time and enjoy yourself and bargain if you think the price is very high. Bargain with a smile even though you will eventually get annoyed by the hustle and bustle.
In this country rudeness will not work with you so if you want to enjoy yourself and have a nice day then you should overlook things and think positively.This is fun! I would recommend not using a purse and putting money and things of value in a folder around your neck because in these places it is crowded!
In the Street
I would recommend you to follow the dress code: Bikini and swimsuit belong to the beach not in the hotel lobby, shops or markets. The more decent you dress the more respect you will get from the locals. Tunisia is reasonably liberal, especially in the big tourist cities but out in the countryside it is good to think about this.
Do not leave your mobile phone, ipad or bag on the cafe table, especially in the capital. There are youth gangs that steal goodies from tables as a specialty and they are great at it so do not think you can catch them.
Sunscreen, sunscreen sunscreen! The sun is much stronger than you think, so if you get a sunburn and you have been a little too eager to get tanned then there are good products you can buy from pharmacies here.
In the the souk
If you want to buy gold or silver, you should go to authorized stores and even then you should be aware because not everything that shines is what you think it is. Get papers that proves it is genuine, check the number and feel free to take both magnets test.
If you are at Djerba I would recommend you a trip to Zarzis to visit the gold souk down there because sellers are both good and honest and have a good selection of jewlery.
Feel free to buy Tunisian handicrafts and just make sure that what you bring with you is not “made in China”.????
Do not think that you can bring antiques home, you can be arrested by customs.
If you want to buy rugs then you should visit an authorized shop, or if you are close to Matmata then take a trip to Toujane and visit the carpet dealers. There you can find beautiful rugs and good craftsmanship.
Covid in Tunisia
While writing this blog we still have COVID epidemic so I would highly recommend face masks, antibac and super careful hand hygiene. You will see that many Tunisians are not so careful but you just have to get used to it.
See (How to get your vacination card in Tunisia )
Remember that if you are vaccinated, it is not certain that those you meet are and even if you have received the vaccine, you can still carry the infection with you! We are vulnerable people with not as good a health system as you may have.
Fruits and vegetables should be washed CAREFULLY. Avoid ice in your water or drink or whatever in the first few days (the ice can be made out of tap water so it can trouble your stomach if you’re not used to it).
Be a little careful with the salad and the ice cream that is sold. Buy ice cream from the store and wait few days as well until your stomach get used to the food change .
Explore Tunisia if you can
If you get the opportunity, visit beaches other than those around your hotel/house.
Visit Cap Serrat, located in the far north of Tunisia, is a natural gem of the rare.
Go to the beaches around Ghar El Mellah or Korba, Al Haouaria and Kélibia.
A little tip: when you visit these places do not exactly walk around in thong panties or spidos.
Bath in shorts and singlet so you avoid a lot of attention and angry glances???? yes… .and less angry glances: more of another type of glances????????♂️
If you have any problem of any kind, contact the nearest police officer, they are usually helpful and polite to tourists.
The Animals in Tunisia
We have stray dogs, we have stray cats and they can have diseases such as scabies even rabies. Do not give them food around the hotel or the place where you live. It is not easy for an animal lover but they multiply at record speed and I may sound cold now, but one can not save the world.
The cute little puppy you feed for fourteen days and then laugh a little to, turns into a big dog that bothers the kids and can attack the flocks of sheep of the farmers.
We have a bunch of foreigners and Tunisians who do a good job trying to save some of these animals but it’s limited. How many can they take in and how many can they offer for adoption?
So the animals stand there, perhaps their whole lives behind a netting. This is also something I will write about later.
Health in Tunisia
IF you are unlucky enough to injure yourself, or get so ill that you need a hospital, I would recommend that you visit the nearest clinic.
The public hospitals are ……well… visit a clinic and prepare your wallet. Most people today are well insured when they are out. The clinics usually have good people.
Written by carita
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If you’re not horrified after reading tips from me to you, I welcome you “Mahraba” to Tunisia????Come with an open mind and I promise you an experience you will never forget❤️Tunis have warm, friendly people that like to laugh. I hope these Tips are helpful for tourists who want to visit Tunisia.
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