TUNISIA
23rd - 30th January 2002
Found this amazingly cheap holiday at www.bargainholidays.com for 7 nights half board, flights and transfers, only £157 each with Thompson Holidays. Accomodation was to be allocated on arrival garaunteed to be 2 star but the hotel "The Royal Salem" turned out to be 4 star.
.Had difficulty finding out about the public bus services. The holiday rep wanted us to book their own expensive tours and the local information office had just one copy of the time table pinned up.
Click here for a photographed copy of this bus timetable
The Souk du Dimanche Camel Market bus station is a little difficult to find as the tourist maps of Sousse either don't cover that area or it is not marked in the right place. It can be found by leaving the Medina by the "Bab el Kebli", turn right to follow "Rue du 18 Janvier 1952", turning left at the T junction onto "Ave 15 Oct 1963" and after about 1 kilometer the bus station is on your left. Trips of about 40 miles will cost just a couple of pounds.
Day 1 - Walked the beach North for an hour from The hotel to Port El Kantoui. Very modern harbour. There is a "Magasin General" here, these shops being the only places selling alcohol outside the hotel. "Super Markets" mostly sell just souveniers. Another "Magasin General" is situated about 1 hour south of the hotel on the "Route de la Corniche".
Walked to the Medina for the hussle and bussle of the market. The main train station is situated right in the centre of town and trains pass by the main road roundabout while police stop the traffic.
Day 2 - Caught the bus at 10.30am from the Souk du Dimanche for about a 1 hour journey to El Jem to see the worlds 4th largest Roman amphitheatre. This is where the film "Gladiator" was set. Built in 230 AD it would seat 30,000 spectators. This is larger than the amphitheatre in Verona, Italy. A very interesting Museum on the "Rue Fadhel B'Achour" houses beautiful Roman mosaics and the remains of a large villa.
Caught a train back to Sousse at 2.00pm which took almost as long as the bus journey passing through endless fields of olive trees which is Tunisia's main industry.
Day 3 - Caught a bus, again from the Souk du Dimanche at 9.45am, for an hours journey to Kairouan to see the Great Mosque which was not as impressive as expected. The only architecture of any note were the pillars stolen from Roman buildings used to build the Mosque. Apparently 7 trips to this Mosque is the equvalent to one trip to Mecca.
The bus station in Kairouan is also out of the main tourist area and not on the tourist maps, nothing is written up in french or english so be prepared to ask around for the return bus which leaves at 3.00pm.
There's a very good market in the Medina and the "Barrouta Chameau" is worth a visit. Here, at the top of some steps inside a building, a camel walks round in circles drawing water from a well. We felt sorry for the camel but learnt that there are two and they work on alternate days.
Day 4 - There's a huge Sunday market held near the Souk du Dimanche bus station. Anything and everything is sold here except for the camels that our guide book promised us. This is a real market and not geared for tourists. Lots of lovely spice smells, noise and very very busy.
Day 5 - We succumbed to having a trip as hassled by the guys on the beach. 3 couples were on the 2 hour trip taking it in turns to ride horse, camel and drive the waggon. The whole thing was very stagemanaged with a trip to a pottery, camel drinking coke after pulling water from a well and a bedouin woman making bread. The trip cost £10 each but if you were not careful you could end up paying another £5 in tips and more for pottery.
Day 6 - Final walking of the beach and into the Medina for souvenier shopping, haggling and hassle. Great fun.
