8-daagse Tunesië Essential Discovery Private Tour

We toured all over from Tunis, Carthage, Sidi Bou Said, Dougga, Berber villages, Star Wars Village and sites, The English Patient desert sites, camel ride in Sahara, and many more cultural experiences. Our guide was an exceptional proud Tunisian / Berber woman by the name of Bouthenia. She was a wealth of knowledge and very kind.

This was the most perfectly organised and implemented tour I have done. My wife and I are in our late 50s and not in the most athletic of condition. We loved it. So what do you actually get? 7 nights at good quality 4* hotels around the country. Breakfast and dinner buffet meals. Lunch on the road. Skilled drivers of comfortable modern landcruisers. Expert tour guide who knows his own country and wants to explain it to you. Entry fees to sites. Excellent range of historical, cultural and geographical experiences. There are some serious WTF moments in this tour! For me the tophet of Carthage, the Bardo Museum, Dougga’s THIS.IS.ROME. temple of the Capitoline Trinity, the Kairouan mosque, the sunset in the Saharan desert (yes, its worth the 4 hour trip through the sand dunes.), the alien landscapes just…yes. Now the downside points: 1. This requires a lot of walking and an element of fitness to enjoy. You don’t have to be an athlete but there are lots of steps. A fat, white guy managed it. 2. The drive into the desert is also challenging. 3. If you are a pale white guy like me, beware the sun. You must wear a hat. Screen up. 4. The food is plentiful and good quality but your gut bacteria may not be friendly with the locals. Bring Imodium or equivalent. I lasted until Day 5 before too much harissa intake got me (and i like spice). 5. Drinks are extra, payable at the hotel. There is a sort of beer, Celtia, available and some very good red wines, (e.g. Mago) but we mostly stuck with bottled water. This is an Islamic culture and not all restaurants have alcohol. Oddly, diet drinks are also rare. The water is fine. 6. Information Overload! To me this was completely new. A strange alien world. By the time you’re standing on a sand dune that you have previously only seen in Nat Geo images, well, your head will be so full of data that you will feel stunned. I am quite serious. This is a fully immersive experience. 7. The insects bite. Make sure you have repellant and antihistamines. As long as you do, you will be fine. General recommendation: It’s ok. You don’t have to buy a carpet unless you want to. ;-) There are shopping opportunities along the way but not high pressure ones. Tipping is welcome and reasonable. The general principle of giving to non-aggressive beggars is also a nice thing to do and appreciated by the locals. Horde your small notes and coins. This is an Islamic culture. Their culture, their rules. Dress modestly where needed. My wife kept a headscarf in her handbag so we could visit some of the special places. Their beliefs and opinions won’t necessarily match yours but that’s why you’re here isn’t it? They’re nice people. If you don’t speak Arabic, touch up on your French. Very useful. I cannot praise Saharan Sky highly enough for this experience.

As an avid independent traveller for over 35 years, I was impressed with the exceptional variety of cultural and culinary experiences, as well as the physical adventures, we had on this tour of Tunisia. Our tour leader Mustapha was intelligent, witty, well-connected and clearly well-respected by all the locals we interacted with on our trip. He taught us all so much, and facilitated some extraordinary experiences that will stay with me for life. My fellow travellers were a wide spectrum of ages, but of similar mindset, values and physical capability...which provided an abundance of good natured banter and laughs...and hopefully some enduring friendships. I cannot recommend this trip highly enough.