On arriving in the cloudy but warm capital of Tunis, one cannot help but begin to make comparisons with Turkey, Cyprus, and certain other Mediterranean and Middle Eastern areas, where there exists a shared culture and way of life. The general skyline of the capital Tunis, like that of the majority of Islamic towns and cities, is peppered with Mosques, their Minarets seeming to pierce the clouds. Semi-completed buildings also abound, as the area grows and infrastructure is improved. The general appearance and daily movement of the population is much like the aforementioned Mediterranean & Middle Eastern countries – street vendors selling hot foods, coffee houses where the men go to meet and play backgammon, trucks arriving at their destination covered with dust, shop owners trying their very best to entice you into their shop, (even though all you did was glance fleetingly in their direction), and everywhere you look, a strong show of patriotism.
The national flag flies proudly in shops, on advertising hoardings, on clothing worn by the locals, and outside homes and places of work. These flags aside, you could be forgiven if, just for a brief moment, you thought you were in the old, charismatic part of Larnaca, (Cyprus), or somewhere in Turkey, Egypt, etc.

I checked in at the Hotel Africa, where the room itself was a good size, and included a huge bed. I enjoyed a buffet dinner, a good night’s rest and also breakfast the following morning, before checking out of the hotel and returning to Tunis-Carthage airport, for an internal flight to Djerba.

On arrival at Djerba, I was collected by Omran, a local resident, who would be my driver for the duration of my visit. It was now time for my first port of call on this journey of discovery.

We began by stopping off at Hara Sira Riad – a town every visitor must see. There are several indications here of the sparse lives these people live. Dilapidated homes and shops abound. Cars which, in some countries would be almost idolised due to their age, (making them officially vintage/classics), are scattered in the streets enjoying the attention of rust. Some of the locals, as they sit in doorways or amble along the streets, do indeed resemble the archetypal Nomad image we often see portrayed in the media and movies, as they wear a pair of flimsy slippers and a robe with a hood. I found this whole scenario to be quite dramatic and it displayed a real basic lifestyle that we in the developed countries simply never see. However, the attraction here in Riad is the street art. Following an initial painting on the front of a house by a world renown artist, and at the invitation of the town residents, a further 142 artists from various countries around the world, including Brazil, Algeria, Columbia, descended on the town in July and August of 2014. Staying for two weeks, each added their own piece of magic to the “street art town”, in the process turning the town into the only open air art museum in the South Mediterranean. Around every corner is another piece of unique work, and as I walked along taking photos, locals were often beckoning me, pointing to where I could find more offerings of this amazing art, hidden around various corners of this fascinating little town. Although I reluctantly left Riad, it wasn’t an easy exit for poor Omran, as he was forced to stop on each occasion that I spotted yet another magnificent creative piece I wanted to photograph – on a door, across the wall of a house, or on a fence .

We travelled through neighbouring Bazim, eventually arriving at the ferry port of Ajim, with the intention of crossing over to Mahdia.
(Note: Please ensure that you do not take ANY photographs of the nearby National Guard office – you WILL be stopped and asked to delete them). We made the 15 minute crossing to Jorf and onwards into the mountains. The terrain had a character of its own – rugged yet beautiful, almost untidy at times, yet beckoning me to gaze at the ridges, caves and the general details of the most unusual rock formations.

We arrived at Matmata, where I enjoyed a wonderful lunch at the hotel Diar El Barbar, before being driven to the nearby Troglodytes, an area where mountain dwellers still exist, living in homes carved into the mountain side. I would suggest that if the opportunity arises, you make your way to meet these wonderful, friendly people. The lady of the house I visited, Miriam, along with her husband, showed me where they make their own bread, as they live off the land and trade goods with neighbours and people from the nearest town. Their hospitality was very heart warming, and they shared what little they had by way of food, with us – complete strangers. They made local mint tea, broke off a piece of bread from a rounded loaf and motioned to me that I should dip the bread into an oil and honey dip. These lovely, indigenous people have absolutely none of the technological gadgets or kitchen aids we take for granted, yet appear to enjoy life to the full, in a manner we could never comprehend. Entertainment for these people is whatever they can conjure up, i.e. general conversation, music, story-telling, etc. As we left, I gave Miriam 10 Dinar, firstly, as payment for the food, and also as a mark of appreciation for the warm hospitality. She was greatly appreciative, although in real terms this was only a little over £3.

Once back in the car, it was a two and a half hour journey to Tozeur and the El Nouradi hotel.

The following day, I was taken to a conference/ press day held at the unusual Dar Hi hotel, an event to mark the opening of the Festival of Dunes. The artists and organisers of this event were gathered to meet the press and selected members of the public, as were the committee who run Festival of Dunes. Wonderful local cuisine was served, and the conference gave me the opportunity to mingle and find out exactly what this event was. I soon realised that in essence, it is a massive “rave” and light show in middle of the Sahara. Yes, a rave in the desert! I kid you not. I was supposed to attend the Festival of Dunes later in the evening, but a sandstorm put paid to this idea. I decided to attend the following night, which gave me the chance to stay in the hotel and conduct some research. It was on the way up to my room in the hotel lift that I realised the lift manufacturer, as shown by the plaque on the control panel, was a certain Schindler, which meant I was in one of Schindler’s Lifts! I smiled at my quick wit, but there was no-one there with whom to share the joke. Such wasted comedic talent………….

The next day, I was taken for a visit to La Palmeraie, a date growing area, my vehicle being flanked by miles of plantations for much of the drive. Each plantation is owned by a family who have a house (somewhere) in the grounds. I had no idea how vast these areas are, but as we made our way to the house and Eden Palm museum on this plantation, the palm trees extended for literally miles. I was given an extensive guided tour around the museum, which was very well presented, and surprisingly interesting and informative. For instance, I was informed that all the doors in Tunisia are made from pine wood due to its durability, and surprisingly, bricks which produce no dust are also made from pine trees! I thoroughly recommend a visit should you be in the region.

My visit the following day to Nefta, the location for the Festival of Dunes, was quite surreal. After a long drive into the desert, we were held up in a queue of vehicles for almost an hour, trying to get through security. Obviously, thousands of cars were lined up (they do like their 4-wheel drive monsters for desert driving!). Music was everywhere – both Arabic and Western, as people swayed in their cars, danced alongside them with doors open, and generally sang along to whatever was playing in their respective vehicle. The atmosphere was electric, and we were not officially at the event yet! What was even more bizarre (well, for us Westerners anyway), were the amount of people arriving for this event via camel. Some wonderful looking creatures were attracting our attention, my eye being caught by a particularly striking and gorgeous white camel. (I was unaware they came in white – is this a new addition to the summer range?). However, what was more interesting for sci-fi film buffs, and general geeks, is that this event is held on the original Star Wars set. Most of the set is backstage of the main event, but once I was behind the scenes as a guest, I found myself able to freely walk through the caves and houses which formed Tatooine, the fictional town created by George Lucas for the Star Wars movie. He was inspired to name it after the nearby town of Tataouine. It was fantastic – I was actually walking in a legendary movieland place. Unfortunately, the reality of a music event and all it brings has to be considered, and thus one of the caves on this amazing set housed the backstage portaloos! Admittedly, I was a little taken aback by this, but at the end of the day I did a wee where Luke Skywalker himself probably had a quick wizz, too! Not sure if that qualifies me as a true Jedi………………

The event itself is predominantly electro/techno music, and is a celebration of electronic sounds, (many original compositions), some laced with melodies borrowed from such legends as Bach, Beethoven, Genesis, and Pink Floyd, amongst others. Guest DJ’s play a mad ensemble of electronically created music, and via keyboards or percussion, often add their own musical overlay. The event, having taken off, was now in full flow. Backstage, I mingled and chatted to various people, and was quite taken aback when the French DJ began enthusing about Modern Romance, once he realised who I was. I was quite chuffed.

A few hours later, just when I thought the non-stop bass drum was about to make my ears bleed, a couple of drops of water landed on me. I looked around and could see no source for this. A few more drops, and it dawned on me. I was in the Sahara, and it was raining! I almost felt like I could improvise on a quote by Bogart – “Of all the deserts in all the world, it had to rain in mine.”
It began as very light, but sustained rain. We left and made our way back to Tozeur, marvelling at these specks of rain. By the time we got back to the town, the rain had taken on Monsoon proportions, and the place was awash – literally!!! The water on the streets, due to lack of drainage (not needed because it never rains, apparently!!!!) was taking on the form of a mini one foot deep tsunami. I saw camels in the streets, wading through the water, and I swear I saw a look of utter confusion on their faces! Most bizarre…..
The next day, the sun was out, and had I not seen the rain personally, would not have believed that it had rained at all, let alone to that extreme degree . I left Tunis after breakfast, stopping for lunch at the Iberostar El Mansour, in Mahdia, before continuing to my overnight hotel, the wonderfully lavish Royal Hammamet. Yes, this may be a developing country, but I have to say, they have already acquired the knowledge required to build luxury hotels. I have stayed in some marvellous hotels all over the world, and this is definitely up to the mark. A palatial foyer captivates you as you walk in – marble and granite as far as the eye can see, and all done with great taste. The restaurant (again), did not let me down. Speaking of food, I think this is a good time to mention that when eating Tunisian food, it is like a party on your tongue – differing flavours and spices somehow combine to create a magic which, put simply, makes you overeat – you must sample everything, lest you miss out on something!! If you like cuisine such as Turkish, Greek, Lebanese, etc. then you simply must try anything Tunisian. The cuisine here is similar in some respects to the food of the surrounding Mediterranean and North African countries, but some of the spices and herbs used in Tunisia, along with the cooking methods, can make a dish quite different, and extremely heavenly.
My last day in Tunisia was marked with a slow amble in a very memorable suburb known as Sidi Bousai. The area is full of quaint little shops and dwellings, with a blue theme, very similar to the blue used on some of the Greek Islands. A truly beautiful part of Tunisia, but be aware – it is somewhat hilly and wheelchair access is not easy. This aside, it is a gorgeous place, with spectacular view of the coast and nearby villages. Although Tunisia is generally a poor country, slowly building itself financially, this area is one of the more affluent. As if to highlight this fact, the home of the Brazilian attaché is only yards from the expensive, mountain-side restaurant here. To underline the affluence of this area, a coffee will cost 30 Dinar (£10). The prices on the menu make it impossible for a local, working person to come here, and at the same time, emphasised to me the significance of the 10 Dinar I had given to Miriam at the Troglodytes.

As the afternoon approached, my visit to this wondrous land came to an abrupt end, and I found myself heading for the airport, wishing I had a couple more days to sample the delights of this country. I cannot state more strongly my praises for the people, the food, the architecture, the landscape, and the general feeling for Tunisia, a country which has slowly emerged from the shadows, and is now striving to make a name for itself globally, as a holiday destination, and also as an Afro/Arab country entering the 21st Century.

N.B. I understand that there may be some reluctance by the reader to accept Tunisia as a possible holiday destination, following the two tragic attacks in 2015. Unfortunately, safety is a worldwide issue in modern times. However, my only words regarding this matter are to say that after 9/11, or the July bombings in London, people did not stop travelling to see the wondrous sights of both of these countries. Tunisian security(like the USA), were caught unawares by these attacks, as they never considered themselves susceptible. Since these vile attacks, security in Tunisia has been increased considerably, making it a much safer environment. Thus, I urge anyone with the slightest curiosity about this country, to not miss the opportunity to sample the atmosphere, the cuisine, and its truly lovely people.
I will definitely be going back.