Free Tunisia ebook – Tunisia beyond the beach

Those glorious golden sand beaches are what tempt most visitors to Tunisia (understandably) but there’s plenty more to Tunisia beyond the beach, as I discovered on my latest trip to the country, spending a weekend in Tunis.

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Along with four other bloggers, we explored the Tunisian capital as well as the surrounding areas including Sidi Bou Said, Carthage, Gammarth and La Marsa to discover the best things to do in Tunisia on a short break.

So if you fancy some winter sun, or discovering another side to this north African country, keep reading for a taste of the ebook and to download the complete book…

The dazzling colours of Tunisia…

Whatever the time of day or night, it’s colour that leads you down winding alleyways and welcomes you through ornately decorated open doors.

Blue, white and gold are the predominant colours of the coast, and the beaches have drawn tourists to this south Mediterranean country for a century, to rest and unwind under the deep blue sea and sky.

But we take you beyond the coast and the sea, to places where personality and creativity shed light on the country and its culture. We take you to locations where you can almost touch the past and taste the future. 

We follow cats as they meander through the medina and camels as they pop up unexpectedly in the street. We follow locals to their favourite bars and cafes, to find out what they like to eat and drink and do.

And in an age of Instagram we follow the tourists to a steep coastal town where the selfie is elevated to an art form and capturing blue doors and windows is a mission.

In this short guide to Tunis and the surrounding coast and countryside we explore the places where art is created, where food is made and shared, where history was born and continually changes, along with the people and the vibe.

See that beautiful door? Let’s open it and explore…

This ebook was written and produced by The Family Travel Collective in association with the Tunisian National Tourist Office

Welcome to Tunis

Two worlds sit side by side in the fascinating city of Tunis: the medieval medina and the modern metropolis. The Tunisian capital’s ninth-century medina is a UNESCO World Heritage site and is known as one of North Africa’s most impressive examples of a medieval medina.

At one time the medina had 17 gates and was enclosed by around five miles of walls, but these were destroyed by the French during the colonial era.

The medina’s winding streets are home to covered souks selling handcrafted goods, workshops where artisans create traditional products, and grand residential buildings with colourful painted doors.

Some of the historic buildings in the medina are now beautiful boutique hotels, making it an ideal base for exploring Tunis and the surrounding area.

Beyond the medina, the rest of the city has much to offer. The Bardo Museum is famous for its outstanding collection of Roman mosaics.

Tree-lined Avenue Habib Bourguiba has a distinctly French feel, and its Théâtre Municipal is a classic Art Nouveau building. The vast 19th century Marché Central food market is the place to go for locally caught fish, spicy harissa, herbs and plants and of course for haggling and people-watching.

TIP: Vibrant Tunis is easy to reach from London, with direct daily three-hour flights by Tunisair making it a great option for a sunny city break.

Around Tunis

There’s plenty to do in the suburbs of Tunis, particularly to the east where the sea glistens and beckons visitors to relax in its turquoise hues.

The most popular area is Sidi Bou Said, an evocative town of blue and white which rivals any of the Greek islands in beauty. There are cafes, souvenir stalls and best of all the street sellers serving up hot bambalouni, the Tunisian doughnut that comes scalding hot and sprinkled with large sugar crystals.

Down below the winding streets of the town, expensive yachts bob harmoniously in the harbour, making it the perfect place for a post-dinner stroll. It may be touristy but there’s something hypnotic about Sidi Bou Said.

The seaside town of La Marsa is much more down to earth and is the place for beachside promenades and coffee in the pretty little town centre. The cafes here are more rustic than Sidi Bou Said but packed full of charm and with friendly locals, it’s a great place to while away an hour or two.

Carthage, further down the coast, comes with the weight of history and doesn’t disappoint. Walk across Roman mosaic tiled floors and weave around the bath houses where gladiators would have roamed. This is as atmospheric an historical site as they come.

Finally Gammarth is full of vibrancy and packed with fantastic hotels and restaurants. With beachside bars and happy hours in full swing it’s the place to kick back and enjoy modern Tunisia’s fun side.

Eat this… 

With influences from France and Italy as well as the Middle East and its Berber heritage, Tunisian food is a delicious fusion of tastes and spices with a twist of its own to set it apart from other North African countries.

Couscous is by far the best-known traditional dish; you can expect to find plenty with fish as well as lamb or vegetables on almost every menu.

But you’ll also encounter baskets of bread galore including baguette or flatbreads, both the flaky pancake-thin mlawi as well as tabouna, made in minutes in a clay oven, fluffy inside its crisp crust.

Another staple, brik, is perfect as a snack or a starter, the classic savoury pastry triangle filled with egg but with tuna, meat and even carbonara versions popping up plus spicy harissa to give it a kick.

And in every kitchen, local olive oil: Tunisia is the fourth biggest producer and you’ll still find ancient olive presses at the country’s Roman sites.

Head to one of the more modern producers for a tasting session – for the best experience, you need a blue glass to stop the colour influencing your judgement and to warm it as you swirl the glass to release the aroma.

Add chorba to your list too, a thick warming soup that’s traditional at Ramadan, and kabkabou, a fish dish with tomato, capers and olives.

TIP: If you’re looking for comfort food – or something filling for after happy hour in one of Tunis’s bars – you need leblebi, a spiced chickpea soup sold in lots of street-side stalls.

Hit the streets for some of the most memorable tastes of Tunisia – with a bargain price tag. Stop for an addictively good bambalouni, a cross between a doughnut and a deep fried pastry rolled in sugar or sometimes drizzled with honey.

The only question is whether you can wait for a freshly cooked one to cool before you take your first bite.

Snap up sweets in the souks as well. Makroudh is made from semolina filled with dates and nuts or almond paste, although you’ll pass blocks and stacks of sticky nutty temptations on every corner.

For the ultimate Tunisian fast food, it has to be a fricassée sandwich – a fluffy doughnutty roll filled with tuna, olives, potatoes, boiled egg and harissa, made to your own perfect combination.

TIP: No celebration is complete without kaak warka, a crumbly bite-size ring-shaped pastry that’s thought to have been brought to Tunisia from Andalucia centuries ago. Filled with almond paste flavoured by rose water, they’re rolled, filled and tucked into a circle by hand, often by women working in groups.

Download the Tunisia ebook: Tunisia beyond the beach

With so many fascinating secrets hidden in the winding alleys of the medina, with history coming to life under a North African sun, and with colourful glimpses of Tunisian life at every turn, why resist the temptation to open the door to Tunisia with a short break in the capital?

And if this section of the ebook has only whetted your appetite, you can discover more of the country’s secrets here by downloading the complete Tunisia ebook…

Download the ebook here – Tunisia beyond the beach

PIN FOR LATER: TUNISIA EBOOK – TUNISIA BEYOND THE BEACH

Disclosure: Created as part of a paid campaign with the Tunisian tourist board. All opinions and love of ornate doors are our own.

Images copyright The Family Travel Collective/courtesy Depositphotos

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