Information You Need to Know About Taking a Vacation in Tunisia

Situated along the Mediterranean coast of North Africa, nearly half of the country of Tunisia is made up of the Sahara desert sand. Five percent of the area is water, while the rest of Tunisia is made up of flourishing soil. If you’re thinking about visiting this interesting country, then you should read this information you need to know about taking a vacation in Tunisia.

When you pack your suitcases to vacation in Tunisia, you’ll need to take lightweight clothing to dress for the warm summer climate of this North African country. If you’re going to travel there in the wintertime, you’ll need to wear a little heavier clothing. But, leave your snow boots and parkas at home. The winter seasons in Tunisia are mild. You’ll see rain, not any snow. And, don’t forget to pack up your sunglasses to protect your eyes with!

Here’s another piece of helpful information to remember while you’re packing: take a few rolls of toilet paper with you to Tunisia, as well as a bottle or two of hand sanitizer. Many of the public restrooms don’t furnish toilet paper. And, not all of the restrooms provide running water to wash your hands with.

Getting to and from Tunisia isn’t a problem as there is an International airport located in the capitol of Tunis. There are also airports located in Sfax, Jerba, Monastir, Tozeur and Tabarka.

Once you arrive in Tunisia, you’ll find that of the ten million people who inhabit the country of Tunisia, most of its natives are Moslems. Arabic is the language that you’ll hear most often, but French is also spoken in this African country.

You’ll need to immediately exchange your currency for the Tunisian dinar in order to pay for items and services during your vacation. Before you leave for home, be sure you remember to exchange any leftover dinar you may have. This can be conveniently done at banks and exchange offices throughout the cities. However, be advised that, if you use the Tunis airport, dinar isn’t spendable at the shops there.

The Eurocard and the American Express credit card are also readily accepted at many businesses. However, not everyone accepts credit cards, especially taxi cab drivers and street vendors. So make sure you have plenty of cash.

Which leads us to another piece of information you need to know about taking a vacation in Tunisia: only exchange your currency at a bank or at an exchange office. Never accept an offer by a person on the street to exchange your currency. And, never give anyone on the street change for their Tunisian money. Why? Because these are common scams by con artists. The money you receive in return will most likely be counterfeit.

Although much of Africa is plagued by homeless people, sickness, and starvation, Tunisia is a thriving country that has escaped these problems. Visit one or more of its cities while you’re on vacation, and you’ll find many of the conveniences that you have at home in the states.

For example, transportation isn’t a problem in Tunisia. You’ll be able to traverse the cities by way of taxi cabs, busses, boats, ferries, and commuter trains. You can board one of fifty trains The National Society of Tunisian Railways operates to visit any of the main cities of Tunisia.

You also need to know that the trains are run on a “first-come-first serve” basis, so you should arrive at the terminal early in order to get a seat.

So, what can you do on your vacation in Tunisia? Many of the same things you can do in the states! If you enjoy gambling, you’ll want to visit one of the casinos located in Jerba, Hammamet, or Sousse. You can also play golf and drive your ball right up to the shores of the sea!

Of course, there are beaches to swim or sun yourself at, boating excursions, fishing, and diving. And, if you’re really adventurous, you can visit Tozeur and take a hot air balloon ride sponsored by the Aeroasis club.

And finally, before you leave on a vacation to Tunisia, have all of the information you need to use several of your different Internet e-mail accounts. (If you have only one account, then sign-up for a few free accounts.) This will help make things easier if you plan on keeping in touch with family and friends via the Internet.

The reason for this is, the government in this North African country censors and aggressively controls the media. Therefore, you may not be able to use your main e-mail account because your provider may have been banned.