goalis7continents

We are spending the day in Tunisia via cruise. Does anyone have any recommendations?

nytraveler

I think you'll get ore answers on the Africa board.

goalis7continents

Thanks, but I did not have any luck there. Since we are going on a med. cruise that stops in Italy & France, I thought I would give this a try

nona1

Which port?

goalis7continents

The port in Tunis

elina

There is a museum with best preserved mosaics I have seen anywhere.

The bazaar area is huge and traditional: a street for gold, a street for textiles, a street for copper, a street for spices, and so on.

The small and beautiful artist village Sidi Bou Said is nearby.

Pvoyageuse

Don't miss the ruins of Carthage.

StCirq

Yes, and I found it a very poor substitute for Morocco. It was quite a few years ago, though. I hope it's nicer now.

goalis7continents

Thanks so much for the info. Is it easy to get around with public transportation?

logos999

>easy to get around with public transportation?
There are busses to most destinations, but not always frequently. There's also a train service going north-south. Sometimes no train for hours unless it's peak time. Taxis are plenty. Usually very safe. Everybody wants to rip you off in the tourist areas, so be prepared.

Many hotels are basic but better than any Motel6 (well some are on the edge). In winter 12€ gets you a room with breakfast and dinner.

ekscrunchy

Since you only have one day, Sidi Bou Said might be a good destination. I thought it was lovely but then again, I have not been there in decades!! Beautiful architecture--blue and white..

desertduds

We also were in Tunis for just one daya nd were so surprised with the cleanliness and beauty of the architecture. We took a ship shore excursion, had a wonderful guide who said there were many high ranking people that lived in Tunis and the parts were quite upscale. We also went to a suk, wonderful and fun!

traveller1959

Within 6 hours, you can easily see the main attractions:

- the ruins of Carthago (not too much left, but historically extremely significant),

- Sidi Bou Said, a pretty neighborhood which has become very touristy,

- the Roman museum with some impressive tombs and mosaics (someone said "best preserved mosaics" - well Cologne has probably better ones),

- the bazaar, typical for the orient, however touristy as all bazaars.

If you join a cruise ship tour, be prepared to spend a considerable time at a rug dealer and other souvenir shops. It might be a better idea to find four people in order to share a taxi. The distances are very short - just a few minutes of driving.

goalis7continents

Thanks - we won't be going on a ships tour. We enjoy the fun of exploring on our own. We tossed around renting a car, but my hubby is not thrilled with driving there.

goalis7continents

Regarding the markets - are there any special items to look out for?

abram

We negotiated with a cab driver when we got off the ship; for four of us, a six hour tour cost about $60. We went to the fabulous Bardo Museum, on a driving tour of the city, and spent time in the Medina, going on a self guided historical walking tour that I found in a guidebook, which included the Grand Mosque and several small museums. Great day.

elina

>>>Regarding the markets - are there any special items to look out for?<<<

Rugs. I am not a silk carpet person, so Tunisian bedouin rugs are my favourites. I like them more than Moroccan and Turkish rugs. Both my livingroom and bedroom rugs are from Tunisia, beautiful blue/white/grey. But with just a day you donīt really have time to negotiate. I have been four times to Tunisia, and was able to buy only one rug per week. Negotiating takes time. BUT there are state stores with fixed prices, at least in Sousse and Hammamet. So if those exist in smaller towns, I am sure there is one in Tunis also.

The museum with mosaics I mentioned is the Bardo museum abram mentioned in the previous post.

bilboburgler

Carthage town is pretty good with the Roman temple up on the top of the hill. The harbours of carthage are grand if yo ugrew up building models you will love the little one in a hut put up by the Brit Museum.

The main Tunis Museum is up there one of my favorite old stuff places. Look out for the Roman crossbow kit made out of horse hair.

The ampitheatre down by the sea next to the dictators (sorry president's) palace is a waste of time.

Souk not bad but Marakesh is better

Guenmai

I loved Tunisia. However, I was there in the early 80s, in Gammarth and Sousse. I've also been to Morocco. I was in Marrakesh the year after being in Tunisia. They are very different, but I liked both. Happy Travels!