Anyone been to Tunisia recently?

[RCOR]

Hi everyone

We are planning a short holiday with teens 15/17 in September. The first ever trip abroad for the younger two (twins). We have an offer for Tunisia but I've never been before. Any experiences and advice welcome.

Many thanks

I've been, around 10 years ago, it was before the terrorist attack on the beach - we stayed on that stretch of hotels in fact. Whilst the hotel and staff were lovely, it wasn't great and felt very strange having armed security everywhere. I wouldn't return, it wasn't for me, despite the lovely staff at the hotel.

I have been all over the world- well, to quite a bit of it, and I am a blond female who often travels alone.

Tunisia is the one place you couldn't pay me to go back to. Awful country, even worse people.

And I have been to Turkey & Morocco repeatedly and would return to either in a heartbeat.

We, middle aged married couple have ben twice a few years ago. Hired a car and drove to mountains. a really good trip.
Took a tour down to the desert, I see that travel agents are offering it again.

I liked the armed police actually. It shows that they took the attacks seriously.

It wasn’t recent, but we went 10 years ago. Worst holiday ever. Got heckled at by sellers who, when you didn’t purchase any crap from them verbally abused you back. The food was awful at the hotel. The beach was like walking through an ashtray as clearly the Russians who smoked like chimneys thought the beach was a giant ashtray 🤮

I'm in Tunisia right now on holiday. It's amazing. Highly recommend it. Hotel staff are wonderful. There are loads of children here, all ages all nationalities and a fair few Brits lol

Some friends of mine went last month with their 16 year old DD. They had such a great time they’re already planning to rebook for next summer. They didn’t leave the resort but were happy with that as they wanted sunshine and to relax round a pool.

Not sure it’s somewhere I would choose but thought I’d share a recent experience.

Went years ago (about 20) with my now DH but wouldn't go back even if you paid me. It was awful and not safe. Was our first holiday abroad for 2 weeks and on the first day not knowing what it was like went to find a shop to buy water etc. Cut a long story short got our money stolen and hotel said not to go out of hotel for the duration. So had to stay put in a half board hotel and it rained for a few days with nothing to do. A Tunisian man bought a camel into grounds and seeing me a young 20 year old blonde wanted to swap me for the camel. Even the hotel was not safe at times.

It is quite a poor and grubby country sadly. We went to the supposedly 'posh' area where TV personalities etc lived and it looked like a really run-down area in Spain / Portugal. The men sat on the pavement and literally looked me up and down discussing me like a heifer at market without any embarrassment. They only paused when DH caught up (he was ten yards behind taking photos). This was back in 2009 / 2010 before the big terrorist attack but I'm afraid it has probably declined since then.

We went to a big AI in June with our young family. We really enjoyed it.
Very cheap holiday, short flight, short transfer, great service, amazing weather, beautiful beach.

We didn't leave the resort much as we didn't need to, but the harbour etc was nice. It felt safe and much like lots of tourists resorts

I'd go Portugal or somewhere the teens have a bit of freedom, not just having to holed up in a hotel the whole time.

If they are female teens I won't take them to Morocco, but male ones then yes Morocco is fab.

Really? Wanted to swap you for a camel?! This is just a standard joke about countries like this.
I'm.not saying women don't get hassled but I was never hassled as a young ish woman, even when travelling without a partner on one occasion.
I'm.not saying I would explore alone on big excursions, but that's true of many places.
But it's certainly not that bad and I went many times.

Tunisia is not European it is part of the Arab/Middle Eastern world. The languages are French and Arabic as well as English for tourism. To not take your children there is denying them an educational experience. For example: There are high quality Roman mosaics in the museum.

I'm going as a lone mother with my two boys next summer! Cant wait!

Why would Tunisia end up as a warzone?

I went with two teen DDs to Morocco (Marrakesh) last year. Both were told they were beautiful (well, they are!) a couple of times but weren’t harassed in any way.
There are no drunks around at night. I was surprised at how safe it felt there… well, apart from the motorbikes and scooters zooming around the narrow streets of the Medina!

Ha. Men will give you hassle anywhere.

Oh, I dunno, somebody offered XH1 five cows for me in West Africa 😂

God these replies.
I've been all over the world, including loads of 'off the beaten track' remote sort of places, alone, as a family, and as a couple. I went to Tunisia early this year. Its fine.
Also, to point out, many governments around the world advised their citizens to avoid/caution travelling to the UK as its unsafe recently.

I’m in Tunisia right now, and feel perfectly safe. If someone tries to sell me something, I just say a polite no thank you and walk on. Don’t engage. If you use your common sense you’ll be fine, ie don’t go off with strangers or wander through backstreets alone late at night, as you presumably wouldn’t in the UK.

I went to Egypt 30 odd years ago and my male friend was continually offered money or camels to buy me and my female friend. It never felt like a serious proposition though, more like those who were doing it were deliberately fufilling the part they thought tourists wanted to see.

Not been to Tunisia, but a friend went recently with her teenage daughter, standard beach trip, didn't leave the hotel and had a lovely time.

I had a security guard at the airport force his penis against my hand (fully clothed) as I walked through the scanner

I was too scared to say anything incase they took me off somewhere . I just wanted to get out of there.

We stayed at the hotel where all those people were murdered a year before the terrorist attack.

It was so sad. The year we had been the hotel was lovely as were the staff.

Safety aside I'd pick somewhere more verdant.

Tunisia is a pretty barren landscape, mountains, desert. I'd pick somewhere greener