Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Is Tunisia really as bad as some say?

129 replies

MyNewRoom · 21/06/2025 21:13

I'm going to Tunisia next week with my 18 year old dd.
I've just made the mistake of searching old threads. It seems it's dirty and dangerous and we will be stalked and harassed everywhere we go.
We are in a nice hotel, all inclusive so don't necessarily need to leave the resort.
But I love exploring and would really like to leave the resort.
Is it really bad? Any tips please.

OP posts:
Doggymummar · 21/06/2025 21:16

If you're blonde it will be worse. But it's one of the more liberal Muslim countries, on a par with Turkey I would say. Just dress modestly and don't stray into local areas. Treat it like you were going to London or any big city, be sensible. I've been about 12 times on holiday and was a holiday rep there about 30 years ago if you are respectful and careful no reason not to have a great time.

zaicandy · 21/06/2025 21:16

Unfortunately yes. Dressing modestly when outside is your best bet. Avoid going out at night just the two of you. Be cautious about wearing jewellery when out and about, even cheap stuff. Consider guided tours rather than exploring yourself and be very mindful of photography/ try not to get anyone in your photos as they can get v annoyed.

I know it sucks but if you choose to to somewhere like Tunisia you have to put up with it. Hopefully one day things will change.

I speak from recent (2024) experience.

also been to turkey more recently which is IMO a hell of a lot safer.

PoopingAllTheWay · 21/06/2025 21:18

I would stay in the hotel only

Saltedcarameltiramisucheesecake · 21/06/2025 21:19

We went a good few years ago now, but I doubt it will have improved at all.
My advice is to stay in the resort, sorry.
You will be harassed by men, they will try to take you to their supposed family members shop/business to practically bully you into buying stuff, carpets, clothes, luggage.
I was with my husband and still felt threatened.

LadyLolaRuben · 21/06/2025 21:19

I went to djerbe a small island off it in 2015. Stayed on an amazing resort. Staff and locals were great. Best holiday I've had yet.

zaicandy · 21/06/2025 21:22

PoopingAllTheWay · 21/06/2025 21:18

I would stay in the hotel only

Yes forgot to add this. Stay in resort only and enjoy yourself rather than risking getting hurt.

next time book somewhere you will feel safe in

arcticpandas · 21/06/2025 21:24

Been many times with family : Hammamet, Djerba etc. They are used to tourists so you won't have any problems. I wouldn't go into the non tourist zones though but those are further away so there is no reason for you to go there anyway.

hyggetyggedotorg · 21/06/2025 21:28

Just be confident & immediately say no to any man who approaches you outside of the hotel.

No different from Morocco or Gambia in my experience.

MyNewRoom · 21/06/2025 21:56

Thanks for the advice.
It was a spur of the moment decision, dd found a good deal and asked if I wanted to go with her.
We might brave a couple of guided tours but will save the exploration for another time.

OP posts:
zaicandy · 21/06/2025 21:56

MyNewRoom · 21/06/2025 21:56

Thanks for the advice.
It was a spur of the moment decision, dd found a good deal and asked if I wanted to go with her.
We might brave a couple of guided tours but will save the exploration for another time.

Probably for the best. Enjoy the trip!

LeaveALittleNote · 21/06/2025 22:02

I haven’t been, but I know several people who’ve been over the last year and they all said they’d never go back again. Diarrhoea, flies everywhere, aggressive and verbally abusive market vendors, and general threatening vibes.

Springley · 21/06/2025 22:07

I have friends who have just been and they loved it.

theunbreakablecleopatrajones · 21/06/2025 22:11

PoopingAllTheWay · 21/06/2025 21:18

I would stay in the hotel only

Eh? Why would you do that?!

There’s lots that’s great about Tunisia and staying in the hotel would be mad.

Just stick to the tourist areas, and use guided groups if you want. If your daughter is 18 and not a seasoned traveller I’d keep her with you so she learns the ropes. Dress sensibly, especially her. It’ll be fine, a friend and I travelled through Morocco at 19, got hassled a lot but had a great time overall.

Hopingforanearlynight · 21/06/2025 22:12

I went as a 12 year old 35 years ago. I was developed chest wise, but still only bloody 12, I was harassed constantly. I remember going to the beach in a very modest Speedo swimsuit and had a group of men and horses around me, doing the ‘How many cattle for your daughter’ thing. I was followed/stalked around the hotel by an 18 year old and advised never to be without my parents.
My mum is naturally blonde, blue eyes (i’m dark hair blue eyes) she would have only been 37 and was really good looking, she didn’t get attention really, but a 12 year old did. I wouldn’t take my Dd there personally. I went to Morocco as a very attractive 25 year old and no hassle whatsoever
This was 35 years ago, so hopefully things have improved hugely

TheAmusedQuail · 21/06/2025 22:16

It's been about 20 years since I went, but I have been there several times. I loved it and would go again. There is a fair amount of hassling but you can head that off by staying in the hotel compound and only going on official trips etc, so you're not wandering around on your own as a couple of women.

It has beautiful beaches and as long as you've got a high starred hotel, very nice quality of accommodation. Take plenty of Imodium tho. I've always had holiday tummy whenever I've been there.

JustGiveMeWineNow · 21/06/2025 22:26

Doggymummar · 21/06/2025 21:16

If you're blonde it will be worse. But it's one of the more liberal Muslim countries, on a par with Turkey I would say. Just dress modestly and don't stray into local areas. Treat it like you were going to London or any big city, be sensible. I've been about 12 times on holiday and was a holiday rep there about 30 years ago if you are respectful and careful no reason not to have a great time.

I am blonde and I was on cruise and we stopped for a day at Tunis. I would never go back, I was tortured.

Newgirls · 21/06/2025 22:29

Organised trips will be fine! There are incredible ancient sites and medinas to explore.

GreatTheCat · 21/06/2025 22:41

I went there a few weeks ago (Tunis). Absolutely clean and lovely and perfectly safe.

Aichek · 21/06/2025 22:45

Djerba is lush!

I always come on these threads to mount a bit of a defence of Tunisia as we lived there for a number of years and I don't recognise the hell-hole other posters talk about.

It's a developing country in the middle of an economic crisis, and it's a Muslim majority country, although pretty liberal and relaxed by regional standards (separation of religion and state as well). So yes, a lot of the town outskirts are scruffy and full of litter, but the tourist beaches are generally totally immaculate and the water quality is brilliant. Some of the local wine is good and as long as you haven't got the cheapest hotel going, that will probably be fine too. Jamie Oliver had an episode in Tunisia in his most recent series, he went nuts for the food. The fish is great, usually grilled and very fresh.

It genuinely has some of the best roman sites in the world, and they are usually empty and are also dead cheap to get into. Do try and visit El Jem (the amphitheatre, also has a cool little museum) and Dougga is an amazing preserved roman town in a stunning location. You can have lots of fun in the desert (although best done over a few days), especially if you're a Star Wars fan. The roads are pretty good and most drivers are chill outside of the big cities.

The 'markets' in tourist resorts are pretty hassley. But also- it's a market, people go there to buy things, if you don't want to buy things, don't go. If you want to look at handicrafts there are good ones in museums or see if you can find someone to take you where the locals buy crafts and household goods. The ones in the tourist markets are usually a load of tat and overpriced anyway. And don't walk around town in 'beach clothes'- even in Tunis, which is pretty cosmopolitan, I wouldn't wear shorts off the beach. Maybe to a club.

I think it's also worth noting that lots of middle aged to older European women go to Tunisia to pick up younger men. So in some cases that market for men approaching you has been created in some tourist resorts. Do you speak any French? Younger people speak good English too but a choice swear in French usually works to get someone annoying to bugger off.

I am sure you'll have a lovely time, although it will be hot! I've got loads of lovely Tunisian friends and it's always sad when people diss the whole country. It's a very complex place, post revolution, but the history is fascinating. There are some fab independent hotels and guest houses as well as that part of the sector starts to grow.

WonderingWanda · 21/06/2025 22:54

I really don't recall getting harassed at all when I went in my 20's, very blonde and reasonably good figure back then. I was with dh though. We did a tour to El Jem, Douz, Chot el Djerid which was a big salt flat, some sort of Oasis in the mountains and Matmat the star wars set. Wehad a great time. No food poisoning, no issues, friendly people. I remember loving the Brics (like a fried filled pancake). We were staying in the same hotel as the president at the time. But I think maybe they've had economic and political upheaval since then and of course the repercussions of the terrorist attacks. Very sad really because there's lots to see.

Mortimermay · 21/06/2025 22:55

We went to Tunisia a few years ago and loved it! There were a few dodgy things but not enough to ruin the holiday. For example the beach beside our hotel wasn't great to be on once the security had left leading up to sun set. Seemed as though that's when some dodgy characters appeared trying to sell you all sorts of things and were very aggressive. We went to the souk in Sousse and watched an older lady making her way though the crowd just pick pocketing everyone in her path because it was so crowded and she just looked like a frail old lady. We were also followed in the souk as well so I wouldn't go there without a guide or at least don't leave the crowds. We found the vendors to be very pushy, we've been to similar places but some Tunisian vendors could be quite aggressive and physically pulled me into their stall and put scarves etc round me insisting I buy them. We also had a scam where we got off at a tourist site and someone approached claiming to be security for the site and started telling my husband that he had to pay him to use his camera there. He was aggressive and demanding money. Our own tour guide turned a blind eye to the incident. We also had someone insist they took our photo using our own camera at one site and then refused to let us leave until we had paid an extortionate fee for the photo.
But saying all of that, most of the time we had a great time, the country is beautiful and the majority of the people were friendly. I would definitely go back but with my eyes open to those scams and issues.

Aichek · 21/06/2025 23:00

Briks are YUM. The coffee is generally dreadful though. Brace for that. Take teabags also.

I'm blonde and no real issues (or no worse than London). Tunisians are a pretty cosmopolitan bunch, most families have branches in France and sometimes Spain and they're VERY online. It's a very genetically diverse country too due to European and African movements back and forth across the Med. Also a big Berber/Amazigh population who are sometimes redheads or blonde.

CoralOP · 21/06/2025 23:03

Aw OP, I went when I was early 20s and it was horrible.
Literally everytime we left the hotel people tried to scam us, they would come up to talk to us and give us a free bracelet, wrap it around my wrist then demand money for a coffee of something.
Even in our hotel shop they wouldn't let my boyfriend leave the shop because they wanted him to buy a £200 picture, I stormed in and dragged him out.
We were all inclusive but the drinks were served in tiny plastic cups. I had 6 one night and the bar staff were fuming, wouldn't serve me because I was a woman drinking, (i dont drink a lot at all and wasnt drunk). No one to complain to because they were all the same kind of men working across the hotel.
Took a taxi to local shop for snacks, taxi demanded more money, went to pay in the shop, they tripled the price, it was all exhausting and horrible.
I can't remember the place we were at but it wasn't one of the main tourist places so hopefully if you are there it will be a lot better x

Livelovebehappy · 21/06/2025 23:05

theunbreakablecleopatrajones · 21/06/2025 22:11

Eh? Why would you do that?!

There’s lots that’s great about Tunisia and staying in the hotel would be mad.

Just stick to the tourist areas, and use guided groups if you want. If your daughter is 18 and not a seasoned traveller I’d keep her with you so she learns the ropes. Dress sensibly, especially her. It’ll be fine, a friend and I travelled through Morocco at 19, got hassled a lot but had a great time overall.

But you say you got hassled a lot. Sounds like it didn’t bother you, but for some it’s really scarey. I went with my daughter a couple of years ago and we are both blond. It was an absolute nightmare when we left the hotel, even in the tourist areas. In the end we went on a couple of tours with guides, which was a lot better. My brother and his wife had been the year before us and they found it okay, so I think it’s if you’re there without men in tow which causes the problem.

whatdoyouthink123456 · 21/06/2025 23:37

I’m in Tunisia right now.

This year we’re haven’t left the resort (because we are happy to relax by the pools), but last year we did. Last year we got taxis to the town and had coffee, went to a beautiful beach etc.

It’s absolutely fine. Stay in tourist areas, be respectful and you’l have no problems. Many of the other tourists are French, German and Polish. French is the most used language.

this is my 3rd time in Tunisia and I’d come again.