Tunisia in December

[proximalhumerous]

Has anyone been to Tunisia? (I realise I'm obviously not the first person ever to visit!)

a) Is it worth going (I'm thinking probably Sousse rather than Hammamet as it seems more cultural)?
b) Is it safe for a single female (not planning to travel widely, but don't want to be entirely restricted to the hotel complex)?
c) What is the quality of all-inclusive food like generally - or is it so varied that it's impossible to generalise? Looking at 4/5 star.
d) Is it pleasant in December (seems to be around 18 degrees)?
e) Is a 5-star hotel in Tunisia actually what you'd recognise as a 5-star hotel?

I'm thinking of a TUI package as they seem to be ridiculously cheap (c.£500). The one I've found could be either all-inclusive or half board.

I rather like the idea of food and drink on tap (although not planning to drink a lot of alcohol) and just lounging around with a book, interspersed with trips to some museums.

Additional question:

Does anyone know whether you can walk from the Gatwick Travelodge to the airport? It says it's a mile which is fine in terms of distance, but not sure whether it's accessible by foot. They don't appear to pick up the phone.

From what I have read it’s cheap for a reason

It would not be my first choice of destination to travel to- especially as a lone female

What is the reason?

I was there a few weeks before the beach attack in 2015 with a female friend. We have both travelled solo/with other women extensively and did not feel safe. We left the hotel once and was back in under an hour as we just got harassed constantly. Wouldn’t go back.

Not somewhere I'd go back to, hotel was lovely but I found the area dirty, lots of begging, aggressive pushy men in the markets and constant sexual comments

I've been a few times and loved it, wasn't hassled, and would go again.
Not been to Hammamet, Sousse was OK but wouldn't go again.
December will not be sunbathing weather (about 18'C).

It's cheap because it's out of season, it's not far and costs like wages are low there.
If you get a cheap holiday, check which airport you are flying to. It might be hours from the hotel.

I have travelled a bit and Tunisia was the only place I would never return to
I sure as Hll wouldn't go as a single woman of any age

Thanks @Idontjetwashthefucker and @LoughboroughBex. I've been to Marrakech three times, plus Egypt and Turkey, so I sort of know what to expect in that respect, although not sure whether Tunisia would be worse. I found the male attention annoying rather than actually threatening.

I realise it won't be sunbathing weather in December!

Where have you visited that you would go back to, if not Hammamet or Sousse? Tunis?

I would never go there again. Awful dangerous place. You cannot leave the hotel for your own safety but in the hotel is fine. Upto you but me and my DH had a bad experience there on our 1st day out of the hotel and had to stay in the hotel grounds for the rest of 2 weeks we were there.

I’ve not been to Morocco or Egypt but I have been to Turkey. Turkey was absolutely fine and I would go back. I did only spend a week in each though so very limited experience. I also found that the resort in Tunisia was lovely but the area around it felt extremely run down, this could be location dependent though.

I’ve travelled quite extensively inc Egypt, Morocco, Kenya and Tunisia is the only place I didn’t feel safe at all. Never would I go back

Would you be able to say what the bad experience was?

I went in a January after exams as a student on a last minute deal. We stayed in Hammanet. Seeing Carthage was amazing and we had a tour to another Roman town. But, we were harassed constantly walking on the resort beach. Another woman who was travelling alone had the hotel manager knocking at her hotel room door at night asking to talk to her. Waiters in the hotel kept trying to flirt with us. We are/were very sporty, not glamorous at all, women, and it and January so no bikinis or beachwear worn. Would never go back.

Hmm, not exactly a ringing endorsement. May have to rethink...

It’s a shit hole

Apparently the Medina is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. I kind of assumed that would be one or two steps up from a shit hole!

You’re right, it has tiny sparks - including Carthage and El Jem but they’re not spectacular or unique enough to go there for. Dirty, intimidating and food at our AI was repetitive greasy and horrible.

@proximalhumerous , If you can do lots of trips like El Djem and Carthage, the weather will be a lot more pleasant than summer months.

God knows what is wrong with me that I wasn't hassled - at the time slim, toned, blonde 30-something.

The food was quite repetitive but I loved it - I love salads and spicy food.
Brik a l'oeuf is delicious.

There was a lot of men on horse and carts who try and get you to go with them to where you want to go. We wanted to go to a shop to buy water and snacks. We agreed the price with the man and he took us in the complete wrong direction to any shops. We were going down dirt tracks and dirty side streets. I said to him I wanted the shop and he said no shops and he was taking us to see mosques. This is where I got scared and screamed at him to take us back to hotel but he refused and kept taking us middle of no where to find mosques. Eventually he took us back to hotel and my husband got his wallet out to pay what we agreed and the man snatched it from him and galloped off. Luckily was eqvilant of about £30 in there and nothing else.
Hotel said to us we must not go outside the grounds as too dangerous.

I've just come back from a week in hammamet at half term. I stayed at a tui blue, the food was great, the hotel was beautiful with friendly but not over bearing staff.
We left the hotel many times, took a taxi to the local town and madina, walked to local shops and restaurants and did a trip to carthage and el jem. We weren't hassled however we were a family of four so not sure how that would be different as a single woman.

I have been to Tunisia lots of times. Both with family alone with my son and completely alone. All times it has been totally fine.

You should as a woman travelling alone take appropriate caution just as you would anywhere in the world but it’s not unduly unsafe.

I would not however say that Sousse is more cultural than Hammamet. If anything it’s the other way round but they are much of a muchness. You can find the beautiful culture anywhere or you can find the tourist tat.

Sousse is easier for getting to Monastir that is true but hammamet is easier for Carthage, Tunis and Siri Bou Said.

December is a nice time to go it won’t be hot but it will be pleasant.

Oh and all inclusive varies. Check the specific package carefully.

5 is 5 BUT remember that 5 all inclusive is not the same as a ‘traditional’ 5 hotel and it depends on what services, facilities and functions you personally value.

Thank you. Would you mind saying which hotel it was?

That's helpful, thanks. My googling suggested that Hammamet was more about beaches, but sounds like that's not the case.

What would you recommend checking for? Obviously none of the hotels are going to specify that their food is greasy and there's no variety, so what would you look for?