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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To book cheap holiday to Tunisia

52 replies

Superfragile · 28/03/2019 13:54

Planning on taking kids away over Easter (without dh) was about to book Tunisia but my friend said I was crazy. Aibr thinking bad shit happens everywhere and aibu to trust the foreign office?

OP posts:

BottleOfJameson · 28/03/2019 15:47

Aibr thinking bad shit happens everywhere

By that logic we'd happily wander into war zones because we might be shot anywhere. Some places are much riskier than others!

DoomOnTheBroom · 28/03/2019 15:52

I hated Tunisia when we went there, it's the only holiday I've ever been on where I was counting down the days until we could go home.

The hotel itself was lovely but outside of the hotel it was awful. The amount of hassle was unreal, we went on a market trip and had people (men) literally grabbing me, picking me up, and plonking me down in front of their shop/stall "here's a handbag, you like it? It's free, a gift for you!" and then demanding that DH give them a 'tip' of however many Dinars as a thank you for making his wife happy. Loads of shops had a dish outside their entrance with three baby tortoises in it, sat in the sun all day with no water and no food, people were encouraged to handle them and we saw several dead ones. A dog came onto the hotel's private beach, wandered in around the end of the fence that stopped at the water line, and the hotel security guard gave it a good kicking before throwing it over the fence where it lay yelping. We complained to the rep and she just shrugged and said "that's how it is". The airport was a free for all with shit security, I don't know what it's like now but no one even checked our tickets or passports for our return flight, a security guard asked which flight and when we said which one he just waved us on through to the departure lounge.

DanglyBangly · 28/03/2019 15:53

Thing is, the terrorism risk might be worth it if it was a nice place to visit. But it’s not. Worst place I’ve been.

Babdoc · 28/03/2019 16:01

OP, don’t go to Tunisia without a male partner. I went as a widow with my two DDs, and even DD aged 9 got hassled by local men in their 20’s. When I shouted at one creep, the response was “Well she looks 12”.
Even the bloody waiters in the (4*) hotel tried it on with me, as I was visibly on my own.
Friends who went in an all female adult party said the local chaps lurked outside the hotel compound gates, and as soon as a group of women tourists came out, they phoned their mates, so a gang of them were assembled within minutes to start hassling.
In the souks and shopping areas you can’t even stroll and window shop in peace - you get seized by the arm and dragged into shops while they try to hard sell you tat.
There was an attitude that western women were easy sluts, and fair game.
The local women were presumably stuck at home, as all jobs seemed to be male. Even the chambermaids and cleaners of women’s toilets were male in our hotel. The male cleaners waited in the lobby until a woman went into the toilet, then rushed in after her and leered pointedly while pretending to mop the floor.
It’s the only holiday I ever hated so much that I was glad to get home.
By contrast my sister went with her DH and had no trouble at all.

Iamclearlyamug · 28/03/2019 17:05

if you want cheap try Turkey - I'm biased as my partners Turkish but the fethiye or antalya region is lovely and the exchange rate is extremely favourable

no terrorist attacks since NYE 3 years ago, and we've had attacks in London more recently than that!

TFBundy · 28/03/2019 17:16

This reply has been withdrawn

Message from MNHQ: This post has been withdrawn

Aria2015 · 28/03/2019 17:16

Worst holiday I ever had was to Tunisia. Not because of terrorist threats but because the men were just awful. I was with a partner (male) but men would still just walk up to me and touch me. One even tried to lift up my top in the middle of the street! I have never experienced anything like it. I dressed modestly but I still felt scared and unsafe the whole time. We were staying at a popular resort btw - not out in the sticks either. Also the food was not great. Can usually cheer myself along with some nice grub but not in this case!

TheQueef · 28/03/2019 17:17

Bulgaria is cheap.

FlippinNora1 · 28/03/2019 17:23

I’ve been a few times. Venturing inland into the Atlas Mountains, desert and salt lake was amazing. We went to where they filmed Star Wars and Monty Python - brilliant!

However the beach resorts were pretty awful. And the hassle was the worst I’ve experienced - I’ve been to lots of African and Middie Eastern countries but this was on another level. I’m blonde which apparently was the problem. I felt like a 2nd class citizen and a slab of meat. I dressed really modestly but was groped in front of my DH and constantly hissed at and stared at. It was unpleasant and unnerving.

We stayed in a 5 star hotel which was pretty dismal. The food was edible but really not great. The decor was depressing!

My advice is go elsewhere. And that’s not even taking into consideration the terrorist threat.

Original poster

Superfragile · 28/03/2019 17:28

Thanks all. I absolutely love Turkey and have been loads which I know is a marmite place but do really appreciate all your responses especially as they aren't all just about terrorism (the attacks in france/spain/Germany were all aimed at holiday makers)
Have seen some good deals to Bulgaria as a previous person has posted. Don't like to spend much as not our main holiday off to look for somewhere else.

OP posts:

Dieu · 28/03/2019 17:32

There was a holiday thread on here recently OP, about the best and worst places people had been. Tunisia came out as top of the worst.
Really sorry, and I do get the temptation of getting away from it all cheaply in the sun.

howlongwilliloveyou · 28/03/2019 17:33

Not a chance I would go there, especially with my children.

Dowser · 28/03/2019 17:37

Wow... definitely not on my bucket list then

nutellalove · 28/03/2019 17:39

No way. Particularly as the foreign office advises against it. If something were to happen out there your travel insurance might not even even cover costs because you will have gone against gov warnings

ChestyNut · 28/03/2019 17:41

No way, even if you paid for me would I go back.

Hassled and touched by men, tour group were held by a shop keeper in his shop until they bought something. Dirty, food poisoning, flies and that’s without the terrorism threat.

nrpmum · 28/03/2019 20:00

The FCO advise against all but essential travel to:

all other areas within 75km of the Libyan border, including Remada, El Borma and the town of Zarzis
the governorate of Kasserine, including the town of Sbeitla
within 10km of the border with Algeria south of Kasserine governorate
within 30km of the border in El Kef and Jendouba governorates south of the town of Jendouba, including the archaeological site of Chemtou
areas north and west of the town of Ghardimaou in Jendouba governorate

Taken from FCO website

cptartapp · 28/03/2019 20:34

We went to Sousse before the attacks with two DC. The hotel was lovely, the beach clean and the weather fab. Some hassle outside but nothing extreme and El Djem was one of the memorable days out I've ever had. But I wouldn't go now.

HermioneWeasley · 28/03/2019 20:38

Worst holiday I’ve ever had was in Tunisia. Wouldn’t recommend it.

LegoPiecesEverywhere · 28/03/2019 20:46

Seems like a unanimous thumbs up for Tunisia

I went to Turkey and experienced the same levels of harassment and touching as described above. Wtf is wrong with the men in these countries?

nattynoonoo821 · 29/03/2019 04:31

i went in 2015. thought terrorists would never hit twice. day 3 the sousse attacks happened and our hotel emptied. had a nice time there (2 women on our own) but we didnt leave the hotel abd the armed guard at the front was a bit unsettling!

IdblowJonSnow · 29/03/2019 04:57

I've been to Tunisia and had a reasonable time but wouldn't go w kids and especially not without a partner. You will get hassled.
When I went it was pre-terrorist attacks so that wasn't on my radar at all.
Food also not great and sanitation poor so risk of getting sick higher than usual.
Definitely a no to Morocco as well. Such very hard work as so hassly.
Never been to Turkey but heard very mixed reports.

Longdistance · 29/03/2019 05:10

I hated Tunisia. I found it quite dirty. There were Russians at our hotel who would think nothing of stubbing out their cigarettes on the beach. It was like walking through an ashtray. It was also a fight to get to the food as they’d elbow you out the way. One of my worst holidays. Would never go back again. As pp said they do hassle you when out of the resort.

YouSayPotatoesISayVodka · 29/03/2019 05:12

I went with my ex and our kids in 2013 and it wasn’t that bad. We didn’t leave the hotel complex but that was by choice- our children were both tiny, it was hot and they wanted to stay on the beach or by the pool. The food was fine, the staff were lovely and polite and I have no complaints.

I wouldn’t visit again any time soon however because of the threat of terrorism.

pollyglot · 29/03/2019 05:35

Who would have thought that a terrorist attack would occur in one of the most peaceful places on earth? The hassling, leering and groping, however, together with the risk of health problems, would put me off. And Tunisia is on my bucket list!

Springsummer222 · 29/03/2019 12:23

We had some great holidays there in the 90s
Has it really gone downhill since then ?

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