Holidaying in Tunisia...

[mammy0f0ne]

Are we crazy for looking at going to Tunisia? We've seen an amazing deal at £300 each all inclusive. Obviously it must be safe for travel and Thomas cook reckon it will be the place to be this year, according to the internet! Just looking for some opinions really!

I'm going next week

Where abouts are you staying?

We've found some really good deals aswell. I've always fancied Tunisia some of the hotels look lovely and I love a nice big pool. In regards to it being safe or not I'm kinda thinking it can happen anywhere so think we going to book.

When I was little we went to Tunisia 3 times and stayed at port el kantaoui I vividly remember it being beautiful there! We're looking at Hammamet, there's an adult only hotel there that looks beautiful but a bit more expensive

I was in Sousse during the 2015 shooting at a hotel about 20mins away. It was a tragedy but tbh in this day in age could sadly happen anywhere. Tunisia was a fantastic holiday and I have so many amazing memories from visiting El Jem, brysa, the medinas and even riding camels in the Sahara...

I wouldn't and if I won a trip there, I would probably throw the tickets away!

@jacksonmaine can I ask why?

I'm staying in port el kantaoui :)

It's £300 because no-one wants to go to Tunisia.
It was considered safe before the 2015 massacre.
People always say it could happen anywhere but there are some places where attacks on tourists are more likely than others.

Thomas cook reckon it will be the place to be this year, according to the internet!

You know who writes those sorts of articles for the internet? I do. I get a brief from the client to write about the 5 hottest city break destinations, or the 10 top beach holidays for families. And the client always wants to push the destinations which are most profitable for them, or which they are struggling to sell.

Tunisia is not "the cool place to be". It's cheap. It's cheap because there was a devastating terror attack less than 4 years ago and people still feel it is unsafe. If you want a cheap holiday and feel that it isn't risky, then go for it. But don't kid yourself that you're being some sort of travel trendsetter.

Is it silly-hot in July?

I wouldn't dare go. However I'm a bit extreme and avoid going to a lot of places, certain countries, concerts etc.. it would seem like too much of a risk for me. I was in sousse the year before the attacks and even though the hotel was gorgeous I wont ever be going back, if like a PP I was there during the attack I probs wouldn't ever holiday again!

Agree with everything 1Redacted1 said. Go somewhere else and have a good holiday.

Thanks for the insight @SileneOliveira.
I holidayed in Tunisia many times as a kid ( in the 70s) and thought it was fab, mostly because we lived in Algeria and by comparison Tunisia was heaven. I think as a country it has much interest ( Roman and Carthaginian ruins, beaches, old town in Tunis,beautiful sidi bou said, but that doesn’t always translate into a good holiday when you are in an all inclusive). In some areas ( as in all Arab/ most Muslim countries) there’s likely to be a degree of sexual harassment.

We we've been before and going again this year. 4* AI to a hotel on the beach. It was perfect, the food was great and very fresh, good quality and we loved it.

I'm just as worried about going there as I was about going to London in Feb.

Bad things can happen every where now

I'd go. We had a lovely holiday there about 15 years ago at Port el Kantaoui near Sousse. Very family oriented. Really nice hotel right on the beach. Staff were really friendly.

We hired a car to go and see a coliseum which was a bit hairy. The driving was worse than Italy!

There is danger everywhere, London, Manchester, Paris, the Caribbean. You're not even 100% safe in your own home or on the way to work

We went to Tunisia years ago when I was a teenager , hotel was amazing, Port El Kantaoui ....however i was constantly harassed by the male staff and was so ill from the food/water. It isn't somewhere I would return myself never mind take my daughters!

Sorry, but my worst holiday ever was Tunisia. I wouldn't go back if you paid me.

Awful food, constant harassment (even in the hotel!), terrible service, animal cruelty, and walking was just not possible.

@eastereggtime where are you staying??

I went with my parents when I was a teenager near sousse. Awful. Harassed in the markets and shops. We went to a show and they treated the animals really badly e.g. a really heavy man on a small donkey that was supposed to be funny. I wouldn't ever go back.

Tunisia is fine for a week in the sun. I don't venture out when I go as I can't be arsed with the rudeness at the medina. I also wouldn't swim in the sea, when you see what's washed up on the beaches outwith the hotel areas it's pretty grim. Scheherazade is a really nice hotel, it's adult only though.

Went to sousse about 15 yrs ago and was the best holiday ive ever had. Didn't find we were harassed at all. Had people outside their shops in the market calling out what they had and asking us to come in, but they were fine if you didn't. DM and I discovered after a couple of days that if we had sunglasses on or hats that stopped us making eye contact with the shop keepers as we walked past they didn't even speak to us.

However some relatives were involved in the 2015 attack and I'd now not go with DC, or without her now we have them. If we didn't have kids I'd probably go back, I've always wanted to, but having DD it feels too big a risk.

Also feel in my specific circs it would be disrespectful to my relatives.

Watched a Simon reeve documentary and it looks like the holiday industry has been reoriented to Muslim markets (so separate pools for men/women etc) so may not be as accepting of western attitudes to drinking and dress etc as it used to be in the hotels.

I went in 2007, it was good, but the amount of hassle from men everywhere was horrible. They would try to grab you and pinch your bum whilst walking down the street. Also loads of kids begging and picking pockets.
A couple staying in our hotel were drugged after drinking "mint" tea in a shop.
If you stay in the hotel complex you'd probably be fine, but there are so many beautiful places to visit.
Would I visit again? Probably not as the unwanted attention was often scary. I certainly wouldn't take children.

I'm glad I went though, watching the sunrise on a camel was fantastic.

When I was a travel agent it was the single most complained about holiday destination.

I wouldn't be able to relax somewhere where 26 innocent British holiday makers were gunned down on their sunbeds, less than 4 years ago. The photos are haunting.

Wouldn't go no matter how cheap it was.

I go to London a lot with work but that's a necessity. There's a whole world to pick from and lots far lower risk than Tunisia.