Has anyone been to Tunis?

[Dave the OAP]

Is it worth going into the City or is is best to head out to the ruins of Carthage?

 

[Stinky Kat]

Is it worth going into the City or is is best to head out to the ruins of Carthage?

stayed there for 3 weeks in 1992 with friend who worked for the british council.

Carthage is/was a very small lake which had not been developed for tourism at the time - no signs or entrance fee or guides or anything, very interesting if you like history and had a good guide book, dont know if the place has been 'modernised' to make money now.

Tunis was a nut house, but good fun, very much as I expected, very arabic, could only get alcohol in hotels or restaurants or dodgy back street hiole in the wall off licenses that open at irregualr hours. Souk was graet, very nineteenth century, people friendly and helps if you speak french.

My advice is do both if you get the time, or find out if they have done anything with te carthage experience, if not hang out in the Souk

 

[Rangdo]

Theres other more interesting places for Roman ruins than Carthage such as the colleseum. As SK says I'd do both but I've got to admit I was a bit bored of the place after a week.

 

[Dave the OAP]

K...we are heading for the Souk, but there is an excursion to carthage and i was wondering if was worth it!

 

[Stinky Kat]

Theres other more interesting places for Roman ruins than Carthage such as the colleseum. As SK says I'd do both but I've got to admit I was a bit bored of the place after a week.

Your not wrong 3 weeks was ahard slog, we started hiring those taxi shares and going all over the country to various beach resorts. Sid bou Said was a good day out

 

[Easy 10]

HURRAH
I love these DTG holiday threads

We were seriously considering Tunisia, but I changed my mind and have dragged us all to TURKEY in September instead. Cant wait.

 

[Dave the OAP]

It wasant meant to be a holiday thread as I couldn't stand the bollocks that tends to follow them....I was just asking the question to see if anyone had been to carthage and wether it was worth it.

 

[Easy 10]

Hence the

 

[Tooting Gull]

There simply isn't a great deal left at Carthage, I was a bit disappointed. The best Roman remains in Tunisia are at El Jem/Djem?, almost like a mini Gladiator-stylee colosseum, but a bit of a hike in a hire car or excursion and only attempted because it rained for two weeks and boredom was kicking in.

The souk is good in Tunis although my memories of the place are a bit tarnished since a couple of corrpupt policemen tried to extort some money out of us by claiming I was on the mobile while on a junction. In fact it was in the boot. Just in time I 'forgot' all my French, which had the desired effect of them realising this might all be just too much hassle.

Couscous heaven, though.

 

[Marc]

Is it worth going into the City or is is best to head out to the ruins of Carthage?

did both 20years ago, also visited the Homes in the Ground where they filmed Star Wars...that of course was more of a highlight than some crappy ruins for a 10 year old!

 

[gjh1971]

 

[The Oldman]

Why oh Why? It isn't funny anymore

 

[Bob!]

There simply isn't a great deal left at Carthage, I was a bit disappointed. The best Roman remains in Tunisia are at El Jem/Djem?,

There is next to nothing at Carthage, vey dissapointing

El Djem was a fantastic sight, a bloody great Colisseum in the middle of a small town ( The Colisseum at Rome is the only one that is bigger!).

It can be seen from miles away as you approach the town, not sure that it's worth a trip on its own though, we done it as part of an excursion to the Sahara.

 

[Tom Bombadil]

El Djem is fantastic, but a bit of a way from Tunis. If you want Roman ruins Dougga is worth a visit. Carthage was destroyed by the Romans so there is little left, but the Romans then built on the site - Tunisia was a major agricultural producer for the Empire and economically and strategically important to Rome. The loss of the province to the Vandals was a major factor in the fall of the Western Empire.
The Vandals are responsible for destroying the baths that are one of the major sites at Carthage.

Tunis itself has an excellent museum - the Bardo ,set in the former palace of the Beys. It has a brilliant collection of mosaics.

The main souk is good - seek out the non tourist sections, but it's not as big or interesting as Marrakech's

 

[withdeanwombat]

Rommel?