Tunisia
The North African country of Tunisia has recently seen something of a
boom in tourism as more and more Europeans are discovering the
territory's allure. However, often travellers don't make it far beyond
Tunisia's shoreline, being content instead to relish lazing on some of
the most beautiful white-sand beaches of the southern Mediterranean.
This attraction is without doubt the feature that draws in the majority
of Tunisia's tourism business, and understandably so, but as marvellous
as the 1,100km coastline stretches are, they are by no means the only
attractions that Tunisia has to offer.
Traveller Testimonial:
It's unique, very dense and deliberate exposure to the maximum number of Roman
and Punic sites and museums.
-John and Mary Agria Tour TN1: Tunisia (Timeless Tunisia)
The mighty Atlas Mountain Range dissects the country into two distinctly
defined regions. The northern territory is itself mountainous and far
more fertile than its southern counterpart. Where the north, with its
sparse population, dense forest and manageable inclines makes for ideal
tours for exploration, hiking, mountain biking and nature-rambling, the
arid deserts in the south provide the perfect opportunity for camel
trekking and the chance to experience the largest hot desert in the
world: the vast Sahara. Those determined not to stray too far from the
lapping Mediterranean might opt instead to try scuba diving or one of
the many watersports available off the coast. Moreover, Tunisia's
climate that varies from Mediterranean to African allows holidaymakers
to select a tour destination whose temperature suits them best.
A country with a long and distinguished history, Tunisia has within its
borders a wide variety of fascinating historic monuments and buildings.
Over the ages, the country has been subject to the influence of a string
of civilisations -- Phoenicians, Spanish Vandals, Arabs, Turks, the
French and Romans -- and each have left their mark on the landscape and
culture of Tunisia.
Perhaps the most famous aspect of North African history is the
Carthaginian Empire, which was the arch-nemesis of the great Roman
Empire in the second and third centuries BC, and though the Romans
effectively destroyed the city of Carthage in the third Punic War, it
retains to this day much of its splendour of old and is now a designated
World Heritage Site. Many Roman buildings such as the Antonine Baths and
the amphitheatre in modern-day Carthage are sights not to be missed, and
a tour to the Bardo museum reveals one of the largest selections of
mosaics in the world, as well as antiquities that date from prehistoric
times through to present-day Tunisia.