I was in Tunisia a couple of months ago. Went to Hammamet (near Hammamet Yasmine) and didn’t spend a penny because we went all inclusive.
 
Good sunbathing holiday, not much in the way of touristy sights though.
 
 

I’ve spent a total of 16 weeks in Tunisia on two different trips. There is LOTS to see!! When I have more time, I’ll write about it.

Here’s some info I wrote many years ago as advice for traveling to Tunisia. Keep in mind I was there 10 years ago. I’ve cut and paste here. It’s from a website I created that I don’t really keep up anymore. I updated a few of the sentences so they no longer say “two years ago”…



Carthage

Carthage has lots to see. The best place to start is probably the museum. It will give you a feel for the history of the area and probably has information on the sites in the area (but I’m not sure). The museum is on the Byrsa Hill… you can’t miss it; it’s the only real hill in the area. The Byrsa Hill is also topped by a Cathedral, which was just recently restored when I was there last (1996). For those who are interested in the archaeology of Carthage, the Byrsa also has archaeological ruins of an ancient Roman city which was built on an ancient Punic city. There is also a very nice hotel on the Byrsa, for those who have the money! There are other places in Carthage of course. The next biggest archaeological site is the Antonine Baths. They have been excavated and are now an archaeological park (most tours stop there!). There are a few other sites in Carthage, but those are the two best, and if you only have a day, you should hit these two sites. There is a small site and a small museum in Carthage (I don’t remember what street it’s on). I think it was a UNESCO project. It’s on the same road as the Supermarche. Other archaeological areas: Cisterns of La Malga, the Amphitheatre, the Circus, the Punic Ports, Tophet, the Odeum, the Roman Villas.  I heard a while back that some of these may have been destroyed because of development.
 
Mode of Transportation
“The “best” way to travel in Tunisia all depends on personal preference and where you are going. To have an enjoyable and relaxing ride, the train is often the best way to go (if it goes where you are going to). However, if time is a concern, traveling by louage may be your best bet. A louage is like a taxi that goes long distances (from city to city). You often have to share it with other passengers — this is recommended anyway since it is cheaper. There are also buses. I’ve never taken the bus, but I’ve heard to avoid it if you can. Of course if you have the money, the best way is to rent a car, so you have control over your own destiny! In the major cities you can also hail a taxi. In fact this is the best way to get from the Tunis-Carthage airport to your hotel (whether it is in Tunis or Carthage). However make sure the taxi-driver uses his meter/counter; do not go with someone who just suggests a lump sum.
[/align] Sousse and El Djem
“We took the train from Tunis to El Djem (first class — it’s not that much more expensive and much more comfortable, but not all trains have first class). In El Djem we went straight to the Amphitheatre you can’t miss it). It cost us a dinar to get in. You can walk around inside it. It is restored and well kept. Once you’ve seen the Amphitheatre, there is not much else to do in town. There is a museum that has mosaics. If you are interested in mosaics, they are worth going to see. We found El Djem to be quite hot (beginning of June) compared to Sousse.
 
The trip to El Djem can easily be apart of your trip to Sousse, since it is only an hour or two away. We took the train from El Djem to Sousse and found a cheap hotel near by the train stop. Sousse is a city like Tunis, and cheap and clean accommodation shouldn’t be hard to find. The same goes for dining. There is a nice beach to relax on in Sousse. There is the medina also, which twists and turns its way through the old city. It is very interesting to walk around, but I recommend you don’t try it at night. There is a museum in Sousse too that is worth a spin through (if I remember correctly it has strange hours).I’m sure there is much more to see in Sousse, but we only were there for a day and a half…
[/align] Tabarka
Tabarka is a great little town. It is the resort town for Tunisians. However when I was there, there were a few western resort hotels just outside of town. Because of its growing popularity, prices are higher in Tabarka. There is of course the beach to visit in this northern town. For those who like to explore, hike up to the castle on the hill. Be warned, however, people do live there, but didn’t seem to mind people exploring the uninhabited parts.
You can scuba dive from Tabarka too — my friends who went said that it was well run. I wanted to go to Aim Draham a little mountain village near Tabarka, but it is not the easiest place to go. Sounds worthwhile though. Getting to Tabarka can not be done by train. You have to take a louage there and back. They are fairly common. Make sure you know where to catch one back to Tunis before you go exploring.
[/align] Tunis
“Tunis is the capital of Tunisia, and its biggest city. Tunis is where the louages and the trains leave from. The best way to get around Tunis is by foot, or by bus. Tunis has a souk in it medina that is worthwhile to go to. Check the hours and days it is open. There is also the Bardo museum in Tunis that is worth the stop. If you are going to be there for Canada day (or Independence Day) you may want to let the Embassy know, and you can party with your fellow Canadians or Americans.


Bulla Regia and Dougga
I am not sure how you would get there — we rented a bus and drove to Bulla Regia and then Dougga. These are two Roman cities in the centre of Tunisia. They are well worth the trip if you can get out there. Bulla Regia has underground houses!!
[/align] Cape Bon
Cape Bon is another place that was a little more hassle for us to get to, but it was well worth it. The last time I was in Tunisia was 1996 – so my info is 10 years old. Once you get to Hammamat the train ended. The best way to see the Cape, I’m told is by car. The next best way is by louage. Give yourself lots of time to see Cape Bon if you want to do the whole of it, since louages may not be too frequent. We went to Nabel and Kalibia and loved them both. You may be the only western person in the town o Kalibia. There is the castle in Kalibia that is worth the trip (famous fanta incident). Nabel is a lot like Tabarka. There are western hotels, but they are on the outskirts of town.

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A couple photos… I tried to link from the urls I had but had some problems. These are now in Photobucket, so I hope this will work now.
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Punic Ports (Carthage)


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Dougga

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El Djem – I can’t find the bigger picture.