Andy Mossack tries out Tunisia for Multi-Generational Holidays as he travels with his three-generational family, road testing some excellent tours to suit all ages.
I’m staring longingly at a beautiful hand-painted leather purse. It’s clearly been a labour of love from start to finish and there’s no doubt this artist is a real talent. I’m impressed of course, but equally gutted. It seems I’ve been outdone by my son in law sitting next to me with a smug look on his face after glancing at my own tragic attempt.
Here’s the thing with multi-generational family holidays; things can get very competitive. And our visit to Dar Am Taieb, the enchanting home of the late famed Tunisian sculptor and artist Taïeb Ben Hadj in Sousse was a perfect example. The tour of his extraordinarily alternative home and studio also included a fun leather painting workshop which was all we needed to see our family’s competitive trait come straight to the fore once again.
Don’t get me wrong, we had a great holiday together with plenty of laughs along the way, but put us into anything remotely task-centric and the opportunity to outdo each other is too much to resist. Whether its air hockey, beach boule or getting the best price for a souvenir. It’s every family member for themselves every time.
Having said all that, being three generations together and finding tours and excursions in coastal Tunisia that would suit all our group, particularly with young kids of 5 and 8, can be a little daunting for any family in a similar situation.
So, when it comes to Tunisia for multi-generational holidays here are my recommendations for some excellent tours around coastal Tunisia using highly experienced and reliable operators who can curate tailor-made experiences at your own pace with long-lasting memories.
The Amphitheatre of El Jem
Who can resist a Roman amphitheatre? However, El Jem is not just a rundown pile of ancient bricks. With an audience capacity of 35,000, it is the third largest amphitheatre in the world, only just beaten by the famous Colosseum in Rome and the Capua ruins in Italy. Constructed by the Emperor Gordian between 230 and 238 AD, it is though possibly, the best preserved you will ever get to see and unlike the Colosseum, blissfully free of crowds of tourists.
From our base at the Hilton Skanes Monastir Beach Resort, El Jem was just a 45-minute drive away, a short enough journey to keep the kids from getting bored. Particularly when they could be preoccupied by tales of this giant arena once filled with gladiators and fierce wild animals.
Up close it is simply magnificent. An immense and unique structure from the Roman era, made entirely from local sandstone and reinforced with a layer of obus signium; a form of Roman cement containing bits of broken pottery that not only made it waterproof but able to last literally millennia. Those ancient architects would be so chuffed to see it still standing proud and I can almost hear them saying “told you it was worth shelling out the extra coin”.
There’s a mystery about the town of El Jem which encircles the huge theatre. How could such a relatively small place (then called Thysdrus) afford to build such a spectacular theatre? The answer has been lost to the mists of time, although rumours abound about it amassing wealth through successful olive oil production and the craftmanship of its artisan sculptors.
Mid-morning and it was still devoid of tourist coaches. Plenty of time to clamber around giant stones, climb the steps up to the gods on the fourth tier for a breathtaking view and even explore the basement where the gladiators and animals waited on rope powered elevators to rise up into the arena. The openings still remaining and our imagination running wild.
As it was empty I took a cheeky Mark Anthony moment, strode into the middle of the arena and exclaimed “Friends, Romans and Countrymen lend me your ears!” Hearing it reverberate all around gave me goosebumps.
Nabil, our Barclays Travel guide, showed us graffiti scraped on the walls over centuries. One made by a WW2 American soldier – his name, date and gun carved into the stone particularly poignant.
A surprise on the way out, a camel ride awaited. A fun ride for each generation!
A brilliant half day excursion.
Tunis, Carthage and Sidi Bou Said
An opportunity to see the Roman baths at Carthage, Tunisia’s poster village of Sidi Bou Said and a whizz around the capital Tunis is a must for any first time visit to Tunisia. However, as it was a four-hour round trip drive, taking a full day guided tour excursion with the Tunisian Travel Service instead was a lot more relaxing.
Carthage
Carthage is steeped in history and one of the most affluent and influential cities of the ancient world. It was founded in the 1st millennium by the Phoenician Queen Dido and later expanded extensively by the Romans. But its position on a promontory with the Mediterranean on all three sides meant it was a strategic harbour for all would-be conquerors and maritime traders.
Little remains of Hannibal’s original Phoenician Carthage upper town after its destruction by the Romans in 146 BC, but there’s enough to suggest a once wealthy city high on a hilltop with a stunning view across the Gulf of Tunis. There is a museum which contains many Carthage antiquities, but when we were there, it was closed for renovations.
That said, the crown jewel of Carthage is the fabled Roman Baths of Antoninus just a few minutes’ drive away which proved to be a total showstopper. One of the three biggest across the entire Roman empire. The enormous lower levels are all that’s left, but it’s enough to realise the sheer scale of this complex. Our group – both kids and adults – had a whale of a time exploring the labyrinth of arches and passageways.
Sidi Bou Said
Just a few minutes’ drive from here, the charming village of Sidi Bou Said is insanely pretty but consequently unashamedly touristic. Set atop a steep promontory overlooking the glistening Gulf of Tunis, its narrow, pedestrianised streets are lined with charming whitewashed houses with blue doors selling everything from the usual souvenirs at one end of the spectrum to stylish high-end art galleries and interior design pieces at the other. In between you’ll find some lovely restaurants and plenty of Instagrammable moments. Before mass tourism descended on it, it was a magnet for artists and writers seeking inspiration from its beautiful location.
That said, getting there early in the morning, or later in the evening you’ll miss the heavy coach parties. We got there mid-afternoon, and it was unsurprisingly very busy, but still a lovely meandering walk taking in all the colours and sounds. We found a lovely old traditional coffee house at the top of the hill -The High Café (Al Lahwa Al Alia) – where we all took our shoes off and sat on a raffia-covered platform drinking fresh mint tea in glasses infused with real almonds at the bottom.
The more adventurous might want to walk down over 250 steep steps to the marina and corniche running along the beach. The only drawback is you’ll have to walk back up if your transport is in the main carpark!
Tunis
After a quick traditional lunch at Le Victoire close to the port (included in the tour price) it was on to Tunis.
Tunisia’s sprawling capital was on the way back to our hotel so Habib our guide thought it worthwhile for a short stop to explore the ancient medina and stroll along Habib Bourguiba, Tunis’s main artery often dubbed the Tunisian Champs-Élysées. And we could see why. Lined with French colonial buildings and stylish turn of the century streetlamps you might be forgiven for thinking this was all very Parisienne.
For us though, the medina proved a disappointment. Far too many hawkers selling the same cheap knock offs and tacky souvenirs. A far better experience was had at Sousse, our final excursion. Still, during the long drive back we had lots to look back on after a full day, and the kids were both fast asleep.
Sousse
Nabil, our Barclays Travel guide from El Jem, was back to take us on a day tour to Sousse, known as the “pearl of the Sahel”. A delightful historic coastal city on the Gulf of Hammamet, just 15 minutes from our Monastir base. The 9th century walled medina, a UNESCO World Heritage site, was our first stop. Its 2.5 kilometres of labyrinthine alleys are packed with bazaars selling plenty of locally made artifacts, spices and fresh food. Nabil guided us through the bustling souk: “if there is a price marked on the items there’s no haggling. But feel free to haggle if you don’t find a price.”
We passed by the tiny shop of the “most famous sandwich man in Sousse” a gentleman by the name of Uncle Bouraoue who is a legend at filling a giant baguette in seconds. I just had to get a picture of him.
We slowly climbed up through the alleyways and emerged out at the Kasbah, a hip and trendy section of the city offering up a stunning view across the medina and the sea. It’s up here we ventured into the Sousse Archaeological Museum, a wonderous place housing the second biggest collection of priceless Roman mosaics in the world. Incredibly, they were found by chance during foundation construction on a building site. Nabil proved to be an excellent source of information about many of these extraordinary pieces.
Dar Am Taieb
We got back into the van for a short journey to a local neighbourhood where a remarkable museum awaited. The aforementioned Dar Am Taieb, the ‘House of Uncle Taieb’ and that fun leather painting workshop I mentioned earlier. His former home villa and studio now forms a unique exhibition space over eight rooms of his weird and wonderful art pieces.
An eccentric menagerie of the alternative, mainly using recycled materials. Now run by family members Shelby and Yusef whose personal memory stories of famed sculptor and artist Taïeb Ben Hadj made the tour even more joyous. Watch out for the wandering tortoises, (the kids fed them leaves from the garden) and check out all 1,200 army helmets used in various different ways! Properly bonkers and totally engrossing at the same time. Unmissable.
Port El Kantaoui
Our final stop was at Sousse’s stylish marina and resort complex of Port El Kantaoui just a few kilometres from the city centre. Surrounded by restaurants, shops, hotels and white Moorish style guest accommodation, it was not unlike something you might expect in the south of France. An added bonus for me was finding out there were two 18-hole golf courses included in the complex. But they would be for my next visit! We finished our tour with a splendid 3 course lunch at the legendary Restaurant Le Méditerranée overlooking the fancy yachts in the marina. A really impressive climax to an excellent excursion to Sousse by Barclays Travel.
Looking back at our excursion experiences there are some exceptional opportunities in Tunisia for multi-generational holidays. It’s a country that deserves to be a genuine alternative to Morrocco. With so many exciting places to visit, knowing that through my recommendation, Barclay Travel and Tunisia Travel Service will curate tailor made excursions for all the family.
All images except featured image (C) Andy Mossack
Tell me more about Tunisia for multi-generational holidays
For more information on all the destinations mentioned in Tunisia for multi-generational holidays, and for Tunisian destinations further afield, please visit the Tunisian National Tourist Office.
Private tour rates from £47 per person.
Dar Am Taieb Museum and Leather Painting. Rue Ali ben Ghedahem, Sousse 4000, Tunisia.
T: +216 98 960 944.
119 Port El Kantaoui 4089 Sousse, Hammam Sousse 4089, Tunisia T: +216 73 348 788 // +216 27 135 135
Hilton Skanes Monastir Beach Resort
Easyjet runs regular flights to Tunisa
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