City Rating: Tunis
Population: 1’000’000
Date of visit: February 2018
Attractions & sights: 3/5
Nightlife: 1/5
Safety: 4/5
Infrastructure: 4/5
Low budget factor: 4/5
Total: 👍👍👍/5
The city in a nutshell:
Tunis is one of the most developed African cities I have been to. It’s cheap, relatively safe and has some good sights and attractions. Moreover, the capital of Tunisia is one of the most liberal Arab cities in the world. Compared to other North African cities I’ve visited, it’s less posh and trendy than Marrakech and much more relaxed than hectic Cairo.
Where to stay:
The most important question is whether you care about nightlife or not? If yes then don’t stay in Tunis itself but rather in La Marsa (or a Suburb nearby). Because the city centre of Tunis is dead after 10 PM. Otherwise, if nightlife is not important, I would recommend a hotel somewhere between Bab el Bhar (main gate to Medina) and the clock tower.
Don’t stay in Medina, as is there is nothing to do there after 8 PM.
The Good:
Tunis is a good city either for a couple of days or longer if you want to visit the suburbs. Almost all the sights and attraction are in and around Medina so that the highlights of the city can be visited in 2-3 hours. The no. 1 rated attraction on TripAdvisor is the National Museum in Bardo, a 15 minutes ride from the city centre.
Although the capital has some good things to offer, the suburbs are the real attraction. Plan a tour to Sidi Bou Saïd, Carthage, La Marsa, Gammarth etc. Taxis are cheap so you don’t have to organize something in advance.
Tunis is quite liberal for a Muslim city and it’s also relatively safe. Walking around at night is not a problem. In addition, infrastructure is very good and more or less Southern European standard.
The Bad & The Ugly:
The biggest minus is that things are spread out. The city is dead at night and all the nightcrawlers head to the suburbs. Taxis aren’t expensive, but it still takes 30 minutes to get there. So if you like to finish the day by sipping a cocktail in a bar, booking a hotel in the suburbs might be the better idea.
Another minus is the lack of decent restaurants in the city centre. The restaurants in Medina close in the early evening and the other ones aren’t within walking distance from the centre.
Tunis is pretty safe, but taxi drivers might try to rip you off. Always insist that they use the taximeter or negotiate the price beforehand.
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