11 Day Highlights of Tunisia

About the destination: With a balmy, sand-fringed Mediterranean coast, scented with jasmine and sea breezes, Tunis is refashioning itself as an ambitiously modern Arab capital. The city is keen on preserving its Mediterranean traditions as well as its Arabic and African roots. It's an attitude reflected in its architecture, with the old Arab medina sat next to the French colonial Ville Nouvelle (New Town). As any other Arabic metropolis, the medina is the historic and spiritual heart of the city. The tangled streets of the medina are crammed with people selling, buying and carting goods around, enveloped in the scent of spices. The contrast with the palm trees and café terraces of the ville nouvelle's avenue Habib Bourguiba could not be greater. Old men in traditional dress watch suited office workers and the young go past in jeans and shirts: this is Tunis. In the suburbs are the wonderful Bardo Museum and the impressive and mysterious ruins of the ancient Carthage, from where Hannibal set forth to drive his elephants over the Alps. Also nearby is Tunisia's most beautiful village, Sidi Bou Said, inspiration to many artists, and the gorgeous white-sand beaches of La Marsa. Tunis is a vibrant yet laid-back capital city that celebrates its Western and Eastern influences and flaunts proudly its cultural heritage.

About the destination: Dougga or Thugga or TBGG was a Berber, Punic and Roman settlement near present-day Téboursouk in northern Tunisia. The current archaeological site covers 65 hectares (160 acres). UNESCO qualified Dougga as a World Heritage Site in 1997, believing that it represents "the best-preserved Roman small town in North Africa". The site, which lies in the middle of the countryside, has been protected from the encroachment of modern urbanization, in contrast, for example, to Carthage, which has been pillaged and rebuilt on numerous occasions. Dougga's size, its well-preserved monuments and its rich Numidian-Berber, Punic, ancient Roman and Byzantine history make it exceptional. Amongst the most famous monuments at the site are a Libyco-Punic Mausoleum, the Capitol, the Roman theatre, and the temples of Saturn and of Juno Caelestis. Dougga's history is best known from the time of the Roman conquest, even though numerous pre-Roman monuments, including a necropolis, a mausoleum, and several temples have been discovered during archaeological digs. These monuments are an indication of the site's importance before the arrival of the Romans.

About the destination: Zaghouan (or Zaghwan; Arabic: زغوان Zaġwān ; Berber languages: ⵣⴻⵖⵡⴰⵏ / Zeɣwan) is a town in the northern half of Tunisia. Situated on a low ridge of the Dorsale Mountains, the town has a mild climate and presents a green aspect. Cold water from here was taken by the Zaghouan Aqueduct to Carthage. The town is famous for its roses, originally cultivated by Muslim. Being a small city without a large selection of hotels, most guidebooks don’t give it much space. Zaghouan’s beautiful nature, profound sense of history, and unique blend of cultures.

About the destination: Matmata is a city in the Governorate of Gabes, about 35 km southwest of its capital Gabes. The city was largely destroyed in the 1969 floods and partially rebuilt in the New Matmata, located 15 km to the north.