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Treasures
of Tunisia
Private Tour . The
Honeymoon Edition
A grand 10 day tour of Tunisia - Choose your own date, or arrive
weekly on Thursday
in Tunis
We'll take you through Carthage ,Dougga , Thuburbo Majus desert oases,
curious troglodyte dwellings, a Roman amphitheater , and unspoiled beaches.
You'll appreciate the breathtaking beauty of a land that has drawn wanderers
over the centuries
. Compare
with the Tunis and Morocco Honeymoon Grand Tour
, or the 14-day version
The
Mediterranean resorts of Europe are wonderful, but they can be crowded
and expensive. So where do discerning Europeans go to find the perfect
laid-back, affordable Mediterranean vacation? Why, they go to Tunisia,
of course!
The
clear blue water, the shimmering sun, the white sand beaches are all
the same in Tunisia, the southern shore of the Mediterranean, just across
the sea from Sicily and Sardinia. The prices are lower, the pace is
more relaxed, and the cuisine and service in this former French colony
are
French-inspired. (Everyone speaks French as well as Arabic, and many
people in hotels, restaurants and other tourist spots speak some English,
too.)
Tunisia's
history has always been linked to Europe's. Hannibal of Carthage crossed
from Tunisia to Europe with 30,000 men and a few dozen elephants and
humbled the Roman legions. Rome ultimately triumphed, however, and Tunisia
became the Roman province of Africa. Today the picturesque ruins of
great Roman cities are spread throughout the Tunisian countryside.
Be
sure to see Tunisia's African side as well: its legacy of Umayyad, Abbasid
and Ottoman culture and cuisine, its picture-perfect desert oases shaded
by date palms, its markets filled with handicrafts and exotic spices.
DAY 1 - TUNIS - Choose your own arrival
date/ Daily arrival - Year round.
This is a private tour - Private
vehicle, private chauffeur
Our local staff will meet you upon arrival at Tunis Carthage International
Airport. You'll be assisted with the formalities, and escorted to the
fine Hotel Africa El Mouradi - 5 stars - or similar .
There will be time to relax and recuperate from your journey, and enjoy
the excellent facilities. If you wish, you can adventure into the center
of Tunis to start your exploration of the winding alleys of the souk,
filled with treasures of beaten brass and basketry and carpets, and
merchants who will welcome you with traditional mint tea.
DAY 2 - THUBURBO MAJUS & DOUGGA
- Private
vehicle, private chauffeur (BLD)
After
breakfast at the hotel, we start our full day to Thuburbo Majus:
This town of Libyan and then Punic origin sided with Carthage and thus
had to pay a tribute to Rome . Thuburbo Maius reached its apogee in
the 2nd c with 10,000 inhabitants and and impressive array of of monuments:
the forum, built in 161-2, the capitol (168) and a number of temples
(Temple of peace, Temple of Mercury, Temple of B'a alat, Temple of Caelestis,
Temple of Saturn) of which one later became a basilica, we'll tour as
well the market, Roman bath and the amphitheater. We'll enjoy lunch
at a local restaurant before proceeding to Dougga: A Numidian city,
mentioned in the 4th century B.C. by Diodorus the Sicilian as Tocai,
tukka was from the 2nd to 1st century B.C. one of the residences of
the Massyle Kings (MASSINISSA, MICIPSA,JUGURTHA). In Roman times the
municipal land was split into two parts; the Numidian city, and a pagus
(rural area) under the authority of Carthage, Whole again, thugga was
a municipium in 205 and honorary colonia in 261. With some 5,000 residents,
thugga had a municipal bourgeoisie which endowed her with a number of
rich monuments. The monuments are incredibly well preserved, allowing
us to imagine the infrastructure this small Proconsular town possessed:
12 temples, 3 of which were transformed into churches in the 4th Century
, 3 Roman baths, numerous fountains, aqueducts and more. Thugga slowly
lost its glory, though it still enjoyed brief periods of revival in
the 3rd, the 4th and 6th centuries (Byzantine fortress) .Though it was
never deserted, archaeological research required the removal of its
residents to a new Dougga lying below classical thugga. Return early
evening to our hotel Hotel
Africa El Mouradi - 5 stars - or similar
in time for dinner.
DAY 3 - CHARTAGE, SIDI BOU SAID (200 Kilometers) - Private
vehicle, private chauffeur (BLD)
we'll marvel at the ruins of Carthage, a true metropolis of the
ancient world, as evidenced by its theater, circus, baths, port installations,
and extensive urban plan. We'll lunch at a fine local restaurant, then
speed forward in time to the middle ages, as we visit the picture-perfect
Moorish village of Sidi Bou Said. With its whitewashed walls and narrow
laneways, it's the perfect setting as we stop for traditional mint tea.
Back in Tunis, we'll stop at the Bardo Museum, to view the most extensive
Roman mosaics in the world. We'll then
head
for the Medina, the old quarter of the city, with its warrens of shops
filled with wares ranging from humdrum to exotic. Hotel
Africa El Mouradi - 5 stars - or similar .
DAY 4 - HAMMAMET, SOUSSE, EL DJEM, SFAX
-Private
vehicle, private chauffeur (BLD)
After breakfast, we'll set off to explore! Hammamet, a cosmopolitan
port where sun-worshippers from all over happily coexist with fishermen
and traditional ways. We'll stop at the port of El Kantaoui, and then
proceed back into time to venerable Sousse, once the Phoenician City
called Hadrumatum. We'll stroll through the medina, the old quarter,
cooled by sea breezes, and visit the museum as well as the Ribat, a
stronghold of the warriors of Islam.
Continuing to Sousse, once the Phoenician city of Hadrumatum,
we walk through the medina (old city), cooled by breezes off the harbor,
and visit the Roman catacombs and. Our next stop is El Jem, which
boasts a Roman coliseum very similar to the famous one in Rome.
Our busy day continues with a drive to Sfax. Dinner and overnight at
hotel : Les Oliviers Palace - 5 stars - or similar .
DAY
5 - SFAX - Djerba Private
vehicle, private chauffeur
(BD)
After breakfast we drive to the coastal city of Gabes, a Roman outpost
of old and a traditional market center where, for centuries, goods from
across the sea and across the desert have changed hands. We'll visit
the oasis, where palm groves and gardens flourish. We'll
then cross to Djerba, an island where Ulysses once encountered the legendary
Lotus-Eaters ,
we explore the old quarters, including the synagogue of Hara Sghira,
Hara Kebira with its modern Jewish community, and Guellala, with its
craft stalls, and to see the waterfront and fishing fleet, and the lively
town of Houmt Souk. Dinner is included at your Hotel : Melia
Djerba Menzel or similar
DAY
6 - Djerba
(BD)
Breakfast and dinner at your hotel .
Full day on your own, enjoy your hotel facilities or water sports, or
simply lounge on the beach and take in the beauty of this true Tunisian
Mediterranean riviera.
sample
choices of beaches on Jerba / Djerba :
Djerba La Nomade – The beach at Club Med boasts a health centre
which is a spa based on water therapy, amongst the many facilities of
the resort and of course the great white sandy beach.
Djerba
Palm Beach – In front of the Sofitel hotel about 5 kilometers
from the capital is one of the finest beaches on the island for swimming
and snorkeling
Melia
Djerba Menzel – Beautiful palm trees are abound on this beach
, beautiful warm blue waters
DAY
7 - Djerba
(BD)
Breakfast & dinner at your hotel. One more day in this Mediterranean
paradise . Enjoy the island as you wish , or ask us for available optional
tours.
DAY
8 - MATMATA, KEBILI, DOUZ - ( 300 Kilometers) -
Private vehicle, private chauffeur
(BLD)
After breakfast : we cross back to the main land : Our route takes us
through terrain of increasingly sparse grasses and shrubs, into the desert
to Matmata. We'll stop to look in on a community of miniature underground
houses, where the earliest settlers sheltered from the extremes of the
desert above -- as do the Berbers of today. We'll
enjoy a full day of desert adventure, we'll visit the village of Kebili,
largest of a cluster of oases, islands of life in a harsh landscape, then
proceed to Douz, fabled as the Gateway to the Sahara. There, a special
treats waits, the opportunity to sample a caravan trek! This close encounter
with a camel is entirely at your option! This is included in our
rate on a complimentary basis .
DAY 9 - GAFSA, SBEITLA, KAIROUAN, TUNIS - Private
vehicle, private chauffeur (BLD)
Departure
directely to SBEITLA via CHOTT EL JERID & Metlaoui. We'll
delve more into Tunisia's rich and varied past today, as we motor overland
through pleasant, rolling coastal lands, the ancient crossroads between
desert oases and the cultivated coastal lands. We'll wonder at the Roman
ruins of Suffetula, as well as the great mosque. We'll lunch at the 3
stars Hotel sofeiula. drive to Kairouan Kairouan, an ancient, holy, and
vibrant city noted for its historic mosques and centers of learning. Kairouan
also is noted for its souk, and the crafting of carpets and leather goods.
visit a carpet shop & the aglibythes pools. Of course, there will
be time to check out these wares. DINER
and OVERNIGHT IN KAIROUAN.
DAY 10 - DEPARTURE -(B)
After breakfast, our local personnel will escort you to the international
airport, where you'll start your homeward journey .Private
vehicle, private chauffeur
Prices
include:
-
Round-trip transportation between airport, always on a private basis,
private air-conditioned vehicle, private chauffeur .
- Hotel
Accommodations as mentioned in itinerary, in comfortable three or
four-star (first-class) hotels, with private facilities.
- Meals
as indicated from preset menu (B = breakfast, L = lunch, D = dinner).
-
Guided sightseeing as indicated in air-conditioned coach, including
all admission fees.
Not
Included:
- International
air transportation. Optional excursions, such as camel ride.
- Any
meal not specifically mentioned beverages, and personal expenses.
- Gratuities
for local personnel.
- Travel
insurance (available upon request).
-
Airport taxes.
RATES
per person in US$:
Arrive any date - Private tour / private guide
Sharing
in Double or triple Occupancy: $ 2940
In Single occupancy : $ 4460
Add
a spa package to your stay
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