With its abundance of history, culture, delicious cuisine and world-famous beaches, Tunisia has always been a popular destination for jet-setters. Sadly, the events of 2015 (a horrific attack on a resort near Sousse) saw its popularity wane but post-Covid, visitors are beginning to make a return for stays in the capital of Tunis or beach resorts at Hammamet, Monastir or Sousse.
But they’re missing out by not exploring further, including the town of Douz, which was our ultimate destination on our road trip – the gateway to the Sahara that’s many miles from the seaside joys of the north African coast.
A taste of Tunis
It takes less than three hours to fly from London to Tunis. On day one, we left on another slate grey morning during a British summer that never happened, to arrive bathed in sunshine and slapping on the factor 50.
The first stop on this Tunisian odyssey was The Residence Tunis, a five-star hotel in the capital perched on the shores of the sapphire Mediterranean.
With beautiful architecture mirroring Tunisia’s Arab-Andalusian heritage set in stunning surroundings, for all its luxury rooms, opulent thalasso spa and 18-hole championship golf course, it also promotes its sustainable credentials through its gardens, the plants grown here used in the hotel’s restaurants.
We met chef Wafik Belaid, the nearest thing Tunisia has to a celebrity chef, and he explained the big tourism trend is to take visitors on culinary tours around the city, which allows them to experience authentic Tunis. From the delicious harissa-infused couscous, merguez and brik we ate, he has a point.
Another must-see in Tunis are the incredible ruins of Carthage, the capital of the Punic empire in the first millennium BC, before it was conquered by the Romans. Now a Unesco World Heritage site, it’s enormous, with remarkably well-preserved structures dating back to 900BC, including the Antonine Baths, the biggest outside Rome itself, and gives more than a taste of Tunisian history.
Journey to the Maghreb
Seeing the sun rising over the Gulf of Tunis from the hotel room was the cue on day two to get up for what would normally be a 350-mile journey by car from Tunis to Douz. Instead, we took in a series of wonderful detours along the way.
First up was the astonishing sight of the 1,800-year-old El Jem, around two hours from Tunis. Despite being the third-largest and one of the best-preserved Roman amphitheatres in the world, mention El Jem to most people and you’ll get a blank look. Entrance costs 12 dinars (around £3) as, generally speaking, Tunisia is cheap.
Walk up from an underground tunnel into the arena, and you can imagine being confronted by 35,000 spectators, some literally baying for blood. It’s a mind-blowing spectacle.
Following a stop in Matmata for lunch – more delicious brik and harissa – we headed to the salt lake of Chott el Djerid, one of several Tunisian locations used in the original Star Wars film and the largest salt lake in the Sahara, albeit virtually bone dry in early June. In soaring 40-degree temperatures, the salt creates a shimmering effect on the road that splits through the lake.
It’s around another dusty 90 minutes to reach Douz: the gateway to the Sahara.
A desert oasis
Residence Douz, opened last year, was our destination on day three. Even a “regular” room is the size of a suite, with each in an individual building set within the desert. It is quite unlike anywhere else we’ve stayed.
The nearby Sahara Museum is where you can learn about desert culture, the history of
Berbers and the Bedouins, as well as the long relationship between humans and camels.
From there, we trawled the nearby souk, vibrant with colourful goods, the sound of chatter and the heady smells of spice, where you can buy a rug for as little as £30. Tourism is essential to the economy, so you’re likely to receive a warm welcome wherever you go.
We headed back to the Residence Douz for a traditional cookery class. I’d like to think hotel staff all subsequently greeting me as ‘chef’ was a reflection of my kneading skills.
And then it was off to the desert by quad bike, followed by a camel ride and plenty of Instagrammable moments. A packed day was rounded off by dinner in a Bedouin tent within the grounds of Residence Douz.
A desert odyssey
We visited when the heat was still manageable – from June to September driving through the Sahara isn’t recommended because it is simply too hot. But on day four, a day of dune bashing was in order.
As our driver Youssef drove up and down dunes that stretched as far as the eye could see, he pointed out a building that almost looked like a mirage. It was the small Roman fort of Tisavar, which was repurposed by the Berbers in the 16th century and provided another unexpected treat on a trip full of surprises.
We were en route to Ksar Ghilane on the edge of Jebil National Park, a palm-surrounded oasis near Roman ruins that form the southernmost border of the once-enormous empire. Given we arrived mid-afternoon, everyone needed a cool swim in the waters, which are rumoured to have health-giving properties. Either way, I was glad to rinse away the Saharan sand.
Heading home
There are no direct flights to the UK from Tozeur-Nefta airport, the closest to Douz. But the three-hour drive on day five to Djerba-Zarzis airport, which flies direct to London, allowed us to take in more breathtaking Tunisian scenery with its stunning landscapes of vast deserts, arid scrubland, unique rock formations and fields studded with palm and olive trees.
If you visit in spring or early summer then the rates at The Residence hotels fall into the “affordable luxury” category. But regardless of cost, a holiday in Tunisia will bring surprising adventures, stunning vistas and priceless memories.
Ryan Herman is the editor of CA Magazine
