Scared Of Tunisia

[kerri_26]

hi im going to tunisia for the first time with my husband two young girls....i`ve become scared of what ppl say in reviews that i`m going to be petrified of leaving the complex..i know it sound silly but when you have two young girls..then i do worry of what the tunisians are like ive been to turkey but this sounds worse.....help..

[SARAHW]

I Went To Tunisia For The First Time The Week Befor Last With My Boyfriend. I Was Really Worried As I Had Heard So Many Bad Rumers. I Was Expecting To Be Hasseled Non-stop Especially As Im A Young Blonde. Well Just To Tell U We Had A Fantastic Time! I Had So Many Worries But Everyone Was Unfounded. We Stayed At The Dreams Beach Hotel In Sousse And It Was Really Nice - Really Clean And The Locals Couldnt Do Enough For Us, But In A Freindly Way Not Intimidating At All, They Were Just Keen For Us To Enjoy Our Holiday. The Whole Place Seemed Really Laidback, People Walking Round In Bikinis Etc (i Was Worried What Was Appropriate To Wear With It Bieng A Muslim Country) But The Resorts In And Outside Of The Hotels Are Set Up For Torists.
Was Ill From Food But Take Plenty Of Immodium And U Will B Fine.
The Beaches Were Gorgoeus - Clean White Sand And We Heard Some Bad Reviews About The Jellyfish In The Sea, But I Can Say That We Did Get Stung A Couple Of Times But It Was Not Bad Atall Just Like A Nettle Sting And Went Away In 15 Mins.
We Viseted Port El Kantoui And This Was A Really Nice Place. Got Hasseled By A Few Begging Kids But Be Firm And They Go Away.
There Was Not One Time That I Felt Unsafe Or Uncomfortable (obviously U Would Not Walk Round On Your Own At Night Like Most Places) And Peolple Were So Friendly Without Expecting Anything In Return. We Would Deffinatly Go Back.
So Dont Worry You Will Find You Will Have A Great Time. The People There Are Very Genarous And Friendly And Work Really Hard But Always Have A Smile. Xx

[HW Jan.C]

My daughter age 15 loved Tunisia, so much so she wants to go back next year, I was worried when I had read all the reports and once there she was fine, In fact it wasnt her I should have worried about, it should have been the animation team at the hotel.( those poor lads ) In fact she is staying in touch with some of them.
If your worried about taking them shopping,the locals will be more interested in selling you things and how much you have to spend. I wouldnt advise them going out shopping on their own though.It is not the same as going round the shops in Turkey.
Dont be scared of Tunisia the hotels are brilliant and the staff are really nice,they will go all out to make sure you have a good holiday. I would quite happily go back to Tunisia and stay at them same hotel ( abou Sofiane ) at Port El Kantaoui.
http://www.holidaywatchdog.com/8325-Por ... eview.html
Jan

[kerri_26]

aww thanx for your reply`s i have been to turkey last year and i loved it.had such a good time..can you tell me if they sell clothes there

[HW Jan.C]

Yes lots of knock off designer brands, not badly priced, but really argue the cost with the shop staff, you will be amazed at the price reduction, leather is very cheap in Tunisia, bags, shoes, ( camel leather )
Jan

[anet]

hi kerri

we went to tunisia end of may with our 5 year old boy and he loved it. whilst walking around the complex i felt completely safe, like a previous person said they are more interested in selling things than anything else. They might try the odd comment to get you to buy something but this is just harmless banter.

We even took him on the sahara desert trip and met a lot of locals along the way.

With regards to clothes shopping, yes they do sell fake stuff but no where near as much as Turkey. I found that most stuff was sporty, e.g football shirts, trainers etc. I personally didn't enjoy the shopping experience i had in Monastir as the shopkeepers were extremely pushy even a polite no didn't seem to work (bit worse than Turkey). I never felt uncomfortable but i did feel hassled. Apparently Sousse is a nicer place to shop and they are not as pushy due to the fact that it is a busier shopping area and the sales are higher there.

Anyway hope this helps a bit, anymore information, just ask

[Chelsea Blue]

The best place to do all your shopping is Sfax. You will not be hassled because although it is Tunisia's second largest city there are very few tourists. You can get there easily from Sousse by bus, train or Louage Taxi. It takes about 2 hours.

[Gringy]

I visited tunisia in feb one year and stayed in hammamet...
We were confined to our hotel in the evenings or rather advised to stay in the hotel unless there was a big group of us..

It was Feb and after talking to hotel's entertainment manager he did state that during peak times the locals were outnumbered and didnt pose a threat, in feb it is a different matter, he was tunisian and was upset that certain incidents outside our hotel did spoil our holiday.

I stayed in turkey the year before my visit to tunisia and can honestly say the 2 expereinces could not have been further from each other.

I guess the time of year and resort where you stay will play a part in your holiday experience and as its peak time, you should be fine

[Chelsea Blue]

I am amazed at some of these postings trying to convince people that they should be on their guard concerning their safety when visiting Tunisia. I have been visiting Tunisia for well over thirty years and can honestly say that I have never been frightened or accosted by any Tunisian when out at night. Yes, they will come up to you and talk to you and this might include asking for a Dinar (never forget how poor they are) but a polite refusal and letting them know you don't really want to know or go with them anywhere to buy anything will result in them going away. I would feel more scared visiting my local town on a Friday or Saturday night.

[souzan]

well chelsea blue i agree with you. i have been to tunisia over 30 times 5 this year and i feel much safer their than in england and have never been confined to any hotel at any time of year, i think a lot of hotel staff are telling people to stay at their hotels as when they are inside the complex they are spending there money their.