My first encounter was on a family holiday way back when I was 15 years old. We first visited Italy, from there we hopped on a ferry Palermo to Tunisi – nowadays I believe there are also sailings from Genoa, Civitavecchia and Salerno, all of which I want to try out!
Our family holiday there was certainly the one that really stands out in my memory. Tunisia was simply amazing, it was also my first taste of a real local market where me and my brother lost the bartering battle by a mile when trying to buy a chessboard. It is because of this great holiday that I recently went back there with my own family, I found the place to be equally as amazing as I remember and a great family destination.
The People
When ever I take my family to new places, one things that can make or break a place are the people you meet there. In Tunisia you will be blown away by how friendly the locals are, they also love kids. As every parent knows, it’s a real blessing when people working in restaurants love playing with your kids because it allows you a precious few minutes to quickly eat your food before your hands are full again! I have been to many places with my family and I would rate Tunisia as one of the friendliest for the whole group.
The Food
Another thing I always a little worried about is if my kids are going to like the food. Of course I always make them eat as much of the local food as possible. In Tunisia this was no problem at all because they loved feasting on the fresh seafood by the beach. When they needed a little bit of a taste from home there were always plenty of options at the hotel, what was more impressive is that the home comfort food was excellent and not too different at all. We had no tears or tantrums at anytime, if anything they actually ate more than they should of – that’s probably due to the fact that people were so generous too!
The Hotels
It goes without saying that I have taken my family on some rough and ready holidays where they have had to accept that a comfortable night of sleep is not on the cards. When I was looking for family oriented hotels in Tunisia I was really spoilt for choice. They really have nailed it over there! There are so many hotels, which are safe, comfortable, close to the beach and have loads of activities for the kids. I love staying in a good family hotel because it gives me and my wife a bit of free time to relax and have dinner by ourselves. You can take advantage of the baby sitter service or the child play groups when you want a bit of peace and quiet.
Have you been to Tunisia recently or are you planning too? I would love to hear about your experiences, tips and tales. All you have to do is pop your thoughts down in the comment section below this post. I am really looking forward to reading what you guys have to share, plus I am hoping to pick up a couple of tips I can use on my next family holiday over there.