Tunisia port review (Dougga, Carthage, Sidi Bou Said)

Due to the events early in 2011, many cruiselines cancelled stops in Tunisia this year. I was very happy that Voyages to Antiquity did not cancel this port as it was one of my very favorites on my recent cruise. I've read quite a few posts from people who were nervous about this port or not sure what to expect, so I thought I would write a review of our overnight stay in Tunis, with some photos, to help ease fears (or get you excited) about seeing some of this lovely country.

We arrived at La Goulette, the port for Tunis early in the morning. I was watching from my balcony because I wanted to have a chance to visualize the coastline, harbor, and possibly see if I could spot the high point where the ancient city/citadel of Carthage would have been located.

Shortly after we docked, we were greated by a brass band dressed as Roman centurions:

As well, there was a belly dancer with traditional Arab music. Of course there were also three camels who were ready for photo ops or to take you on a grumpy ride for a small fee:

The port facility is very modern, with a new terminal building that has space for shops (still about half empty but some nice things are available there, judging by my quick walk through).

Many people think Tunisia is all desert -- not true. At least in the coastal areas and in places where there is sufficient water, the country resembles many other Mediterranean settings, with olives and wine under cultivation and colorful flowering bushes (like bouganvillea). There are also a lot of date palms; Tunisia is apparently known for the quality of their dates.

As I mentioned, we had an overnight in Tunis, giving us the opportunity to explore a bit further on Day 1, when we had an included tour to the (mainly Roman) ruins at Dougga, a three-hour drive from the port. On the second day, we visited some sites closer to Tunis, including ancient Carthage, the Antonine baths, and Sidi Bou Said. I'll cover each one of these in subsequent posts.

Dougga is quite a distance from Tunis, so I wouldn't necessarily recommend it for the casual sightseer. However, for anyone with an interest in history (especially Roman history), the ruins there are outstanding.

Dougga was an old city already when the Romans "acquired" it after several wars with Carthage (for control of the Mediterranean) and wars with Numidia for control of lands in Northern Africa. It is beautifully situated among rolling hills that are (and were then) productive lands by Mediterranean standards.

One of the oldest (and most impressive) monuments on the site is a tomb that was probably built for a Numidian prince -- Massinissa, for those interested in history:

The city remains are quite extensive, although Dougga was never a particularly large city. The Forum area is one of the best preserved parts. It doesn't fit the usual Roman "grid" for a Forum, partly because of the geography of the site and also because there was already an existing city when the Romans took over. The Capitol -- actually a temple to Jupiter, Juno, and Minerva -- is one of the most striking sights here:

The Capitol/Temple is built on one of the highest points. This is a view over the rest of the Forum with my back to the Capitol:

Of course, the city had many private residences in addition to grand public buildings. In this photo, you are looking down into the courtyard of a typical, large Roman house. The indentation in the center would have been for a decorative pool or fountain. There would have been a shaded portico bordering the courtyard, with rooms of the house opening off from it (for light and air). This structure could have been one of the larger houses in town (or indeed, could have been a brothel):

Most of the decorative items and mosaics have been taken to museums (such as the Bardo, in Tunis) for safekeeping now.

Here is a typical Roman multi-seat public latrine. Just visible is the channel where running water would circulate so that patrons could use it to clean themselves:

And finally, a good, well-constructed Roman road leads one out of the town. The paving stones are set diagonally so that wheeled vehicles won't get stuck in between:

After visiting the site for around 2.5 hours with a terrific guide, we went to a nearby local hotel for lunch, where I defiantly ate the offered salad (with no bad consequences) although most turned it down. It was a very good meal, washed down with a beer. We assumed that such a deluxe hotel in proximity to the ruins was mainly for sightseers, but our guide told us that it actually was full of people who came from all over Europe for the excellent hunting in the area.

All in all, it was a terrific day and really one of the highlights of the cruise for me. There is a lot to see at Dougga and there were no crowds. In late October we had a day of mostly sun with a few clouds and very pleasant (not hot) temperatures.

Thank you so much for posting!:)

Unfortunately our cruise was one of the ones which cancelled Tunis and substituted with Valencia of all places.

I'm glad you had a nice trip. Someday we want to get there.

Beautiful photos and excellent explanations. Well done Cynthia. Most Tunis port calls offer just the excursion to Carthage but from your photos it would appear that Dougga is a must to see as well. Hopefully in 2012 Tunisia will reappear as a regular port call on Mediterranean intineraries. I've missed it twice, once for bad weather and lastly for the uprisings. Maybe this year...

Thanks for the comments. I really enjoyed Tunisia and think it is a very worthwhile port of call. There were no signs of any unrest and no evidence of the uprisings earlier in the year other than one: at a brand new, huge mosque we drove by, our guide slowed so that we could see that the name of the benefactor (the ex "President") had been effaced.

Also, we were there just around a week after Tunisia's elections had been held, and there was some controversy regarding several of the members of their government who had been elected (ties to the old party). However, there were no demonstrations, everything was peaceful, and the people we talked to all seemed very optimistic about what the future had to offer. (Perhaps even a little too optimistic in what they think can be achieved in a short time....)

Carthage, the ancient city that is just on the outskirts of modern Tunis, is a place I've always wanted to visit. Not because the ruins are so spectacular -- compared to many other places, they are not hugely impressive -- but more because of its place in history and literature. (The same as for Troy in Turkey.)

I went with lowered expectations because of all I had read from others who were a bit disappointed. And I have to say that I thought the ancient sites were better than advertised. But then, I'm very fond of ruins and pretty good by now at envisioning how things would have looked....

We had an outstanding local guide on Day 1 to Dougga and I was very pleased that we had the same guide on our second day. He was extremely well educated (spoke 5 or 6 languages fluently) and was both a good story teller and good with the facts.

Our first stop was supposed to be to visit the Antonine Baths. These are the ruins of a huge Roman bath complex (the largest in North Africa) that were built right at the edge of the coast. Our guide, however, knowing how interested in ancient history some of us were, made a special stop on the way there to see what is thought to be the spot of Carthage's ancient "secret" harbor for its navy. When they were fighting Rome, the Carthaginians had the most impressive navy in the Mediterranean. They took special pains to keep it concealed in a separate harbor that was supposedly built in a circular shape, with an island in the middle (for admiralty offices, ship repair facilities, etc.). Here you can see some of the circular harbor and island:

Today it is in the midst of a fairly posh suburban neighborhood that could almost look like any of a dozen in Florida. Of course, the locals haven't forgotten about ancient Carthage, or its most famous general, Hannibal. The street that leads to the naval harbor is named after him:

After this stop, we arrived at the Baths. The setting is indeed beautiful. Our guide pointed out that Romans were always suspicious of the sea; they weren't natural sailors like the Phoenicians and Carthaginians. So instead of taking advantage of ocean bathing, they built this lovely complex on the edge of the water.

The baths originally would have had several floors, but for the most part only the ground floor with supporting structures are still standing today:

We had a chance to wander among the ruins for a while; again, there were very few tourists here. The Baths are called the Antonine Baths because they were largely built during the reign of Antoninus Pius in the 2nd century AD.

After this stop, we headed to the old citadel of Carthage.....

The Citadel of Carthage overlooks modern Tunis. Legend tells that Queen Dido (a Phoenician) founded the city by tricking the local Berber King out of the land. Whatever the truth, researchers have uncovered evidence of ancient civilization on this high point, including from the time of the wars between Rome and Carthage.

The ruins tend to be small and compact, definitely not built on a grand scale:

There is even evidence that the settlement here dating from the time of the Punic Wars was destroyed by fire (as when Rome burned it during the third and final of the wars....). Notice the black areas on the walls below:

The Romans famously destroyed all of Carthage and even "sowed the earth with salt" making it unfit for further habitation. However, during the time of Augustus, the Romans realized this area was too valuable to abandon and they re-settled the area of Carthage.

In the photo below, you can see where the Romans literally built (on a much larger scale) right on top of the remains of the Carthaginian city. The large piers were supports built by the Romans to shore up and extend the natural hillside:

Another view, showing the city of Tunis in the background:

Romans were master engineers. To support the needs of their city, they constructed both aqueducts to bring water, and cisterns to store it in:

I really enjoyed seeing this site. Again, it's probably less interesting if you don't have either an interest in ancient history or in literature. But I found it very evocative.

As always your pictures and travel notes are wonderful. It takes me back to my land tour I did several years ago. Tunisia is such a beautiful diverse country and should be on everyone's bucket list. Shar

On a cruise with MSC Fantasia mid May and Tunis is one of the calls.

My question is: Sidi Bou Said and Medina are the same places?

A cruisetour go to Carthago and Medina.

My understanding is that Medina is a huge arabic bazaar.

Can you help me?

On a cruise with MSC Fantasia mid May and Tunis is one of the calls.

My question is: Sidi Bou Said and Medina are the same places?

A cruisetour go to Carthago and Medina.

My understanding is that Medina is a huge arabic bazaar.

Can you help me?

Sidi Bou Said is not the same as the Medina. Sidi Bou Said is a lovely small town (more like an artists' colony) that resembles a Greek town with whitewashed houses and blue trim. The Medina is the large bazaar in old Tunis. We didn't visit there on my recent trip.

Below are some pictures of Sidi Bou Said:

Cynthia was a trip to the Bardo Museum an option or was it closed?

Cynthia was a trip to the Bardo Museum an option or was it closed?

The museum wasn't closed (at least not as far as I know) but when I asked one of the staff why they hadn't included it, they said that the museum was under renovation and it was not predictable as to what rooms or how many rooms would be open so they decided against putting it on the tour.

I really, really want to go there.....next year the HAL cruise I'm taking in October stops in Tunisia again and I am determined to get to the Bardo!

Thank you for posting your photos. They brought back many happy memories of a wonderful coach tour of Tunisia that we did in 2009. We really enjoyed the culture, history and variety of scenery. I thought Tunis was an elegant city and enjoyed the 'buzz' of the Medina which is a typical market in the ancient quarter of the city. Given the choice, though, I would go to Sidi Bou Side which I thought was very pretty and atmospheric although a bit touristy. We thoroughly enjoyed the Bardo Museum and marvelled at the quality of the Roman mosaics. If it has been refurbished, it should make the experience even better.

What Hal cruise are you taking - sounds like my kind of itinerary? Jen and I really enjoyed the Holyland cruise on the Prisendam .

Thanks so much for the review, I am jealous you got to Dougga, we tried to get there on out double stop in Tunis (on a B2B) in 2010 but could not find anyone to take us there. It sounded like it was done through the ship?

We still had fun as we took the local tram to Carthage and Sidi bu Said, on our next stop there we went to Bardo, it is great, you will love it. All the mosiacs from Carthage ended up there and they are beautiful. When we were there some rooms were closed as renovating was going on but there was still plenty to see. We just caught a cab in front of the ship.

For those taking the tram, there is a new stop right at the cruise terminal, it is very cheap and easy to get to Carthage or SBS.

Thanks so much for the review, I am jealous you got to Dougga, we tried to get there on out double stop in Tunis (on a B2B) in 2010 but could not find anyone to take us there. It sounded like it was done through the ship?

 

We still had fun as we took the local tram to Carthage and Sidi bu Said, on our next stop there we went to Bardo, it is great, you will love it. All the mosiacs from Carthage ended up there and they are beautiful. When we were there some rooms were closed as renovating was going on but there was still plenty to see. We just caught a cab in front of the ship.

 

For those taking the tram, there is a new stop right at the cruise terminal, it is very cheap and easy to get to Carthage or SBS.

I remember you were interested in Dougga. It was very worthwhile. It was offered through the ship on my cruise (on Voyages to Antiquity, most shore excursions are included....and there are no "shopping stops").

I'm really looking forward to getting to the Bardo next time.

Thank you for your great photos! We are due to stop in Tunis on Orchestra and now it will be a very special stop because my son-in-law, who is Tunisian, will be there visiting his family so we will have plenty of personal tour guides! Thank you for your great review which is a contrast to what many others have written.

Thank you for your great photos! We are due to stop in Tunis on Orchestra and now it will be a very special stop because my son-in-law, who is Tunisian, will be there visiting his family so we will have plenty of personal tour guides! Thank you for your great review which is a contrast to what many others have written.

Thanks Podie; I hope you enjoy your trip. Nothing like having local guides....I'm sure you'll get to see some interesting places most tourists miss.

Thanks, Cynthia! For this and other postings I have read from you while researching a couple of Med cruises. Always insight information and beautiful photographs.

Do you know which company the cruise used? Are they available to others to book?

Many thanks,

Once again you have been extremely informative. You were so helpful last fall when we were B2B Voyages to Antiquity and another. [We LOVED the Athensgate Hotel in Athens. The location was superb.] Now we'll be going to Tunisia for the first time in May and had no idea what to expect. Sounds as if we need more than just one day. We'll have to decide which of the 3 to seek out.

Again, many thanks!

Thanks, Cynthia! For this and other postings I have read from you while researching a couple of Med cruises. Always insight information and beautiful photographs.

 

Do you know which company the cruise used? Are they available to others to book?

 

Many thanks,

Sorry, I just now saw your question. I don't know off the top of my head but I can try to find out. However, it could be that they only contract with large groups. If I can get any info, I'll post it here.

Once again you have been extremely informative. You were so helpful last fall when we were B2B Voyages to Antiquity and another. [We LOVED the Athensgate Hotel in Athens. The location was superb.] Now we'll be going to Tunisia for the first time in May and had no idea what to expect. Sounds as if we need more than just one day. We'll have to decide which of the 3 to seek out.

Again, many thanks!

I'm so glad you enjoyed Athens and the hotel. It really is a great location, isn't it? :)

If you only have a day, you can probably see Carthage and Sidi Bou Said or (for me, better) Carthage and the Bardo museum. Dougga is quite a distance and is best tackled as a full day destination in itself.

I am happy to report that MSC Orchestra did make the La Goulette port call on Thursday 4/19. Our son-in-law met us outside the port (after we said no to what seemed like a million taxi drivers) and took us to lunch at a restaurant in a Tunis suburb (which was quite an experience), Carthage, Sidi Bou Said, and then to the house he is helping his brother build. When I asked about going to the medina, he said, "Trust me, you don't want to experience that high pressure," so I let it go. There were lots of Police everywhere we went near the port, and rioters were dispersed. Be aware the port is not really in walking distance of anywhere you'd want to go.

Beautiful photos and excellent explanations. Well done Cynthia. Most Tunis port calls offer just the excursion to Carthage but from your photos it would appear that Dougga is a must to see as well. Hopefully in 2012 Tunisia will reappear as a regular port call on Mediterranean intineraries. I've missed it twice, once for bad weather and lastly for the uprisings. Maybe this year...

I hope you get there. I went last July and made this http://youtu.be/cOKaq_JDaJA

That was on a HAL tour, which also included a visit to the seaside resort of Sidi Bou Said. It's a pretty little place, as you will know from Cynthia's super photos.

We did it through the cruise line rather than attempt a bit of D-I-Y because of the uncertain political situation, and also to have the guide with us. Without him we would have been a bit lost but he made it very interesting and I really enjoyed it.

All the best, Tony

I hope you get there. I went last July and made this http://youtu.be/cOKaq_JDaJA

 

That was on a HAL tour, which also included a visit to the seaside resort of Sidi Bou Said. It's a pretty little place, as you will know from Cynthia's super photos.

 

We did it through the cruise line rather than attempt a bit of D-I-Y because of the uncertain political situation, and also to have the guide with us. Without him we would have been a bit lost but he made it very interesting and I really enjoyed it.

 

All the best, Tony

Drat. I made a mistake on the name of the American cemetery in that video and have had to correct and re-post it. The new link is

Apologies.

Great pictures. You have now whetted my appetite. Considering the Noordam TA in March 2013.