Horizons Unlimited - The HUBB

We didn’t plan to visit Tunisia. Morocco was on our sights for years, but after the third ferry cancelation in March and April of 2022, we decided to move on to the more “open pastures” of southern France, Corsica, and Sardinia. Halfway through our Sardinia wanderings, we were looking for a place to leave Schengen Europe for a bit to avoid exceeding our 90-day Schengen limit. A quick look at the map revealed Tunisia, and it was only a over-night ferry ride from Palermo, Sicily. Tunisia also doesn’t require a VISA for US citizens. Perfect! We scheduled our ferry with Grimaldi Lines, and began to prepare the rather complex entry requirements for our arrival on 26 April. We were eagerly looking forward to being able to experience our first north African country.

Check-in at Tunis:
This is a fairly complex process, made more difficult with extra COVID requirements. It was especially challenging for travelers, like us, who typically don’t book accommodations more than a day ahead. Read our check-in process on post #69, which was written a day after we entered the country.

Overview:
We spent 25 days in Tunisia, touring many sites, and experiencing the culture, cuisine, and people of the country. Our clockwise route around the country:https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...638db716_c.jpg

Fuel:
Gasoline for our motorcycles was very inexpensive, especially compared to Italy. In May 2022, we paid an average of 2.85 USD/Gallon (0.71 EUR/Liter). Fuel stations were plentiful, except in the southern portion of the country. There are many vendors in these regions selling fuel from containers on the side of the roads and in small villages. We didn’t use these vendors and only purchased fuel from stations. Many locals, especially on scooters, seemed to used these roadside vendors without reservations.

Money:
In Tunisia the currency is Dinars. At the time of our visit 1 USD=3.06 Dinars (1 EUR=3.22 Dinars). Credit cards are not regularly accepted. Cash still seems to be the norm in most of the country outside large cities. ATM machines were plentiful in the cities. Most seemed to limit the cash withdrawal amount to 300 Dinars, so we had to make multiple withdrawals from the same machine, and where charged a bank fee of 5-10 dinars for each withdrawal. Most ATMs didn’t print receipts.

Food: In general, it was ok. The quality of meat seems to be poor compared to western Europe. We have never been to Morocco, but were told by other travelers that the food was better in Morocco. We purchased a couple watermelons, from roadside venders, and they were some of the most delicious, and crunchy watermelon we’ve ever tasted. The small grocery stores stocked basics, but did not seem to carry meats and cheeses. Perhaps locals visit the butcher or specialty shops for these items?

Locals: In general, people were very kind and generous. Our first stop at a small grocery store on the side of the road, was especially memorable. After purchasing some water and cold sodas, we were asked about our trip from a couple who managed the store. We told them we had just entered the country and were excited to experience Tunisia. As we were leaving, the gentleman brought out two fresh oranges for us, and then his wife asked us to wait for a bit, while her husband ran down the road to purchase us fresh bread. It was still warm from the oven. We offered to pay for the bread, but they refused - It was a gift for coming to see their wonderful country!

Vendors, Guides, and Helpers:
Some vendors were basically opposite of generous and kind. They are snakes, that seemed to have no integrity for the sake of a quick dinar. Be weary of young men who say things like “Don’t you remember me, I’m your chef at the hotel?” They are liars, and will only waste your time by bringing you to a shop where you will be hassled to buy something. In general, a firm “no”, or just ignoring them, was enough to have them leave you alone.

“Guides” will offer their services and expertise at nearly every tourist site. Often they were so persistent that we just gave them 1 dinar to leave us alone. There was one incident where a guide on a scooter made us uncomfortable because he continued to follow us, and remarked that he would ensure our motorcycles were safe by watching them for us. There was something creepy about him. We firmly told him “No, thank you.” and left the area. He continued to follow us for another 3-4 km before I pulled over and asked him firmly “Why are you following us? We told you we don’t want your help. Please leave us alone.” He explained that many other tourists have used his guide services, and he did not understand why we were not interested. He left us alone after that. There was something about him that made us both uncomfortable, and we tend to rely on our instincts. This was the worst encounter we had with an overly persistent guide. I understand these people need the income from helping tourists, but we prefer to take our time, taking photographs, and casually walking at our own pace.

Helpers, at the border, where also a bit annoying. Often they spoke such poor English that they would not be of any help to us anyhow. The area around the customs checkpoint is full of many “helpers” directing us to fill out forms, and offering to watch our motorcycles for us while we walked to the various customs stations needed for entry. I found these men to be pushy, not very helpful, and demanding of money. They are not necessary - Just follow the locals, or ask help from uniformed officers.

Now for the wonderful memories! Here are 14 photographs that seem to highlight our memorable time in Tunisia. We’ll share a short story from each one:

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We love flags, especially learning about the history of flags and their meaning. The Tunisian flag is flown all throughout the country and people seem rather proud of their nation. The red color represents the resistance against Turkish supremacy. The white circle, located in the center of the flag, represents the sun. The red crescent and the five-pointed star are two ancient symbols of Islam, representing luck and the Five Pillars of Islam.

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The colorful and beautiful doors of many Tunisian homes are a delight to photograph. These designs have many meanings. For instance, the Hand of Fatima (or hamsa), depicted as an open right hand, represents blessings, power and strength, and is seen as a potent in deflecting the evil eye.

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We really enjoyed walking through the various medinas of the cities. The early mornings were especially enjoyable - Where one could enjoy the brightly colored doorways, warn white-washed walls, and uneven cobblestone streets, without being hassled by too many merchants. Walking among these narrow streets, while the call to prayer was rhythmically sung from the minarets, continues to be an enjoyable memory for us.

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The tourist sites in Tunisia were especially enjoyable since there were often no other tourists other than us. We visited ancient mosques, Roman sites, and traditional Berber homes, all without the concern of over-tourism. As a photographer, I especially, enjoyed having these places all to ourselves. Visit these sites early in the morning when the temperatures are lower.

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The regions of Tunisia all have their distinct feeling and charm. We really enjoyed the southern regions where many Berbers continued to live in their traditional homes and villages. Many of these places were inspiration for the STAR WARS movies and the desert planet of Tatooine. Interesting enough, the real Tatooine exists in Tunisia, but it’s spelled Tataouine. We spent a night in the Berber home where the interiors scenes of the “Lar’s Homestead” where filmed for the movie series.

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Although the Diar Omar was closed to visitors, it was enjoyable to park our motorcycles and capture the unique views of these century-old homes. We especially were interested in the history of the Berbers, which are descendants of an ancient race that have inhabited Morocco and much of northern Africa since the Neolithic times.

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Our clockwise travels around the country included a stop at the Island of Djerba, where we enjoyed more STAR WARS sets to include the Mos Eisley Cantina and Sidi Jemour Mosque. The beaches in Djerba where also quite picturesque with wonderful views of the surrounding Mediterranean Sea.

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The Granary cellars of Ksar Ouled Soltane and Ksar El Mourabitine were quite spectacular! We especially enjoyed the more remote Ksar El Mourabitine, which required a short drive up a rough dirt road to reach it. Entering the main doorway and having the more than 180 rooms reveal themselves was a magical memory.

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Having been a child in the 1980’s, I have a fond memory of the original STAR WARS movies. Reaching this iconic spot of the “Lar’s Homestead”, where Luke Skywalker looked over the horizon into the two setting suns of Tatooine was an iconic moment. The road to the site is on a dry lake bed that can be a bit salty and quite muddy, but the solitude was worth the experience.

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Camels! It’s amazing that you can hop on a ferry from Sicily and then be in a country that is completely different than Italy, even though they are so close to each other. Riding along a desert road and coming across herds of camels was pretty memorable. This photograph was captured in the early morning, just after sunrise.

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We reluctantly enjoyed a short camel ride while visiting the filming site of Mos Espa. These are amazing animals that have many adaptions for living in the harsh desert environment:
• Large, flat feet - to spread their weight on the sand
• Thick fur on the top of the body for shade, and thin fur elsewhere to allow easy heat loss
• Very little water loss through urination and perspiration
• Slit-like nostrils and two rows of eyelashes to help keep out sand.

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The elaborate film set of Mos Espa is a well known and visited tourist site. We arrived early in the morning, just after sunrise, to enjoy the relative isolation and quietness of this iconic area that was built for the filming of the 1999 release of STAR WARS: The Phantom Menace. A pretty cool area, despite the harsh desert heat and blowing sands slowly degrading many of the buildings.

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Visiting Roman sites in Tunisia is especially memorable because they are well preserved and do not have the problem of over-tourism. It was amazing to walk among these 2,000 year old structures and marvel at what life might have been like living as a Roman or as a visitor to these flourishing towns. We visited the Roman sites of Ruins of Sufetula, Bulla Regia, and Dougga.

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We’re fascinated by geographical extremes, especially extremes that are reachable by a motorcycle. The two-hour ride to visit the northernmost point of continental Africa - Cape Angela, was worth it. Someday we’ll make it to Cape Agulhas - the southernmost point of the African continent.

Final thoughts:
We almost avoided visiting Tunisia because of the advice of others. Some of this advice was outdated or came from news sources that exaggerated problems that exist in the country. For instance, we were told that corruption is so severe that there is a high probability that you will be taken advantage of. Political turmoil, food shortages, and terrorism would also make travel in this region very dangerous. We didn’t experience any of these things. Perhaps we were lucky? Perhaps these problems are not as prevalent as outside media would seem to indicate?

We’re extremely grateful for the comments and advice of people who actually live in Tunisia, currently traveling, or had recently traveled through the country. Your comments were vital in changing our minds about entering the country. We now have hundreds of wonderful photographic memories of our time in this exciting, vibrant, and wonderful country. Thank you.

About Us:
We are Travis and Chantil, and started full-time motorcycle overlanding in early 2020. We plan to continue traveling until we see as much of the world as we can. You can follow us on our website: www.viajarMOTO.com, and on Patreon, YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook.