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Disclaimer
I've been in Tinisia in 1999, so the information at this page could be old. I give my own experiences and I'm not a scientist.
General information
Tunisia is one of the richer countries of Africa. Although Tunisia is an Afrikacan country the people are arabs. Almost all people live near the coast of the Mediteranean. in the south of Tunisia there's thelargest dessert of the earth, the Sahara.
Language
In Tunisia they speak arabic, but most people also speak French. In touristic places people sometimess speak English. You can't understand anything from the arabic language. The only words i could recognised where Allah and Mohammed. (I saw these words before in all Turkish mosques).
The religion
The religian in Tunisia is the Islam. Tunisia is not as strict as for instance Saudi Arabia, so you can go to the beach in a swimming short without any problem. But don't go topless sunbathing and when you visit a mosque, you need a long throuser and a blouse with long sleeves.
In Tunisia man is boss. Females are allowed to worfk and do officialy have the same rights (I think). But you hardly see women at the street. Wen you see women on an outdoor café, you can be sure these women are tourists. Of course you can see a woman in an outdoor café with her husband or family.
In the evening you see a lot of boys in front of the disco's. These boys are responsible for their sister and (after some bribery of that sister) they wait outsite, until the sister comes back. It's a blame on the whole family when a girl loses here virginity.
On the other hand, there're some women who have lost there virginity long tome ago. When you want to pay for sex, you can go to a special street in the Kasjba. I supose it will not look the same as in Amsterdam, but it's quite modern, they allow prostitution in a muslim country.
Characteristics of the Tunisians
Tunisians are friendly, unless it's about money. In a lot of countries it's common practise to bargain. Usualy prices can go down by a 10-30% . Well I bought two dead scorpions a market. After long bargaining I could buy these little scorpions for about 3 euro. The salesman first asked something like 60 euro !!!!!!!!!!! After the sale he was a bit grumpy to me. A few days later I saw two scorpions in an expensive air-conditioned shop for.....about 3 euro! So don't forget to bargain ot a market. (Also read Warnings)
We Dutch fooks like to walk into a shop, look to the things and then leave the shop to visit the next one. Later at the day we will return to the shop with the best things and (maybe) buy something there. (In Turkey they say in Dutch: "kijken , kijken, niet kopen..!"; which means: "looking, looking,...not buying") When you walk into a shop in Tunisia and just want to look, the salesman get angry. He is almost pushing out of the shop. When you walk at the street, salesman are touching you and want to pull you into theire shops. When you're not intrested they're not friendly anymore.So this was a very nasty habit of the Tunisian salesmen.
Although I satyen in a 4 stars hotel, the staff asked a tip for almost everything. Sure, when somebody had to carry heavy suitcases, you give a tip. But I don't give a tip when somebody moves my suitcases two meters and press the elevator button... Besides, I think in a hotel with class people don't ask for tips. When you order a drink, you have to wait half an hour for the change. (I supose they hope you don't want to wait and let it go.) These kind of things do iritate a lot and can give you the impression Tunisians are nasty people. I've also met nice people, so you can't conclude the Tunisians are nasty people, but for people who can't say no to sales people I wouldn't advice Tunisia for a holiday.
Warnings
Don't buy a scorpion
I've bought two scorpions at the local market, but back home I realised I could better not have done it. Some scorpions are protected and a tourist can't see the difference. It's not always the case protected scorpions are more expensive then the common scorpions. When you know all about scorpions, you can buy the scorpions that are not rare, but who knows the differences between scorpions? So don't buy these animals. BUYING A PROTECTED ANIMAL IS ILLEGAL!
When the scorpion below is protected, I'm even today braking the law and can get a fine for it. Dutch people can get information at phonenumber: 078-6395340, between 2 and 4 pm.
(my
sign of the zodiac is scorpion)
Watch out for henna tatoes
It looks very nice, a henna tatoe. Is it realy nice? Well it depens. It's an old tradition to paint the hands and feet of a woman who gets maried. These paintings are very beautiful. It seems nice to have such a drawing as well on your hands. When you don't mind to carry that drawing for weeks, it could be nice. Natural henna wil stay on your skin for some weeks, so don't use it when your boss doesn't like it!
There're also some bunglers who don't use the (more expensive) natural henna. They use a brown paint. When you have a drawing made by this paint, it stays on your skin for....ever! You can get nasty scarfs from it. So please be sure they use the natural henna.
Money
Maybe things have changed now, but money was a problem in Tunisia. The inflation was not the problem and also the prices where no problem; they were a little bit less then in Holland. It was however a big problem to get small Tunisian coins. To get money from a bank did cost a lot of time. The cash dispensors usualy were out of order. When you take money from a machine or bank, you get notes from about 10 euro. When you order two cups of coffee, you have to pay let's say 3 euro. So you pay with the 10 euro note...... This is absolutly no problem when you do it in Holland or any other European country. But in Tunisia it's a problem. They ask you if you don't have any change and when you haven't it take a very long time, until they're able ti give you the change. So when you're in Tunisia try to change your big notes as soon as possible into small coins!
Shoes
I noticed most people were wearing cheep sandals instead of regular shoes. Only tourist were wearing shoes. I've no idear why the Tunisians don't weare shoes, I don't think it's soley a matter of money, because also people in suits were wearing sandals.
The train
I've gone with the train from Sousse to Tunis. It was not a problem. There's a big difference betwee first and second class. The second class does have banks that are low and uncomfortable, the first class does have nice chairs. (Oke, they were a bit old, but you could sit comfortable in it) When you buy a return ticket, don't forget to confirm your trip at the station of your destination. When you don't confirm it, there's a possibility you don't have a chair left. The trains did leave half an hour late, so the reliability is the same as in Holland.
The weather
Near the coast it's in the winter about 14-20 Celsius and in the summer it's about 25-30 Celsius. Temperatures in the Sahara are different. During the day temperature can be 50 Celcius and the same day at night, temparature can be 10 Celsius below zero! It doesn't rain much in Tunisia: in the winter there's rain about 10 days a mont, in the summer there's rain about 1,5 days a month.
Todays weather in Tunis:
odays weather in the Sahara (El Borma)
Embassy Tunisia in Holland
(source: www.minbuza.nl)
Gentsestraat 98
2587 HX Den Haag
Open:
monday-friday
09:00-16:00
Phone: 070-3512251
070-3514323
Embassy Tunisia in Belgium
(source: www.diplomatie.be)
address:AV. DE TERVUEREN / TERVURENLAAN, 278
1150 SINT-PIETERS-WOLUWE
Phone : 02.771.73.95
Fax: 02.771.94.33
E-mail : amb.detunisie@brutele.be
Consulates of honor in Belgium:
(source: www.diplomatie.be)
Charleroi:
RUE DU COMMERCE, 38
6238 LIBERCHIES
Phone: 071.84.06.22
Phone: 071.84.56.34
Gent
CONGRESCentre, 5eV
9000 GENT
Phone: 09.222.40.22
Fax: 09.222.40.22
Oostende
ARCHIMEDESSTRAAT, 17
8400 OOSTENDE
Phone: 059.50.68.40
Fax: 059.80.74.34
Consulate-General in Brussel
BOULEVARD SAINT MICHEL / SINT-MICHIELSLAAN, 103
1040 BRUSSEL
Phone: 02.732.61.02
Phone: 02.737.13.00
Dutch embassy in Tunis
(source: www.minbuza.nl)
address:
6-8, Rue Meycen
1082 Tunis-Cité Mahrajane
Tunis
Postal address:
Boîte Postale 47
1082 Tunis-Cité Mahrajane
Tunis
Phone. 00-216-71799-442/71797-724/71280-893/71280-674/71795-790
Fax 00-216-71785557
E-mail: nlgovtun@planet.tn of tun@minbuza.nl
Website: www.hollandembassy-tunisia.com
Open:
monday-thirsday 08:00-16:30
friday 08:00-14:00
Time difference: 0
Passpor: Yes
Identity card: No
embassador: mr. R.J.H. Engels
Region: Tunisia
Dutch Consulate Sfax
(source: www.minbuza.nl)
address and postal address:
Immeuble El Manar
Esc. A 4-Ième Étage Apt. 28
Avenue Habib Thameur
3000 Sfax
Phone. 00-216-4-223524
Fax 00-216-4-296633
Open:
monday till friday from 08:30-12:00, 14:30-17:00
saterday from 08:30-12:00
Timedifference: 0
Passport: No
Identity card: No
Head office: embassy Tunis
Chef de Poste: H.M. Stambouli
Ressort: de gouvernementen van Sfax, Gabes, Medenine, Tataouine en Tozeur
Belgian embassy in Tunisia
(source: www.diplomatie.be)
Rue du 1er juin, 47
1002 Tunis Belvédère
Phone: (216) (71) 781.655
Phone: (216) (71) 785.497
Phone: (216) (71) 793.351
Fax: (216) (71) 792.797
Fax: (216) (71) 781.493 Visa
E-mail: Tunis@diplobel.org
GSM: (216) (98) 318.340
GSM: (216) (98) 336.945
GSM: (216) (98) 324.991
Disclaimer
I've been in Tinisia in 1999, so the information at this page could be old. I give my own experiences and I'm not a scientist.
General information
Tunisia is one of the richer countries of Africa. Although Tunisia is an Afrikacan country the people are arabs. Almost all people live near the coast of the Mediteranean. in the south of Tunisia there's thelargest dessert of the earth, the Sahara.
Language
In Tunisia they speak arabic, but most people also speak French. In touristic places people sometimess speak English. You can't understand anything from the arabic language. The only words i could recognised where Allah and Mohammed. (I saw these words before in all Turkish mosques).
The religion
The religian in Tunisia is the Islam. Tunisia is not as strict as for instance Saudi Arabia, so you can go to the beach in a swimming short without any problem. But don't go topless sunbathing and when you visit a mosque, you need a long throuser and a blouse with long sleeves.
In Tunisia man is boss. Females are allowed to worfk and do officialy have the same rights (I think). But you hardly see women at the street. Wen you see women on an outdoor café, you can be sure these women are tourists. Of course you can see a woman in an outdoor café with her husband or family.
In the evening you see a lot of boys in front of the disco's. These boys are responsible for their sister and (after some bribery of that sister) they wait outsite, until the sister comes back. It's a blame on the whole family when a girl loses here virginity.
On the other hand, there're some women who have lost there virginity long tome ago. When you want to pay for sex, you can go to a special street in the Kasjba. I supose it will not look the same as in Amsterdam, but it's quite modern, they allow prostitution in a muslim country.
Characteristics of the Tunisians
Tunisians are friendly, unless it's about money. In a lot of countries it's common practise to bargain. Usualy prices can go down by a 10-30% . Well I bought two dead scorpions a market. After long bargaining I could buy these little scorpions for about 3 euro. The salesman first asked something like 60 euro !!!!!!!!!!! After the sale he was a bit grumpy to me. A few days later I saw two scorpions in an expensive air-conditioned shop for.....about 3 euro! So don't forget to bargain ot a market. (Also read Warnings)
We Dutch fooks like to walk into a shop, look to the things and then leave the shop to visit the next one. Later at the day we will return to the shop with the best things and (maybe) buy something there. (In Turkey they say in Dutch: "kijken , kijken, niet kopen..!"; which means: "looking, looking,...not buying") When you walk into a shop in Tunisia and just want to look, the salesman get angry. He is almost pushing out of the shop. When you walk at the street, salesman are touching you and want to pull you into theire shops. When you're not intrested they're not friendly anymore.So this was a very nasty habit of the Tunisian salesmen.
Although I satyen in a 4 stars hotel, the staff asked a tip for almost everything. Sure, when somebody had to carry heavy suitcases, you give a tip. But I don't give a tip when somebody moves my suitcases two meters and press the elevator button... Besides, I think in a hotel with class people don't ask for tips. When you order a drink, you have to wait half an hour for the change. (I supose they hope you don't want to wait and let it go.) These kind of things do iritate a lot and can give you the impression Tunisians are nasty people. I've also met nice people, so you can't conclude the Tunisians are nasty people, but for people who can't say no to sales people I wouldn't advice Tunisia for a holiday.
Warnings
Don't buy a scorpion
I've bought two scorpions at the local market, but back home I realised I could better not have done it. Some scorpions are protected and a tourist can't see the difference. It's not always the case protected scorpions are more expensive then the common scorpions. When you know all about scorpions, you can buy the scorpions that are not rare, but who knows the differences between scorpions? So don't buy these animals. BUYING A PROTECTED ANIMAL IS ILLEGAL!
When the scorpion below is protected, I'm even today braking the law and can get a fine for it. Dutch people can get information at phonenumber: 078-6395340, between 2 and 4 pm.
(my
sign of the zodiac is scorpion)Watch out for henna tatoes
It looks very nice, a henna tatoe. Is it realy nice? Well it depens. It's an old tradition to paint the hands and feet of a woman who gets maried. These paintings are very beautiful. It seems nice to have such a drawing as well on your hands. When you don't mind to carry that drawing for weeks, it could be nice. Natural henna wil stay on your skin for some weeks, so don't use it when your boss doesn't like it!
There're also some bunglers who don't use the (more expensive) natural henna. They use a brown paint. When you have a drawing made by this paint, it stays on your skin for....ever! You can get nasty scarfs from it. So please be sure they use the natural henna.
Money
Maybe things have changed now, but money was a problem in Tunisia. The inflation was not the problem and also the prices where no problem; they were a little bit less then in Holland. It was however a big problem to get small Tunisian coins. To get money from a bank did cost a lot of time. The cash dispensors usualy were out of order. When you take money from a machine or bank, you get notes from about 10 euro. When you order two cups of coffee, you have to pay let's say 3 euro. So you pay with the 10 euro note...... This is absolutly no problem when you do it in Holland or any other European country. But in Tunisia it's a problem. They ask you if you don't have any change and when you haven't it take a very long time, until they're able ti give you the change. So when you're in Tunisia try to change your big notes as soon as possible into small coins!
Shoes
I noticed most people were wearing cheep sandals instead of regular shoes. Only tourist were wearing shoes. I've no idear why the Tunisians don't weare shoes, I don't think it's soley a matter of money, because also people in suits were wearing sandals.
The train
I've gone with the train from Sousse to Tunis. It was not a problem. There's a big difference betwee first and second class. The second class does have banks that are low and uncomfortable, the first class does have nice chairs. (Oke, they were a bit old, but you could sit comfortable in it) When you buy a return ticket, don't forget to confirm your trip at the station of your destination. When you don't confirm it, there's a possibility you don't have a chair left. The trains did leave half an hour late, so the reliability is the same as in Holland.
The weather
Near the coast it's in the winter about 14-20 Celsius and in the summer it's about 25-30 Celsius. Temperatures in the Sahara are different. During the day temperature can be 50 Celcius and the same day at night, temparature can be 10 Celsius below zero! It doesn't rain much in Tunisia: in the winter there's rain about 10 days a mont, in the summer there's rain about 1,5 days a month.
Todays weather in Tunis:
odays weather in the Sahara (El Borma)
Embassy Tunisia in Holland
(source: www.minbuza.nl)
Gentsestraat 98
2587 HX Den Haag
Open:
monday-friday
09:00-16:00
Phone: 070-3512251
070-3514323
Embassy Tunisia in Belgium
(source: www.diplomatie.be)
address:AV. DE TERVUEREN / TERVURENLAAN, 278
1150 SINT-PIETERS-WOLUWE
Phone : 02.771.73.95
Fax: 02.771.94.33
E-mail : amb.detunisie@brutele.be
Consulates of honor in Belgium:
(source: www.diplomatie.be)
Charleroi:
RUE DU COMMERCE, 38
6238 LIBERCHIES
Phone: 071.84.06.22
Phone: 071.84.56.34
Gent
CONGRESCentre, 5eV
9000 GENT
Phone: 09.222.40.22
Fax: 09.222.40.22
Oostende
ARCHIMEDESSTRAAT, 17
8400 OOSTENDE
Phone: 059.50.68.40
Fax: 059.80.74.34
Consulate-General in Brussel
BOULEVARD SAINT MICHEL / SINT-MICHIELSLAAN, 103
1040 BRUSSEL
Phone: 02.732.61.02
Phone: 02.737.13.00
Dutch embassy in Tunis
(source: www.minbuza.nl)
address:
6-8, Rue Meycen
1082 Tunis-Cité Mahrajane
Tunis
Postal address:
Boîte Postale 47
1082 Tunis-Cité Mahrajane
Tunis
Phone. 00-216-71799-442/71797-724/71280-893/71280-674/71795-790
Fax 00-216-71785557
E-mail: nlgovtun@planet.tn of tun@minbuza.nl
Website: www.hollandembassy-tunisia.com
Open:
monday-thirsday 08:00-16:30
friday 08:00-14:00
Time difference: 0
Passpor: Yes
Identity card: No
embassador: mr. R.J.H. Engels
Region: Tunisia
Dutch Consulate Sfax
(source: www.minbuza.nl)
address and postal address:
Immeuble El Manar
Esc. A 4-Ième Étage Apt. 28
Avenue Habib Thameur
3000 Sfax
Phone. 00-216-4-223524
Fax 00-216-4-296633
Open:
monday till friday from 08:30-12:00, 14:30-17:00
saterday from 08:30-12:00
Timedifference: 0
Passport: No
Identity card: No
Head office: embassy Tunis
Chef de Poste: H.M. Stambouli
Ressort: de gouvernementen van Sfax, Gabes, Medenine, Tataouine en Tozeur
Belgian embassy in Tunisia
(source: www.diplomatie.be)
Rue du 1er juin, 47
1002 Tunis Belvédère
Phone: (216) (71) 781.655
Phone: (216) (71) 785.497
Phone: (216) (71) 793.351
Fax: (216) (71) 792.797
Fax: (216) (71) 781.493 Visa
E-mail: Tunis@diplobel.org
GSM: (216) (98) 318.340
GSM: (216) (98) 336.945
GSM: (216) (98) 324.991
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Last update:: vrijdag augustus 18, 2006 21:25