Will I Get Hassle In Tunisia & Will I Always Have To Cover Up,Is It Safe At Night to go out?

Question

me (18 yrs old)and my boyfriend(20yrs old) are going tunisia in july for 2 weeks and the reviews i have seen online are making me want to change my holiday altogether,ive heard the muslims in this country do noting but harrass you and stare at girls,i want to be able to sunbathe with just a bikini on and get a nice tan,ive heard you have to cover up all the time?ive also heard our safety is not gauranteed at night time and to stay on the hotels complex,i think this will get a bit boring as we are there for 2 weeks and its nice to go out for meals,i was looking forward to it until now,can anybody give me some information on this please?we are stayin in sousse in maharba beach hotel, thanks!

Answer 1

I am an American who has been living in Tunisia 6+ years. The people here are some of the nicest people you will meet. They will offer help, assistance, and give you the shirt off their back if you ask for it!

1.) While walking in the medinas especially, you may get asked quite a bit if you want to buy something. To some it may be seen as pestering, but you must remember that this is how the vendors make their living (pay for their house, feed and clothe their families) and they are competing with many other vendors for your sale. Just be firm and say NO, then walk away and/or ignore them. They will not go running after you or anything like that.

2.) Many tourists sunbathe topless, so you sunbathing in a bikini is not going to be a problem. You will also find that the hotel beaches are private. If they let Tunisians in them, they are a select few (and they are usually families), and they must pay - trust me, you won't see that many Tunisians on your beach.

3.) Tunisia is also a very safe place. There are not many places in this world where a women can walk the streets alone in the middle of the night without fear. Yet I often take late night walks (around 11pm or so when I can't sleep) and have never had any problems and have never felt fearful. Tunisia on a whole is a very safe country. I have lived in Tunis and Monastir and have visited other parts of the country without any problems. There is a joke here too the between a police officer and a police officer, you find a police officer. Believe me, it's safe. We also let our children run around the marina or the cafés and don't worry about someone kidnapping them because that just doesn't happen here. It is a terrific place to raise a family - amongst safety, security, love, kindness, etc.

4.) Someone said you have to tip and that is NOT true. In fact, tipping is not expected here. It is not in the social norm. If you choose to do it though, it is a very nice gesture and will be appreciated very much.

5.) For all the information on your hotel, and things to do in Sousse, please look at your other question I answered: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;...

If I can be of any more help or assistance, please feel free to contact me.

Answer 2

Oh gosh I stayed in the exact hotel in Sousse 6 years ago.The rooms are small and dark,a bit dowdy in fact.The hotel is large and the pool is quite nice.The beach is lovely.The food is buffet style and much and much the same every day but edible and filling.The entertainment was dire and lame though and is centered around the hotel lobby.A photographer will insist on taking your photo then charge you over the odds for it.Just don't look into the camera and he will go away,but he will persist throughout your stay.As you are going with your boyfriend you might find the hassle will not be too bad however you will still get it.I went with a female friend and we were hassled non stop.The men are a bit letchy.The worst part of the holiday is the fact that there is nothing much to see and do outside of the hotel.You will have Sousse town to the left and a pretty harbour town called Port El Kantoui to the right which is small but you you can walk around nice shops and cafe's.Both places will require a taxi or bus to get there.In Sousse town there is a huge market in the medina.That's where you will both get hassle and pressure to buy goods.I would cover up a bit to go there.There are some museums and a few resteraunts but nothing else i'm afraid.Most guests stay within the hotel grounds.There is a nightclub at the hotel which attracts the local men so don't be surprised if you get hassle there.If you are firm and say NO to anything you are not comfortable with you should be ok.To get away from the hotel book a trip to the Sahara Desert.It's a gruelling journey though and you will stay overnight in a small hotel which i must say was not very nice but the Desert was well worth the heat and journey.Again you will get hassled there to buy souveniers.Tunisia is a poor country and the hassle is because of competition between the locals.On the trip you will stop off at a few interesting places as well.I would never go back to Sousse or Tunisia for that matter.To be honest I was bored most of the time.The isolation of the hotel was the frustrating factor for us and the local males were creepy and persistant so we really did not feel that safe.I don't think its a destination for a couple looking for fun,nightlife,resteraunts,shopping and lots of excursions.If its not to late you could consider swapping destinations.

I hope you don't mind my honesty but to be honest 2 weeks in Tunisia felt like a life sentence.Good luck.

Oh and you won't get hassle at night because there is no where to go out to!!sorry .And whatever you do DO NOT agree to look at carpets and rugs to anyone who asks you to.They will lead you to a shop and give you tea and be very charming but when you refuse to buy they will get arrogant and persistant and it is very unerving and getting out without parting with a lot of cash for a rug you don't want.will be difficult.

Cut some losses and go somewhere else.

Answer 3

The simple answer is Yes.  My teenager was constantly pestered.  So much that she says she would never return and hated it.  they used to drag us into the shops as well which was worring.  Especailly as I have kids with mental problems.

I really did not like it there but it was a cheap holiday and we did get to do a lot of things we would not be ab;e to afford anywhere else.  Like para gliding...my kids all loved that,.

hope that helps if you want any more info on tunisia feel free to email me

Answer 4

You may be pestered but not as much as you are going with you bf. You will have to cover up if you visit anything that is remotely religious. You will be fine at the pool or on the beach. They will be people selling *hit but that happens everywhere now.

Answer 5

D0nt go  its a dump

Answer 6

I can't believe these answers!

Tunisia is a beautiful place! I went there in October with my boyfriend for 2 weeks. We're 28 from the UK.  We totally  loved the place. Full of authenticity and eastern flavour.

I advice that you go on road trips and not just settle for the one resort. There is sooo much to see out there. The sahara was the best part for us.

The hotel had amazing food. we booked all inclusive.

Tunisian men are sweet and complimentary. No harm really. Nobody will bother you if you don't bother them. They have a lovely chatty nature and me and my boyfriend befriended a the hotel doorman.  The staff will do everything in their power to keep you entertained and happy.

One thing though, you have to tip everywhere you go which bugged me, cos I paid for everything why should I pay more. Bu you don't have to tip if you don't want to.

You MUST go on the Sahara Explorer trip. It was amazing!! We went on mountain buggy rides. That was so cool and you get to see the hidden villiages behinde the polished resorts.

Besides all of the above, the obvious is to be safe wherever you are and don't follow dodgy men that will say that they would like to take you to a nice place etc. That happens everywhere. It's the fools that fall in these traps that end up losing.

Oh and one other thing. You don't have to cover up at all, but they tend to have very small waindy and narrow streets for their bazzars and they are full of men. And men in general like to look. So avoid mini skirts. Dress modest basically. I just had short jeans and a vest on. No problems at all! I mean tunisian girls wear cut off jeans and stuff so.........

Ahh girl you will love it. Go for your adventure!!

Answer 7

sorry i went to Tunisia 2 years ago, i hated it i did not feel safe and everywhere we went we was chased by kids begging, a man even wanted the shoes we was wearing, i asked for a taxi the one day and when we got in we asked to go to a supermarket where we would not be harassed he took us sight seeing and to a carpet warehouse we was as good as dragged in, i was very afraid and it took us an hour to get out of there, i shouted at the taxi to take us back and felt very nervous, we was there for 2 weeks and refused to leave the hotel after, when the coach arrived took us to the airport the porters ran out and took the suitcases and stood in the checking in queue it split us up as a group as you had to search the rows of people looking for your own case. please be safe and don't go anywhere on your own. i would never go back there and have been to lots of different country's. (sorry if i upset anyone with my answer but i have to speak the truth about my time there,)