Overland to Tunisia
Last September, I embarked on the first Byway trip to Tunisia. To my absolute surprise, it only took just over 48 hours to get from London to Tunis. I’d already overlanded to Marrakesh in Morocco over seven days and Tirana in Albania in five, so getting to North Africa in just two day piqued my curiosity and wanderlust no end.
Day 1: London to Marseille
The first day of the trip was all trains: the Eurostar from London’s St Pancras to Paris followed by a short hop across Paris on the Metro to the TGV from Paris’ Gare de Lyon to Marseille. Despite the distance covered and the sheer amount of life and landscape on show outside the window, the day passed relatively rapidly. From the industrial outskirts of Paris to the patchwork hills scattered with sheep in the Bourgogne and Rhone-Alps and onwards to the rocky hilltop citadels of Provence, this is storybook France in a slideshow of vignettes.
Diana Jarvis
I reached Marseille in the late-afternoon September sun and had just enough time to snap a few photos before heading to the handily located Hotel Alex for the night. Just a mere stone’s throw from the railway station, Hotel Alex is an independent boutique hotel with a range of quiet, comfy rooms and a spa in the basement.
With only a few evening hours in Marseille, I skipped down to the beating heart of the old city, the Vieux Port. Surrounded by al fresco bars and restaurants, and filled with jetties out to shiny giant yachts, the old port area is a good place to stretch travel-weary legs and marvel at the variety of life on show.
Day 2: Getting the boat to Tunisia
Diana Jarvis
Much of Marseille’s industrial-looking waterfront is given over to miles and miles of shipyards and departure points. The ferry to Tunis leaves from Port 3C about 5km north of St Charles railway station and is easily reached by bus.
Most travellers between Marseille and Tunis take their cars, so the terminal for foot passengers is small, easy to navigate — and I was through passport control and security in no time.
I boarded the boat about two hours before it eventually departed and immediately felt cosy and cocooned in my cabin. It was dominated by a giant seawater-flecked window which had the calming effect of an impressionist painting and, come nightfall, the gentle hum of the ship’s engine provided a suitable soundtrack to eight hours of blissful dream-filled sleep.
Diana Jarvis
Service was balletic in performance with upwards of 20 waiters, once given the nod, serving lashings of French onion soup, followed by slow-cooked chicken with surprisingly tasty, yet anaemic looking broccoli and potatoes, and a chocolate tart for dessert.
Day 3: Arriving in Tunis
Diana Jarvis
I was astounded that it only took about ten minutes to get from the boat, through passport control and security. I was in a taxi speeding into the centre of the city before I knew it. With a population of around 2.5m, the sprawling modern metropolitan area of Tunis looks much like any other dusty North African industrial hub. But step into the labyrinthine rabbit warren of streets in the 8th-century Medina and you’ll find a unique mix of timeless commerce and modern life jigsawed together on every cobbled corner.
Wandering the warren of narrow UNESCO protected medina streets of Tunis was every bit as beguiling and atmospheric as those in Marrakesh or Cairo. Yet the traders here seemed far less interested in the hard sell. Souvenirs like ceramics and rugs were more interspersed with everyday goods like kitchen equipment, perfumes and spices.
Diana Jarvis
An unexpected thunderstorm came out of nowhere and watched as the shopkeepers swiftly cleared away their wares, swiftly shut of behind those ornate blue doors. I gingerly sidestepped the sudden puddles in the cobbled street and ducked into a cafe, welcomed by a handpainted mural declaring “Any time is coffee time”.
I was greeted by a young woman whose English, with a mid-Atlantic twang, was perfect. She ushered me up to the bubblegum-pink roof terrace, by which point the wind was whipping up the equally pink painted palm fronds of the awning. She told me her name was Fatma and that she was studying business at university. Diva Caffe is her cousin’s business and it’s only been open since March. We chatted as we watched lightning illuminating the rooftops and waited out the storm.
Day 4: Tunis, Carthage and Sidi Bou Said
Although Tunis has an urban transit system, it was much easier and safer to take taxis. They all use the Bolt app which means there’s no need to haggle over prices (tourists undoubtedly get charged at least double otherwise) and removes any language and communication misunderstandings over destination.
I took one out to the ancient city of Carthage, another UNESCO site and one of the city’s biggest draws. You can feel the layers of history in the eroding stones and crumbling remnants but you really do need a good guide to bring it alive.
A few miles further on and the coastal breeze of Sidi Bou Said is welcome after the heat of the city. It’s full of archetypal Tunisian scenes; ornate blue doorways and whitewashed buildings festooned in pink bougainvillea. It’s sometimes likened to Santorini as an antidote to overtourism, but here Instagrammers of every nationality have these scenes on their radar and the once-quiet hilltop village is now at risk overtourism, too. That said, I couldn’t resist getting my camera out and snapping a few doorways, as well as sipping fresh mint tea in the cafes.
Diana Jarvis
Day 5: Tunis to Sousse
I journeyed between Tunis and Sousse by train. With no air con in 2nd class, it was a sweaty affair, but a good way to watch the urban sprawl fade into flat plains with whitewashed homesteads, olive grove after olive grove, occasional eucalypts and cacti-strewn barren land.
Arriving in Sousse and all the passengers disperse into the hot mid-afternoon sun. Thankfully the station is just a five-minute walk to the ancient city walls, and Hotel Paris, my digs for two nights, with rooftop views of the walls, is very close to the station. It’s also handily next door to the city’s top-rated eatery Restaurant du Peuple so this is where I get my first taste of a popular Tunisian staple brik – a samosa-like savoury snack filled with potato, mild cheese and courgette.
Diana Jarvis
Day 6: Exploring Sousse and the Medina
The best way to get the measure of Sousse’s UNESCO-protected city walls and everything it contains is from on high. You can climb the 74 steps of the tower in the Ribat (one of many look-out posts built along the Mediterranean coast of North Africa from Tangier to Alexandria, as a defence against invaders) for 360º views across the Medina to the lofty casbah and around to the beaches and sea beyond.
Today the casbah is home to an archaeological museum and is a great alternative to Tunis’s Bardo for seeing extremely well-preserved Roman mosaics from the third and fourth centuries AD. Of particular note is the baptism pool (I clearly wasn’t the only visitor to think it was an ancient jacuzzi) and the Medusa floor.
Diana Jarvis
Day 7: A lounge journey to Kairouan
The best way to get around Tunisia if you don’t have your own car is to take a louage – six-seater minibus taxi. They’re safe and reliable and they leave once all six seats are filled.
Although the seventh-century mosque was architecturally impressive, it was really the carpets I was interested in. I got chatting to Mohammed and Abdesatar at Tapis Okba opposite the mosque and I learned plenty about weaving techniques. And, of course, left with a beautiful bright yellow rug for my bedroom at home.
Diana Jarvis
Day 8: Kairouan
I was increasingly taken with Kairouan; it’s laid-back with a gentle flow of life through the often colourful narrow streets. I stopped in at the Zaouia of Sidi Abid el Ghariani Sahab, a 14-century Moorish style mausoleum with impressive tile designs, and cool respite from the heat. The Aghlabid Basins are worth a quick stop, too: 9th-century cisterns lauded for their sophisticated engineering.
Diana Jarvis
Diana Jarvis
Another popular Tunisian dish you must try is Ojja, a spicy red sauce with peppers, salt and pepper. At El Brija set high up on the ramparts of the walled city, they served me one with merguez sausage. And accompanied by another brik, of course.
Day 9: Kairouan and back to Tunis by louage
Before my return to Tunis, I had one last wander through the walled city’s streets and stumbled on Go Café. Lured in by the colourful tiles and Tunisian breakfast menu, I whiled away an hour or so, feasting on Tunisian-style Chakchuka; unlike other middle-eastern shakshukas I’ve sampled, the eggs are stirred into a spiced tomato, potato and onion sauce and topped in a mint sauce.
Day 10 Back in Tunis and Medina shopping before going home
With one last day in Tunis, I revisited the media for some treats to take home and I procured a large box of freshly made makroud for friends and family at home.
The great thing about slow travel is that, although I’m leaving Tunisia, there’s still some holiday time left as I journey home by boat and train.
Checking in at the port is just as easy as my arrival; two minutes to check in, ten minutes through security and then on to the boat for settling into the cabin before a sunset departure.
Diana Jarvis
I popped up to the top deck and, as I watch the light of day morph into night, I realise how sad I am to leave Tunisia. It’s such a fascinating country, with a rich history, frenetic contemporary culture and warm, welcoming people. I watch the land disappear, I make a promise to return and see more.
Day 11: Arrive in Marseille and night at Hotel Alex
I return to Marseille more relaxed and sun-kissed. With only a few hours to see one thing in the city, I opt for an evening at Friche la Belle de Mai, a multipurpose arts venue, reconfigured from an old multi-storey car park and derelict rail-side land. There’s something of the late-90s Berlin vibes about it, but with a chichi French dining hall among the graffiti, street art, radio recording booth and creative studios. Outside there’s a small skate park, kids’ play area and even an organic veg patch.
Diana Jarvis
Day 12: Marseille to Margate
With an early start, I’m glad Byway had booked me into Hotel Alex, right opposite the railway station. No sooner am I awake and I’m whizzing back through the patchwork fields and urban centres of France in the blink of an eye.
With only two stops on Paris’ metro between Gare de Lyon and the Eurostar terminal at Gare du Nord, I’m back in British earshot of spoken English and British accents and bound for home.
Later, as I trundle my wheelie suitcase along the sunny seafront in my hometown of Margate, a warm smile creeps over my face and I stare at the sea thinking how incredible it is that only 48 hours ago I was departing the coast of North Africa and made it there and back all without getting on a plane.
Diana Jarvis
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