Love brought me to Tunisia, but what Tunisia had in store for me is a whole new level of adventure, discovery and joy that has now filled my life. To begin with, the love, acceptance, inclusion and hospitality Tunisians gave to me as a foreigner is better than any royal hosting. I’ve since had friends stay 1 night with me in Tunis and said they have never had a better night in their life. There is a deep love, a togetherness and care that is unique to Tunisians.
I came here to learn about the Tunisian mentality and culture before getting married to decide if in fact his was a culture I wanted to marry into. I came a non-Muslim. Someone who had been warned about Islam my whole life, to be wary and aware that women are second class citizens. This was far from the truth in my personal experience. I am blessed to have been surrounded by practicing Muslims who know the sunnah and are motrobi (polite), as we say.
Al Hamdallilah I converted to Islam after doing my due diligence, and spending time studying Tunisian Arabic and cultural practices like the weddings, funerals, Eid, and daily activities.
I had the special pleasure of renting a car and driving across the entire country not missing any towns. I explored places most locals have never seen, even scuba dived in pl;aces where the rare red coral is still alive and protected. I was here before and after the revolution and have spent 10 years observing Tunisia as an outsider and an insider. Some years the country seemed to only be regressing with garbage in the streets, and now Tunisia is more vibrant, alive & buzzing, with funky clothing, coffee culture and cuisine.
The opportunities are endless here, the life is joyful and the country is hard to beat. Close to Europe, Middle East and Africa, with everything the first world has to offer including white sandy beaches, designer brands, mansions, sports cars, every sports activity and whatever cuisine you desire.
If you are seeking a country to explore, a culture to discover, a place to rejuvenate, a land of opportunity- this is it! Let me share with you the Tunisia I have spent the last 10 years discovering and try to tell me different.
I have been spending my summers here while living in Vancouver, Hong Kong, Koh Samui, India, Dominican Republic, California and Panama.
All these countries called to me, and gave me so much but Tunisia has it all!
A memory like no other. Ive never cared for history until I arrived here, now I believe everyone has to come and visit Dougga. To experience the grandour and magnitute of civilizations that were here before. How could they have built such huge monuments on the top of mountains, in what appears to be the middle of nowhere, and still today they stand. Thousands of kilometers of ruins, with mosaics still intact on the floor in the palaces and houses. No detail was too small, and done so well that they are still in tact hundreds of years later.
When you reach the desert its time to give up your car for a more reliable vechicle to the oasis...a camel. I was a little nervous of the desert, visions of snacks and scorpians were enough to put me off. Thankfully I had my ultra adventurous twin with me who was up close with the camels right away. I kept my distance out of fear they may bite or attack me but my brother enjoying patting and relaxing with then. We went on a great tour through the desert by camel back, and found ourselves at a magical oasis of date palms and waterfalls where we could swim to cool down.
If you drive through Tunisia you will find that every few kilometers is a sign claiming this to be a World Heritage Site. By the end of our tour we have decided Tunisia itself is a World Heritage Site and the plaque should be posted at the Airport upon arrival. But other than Dougga I am yet to see anything else on earth that blows the mind like El Djem. To actually see where thousands of people would gather to watch gladiators battle one another, to see the "surprise elevator" that would send lions in the ring to add an element of surprise. We like to think as humans we are civilized, but how could a place like this exist? In our modern day people are doing the very same thing with UFC.