THE
WONDERS OF TUNISIA
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Photos
by Sandy Senti
Forged
out of the north African coastline, Tunisia is a country of
tremendous variety. In the North are found lush green mountains,
lakes and rivers, and in the south, the desert of the Sahara
overwhelms with powerful scenery broken only by sporadic oases.
Tunisia’s position beside the narrow straits of Sicily
has kept it con-stantly at the center of the violent history
of the Mediterranean. For millennia, army after army has swept
through this country, always leaving fascinating evidence of
their passing. The Phoenicians, Romans, Vandals, Byzantines,
Spanish, Turks, and French have all stamped their imprint upon
the country, and we will see the visible remains of their passing.
Join
Far Horizons on this very special 16-day trip to Tunisia. We will
explore Roman amphitheaters, remains of ancient Punic cities,
Byzantine fortresses, and thousand-year old mosques as we travel
from the beautiful coasts of the north to the arid deserts of
the south. During the trip, visit seven World Heritage Sites –
Dougga, Kairouan, the medinas (historic market places) of Sousse
and Tunis, the Punic Town of Kerkuane, magnificent Carthage, and
El Djem, the largest Roman amphitheater in North Africa.
ITINERARY:
(B)
breakfast, (L) lunch, (D) dinner
Day 1: Depart the USA.
 Day
2: Arrive Tunis and transfer to the hotel with the remainder of
the afternoon free for rest. In the evening, gather for a welcome
drink and dinner. Overnight in for two nights at the 5-star Abou
Nawas Gammarth. (D)
Day
3: This
morning’s drive takes us to the ancient city of Carthage,
a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Founded by a Phoenician princess,
it became the capital of the great Carthaginian Empire. Visit Byrsa
Hill with its vestiges of Carthaginian and Roman buildings, and
the Carthage Museum that was recently renovated with the help of
Getty Foundation funds. Admire the many artifacts recovered during
the UNESCO campaign in the late 70s. Visit the Punic ports, the
Salammbo Tophet where urns containing the ashes and milk teeth of
8th-century BC children have been unearthed, and the Antonine Baths,
a huge Roman bath complex on the edge of the Mediter-ranean. After
visiting the dazzling, whitewashed village of Sidi Bou Said, we
will walk through the winding streets of Tunis’ old city,
listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, to the 9th-century Zitouna
Mosque, the physical and spiritual heart of Tunis.  Around
it spreads the souk, one of the world’s great marketplaces.
There will be time to shop and wander through this fascinating area.
Dinner tonight in the Medina of Tunis in a tradi-tional restaurant
housed within an old Arab house. (B/L/D)
Day
4: Today’s
tour takes us to Dougga, the most extensive and interesting Roman
site in Tunisia. The city began as a walled citadel, and is one
of the oldest towns of the Tunisian interior. We will see the
most complete Roman theatre in Tunisia that is still used for
performances today, the Capitoline temple, and the Plaza of Winds,
with an elegant circle carved into its paved floor recording the
names of the twelve winds. In the afternoon, travel to the ruined
Roman city of Bulla Regia, where the elegant villas were built
with cool underground courtyards so the wealthy could escape the
summer heat. Overnight in 4-star Hotel La Foret. (B/L/D)
 Day
5: Begin today in Chemtou, the ancient Simitthus, a city belonging
to the Berber Kingdom in ancient times. Famous for its prized
veined marble, it was transformed by the Romans into a quarry
town complete with mili-tary and prison buildings for the criminal/slave
workers. Visit the fascinating new museum holding unique treasures,
and the remains of a spectacular Roman bridge and water mill.
Continue to El Kef to explore the im-posing Turkish fortress,
and Maktar, the ancient Mactaris, one of the most important archaeological
sites in Tu-nisia. Overnight at the simple Hotel Cillium. (B/L/D)
Day
6: Begin the day at Sbeitla, ancient Roman Sufetula, where we
will see splendid triple temples, forum, baths, and the remains
of early Christian basilicas with mosaic lined baptismal pools.
This is one of Tunisia’s most beautiful sites. Continue
on to the splendid oasis town of Tozeur. We will spend the afternoon
exploring the old town, little changed since the 14th century
when it was built.  This
quarter is famous for the unique decorative architecture in brick
with exuberant towering facades patterned in bas-relief zigzags,
lozenges and chevrons. Dinner is on our own to sample one of Tozeur’s
excellent restaurants. Overnight for two nights at the 5-star
Dar Cherait Hotel, housed in an elegant palace. Dinner is on our
own. (B/L)
Day
7: In the morning, drive to the mountain oases of Tamerza and Midés
where many of the scenes of "The English Patient" were
filmed. Tamerza is located in a fabulous setting overlooking a picturesque
gorge created by a now dry river. The old village of Midés
once served as an outpost on the Roman frontier. Tozeur is the main
market and administrative center for the surrounding oases. We will
visit the Dar Cheriat Museum, built in traditional style, with its
fine collection of local costumes. Dinner is on your own. (B/L)
 Day
8: Cross
the great salt lake of Chott El Jerid, through the oases towns
and barren mountains to Matmata. The town was the used as a
setting in the movie “Star Wars”, and seeing the
weird moonscape of the area with its strange troglodyte dwellings
will be one of the highlights of the trip. We will have lunch
in one of these unusual underground houses. Overnight in the
charming Hotel Sangho, shadowed by mountains on the edge of
the desert in Tataouine. (B/L/D)
 Day
9: The area around Tataouine is filled with Berber ksars, or fortified
villages, and is one of the most exciting places to explore in
Tunisia. We will pass fortress after fortress, and stop to visit
Cheninni, one of these citadel villages. Continue to the island
of Djerba by driving along El Kantara Roman road with a stop in
Gigthis to walk among the Roman ruins by the sea. Overnight for
two nights at the charming Dar Dhiafa Hotel, an in-timate 14-room
hotel sited in four old houses in Erriadh, a quiet village in
the center of the island. Dinner will be on own this evening.
(B/L)
 Day
10: Djerba is thought to be the mythical Land of the Lotus Easters
in Homer’s Odyssey. Today we will explore this magical island
visiting Ghriba Synagogue to see one of the oldest Torahs in the
world, and Borj el Kebir, a castle originally built in 1289 on
foundations that dated from Roman times. We will stop by the Popular
Arts Museum where regional costumes are displayed, and explore
the markets and the beautiful tiny whitewashed mosques in the
countryside. Lunch will be in a local restaurant in the souk.
Gather this evening for a festive dinner party in one the island’s
elegant restaurants. (B/L/D)
 Day
11: We will
cross to the mainland by ferry, and drive to El Djem to admire
North Africa’s greatest Roman Monument - the 3rd-century
Amphitheater towering over the modern village. While visiting
this World Heri-tage Site, see the Amphitheater and the wonderful
museum holding splendid mosaics on themes of Bacchus and depicting
the province of Africa. Continue to Sousse and overnight at
the 4-star Abou Nawas Sousse Boujaafer. (B/L/D)
Day
12: The old section of Sousse is enclosed by walls
and contains many fine examples of Arab architecture.  We
will spend the morning exploring the medina, a UNESCO World
Heritage Site, and visit the city’s archaeological museum
housed within the Kasbah. It has the largest collection of antiquities
in the country, after the Bardo Museum, including a multitude
of exquisite mosaics. In the afternoon drive to Kairouan, the
first capitol of Islamic North Africa. Here, visit the nearby
Raqqada Islamic Museum. Overnight in the luxurious 5-star Hotel
Kasbah, located in the heart of Kairouan. (B/L/D)
 Day
13: Kairouan (the name means “caravan”) was founded
as a stop on an ancient caravan route by a disciple of Mohammed.
The city remains a purely Arab city filled with outstanding
examples of the finest Islamic archi-tecture in Tunisia, and
has been named a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  This
morning we will visit the Great Mosque, the oldest place of
worship in North Africa, and the zaouia, or tomb complex, of
Sidi Sahab, a companion of the Prophet. We will see the impressive
pools at Aghlabid Basins, built in the 9th century to collect
and store winter rainwater. There will be time to stroll into
the medina, the ancient marketplace encircled by 11th-century
walls. In the afternoon, drive to the lovely coastal town of
Hammamet and overnight in the 4-star Hotel Sindbad. (B/L/D)
 Day
14: Drive east along the Cap Bon Penninsula to explore the Punic
city of Kerkouane, the only purely Carthaginian town yet found
and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. At the tip of the Peninsula
we will see the Roman quarries of El Haouaria. Upon return to
Tunis, visit the Bardo Museum, Tunisia’s National Museum
and the repository of the country’s rich archaeological
collections including the world’s largest collection of
Roman polychrome mosaics. It is housed in a 19th century Beylical
palace, and was the first museum to be founded in Africa. Overnight
Tunis for two nights at the 5-star Abou Nawas Gammarth. Our
final dinner party will be held this evening in an elegant local
restaurant. (B/L/D)
 Day
15: Today’s tour takes us along a great aqueduct built by
Hadrian to visit two fascinating Roman sites. Uthina, or Oudna,
is a small city still under excavation. Eleven Roman villas have
been unearthed here, many with colorful mosaics still intact. If
available, we will meet with the project director and be shown the
latest excava-tions. Continue to Thubourbo Majus with its interesting
temple and gymnasium. Our final visit will be to Zag-houan. Here,
a monumental fountain built in the 2nd century filtered the spring
water before it entered the aque-duct for its 80-mile journey to
Carthage. Dinner is on our own this evening. (B/L)
Day
16: An early morning transfer takes us to the Tunis airport for
our flight to the USA. (B)
(B)
breakfast, (L) lunch, (D) dinner
STUDY LEADER:
TRIP DATES: No
trip currently scheduled
TRIP COST:
(per person, double occupancy)
Includes all hotels, most meals (as noted in brochure), transportation
within Tunisia, and roundtrip airfare from New York.
SINGLE SUPPLEMENT:
Should a roommate be requested and one not be available, the single
supplement must be charged.
COST
DOES NOT INCLUDE: passport or visa fees; airport or departure
taxes; beverages or food not included on regular menus; laundry;
excess baggage charges; personal tips; alcoholic drinks; telephone
and fax charges; or other items of a personal nature.
 RESERVATION:
A
deposit of $500.00 is required along with your registration form.
Final payment is due 75 days before departure.
Upon
receipt of your deposit and completed registration form, you will
be sent a reading list and a tour bulletin containing travel information.
An information book designed for this trip, including maps of
archaeological sites and articles of pertinent interest will be
sent upon receipt of final payment.
CANCELLATION
AND REFUNDS: Cancellations received in writing at least 75 days before
departure will result in an administrative fee of $250.00. Cancellations received
less than 75 days before departure will not receive a refund. If for any reason
you are unable to complete the trip, Far Horizons will not reimburse any fees.
Registrants are strongly advised to buy travel insurance that includes trip
cancellation.
DONATION:
Each Far Horizons trip makes a donation to a specific non-profit
organization. Every participant is to write a separate check/money
order out to the chosen project and send it Far Horizons' office.
The beneficiary for this trip has not been determined as of yet.
Please note that once the non-profit organization has been chosen,
any clients already signed up will be notified of the project
with the donation amount and asked to send their checks in right
away.
LIMITED
TO 15 PARTICIPANTS
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