Before flying to Tunisia I knew one thing about the country, where it was. Other than that might have independent guesses. Since it was in the Maghreb region of Africa I assumed they spoke Arabic and as a former French colony, I figured they spoke French.
I logged onto google flights and saw the basic economy flight for $480 and paid a little to upgrade to premium economy. All in all, $730 to fly to Africa is a steal any day of the week.
On top of no visa required, I couldn’t ask for a better deal.
The day of the flight came and I couldn’t check-in. This happens from time to time when flying with Delta Airlines partners, except I was traveling with the airline itself. So I got to the airport and was informed they wanted to see the credit card I purchased the ticket with to confirm the purchase against fraud. I asked what would happen If I didn’t have the card and she explained I’d need to use another or they’d cancel the flight and give a refund. Needless to say, the conversation was interesting.
The connection was JFK New York to Paris CDG and then from CDG to TUN Tunis. Other than it being a tight connection everything went well. I literally got to the gate as they were boarding so it went well. I landed in Tunis a little before 4 pm local time.
Immigration was fairly easy. There were no forms and there were 3 questions. 1. What do I do, where am I staying and how long old I will be there? After I was stamped into the country. Where It got interesting was customs. I had no bags to check as I am a team carry-on only but wondered why I needed 3 different agents to ask me questions. The questions almost sounded like, Can I afford to be in their country? Even though I found it odd I got a pass.
From there on I was transformed into a life of Luxury like no other. I stayed at the Four Seasons Tunis and the experience was magical from start to finish. They sent a Mercedes Benz to pick me up, the driver met me at the exit with a name card and handed me a letter welcoming me to the property and promising a wonderful stay, and a wonderful stay it was.
I arrived at the hotel and had four people helping me, I felt like royalty. Keep in mind, it's only my second time staying at a Four Seasons and both were in Africa. The other is Egypt. The level of specification and the attention to detail was like no other. I had 1 person get my luggage, another do the greeting, one checked me in and the other gave me a tour of the property. By the time I got to the end of the tour and at my room, I received my passport, room key, and welcome gifts.
The first book I read for the year was Catch Me If You Can by Jessica Nabongo. (Great read) She mentioned the Hammam in Tunis and I was inclined to listen. It’s basically a bath and scrub but explaining it will do it injustice, you have to try it for yourself. All I can say is 10/10 x 3. It was freaking amazing.
Dinner that night was at the Creek. The Creek is the hotel's Bistro Chic on-premises and it had some of the best food I’ve had ever. For a flat fee of TND199 (USD67), you get a three-course meal. I avoided the desserts because I had a whole chocolate cake for myself but I had Foie Gras for the first time, Truffle Risotto, and Lamb chops. Not to mention they have some of the best mocktails anywhere.
The next day I had breakfast at Azur, the hotel's breakfast buffet and might I add the best selection of sweets I’ve seen for a while. After breakfast, I headed out for a tour.
I booked a Tunis Tour on Viator and ventured out to the city. It was an all-day tour that spanned from Carthage, Sidi Bou Said, and Medina. The tour is great for those wanting to know the history of the city as well as experience life briefly in Sidi Bou Said. It almost gives off a Greek Island vibe with a little bit more color.
That night I ended up having dinner once more at Creek but this time the lobster Pasta. Every meal at Creek was one for the ages and I highly recommend a visit.
It was finally time to leave but not without one more amazing breakfast at Azur. Afterward, the car was there to take me back to the airport. Although short, Tunis surprised me, and it's one of those places that can be considered a hidden gem, So if ever I disappear, you know where I’d be.
Editors Note: Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, not those of any parties mentioned. None of the entities mentioned has reviewed, approved, or endorsed the content listed in this post.
