With its exotic blend of cultures and traditions, Tunisia is a popular tourist destination. Although its situated in Northern Africa, it is a blend of Mediterranean, Arabic and African ethnicities.Â
Tunisia has a vast range of luxury, 5-star hotels that can make your holiday a pampering and indulgent experience. The countries climate makes it a wonderful place to catch a tan on a private beach. You can also visit the desert area on the back of a camel.
So Tunisia can be safe to visit as long as you stay vigilant and travel with a reputable tour company and do not go to the areas bordering the country. A dependable tour guide will instruct you where you can travel and where it is dangerous to go.
Like anywhere in the world, street crime including theft, pickpocketing and purse snatching can happen. Just watch out for the ‘drive by’ thefts of criminals on scooters or motorbikes when you go to tourist areas.
Just like London and Mumbai, Tunisia had a terrorist attack in the past. The Tunisian government has increased its security presence at borders, especially between Algeria and Libya. There have been some attacks which have targeted their security forces.
Kidnappings are not frequent and do not normally target foreigners.
Some demonstrations and labour strikes have led to roadblocks and clashes between the police and demonstrators.
The Sahara Desert can get extremely hot, especially in the summer, with temperatures well above 40°C. Sand and dust storms can happen frequently.
In winter, roads can be obstructed by downpours.
The militarised zone south of the towns of El Borma and Dhehiba, the Chaambi Mountains National Park and the designated military operations zones of Mount Salloum, Mount Sammamma and Mount Mghila should be avoided.
Don’t go within 20km near the border of Libya and the area north of Dhehiba or to the town of Ben Guerdane and immediate surrounding area.
Taxis are available for transporting tourists around, but they tend to get scarce in the cities at peak times. Make sure they keep their fare meters on. Public buses are available but not advised to use due to the overcrowding and petty thefts.
Travelling by railway tends to be safer. Although keep in mind petty theft can happen anywhere so use common sense and look after your belongings.
If you plan to drive around, International driving permits are accepted in Tunisia.
Although it is not advisable to do so as driving can be dangerous. Motorists sometimes drive on the wrong side of the road and ignore lane markings.
Motorbikes, cyclists frequently bob in and out of traffic and do not have reflectors or indicators. Â
Sometimes there are no pavements so pedestrians walk in the road. Many do not worry about vehicles and walk in front of cars.
Police officials regularly stop vehicles for inspection, especially rental cars.
If you can avoid it, do not drive at night.
Taking photographs of military installations, government buildings and embassies is strongly discouraged. Ask permission before photographing local people.
Most of the population is Muslim, so dress conservatively and respect their religious and social traditions to evade upsetting people. Public displays of affection are not advised.
The country is conservative and if you are travelling with a boyfriend or girlfriend, rather say you are married.
During the lunar month of Ramadan, be discreet when drinking, eating, and smoking in public areas between sunrise and sunset. Ramadan is expected to begin on April 23 in 2020.
Religious evangelising of other faiths is not permitted.
There are two types of cafes in Tunisia, one café is just for men and another is for men and women. The men only cafes have large groups of men inside who smoke shisha and drink coffee. The only male cafes ban women from entering them.
 Food is eaten mostly by hand but many do use knives and forks. If you use your hands, scoop the food with the first two fingers of the right hand.
Eat only with the right hand. The left hand is generally used for toilets and considered distasteful to use while eating.
A lot of the toilets in Tunisia just have a water hose to clean yourself with. So, carry a packet of tissues or toilet paper with you. Â
Tunisian law prohibits sexual acts between individuals of the same sex. Same sex couples visiting the country should exercise extreme discretion in public and also when making hotel bookings.
Possession, use, or trafficking of illegal drugs can result in severe jail sentences. This is even for lighter drugs such as marijuana and hash. Tourists have sometimes been duped into naively committing drug offences. Do not offer to carry a package from an unknown of suspicious source in your luggage as you risk being used as a drug mule.
The following goods may be brought into Tunisia duty free: 200 cigarettes or 100 cigarillos or 50 cigars or 500g of tobacco, one litre of alcoholic drinks over 25 percent volume or a two litre of alcoholic drinks less than 25 percent volume.
Strict regulations may be enforced on the temporary import and export of firearms, religious material, antiquities, medications and business equipment.
Visitors should keep a copy of their passports with them at all times. If you do lose your passport, report it to your nearest police station and get a copy of the police report. Also report it to your embassy to obtain another passport. Do not have any documents mailed to you.
There are good medical facilities in the major cities, but hospitals and doctors do expect payment upfront for medical care. In rural areas it is much more limited or just non-existent. Â
A few clinics could to medical care if they have a guarantee of payment from the insurance company. A decompression chamber is available at the naval base in Bizerte.
Make sure you get medical travel insurance that includes cover for hospital admission and stays and medical evacuations.
The World Health Organisation recommends the subsequent vaccinations for Tunisia: hepatitis A, hepatitis B, typhoid, rabies, meningitis, polio, measles, mumps and rubella (MMR), Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis), chickenpox, shingles, pneumonia and influenza
Tunisia is relatively risk free from Malaria, so no medication is advised.
Tap water is not safe to drink in the country and neither is ice.  For food lovers, Tunisia has a variety of distinctive dishes inspired by Mediterranean and North African flavours. Thoroughly cooked hot foods can be eaten as it will mean most infections can be avoided. Raw fruits can be eaten only if they have an unbroken skin and are peeled. Raw vegetables and salads should be avoided due to contamination.
If food has been left out of a refrigerator for longer than an hour especially eggs, chicken and dairy do not consume them.
Typhoid is a bacterial infection that can lead to a high fevers, diarrhoea, and vomiting. If left untreated, it can be fatal. The infection is often transferred through contaminated food and drinking water, and it is more predominant in places where there is a lack of hygiene. The two main symptoms of typhoid are a fever and a rash. The rash, which does not happen to every person, has rosy spots especially on the neck and stomach area. Other symptoms are abdominal pain, weakness, constipation and headaches.
Don’t go near pets or stray dogs or cats in Tunisia. They can carry infectious diseases like Rabies which is life threatening. The animals may bite and scratch you.Â
Heat exhaustion is a common problem, especially among tourists that come from cooler climates. Symptoms include a bad headache, dizziness, vomiting and extreme tiredness. Keep yourself hydrated by drinking lots of bottled water or beverages. Wear a wide-brimmed hat and apply sunscreen lotion to prevent yourself from getting sunburn.
Chronic dehydration makes you feel weak, tired, and lightheaded and increases your risk of developing kidney stones. Move into a cool area or room and elevate your feet and legs. Drink lots of fluids until your body temperature drops. Seek medical treatment if the symptoms persist.
 AIDS infection rates in Tunisia are generally low, but tourists are still advised to abstain any new sexual encounters while travelling. If not, to use the necessary precautions to stay safe.
Solo female travellers could be subjected to certain forms of harassment and verbal abuse. Avoid travelling at night on your own and make sure you stay at reputable hotels. There have been a few cases of Tunisian men targeting older foreign women for fake marriages. Â
Since the beginning of 2020 visitors to any country should be aware of and help to avoid the spreading of the coronavirus. Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses found in both animals and humans. Some infect people and are known to cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS).
Wash your hands with soap and water or sanitiser as often as possible, since it can eliminate the virus if it is on your hands.Â
Cover your mouth and nose with flexed elbow or a tissue when coughing and sneezing, and discard tissues into a closed bin immediately, then clean your hands with alcohol-based hand rub or soap and water. Sneezing or coughing into your hands may contaminate objects or people that you touch.
Maintain a fair distance between yourself and other people, since coughs or sneezes from infected people may project droplets containing the virus.
If you experience some fever, cough and difficulty of breathing, immediately seek medical care.
Always practice general hygiene measures, but especially when visiting live animal markets, wet markets or animal product markets. Wash your hands with soap and potable water after touching animals and animal products, avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth with your hands and avoid contact with sick animals or spoiled animal products.
Strictly avoid any contact with potentially contaminated animal waste or fluids on the soil or structures of shops and market facilities and avoid consumption of any raw or undercooked animal products. You should even handle raw meat, milk or animal organs with care, to avoid cross-contamination with uncooked foods, as per good food safety practices.
MoAfrika Tours is a leading tour operator in South Africa that offers an outstanding selection of tours to Tunisia We have a close association with the most reputable tour operators in Tunisia who make safety a priority.