Monastir Holidays

Feel the sand beneath your feet and look out to where the dazzling blue waters meet the clear blue skies. With over 1000km of coastline, Tunisia has an amazing selection of beautiful beaches across its gorgeous coastal destinations – including Monastir, of course. If you’re staying in the city and fancy a relaxing day by the sea, Plage la Falaise is a popular pick for a beach day. Further west, you can find some serene beaches to soak up the North African sunshine on. Finding your perfect spot of sun, sea and sand is easy in Skanes with its endless stretch of glistening white sandy shore meeting the warm Gulf of Hammamet. Over in Sousse, Bou Jaafar Beach and Marabout Beach offer a chilled-out atmosphere with plenty of local bars and cafés nearby to explore.

North African cuisine is known for being filled with flavour, and so any trip to Tunisia needs to include exploring the lovely local food. For a savoury treat, try brik, a pastry triangle typically stuffed with egg, parsley and tuna, but you can also find it with other stuffing options as well. Fricasse is one of the popular street food picks here and once you’ve tried it, you’ll know why! The tasty snack is a savoury doughnut with a unique filling of tuna, olives, boiled egg, boiled potato and harissa. If you enjoy lighter meals, cous cous is a typical element in Tunisian cuisine, which you can enjoy with meat, fish or vegetables and lots of flavour. The Tunisian Salad is another option, which is the complete opposite of the bland, watery salad you might be thinking of. This is a perfect mix of beans, onion, tomato, potatoes, egg and tuna with a lemon or Harissa dressing. A Mechouia salad offers another unique alternative to the typical salad and instead relates more to a stew or salsa. This must-try dish is a hearty combination of red pepper, onions, tomatoes, lemon, oil, hard-boiled eggs and tuna. Those with a sweet tooth can indulge in the scrumptious Tunisian take on doughnuts – bambalouni. These are the best when still hot and are usually sprinkled in sugar or drizzled in honey.

You may think that us Brits love a good cup of tea, but tea is actually Tunisia’s national drink! Mint tea is the main brew that they drink as it keeps the locals feeling refreshed on a warm day. If you’re ever offered a cup of mint tea, make sure to take it as it can be considered rude if you refuse it. Green tea and black tea are also on most menus too, for those who aren’t a fan of mint. If you’re looking for something a little stronger, the national beer is Celtia – a refreshing lager that is perfect on a hot summer’s day.

The perfect combination of city and beach, Monastir has something for everyone. History buffs will be in heaven with the unique historic buildings in the city centre, as well as museums where you can learn about the culture and history of Tunisia. Some of the top must-see sights in this stunning city are the Bourghiba Mausoleum, the Ribat of Monastir and Musee Habib Burguiba. For those who love to shop but want to absorb a little culture too, the Monastir Medina is a great shopping experience. Explore the traditional souks, browse the hand-crafted pots, jewellery and accessories, and to get the full experience try haggling the price down for a bargain. If you like to stay active, try watersports down at the beach for an exciting day in the sea. Alternatively, if a pamper day is more your style, you can find luxury spas at some of the amazing hotels around the Monastir area.

In the evenings, you can find delightful local restaurants in the centre of Monastir, if you prefer to wind down with a great meal with great company. Livelier evenings can be found in Sousse, where the evenings buzz. Nightclubs and bars are popular across the resort, with everything from tiny venues serving drinks in a friendly atmosphere to big clubs such as Bora Bora and Platinum Metallica.

The average flight time from the UK to Enfidha-Hammamet International Airport is 3 hours and there is no time difference between Tunisia and the UK. The local currency is Turkish dinar and the national language is Arabic, although French is also spoken there too. Some useful phrases to know when in Tunisia are: aslema (‘hello’), bislema (‘goodbye’), ay (‘yes’) and le (‘no’). Plus, don’t forget the most important word of all, yaishek which is ‘thank you’. Although Tunisia is quite easy going with its dress code, it is a good idea to cover up more than you would at the beach if you are going into town centres.