Tunisia

In Tunisia's capital, the term 'living history' really does apply. Here, waves of colonisation have endowed the city's fabric and culture with an intoxicatingly rich and complex flavour that becomes apparent wherever you explore.

Take the magnificent medieval medina, sidelined by the French after colonisation but coming into its own in the 21st century, as boutique hotels open and arty cafes lure locals back to the neighbourhoods their grandparents grew up in. And consider the historic settlement of Carthage, once colonised by Phoenicians and Romans but now the province of upwardly mobile locals, whose sophisticated lives play out among the ruins.

In some ways, these developments – and the optimism that is inspiring them – fly in the face of the economic downturn apparent elsewhere in the country. But Tunis has always been a resilient and forward-looking settlement, one that makes an excellent starting point for any exploration of Tunisia.

Occupying a narrow peninsula jutting out into the Mediterranean, Mahdia is blessed with a truly spectacular setting. When exploring the pretty, whitewashed medina, which spreads from Pl des Martyrs along the length of the narrow peninsula to Cap d’Afrique, you'll enjoy wonderful views of the shimmering Mediterranean, a picturesque clifftop cemetery and the 16th-century El Kebir fortress. The town's lovely sandy beach stretches along the coast to the north of town, where a large Zone Touristique has been developed.

Though a small island, Djerba contains the ingredients of many people’s idea of the ideal holiday vacation: soft, sandy beaches, warm Mediterranean waters, loads of activities, and an array of shops selling a good range of local handicrafts. It also sports a maze of cobblestone streets and a history of ethnic and religious diversity more pronounced than in the rest of the country.

To the classically inclined, the name Djerba conjures images of Homer’s Land of the Lotus-Eaters, an island so seductive that it’s impossible to leave. These days, many visitors voluntarily sequester themselves at the resort hotels along beautiful Plage Sidi Mahrès, but there are plenty of other things to do, including visiting some impressive museums.

Carthage is Tunis’ most exclusive residential suburb and retains a sense of historical importance forged over millennia – as well as being home to the Unesco-listed Carthage Archaeological Park, it's the location of both the president’s palace and the massive Mosque Malik Ibn Anas Carthage on Boulevard de l'Environnement.

Few remnants of the Carthaginian settlement and only a few ruins from the Roman period remain, so some visitors are disappointed by their visit. However, for those with an active historical imagination, the fragments that are still here are evocative.

Arguably the most magnificent Roman site in Africa, Dougga’s ancient remains – a Unesco World Heritage site since 1997 – are startlingly complete, giving a beguiling glimpse of how well-heeled Romans lived, flitting between bathhouses, the imposing Capitole, a 3500-seat theatre and various temples. The city was built on the site of an ancient Numidian settlement called Thugga, which explains why the streets are so uncharacteristically tangled. The 2nd-century-BC Libyco-Punic Mausoleum is the country’s finest pre-Roman monument.

The town of Douz acts like a curtain for the wonders just to the south. Driving through the compact, narrow streets of the centre, you’ll wonder what all the hype is about. Why journey to this remote outpost which appears abandoned during the intense midday summer heat? But as the sun sets and the streets cool, Douz comes alive – the cafes around the central souq fill up and as you pass through the intervening palmeraie (palm grove), the sight of the Grand Erg Oriental reveals its magical self, a seeming mirage until you set foot on its sandy shore.

People here are naturally open and friendly, conscious that the local economy has depended on groups of foreigners turning giddy at the prospect of riding a camel, and that those tourists have been staying away in recent years.

Every Thursday, the souq is home to a colourful weekly market.

The land immediately west of Tataouine doesn’t look hospitable for human beings, which is perhaps why filmmaker George Lucas chose to name Luke Skywalker’s desert home planet after the city itself. Despite the conditions, the area is home to centuries-old Berber and Arab villages clinging to hilltops with a few ksour (traditional fortified granaries) dotted among them. South of Tataouine, in the low hills of the Jebel Abiodh, the landscape is somewhat different – more Arab than Berber and home to some of Tunisia’s best ksour.

Check reliable travel advice before visiting – some governments currently advise against non-essential travel to this part of southern Tunisia.

Several film locations from the Star Wars films are found in the vicinity of Ong Jemal (which means 'neck of the camel').