Luxury Tunisia – Tunisia is a beautiful country – but all too often people think of it as simply a place to spend a week on the coast enjoying the Mediterranean.

I spent a year of my life in Tunisia in my student days, learning Arabic and travelling the country, and I was never happier than when I was on the road.

If Tunisia has an image problem, the good news it can work in your favour.

After all, there are still plenty of luxurious, special experiences awaiting you, both when it comes to sightseeing and accommodation.

You notice it most at a place like the hillside Roman ruins of Dougga – the site is remarkable, but the fact that you typically share that experience of walking around the amphitheatre, Capitol and surroundings with just a handful of other tourists and local schoolchildren is all the more remarkable.

Luxury Tunisia with africanexplorations.com - image Simon Blackley CCA

And you can be one step ahead of the crowd too when it comes to where to stay. There are a handful of delightful boutique hotels in Tunisia, places which have lots in common with the Moroccan riads – grand old traditional houses, converted into charming hotels.

Take Dar Said, for instance. Sidi Bou Said is a picturebook town, with cobbled stones and whitewashed buildings set against the blue skies and the Mediterranean coast. To see the Tunisian north in a little luxury, Dar Said is an absolute must – a 24-roomed hotel and a wonderful antidote to all the larger places in the area.

Luxury Tunisia with africanexplorations.com - Cafe Sidi Chaabane, Sidi Bou Said

These dars are just starting to spring up in the country, and add a sprinkling of luxury to some of the wonderful and under-visited treasure that Tunisia has to offer.