African side of the Med

Dinomania

Dinomania

Dinomania

Soldato
Joined
21 Apr 2003
Posts
4,328
Anyone holidayed there?

I think Libya might still be a little bit frightening for a relaxing holiday, (even though Gaddafi is quite the rock star). Maybe my perception is still skewed by "oh no, the Libyans!!!" from Back To The Future...

Egypt has all the attractions we already know about but is apparently annoyingly touristy to the point of feeling real oppression and harassment by all the people trying to sell you stuff.

However Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia... Have you lot had any good/bad experiences or got any recommendations to pass on?

Cheers!
Sara
 
sara said:
Egypt has all the attractions we already know about but is apparently annoyingly touristy to the point of feeling real oppression and harassment by all the people trying to sell you stuff.
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We went for our honeymoon in August and didn't have a single person hassle us, it all depends where you go
 
In Morocco they do like to haggle, never start at above 10% of the asking price. They can be real pests trying to sell you things in the street and drag you into shops. It’s something you will just have to get used to. Don’t walk around with anything of value as the pickpockets will have it. Apart from that it is an interesting country to visit.
 
Yup, spent time in Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria. Fantastic times in all of those places. I've spent more time in Morocco, so know it a little better and I love it there. It helps knowing a little Arabic, but it's not vital or be able to sepak French (handy for me as my Arabic is no longer conversational :(). The people are welcoming, friendly. The sites, and atmosphere of the towns/cities is incredible. Vibrant, exciting. Some amazing sights to be seen too, I love the souks and bazaars there!

Only good experiences to report - a lot of people find the haggling and "hounding" from the locals unpleasant, but it really is a non issue. It's relatively unspoilt, with some amazing sights to be seen. Desert trips, atlas mountains and the beaches are great trips. As a girl I'd recommend and urge you not to wear low cut tops, short skirts or bare mid-rif, as you will likely be poked/pinched. The night life is vibrant, the food is to die for, the culture is awe inspiring.

Just go ther with an open mind and not with a "western" preconceived idea and you'll have fun. I'm the sort of person that just looses himself in the culture and adapt quickly to the way of life, if you feel you can do that, you'll really have a laugh. Even if you can't do it or don't feel comfortable doing it, you'll be welcomed and well looked after - they are very welcoming/proud people. :)
 
sara said:
Anyone holidayed there?

I think Libya might still be a little bit frightening for a relaxing holiday, (even though Gaddafi is quite the rock star). Maybe my perception is still skewed by "oh no, the Libyans!!!" from Back To The Future...

Egypt has all the attractions we already know about but is apparently annoyingly touristy to the point of feeling real oppression and harassment by all the people trying to sell you stuff.

However Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia... Have you lot had any good/bad experiences or got any recommendations to pass on?

Cheers!
Sara
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I went to Egypt this Christmas, and got warned till people were blue in the face that the locals could be problematic. In Cairo and other areas we had no problems whatsoever, however in Luxor they were slightly nutty. However that's a fair distance away from the med, and tbh if you just ignore them they start on the person behind you. No biggie to be honest.

I went to Tunisia a while back. We avoided the capital and went somewhere quieter (Monastir). Really nice, people were pretty relaxed.
 
I have been to Gozo, it's in the middle of the Mediterranean, closer to the African side I suppose. Very heavily influenced by Italy. Was the best holiday I have been on, the food was top notch everywhere, the people were friendly, the island was gorgeous and they have an absolutely awesome local beer.
 
To be fair it's worth putting up with a bit of pestering from the locals anyways -

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Cheers guys, just the sort of information I was after.. :)

Nice to hear things are "not that bad" in terms of pestering salesmen! They need to make a living somehow.

Cheers for the tip Freefaller - a good excuse to buy some nice floaty long skirts/scarves :D
 
sara said:
Freefaller do you have any advice on where best to stay? :)
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I don't think I'll be of much use, as in Morocco I stayed with friends in Casablanca. Tunisa I stayed in a town just outside Tunis - I'll have to check the name of the hotel when I get home, similarly for Algiers (was just outside the city).
 
Thanks dmpoole!

Freefaller no problem I should have been clearer - I'm not too worried about actual hotels, more about which areas you had a good time in :)
 
We went to El Gouna in Egypt (the photo above). The whole resort is privately owned by one man. As a result he's banned the locals from pestering tourists for wares. They'll still invite you in to their shops but you don't get followed around the streets and it's one of the friendliest places I've ever been.
 
I can't recommend Egypt enough - particularly the Sinai peninsula (I'd recommend Dahab rather than Sharm al-Sheikh though - a lot less touristy). Dahab has some gorgeous beaches and if you're even remotely interested in trying scuba, you could do worse than try at one of the world's best dive locations. I stayed in a pretty much 4 star hotel for £50 for a double room per night, right on the coast with pool/bar/breakfast.

The people are hugely friendly and helpful, and unless you're a complete muppet you should easily be able to avoid hassle becoming anything more than people trying to sell you cheap tat. You can also get some pretty amazing deals if you know what you're doing. I got a one-off hand carved stone chess set for £40 :)
 
sara said:
Thanks dmpoole!

Freefaller no problem I should have been clearer - I'm not too worried about actual hotels, more about which areas you had a good time in :)
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My 22 year old daughter has actually gone to the Abou Sofiane hotel, Port El Kantaoui 7 times - once with us, 3 times with friends and 3 times on her own.
She has found Tunisian friends out there and trusts them although I shudder a bit when she goes.
 
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