Hi Joe,

Tunisie is a wonderful country and I am sure you are going to enjoy it very much. In regard to the sharing of a room with your girlfriend - you are staying in a very touristique area and I doubt very much that as foreigners you will be asked if you are married. In the slightest chance that you are questioned my advice is always to say 'yes' and if questioned further tell them that you did not realise that you had to bring your marriage licence with you! That will be the end of the question......they may even think that you are on your honeymoon and bonus upgrade etc etc may ensure (incha'llah!!) So don't be concerned that it is Ramadan - but please be patient with the staff and the locals. Keep in mind that we do not eat, drink, smoke etc etc from sunrise to sunset and in the heat everyone gets tired and tempers are a little frayed, apart from this the nights during Ramadan are one big party - so enjoy it while you are here.

Regards,
Lesley

David - I don't like to make sweeping statements, but foreigners are not likely to be asked if they are married and less likely to produce a marriage certificate. My husband and I have never been asked for our marriage certificate (I'm Australian and he's Tunisian) in a hotel. Outside of the urban areas I can't imagine that they would ever question foreigners.
There is not a problem with passports in differing names as my husband and I have different surnames in our passports but they get that sometimes foreign women do not take the name of their husbands. Also in Tunisia women keep their family names so it is quite normal to have different surnames

Hi Jono - sorry I haven't been able to reply - we have just finished Ramadan and have travelled around to visit family etc. As an Australian passport holder you can get your passport when you arrive into Tunis. It is simple (sort of). You will need to have TD (Tunisian Dinar)35 for each visa which will be issued for 1 month. If you don't have the currency, they will hold your passport at the visa window and send you through customs and security to the exchange/bank counters. Then you come back in and pay and voila, you have your visa. If you are coming via Dubai it is only a transit there and you don't need any visa, however if you want to break your journey then depending on which country more than likely you will need a visa.

Tunisia is a safe country, but like anywhere, there are opportunists and you should always be aware of your surroundings and belongings. Yes, you can be ripped off but the exchange rate, the Aussie dollar and the cheap prices here won't feel hard on your hip pocket. We have an Arabic dialect here but try to learn a few words. It is very much appreciated. Our other language is French so if you have a few words that is helpful. If you go to the site: www.tunisia.com there is a forum and you will see one of the forums dedicated to Arabic phrases. It is really helpful.

I encourage you to come to tunisia - it is my home and I love it. (I'm an aussie too)

Hi there k4m - well I'm Australian and my husband is Tunisian and we have never had a problem sharing a hotel room together. We always take our marriage certificate with us but we have never been asked to show it!

I shouldn't think you will have any problems

Hi there Tim - you do know that Sousse is on the coast on the beach? I love Essouria - one of my favourite places in North Africa! If you want to go to the sahara it's a long weary trip from Sousse but it can be done. You could consider going to Kairouan which is a wonderful very ancient Islamic city and also where you can see the beautiful rugs of Tunisia being made. Tozeur is also a wonderful city and is where you can organise to take a trip to the desert. You could also go north along the cost to Hammamet and to Nabeul which is lovely or why not consider a day in Tunis? The ruins of Carthage are all around the capital, the old medina is lovely and the Bardo museum is a must see. It does get quite cold in Tunisia which surpises many people. I live in the North right on the mediterranean and right now it is still warmish (low 20s) but the wind and the rain is here at the moment. In the desert it will be cold at night but this is a mediterannean climate so don't expect a European winter here.

Hope this all helps - if you want more just email me and I hope you really enjoy your vacation here and I'm glad that my posts have helped,

Lesley

Tim - thank you so much - I actually enjoy doing this, call me majnoonie (crazy). It can take up to 7 hours each way so you would want to stay overnight at least to have a proper experience. Travel time can vary because of weather, day of the week, traffic etc. etc!! Also even though we have a 110km speed limit it is very rare to actually travel any distance (apart from the freeway) at that speed!! Can I suggest that you travel to Tozeur which is a wonderful city in the South and spend at least a few hours there having a look around and then go to a Berbere camp from there for the night and then travel back to Sousse. That would be a good couple of days and you will see some of Tunisia on your way.