Djerba - second visit to Tunisia
I want to tell you about my trip to Djerba. I had a rest in the fall of 2017 on mainland Tunisia in Hammamet with a 2-day trip to the Sahara, I really liked it, so in the spring of 2018 I decided to visit the island of Djerba.
Djerba, as for me, is more suitable for a beach holiday, it is calm there, the climate on the island is more humid than on the mainland, there was always a state of peace, relaxation and longing for sleep. I don’t really like beach holidays, so I agreed with the guide to meet and bought excursions. Before the trip, I learned that there is a blue lagoon on the island. You can get there either by taxi or take an excursion on quad bikes. I settled on the last option, it costs $12. We drove around the island for 2 hours and the guide brought us to the lagoon, it is unrealistically beautiful there. . . Silence, deserted, white sand, blue water. . . Everything is like in the Bounty advertisement. . . I recommend!!!
There is a crocodile farm on the island, with an area of about 3 hectares. About four hundred Nile crocodiles roam freely in this territory, the reserve was founded more than 200 years ago, it was then that the first crocodiles from Madagascar were brought to the farm. On the farm, crocodiles live as if they are in the wild - they eat, walk, breed, and sometimes even devour each other. We saw a couple of reptiles with a bitten nose. I recommend visiting the farm, just do not take a tour there from the hotel guide, it costs $20, take a taxi yourself for $2, pay $8 for entry and walk around the territory. In addition to crocodiles, large Seychellois turtles also live there. At 16 o'clock the crocodile feeder begins on the farm and this is a real show. Visitors are allowed to throw pieces of meat to crocodiles, so choose the time to visit closer to the feeder so as not to wait in the sun for this spectacle.
Be sure to visit the so-called capital of the island Houmt Souk, taxi 2-3$. Taxi in Tunisia by meter. Houmt Souk has a medina - this is the old part of the city with narrow labyrinth streets, a mosque and a market. A very colorful place, if you don’t plan to buy anything, you can just take a walk, like in a museum. Although I doubt that you won't buy anything there. I took a tagine (a national dish with a conical lid), a painted dish, spices, olive oil, natural soap, harisa, stoles... All this is very cheap. In general, Tunisia is an inexpensive country. I exchanged $50 for local dinars and didn’t know what to spend it on, everything was cheap, so I bought another national caftan and walked in it (a light and comfortable long dress).
I also recommend visiting an excursion to Chenini from Djerba ($ 40), it is not very far from Djerba. Chenini is a Berber village with houses carved into the mountains of the desert. The desert life of people in a desert landscape, we were taken there, told about the life of people and fed a dinner of national dishes. On the way to Chenin, we were taken to the local market for a walk, very colorful, the atmosphere is super! We got there $2 per kg of huge strawberries and dates (we don't sell those). Then they brought us to another village, we drank mint tea there and took pictures with camels against the backdrop of yellow dunes.
It seems to me that the best way to go on a 2-day excursion to the Sahara is from Hammamet, then you drive through almost the whole of Tunisia, making stops to explore the ancient sights. I have a third visit to Tunisia, but not to Djerba, but to Hammamet or Sousse, I want to see the blue city of Sidi Bou Said, which is protected by UNESCO, once again, definitely the Sahara and the capital.
I love Tunisia for its color and atmosphere, cheapness and a large number of historical monuments. And, of course, for the Sahara with its marvelous landscapes. I really liked everything on Djerba, but I wouldn’t go there the second time, it’s more for beach lovers. I recommend to visit and learn everything from your own experience!!!
