Hi Voddy,

I Havnt been yet but im going to hammamet yasmine in july and been doing alot of research about this matter for my girlfriend and my brothers girlfriend as they will more than likely want to do there thing while we are elsewhere, web-sites say still does happen but its not as bad as what people make it out to be now many woman ive spoke to say they never had any bother at all in tunisia so everything should be fine just stay in a group you's will be ok.

Duffnufc

Hi Voddy

We were there last year, and I went out on my own a few times and didn't meet with much hassle.

If you do a search on this site you will find loads of advice for women travelling/going into souks on their own, and if you stick to that advice everything will be fine.

Women should dress modestly outside the hotel complex, whether or not they are accompanied by a man or not. For this purpose, before I went on holiday , I bought a light blouse to put over my strappy tops and a couple of ankle length tiered skirts which are so easy to come by for a fiver at Primark!

Sahara trip - no problems at all, as you are travelling in a large group.

Have a lovely time
mgb

Hi

I've stayed in Hammamet, PEK & Sousse and visited various other cities in Tunisia and was harrassed despite dressing modestly with a skirt to my ankles and a shawl from neck to mid-thighs. I think it was more intense in PEK and Douz.

Most of the men who were curious just stared, smiled, said hi and tried to flirt harmlessly, but there were a few who basically took the "mickey" so to speak, but then looking back, Tunisian men are no worse than those from Malta or India (only other places I've travelled in the past year).

Just be polite but firm and they will get the message. They are just curious and I think they sometimes mistake your happiness and friendly holiday spirit for a green light at times.

Hi Voddy,

The culture in Tunisia is very different to that of western Europe and if you want to be ignored by the men it is essential that you ignore them in return. You'll find it handy to keep your sunglasses on as it makes it easier to avoid eye contact - making eye contact with a man will often be interpreted as an overture to conversation. Similarly do not respond to vocal overtures but just walk on, likewise do not let any physical contact pass without expressing outrage. Even letting them touch your arm to attract your attention will often be interpreted as a willingness to take the interaction further. Also, in the souks don't pick anythng up off a stall unless you are seriously interested in making a purchase and ready to barter to reach an agreed price.

Once you get used to walking around and especially once you've acquired a few words of Arabic you'll find that you can afford to let your guard down. I've travelled in Tunisia alone a number of times and you'll see a more detailed post from me on some of these issues in the 'Tips for Travellers' thread at the top of the forum but on the whole if you behave in a way which demands respect you'll be given it but this does mean cultivating an air of aloof standoffishness which doesn't always come easy to western non-muslim women who are used to being able to engage in conversation or even friendly banter with male strangers without it being taken to mean anything more, much less an invitation to take the interaction any further.

One thing I have noticed is that some of us women have a tendency to smile when we are nervous or embarassed and Tunisian men won't necessarily see this - they'll see the smile but not the reason for it and assume that you are actually happy with what is taking place. In such instances you need to cul;tivate a stony glare to signal quite strongly that you are not happy, far from it and even if you learn no other arabic be ready to loudly say 'shooma' (shame on you!) in any situation where you think you are being hassled or being treated disrespectfully. In my experience this will not only make them back off but will bring the black-clothed Granny Mafia to your rescue in an instant :-) Islam makes it very clear that women are to be treated with respect and this really is the 'default' position for Muslim men - demand respect in your dress and behaviour and it will be forthcoming.

However, do not be immediately distrustful of the responses and attention your daughter might receive - the Tunisians are a very child-centred society and their natural default attitude with children is to make a fuss of them. Babes-in-arms will always be passed round everybody for a kiss and cuddles and young children will be made a fuss over by waiters and staff in the hotels etc.

SM

Hi Voddy

My family and I went to Sousse in 1998, my daughter was 15, she had a terrible time, blonde hair and blue eyes. In my opinion things were excaberated due to her hair colouring and of course her being a beautiful young lady. I think you will be alright due to your daughters age.

We were advised not to go out of the complex of an evening, which we did not due to their behaviour during the day anyway. But please do not let this put you off, be firm and understand their beliefs, eg cover up etc and you will have a fantastic time.

Kind regards

Kazee

Thanks for all your excellent tips SM - I will make sure I take a couple of long skirts and a shawl/hat. I am travelling to Hammanet in two weeks time. I am single and will be on my own for a while before one of my friends joins me - should I wear a fake wedding band? Also is it OK to show toes (i.e wear sandels)?

thanks for all your tips/advice. Luckily none of our party are beautiful blondes so i guess we'll be ok
Only 17 weeks and 4 days to go & I can't wait !!

Hi Kate,

Re the the idea of wearing a wedding band, I don't really think that it will make any difference - it will simply give rise to curiosity about why a married woman is out and about without her husband :-) Nor is it a problem wearing sandals - I've always lived in them when in Tunisia. My one piece of advice re footwear is to make sure that they're comfortable and allow room for expansion!

SM

Tunisians have a more open approach to personal space and think nothing of starting up a conversation with strangers which can be disconcerting if your not used to it but i love it now.

Also remember when your in a market some of the guys literally sell to make a living and they try so hard so up until the point to touching (even they know this is bad to stangers) nothing annoys me anymore.

As for the whistling this is common for Tunisian girls also and is a funny part of the culture unless it is insulting. For example if my other half goes out shopping comes back and nobody has called her lovely etc she feels like she has lost her powers.

If you think of it as a game and be firm but friendly it can become fun like try and make the sellers gues which country you are from so far I have yet to find one that speaks fijian.

Hi My daughter and myself spent a week at Port El Kantoui last August. Being a beautiful blonde 24 year old she drew a lot of attention from men. We found that the best ploy was to avoid wearing skimpy clothes and avoid eye contact. Do not enter into conversation especially around the harbour unlesss you want to be pursued, (mostly by men who had cousins living in Bristol etc.) A firm no thank you is usually all that's needed. However do not be afraid to haggle in shops. We bought a beautiful red leather handbag for £8 (it started off at £40) Most Tunisians do not drink and spend their time drinking coffee smoking their sheesh pipes, and people watching, so you will be stared at.