Going by what you said you want out of your holiday,I would recommend PEK,I have stayed twice in Hammermet and 3 times in PEK,and personally I would think it would suit you being a young couple and your 1st visit.Its a manmade resort with a lovely Marina,opposite in the evenings is the colourful musical fountains which are switched on in the evenings,also the Puka Irish bar which opened last summer,Kareoke and football screens,which was popular even in November when we was out there,younger crowd of people,nice beach and about £2.50 in a taxi to Sousse,also close by is medinat alzahra parc,a new venue for an evening night out,called Lights and Lasers,cost us £26 each,inc 4 course meal and a fantastic outdoor show etc and transport with our rep.Sousse and Hammamet are quite dirty.As for covering up,wear what you like on the beach,shorts fine around Marina,I have worn shorts in Sousse,but you can get a few looks!!.

Hi,

For a young couple either Hammamet or Sousse / PEK would be the best choices as there will be a lot more to do in the evenings. My favourite is Hammamet as I find the purpose built aspect of PEK a bit soulless. If you do choose Hammamet I'd advise looking at a different hotel than Les Citronniers. Although it's friendly and relaxed it's fairly basic, and unless things have changed I don't think the rooms have aircon. As August can be very hot that's always been a dealbreaker for me in choosing where to stay. Just down the road to Les Citronniers is Le Hammamet. I've found very good deals here in summer in the past (try Tunisia First), the rooms have aircon, the food is good and quite varied and it's also friendly and relaxed. The one downside is that you have to pay for the sunloungers round the pool. It's not a fortune but I think a little cheeky as none of the other hotels I've stayed in in Tunisia charge for this.

As far as covering up goes, they're quite used to tourists in the resorts, and on the beach / by the pool there's no problem with not wearing much. I've even seen some women sunbathing topless, though doing this will attract a lot of attention. Away from the beach normal summer clothes will be fine. A general rule is that the skimpier the dress the more attention you'll get. Most young Tunisian women now dress in Western clothes so I don't think you'll find it as restrictive as you may be worrying about.

For nightlife you'll want the south of Hammamet or Yasmine Hammamet. Many bars are open very late and have dancefloors. There are also a few clubs. Alcohol is generally cheaper in Tunisia, although you'll probably find that in clubs and late bars there may not be much difference. I remember wincing at the price of a cola in one Hammamet club!

Finally, Ramadan is due to start at the beginning of September this year, so you may want to take that into account if you have change your departure date.

I'm sure you'll have a fantastic holiday, whichever resort you choose.

A.

thank you so much for your replys. Im still unsure about which resort. I think PEK might be best for us as it is our first time there and wont be as much as a culture shock but Hammenet (sp) looks really nice.

Hi Greenshoes, I'm just back from Sousse today and, as always, went to PEK for the afternoon whilst I was there. Unfortunately any idea of sitting by the lovely musical fountain for a while may be a lost cause as it is drained and closed for repairs. Of course it might be finished by the time you go there, but there were no signs of any work being done when I was there and Tunisians seem to work to a different time-scale to us. I met a couple of young girls at the airport coming home who had stayed at the Royal Beach Sousse and they couldn't praise it enough, they said they had a fantastic time and the staff were wonderful. I too find PEK rather soulless though many people do prefer it.

thank you for your reply. Im still thinking about it, so many resorts and hotels to choose from

hiya peeps! going to tunisia for the firsttime with my hub and 3 kids. We leave in 9 days.....!! had our jabs,half packed and can't wait.

Have a lovely time and remember those phrases - I hope you've been doing your homework. I got home on Sunday and heard one of the shopkeepers in the Media say "everyone seems to be speaking Arabic now!!"

ive got a memorylike a sieve but ive tried thanx aslemma!

well Im currently undecided about sousse or pek. Both look lovely, the deciding matter I think is the nightlife? which one would be best for a young couple?

definately Sousse - although if it was me, I'd stay in PEK and get taxis to Sousse.

PEK is more expensive on the Thomascook website. Is it PEK a more popular resort?

personally I think PEK is a much nicer pleace to stay - Sousse is much bigger and more of a 'city' and not the most pleasant looking place you'll see. I think if i had booked for Sousse, I'd have been a bit dissapointed when I turned up.
i know asleema will shoot me down for these comments.........

i

know asleema will shoot me down for these comments.........

Yes, but only for spelling my name wrong Kev

We all have our preferences and what suits one doesn't suit another, which is just as well or it would be a very boring world. I happen to like the bustle of the streets and medina in Sousse and find PEK a bit too bland, but I still enjoy visiting there and sitting having a coffee around the marina. The good thing is that both places are not far apart so it is cheap and easy to stay in either and still explore the other.

sorry aslemma,

totally agree - Sousse is a wonderful place to visit - more like the true Tunisia. I just find that PEK is a more relaxed, visually nicer place to stay. And as you say they are close, and taxis are cheap.

kev

Hi Greenshoes,

I don't think that PEK being more expensive has much to do with it's popularity over Sousse. I've found both PEK and Yasmine Hammamet (the purpose built resort near Hammamet 'proper') to be more expensive for everything, from coffees and postcards to hotels. I think this is because they are purpose built to cater to tourists, so technically all the facilities are there on your doorstep without the need to go very far. Personally, like Aslemma I like to explore a bit and get to experience a little of local life. Although I can of course see the attraction of having to make as little effort as possible on holiday - that's what holidays are for after all!

There aren't a large number of tourist oriented hotels in the centre of Sousse - or at least not that I saw, and some of those that are there didn't look too appealing, compared to some of the fantastic hotels you can find in Tunisia. If you do want to be right in Sousse the Tej Marhaba is worth looking at. It's not on the beach but has a large pool and lots of amenities. And from the prices I've seen for it, it looks pretty good value for money. I've not actually stayed here so couldn't comment on the rooms, but have popped in a few times for drinks on a holiday where we stayed in PEK. We found ourselves wishing we'd booked to stay here as it was much smarter than our hotel and much more lively - and would have been cheaper

I'm sure you'll have a fantastic holiday, wherever you choose

A.

Hi can anyone give me an idea how much money i would need for a 2 week holiday for 2 adults and 2 kids (15yrs & 8 yrs). I would like to know the cost of eating out, drinks, excursions etc. Thanks.