It will be very hot throughout all of July and August so won't make much difference when you go. In view of the present situation out there however I would suggest you leave your trip as late as possible to give it a chance to stabilze. The same advice regarding which hotel/area to go to. Fortunately for you, though not for the Tunisian people, you are unlikely to find any tourist areas inundated with holiday makers, and certainly not those with children. I hope to be back there in March but I am a regular visitor which perhaps puts me in a different category. I love the country and the people and they will come through this time but things may be a little more difficult for a while.

thankyou aslemma, yes i had my heart set on tunisia have wanted to go for ages but obviously it does depend on what the situation is like nearer the time. thankyou for your advice

I'm sure quite a few of us 'old hands' will be back there before your intended trip and will post to let you know what we find so I would suggest if you haven't already been put off the idea of going to Tunisia you hold fire for a while before making any bookings.

yes i might wait and do a late booking if the situation has calmed if not maybe next year, but im determined to go heard so many good things bout tunisia

I'm delighted to hear it and know the Tunisians will give you an extremely warm welcome. By mid summer you should have a clearer idea of the situation but, even if you leave it another year, just make sure you go.

We are normally out in Sousse in both the beginning of June, then at the beginning of September. Have always found the weather o.k., though the main problem seems to be getting variety of food at most hotels. If you don't like the repitition just go out at get a meal outside now and again. Most hotels will also do mid day meals even if you are on half board, but these you will have to pay for. They are not expensive and are usually better than those cooked in the main kitchen breakfast and evening. Have tried some of the main restaraunts but look for where the locals are eating and you won't go far wrong. We had intended last time to take a trip to El Jem and this was something to look forward to. However the reps were going to charge about 28 dinars and we had been told that they tend to rush you a bit and you don't get the freedom to do what you want. So we found this guy who had a mini bus and for 160 dinars we had him for the whole day and he just took us to where we wanted to go and we stayed there for as long as we wanted. So for the 8 of us qwe had a great time and it worked out better. We also came back via Monastir and there is the fort where one of the Monty Python films was set. But best of all was the tomb of Habib Bourguiba who was credited with freeing the country from French rule. All I can say is that they must have thought the world of him because the mausoleum is a really great example of how people can show their respect. The floor consists of green marble brought over from Scotland, and it is said that the massive chandelier that hangs above it was to light his way to heaven. There really is so much to see and enjoy and the people are really so friendly. In the Medina you may well have to be a bit firm as some shopkeepers chose not to understand the word "No." But just walk on and they'll soon turn their attention to someone else. We started going there abour 10 years ago and a couple of years ago my brother decided to give it a try. A few grand on a holiday means nothing to him in spending money, but even he had to bring some back home, which for him is rare indeed. Don't just moan about your hotel if there's something not right; just head off to another hotel and drink and swim there. Most hotels aren't too fussy who's money they take. There is however at least one that is an exception to this rule that I know of. This is the newish Movenpicks hotel in Sousse. There is doesn't matter if you are Tunisian; you can still only go into the reception area and the terrace. Beyond that, forget it, it's guests only and that is how they intend to keep it. Their guests pay enough to stay there and it is expensive to get the right kind of client.

I agree with Argon regarding all the fascinating things to see and the advantage of making your own arrangements for trips. Many can also be done by train, bus or louage. Incidentally I was told the Mausoleum at Monastir was paid for by other Arab states as a sign of their respect for Bouguiba.

I would add that another hotel which does not welcome casual visitors is the Abou Sofaine at Port El Kantaoui. I called there last year to visit guests who were staying and had quite an battle before they would let me through the gates. Very short-sighted in my personal view, as casual visitors who like what they find may book a holiday there next time, or at least recommend it to others.

Aslemma,I am thinking of booking a holiday to PEK for March 20th.
My main concern is that with the flights just starting back from March 1st the holiday companies may put guests in one hotel rather than a few in each.I would not want to go to another resort and not to a hotel a long walk from the Marina.
I stayed at the Abou Sofianne last March but dont want to repeat the stampede on the weekend of March 20th!
I have read good reviews about the Green Park and at the moment Thomson have some incredible deals there.
Would you go in March or do you think its best to wait until later in the year

It is difficult to say whether it will be a good time to go or if it would be best to wait, as the situation is still somewhat volatile in certain areas, but I have not heard of any problems in PEK and do know the locals are desperate to get us back. I shall actually be in Sousse then as I'm flying out to Tunis on 18th March, staying at the Marhaba Salem, or at least that is where I booked several months ago before the revolution. I would guess that if you book a certain hotel now that is where you will stay, as any hotels still taking bookings will be in a position to fulfill them, unlike those of us who booked months ago and don't yet know if our hotels are actually open.

To Jay Trip I would say that if you can leave it later then all the better. It gives you far more time to see how the situation sorts itself out in Tunisia. There is no doubt that the country is all suffering financially from the with drawal and of all the shops that depend on the tourist trade up to the hotels themselves. No one can afford to see this last too long, not even the travel companies themselves. Most of the trouble appeared to be in the capital Tunis itself, and from reports there wasn't too much trouble in the PEK and Sousse itself areas. Also the hotels may have had to lay off some staff if there wasn't the guests to fill some hotels. Some of the deeper discounts were online during the problems but have checked our second holiday price which we sorted out in last December and there is now only about £6 difference. It won't take the holiday companies long to try and recoup some of the money they are losing at present. Thomas Cook and Thompson total loss between them is estimated at about £50 million. That is going to take some clawing back. Plus they have the additional problems of holiday makers who could have been put off for ever going there at all. Confidence can easily evaporate once a country has internal problems. Trouble is that these self same peolpe have only to see the t.v. or papers about murders and whatever occurs and we would never step foot outside our homes again. But life goes on and we return back to our routines swiftly out of need. To those of us who have built up friendships with the Tunisian people we know only too well what fun and games we can have in this wonderful country. Even our son who is now 40 years old couldn't quite get to grips with the facts that Dad & Mum had been out paragliding, quad biking or best of all out on a beach buggy. Mind you we didn't actuall y travel along much of the beach; more like loads of back roads. On the quad biking we got really friendly with one guy and looked after him o.k. and in return we found out that if we went back again we were taken out on a totally different and longer route. Another advantage Jay Trip with going a bit later is that the weather tends to be even warmer and more pleasant. Plus of course you get to meet more folks from the U.K. that you can help out with, because it may be their first trip. Some of the reps rip off trips can be so much better when you arrange them yourselves; and cheaper to boot! We've never for one minute considered NOT going back. It is purely down to whether our plane will be flying or not.

Just had some positive news that the curfew is about to be lifted, most hotels are now open or about to be re-opened and Sousse, PEK and Monastir at least are getting back to normal.

I have now booked 2 weeks for March 20th!
Got the web price from Thomson who were not that keen until I showed them the Thomas Cook price which was the web price
I cant go any later as we are going to Rhodes in May for 2 weeks.
I just hope we can get out and about as I hate been confined to the hotel.

Great news. If you are in PEK perhaps we could meet up for a coffee one morning as I shall be just down the road and often go into PEK. I certainly have no intention of staying in the hotel all the time.

Hi Aslemma,Do you think it will be OK to go to the Medina in Sousse?
We missed out last time as the hotel arranged a bus to go and we got the times mixed up.
We will be in PEK probably every day as i will have to walk the calories off.I dont drink alochol but can not resist the desserts!
I look forward to meeting you.

I've just sent you a PM Jay, together with my Tunisiana phone number. As I arrive a couple of days before you I'll already have sussed out the Medina so can let you know more then. If you like we can go down there together as I'm an old hand and many of the shopkeepers recognize me (though I can still get lost) The last thing you want is to pay for an 'organised tour' as they are horribly restrictive and the rep takes you where he or she gets the best pay-back.

Jay it is best if somebody can go out with Aslemma she needs looking after

It's great to see everybody heading back to Tunisia, just about booked myself but the leaking roof, car insurance and a new bedroom has prevented that

Anway you can be rest assured we will be back soon to visit this fantastic country and amazing people.

Have a great time everybody and don't go walking the plank again Aslemma

I've warned you before Graham, it's not nice to make fun of the afflicted! Anyway, It's over a year now since my accident, though I've still got the scars and can't really recommend the Clinique Essalem for foot embroidery!

Graham ,My roof started to leak when we were in Egypt in December but we have a bucket catching the drips.
The roofer(the only one we trust) came 10days ago but he is now on holiday so we hope he manages to fix it before we go away.
Car tax,servicing and Mot, is due along with caravan rent and insurance, but thank goodness for magic plastic.

[code]so we hope he manages to fix it before we go away.[/code]
If not you'll have to invest in a bigger bucket,