Less than three hours from London lies Tunisia, the most progressive country in the Arab world, birthplace of the Arab Spring, and home to a fusion of cultures.  This former French colony has retained its European sophistication, and is situated closer to Sicily than most of its Arab brethren, making it an interesting mix of Arab-on Med, in Africa. 

Women have enjoyed equal rights here for decades, and the largely secular society speaks mostly French and Arabic, with some in Tunis speaking English. If you’re the type of traveller who yearns for a destination that’s a bit off the beaten path, look no further.  With regular flights from London on Tunisair, it makes for a great long weekend if you’re short on time.    And Tunisair is a national carrier that could teach BA a thing or two.   Meals in Business Class are ideal…two dishes of grilled chicken salad and calamari in a tomato sauce were better than any airplane food I’ve tasted.

A day or two in downtown Tunis, exploring the souk, the Kasbah, the cafes of Avenue Bourguiba, and a trip to the Bardo, home of the largest mosaic collection in the world, would do it.  Then, head to the northern seaside suburb of Gammarth, where 5-star luxury awaits at The Residence.  You may have heard of its famous Mauritian sister. 

Fragrant neroli wafts through the air at this Arab Andalucian palace. 

The decor is understated, and relaxed, airy and light.  Most of the rooms offer a sea view. The staff are attentive, and aim to please. No task is too large.  And I’m afraid I tested this promise. Unfortunately, I was still finishing off some work on the Tunisian elections when I arrived. A missing USB cable threw a monkey wrench into the mix, but Rajah, the IT goddess, managed to shift files off one piece of equipment to another, and voila, onto my laptop so I could file before sundown. 

The French are big on their restorative holidays and The Residence is a haven for those seeking a healthy lifestyle.  There’s a world class golf course designed by Robert Trent Jones, tennis courts, and a Thalasso spa with a laundry list of services on offer, most of which I’d never heard of before. A tea bar offers about a dozen different blends, each with a different promise: weight loss, improved circulation, a good nights’ sleep, you name it…The gym junkie in me would have loved to try aqua Pilates or aqua cycling if only time permitted.   But I was desperate to steal some time in the sun; so instead, I opted for the sprawling, 1500-meter outdoor, heated pool. Often, this is where resorts fall down.  The pool area can quickly turn into an obstacle course.  But, The Residence’s architect scores big points for designing a pool which creates a subtle divide between the serious swimmers and the splashers, with a casual restaurant and bar at the centre of it all.

A couple of hundred feet beyond the bliss of the outdoor pool lies a private stretch of sandy beach, perfect for shell-collecting and dozing,  in no particular order, with a few umbrella drinks in between.

It’s easy to work up an appetite with all this healthy living, and there are five restaurants on site serving a range of local cuisine, Chinese, Continental, and casual bites.  The Residence is the only place I’ve come across which offers the Dukan Diet on its menu’s.  In fact, there’s an entire package one can sign up for, which includes cooking classes, to make the transition home easier, personal support from nutrition and fitness specialists, and a pass which allows for complimentary seconds on starters and mains, to avoid any hunger pangs.

If Tunis is the place to dip into local culture, The Residence is the place to tune out.

The Residence – Tunis
www.theresidence.com

Tunis Air
www.tunisair.com

Amy Hughes

I’m not sure Tunisia’s founding fathers gave it much thought, but if they actually sat there hundreds of years ago pondering what to name their new discovery, and considered one of its most natural off-shore resources, then I’m really rather impressed.   In case you hadn’t guessed, tuna is the national topping.  It’s practically like salt or pepper – it’s on EVERYTHING…crepes, omelettes, even pizza.    I like tuna as much as the next guy, but I’m more the seared, just blue-type tuna girl, not the flaky variety, so there’s been a lot of, “sans thon, s’il-vous plait.” 

Anytime of day is good for tuna.  In fact, it seems Tunisians hardly ever eat at home.  There are snack bars, cafes and fast food joints everywhere and people always seem to be eating or drinking something, no matter the time.   Fast food here is a bit different than in the West.  Grilled chicken or schwarma layered with salad in wraps or thick bread, and heated somehow feel healthier than at home.  In fact, it’s the equivalent of deli food, at a fraction of the price. 

Sitting at any one of the outdoor cafes that line Avenue Bourguiba can provide an authentic experience as Tunisians linger all day long, over coffee, or ice cream.  But if you want to dig a little deeper into the culture, and your French is better than restaurant level, then a Wednesday lunch in Beit al Bennani is a must.    At the edge of the medina, near the Kasbah, is a small blue doorway which opens every Wednesday at noon.  Enter, and you’ll find a courtyard walled in mosaic tiles, the home of Mohamed Bennani’s family since 1876. 

Bennani opens his home each week for a lively luncheon, hosting local and visiting scholars, authors, journalists,(Bernard Henri Levy is a guest when he’s in town) and whoever else can keep up with the conversation.  Some days that includes the homeless.    The guests constantly rotate, and it’s a casual, drop-in basis.  No invitation needed.  The menu, however, is always the same: homemade couscous and slow roasted vegetables, always with Tunisian wine.    Tunisia’s couscous is renowned for being lighter, and fluffier than Morocco’s.  I can attest to the fact that the taste is light as a feather, and pillow-like. 

This kind of salon is a typical Tunisian affair.  The former French colony has held onto many French customs, a vibrant community of intelligentsia perhaps one of the strongest traditions to remain.   Tunisians are raised with an important emphasis on education and are encouraged to leave the nest for university.  Academics achieve pop idol status in this country, the way they do in France.  

Mohammed is a big character, warm and welcoming, but be prepared to while away the afternoon.  He’s got a famous library, filled with nearly a thousand books in French and Arabic, and some 14,000 historical photographs of Tunisia.    If you’re a history buff, you’ll be invited to linger.  Legend has it that the Bennani family came to Tunisia in the 19^th century as Jews from Andalucía.  Monsieur Bennani certainly has an affinity for the Jews, and is proud of several books describing the friendly relationship between Arabs and Jews in Tunisia.    But while Tunisia is a secular society, and both synagogues and Catholic churches stand side by side with mosques here, Bannani is guarded about his Sephardic connections.    No matter, the mystery makes it all the more interesting. 

If you’ve read the current Economist, perhaps the latest Foreign Affairs, and a bit of Sartre, you’ll be well-equipped for a Bennani lunch.  Head into the souk, heading to the northern edge of the medina, come out by the Kasbah and ask for Beit al Bennani – it’s the small blue door heading down the left side of the Kasbah, doorway on the right.  And don’t worry, there’s no tuna on the menu.

This is where it all began.  I remember nearly ten months ago watching the news footage of rioters protesting a corrupt and repressive regime in Tunisia, wondering if it was the same exotic paradise I’d visited five years earlier. 

I recall having to break my Crackberry addiction cold turkey, thanks to President Ben Ali’s internet censorship, but I must have been too busy playing tourist to notice much else… like the high unemployment rates visible in the cafes which dot each town like wild mushrooms growing in a forest. 

They are everywhere. And when I saw one practically deserted today, I thought someone must have pulled the fire alarm.  Cafes in Tunisia are never empty. 

Sadok Ayari, a 26-year old new media journalist told me, “If you want to see how unemployment’s going, check the cafes. I would love to see some cafes go out of business because there are no customers. It would mean people are too busy working.” 

50c for somewhere to sit ... an overcrowded cafe in Tunis Picture: Amy Hughes

Most of Tunisia’s economic problems can be blamed on a president, whose former citizens say allowed his wife and family to create a mafia-state, helping themselves to most businesses, large and small, an instant deterrent to entrepreneurs.  

The recession hasn’t helped either, as much of Tunisia’s trade is tied with Continental Europe.

But there’s a big difference between Tunisia and its neighbours.  There’s a reason the Arab Spring started here, and it goes beyond a university-educated fruit seller immolating himself after being denied a permit to trade. 

Despite decades of a corrupt government, Tunisians have enjoyed the most progressive society in the Arab world.  Women have equal rights, Jews live peacefully among Muslims, with synagogues protected, and observers practicing, and there’s a big emphasis on education. 

Democratic experiment ... a woman votes in Tunis

OK, he’s not bad looking, but this definitely wasn’t about looks. So, I finally met Obi-Wan Redissi at his office in the popular coastal suburb of La Marsa.

This is where the posh folk live. And with sweeping views of the Med, it’s not hard to see why.  

Against a backdrop of mosaic-tiled walls, we spoke about Tunisians and their role in the revolution of the Arab world.  

Many have proclaimed this the Facebook revolution … the success of social media, taken the nth degree. 

Redissi doesn’t take anything away from the internet’s role, but he doesn’t believe it’s what really made things happen.  The basic foundation of human rights, and a high level of education, Redissi says, is what gave Tunisians the knowledge, and power to know what they were missing out on, and the confidence to know it was attainable. 

Al Chebani, the blogger, claims Ben Ali only allowed Facebook to be accessed as a concession to his children, who were keen to take part in the trendy digital sphere.  This was a classic case of the Pandora’s Box. 

Al Chebani says other rulers, like Bashar al Assad in Syria, have been wise enough to clamp down on Facebook and other sites. In Redissi’s view, Facebook and the internet were the propellers, not the drivers; an important tool nonetheless. 

And it’s doubtful one could have worked without the other. 

There is a strong pride here about being the first to try democracy.  Tunisians wonder out loud, why no other Arab nation has seen them as a role model for a secular society and hope now that they are on the cusp of true democracy, others will finally take notice, rather than dismiss their country as a tiny, insignificant state situated closer to Sicily than the Middle East. 

Amid the hope and optimism, though, there remains scepticism about politics, both simple and sophisticated. 

I visited Sidi Bouzid, the depressed town in the middle of nowhere, home to Mohammed Bouazizi, the fruit-seller who made history.

There, people feel nothing has changed. 

The fruit-seller who took over Bouazizi’s corner spot said, “We are still poor.”  For the residents of Sidi Bouzid, economics are the only campaign message that matters.  

The middle class worry about the Nada, the conservative, Islamic party with the best organisation skills, and a following. The elected parliamentary assembly will have two tasks: write a constitution, and create an interim government. 

Tunisians are worried most about the former.  This intellectual constituency wants more rights, not less. They want to ensure their rights are restored, and expanded. Redissi explained Tunisians dream of a Turkish-style, secular government which could inspire other Arab countries to follow suit. 

Sadok Ayari, the young new media journalist, envisions a Tunisia thriving with entrepreneurs, a free and fair press, and an interior developed into 5-star golf resorts to pump sun-seeking, upmarket tourists, and their bulging back pockets into the country. 

It’s too soon to know which way Tunisia will go.  Even my hotelier said, “This is the first time it happened in Tunisia.  We try. I hope it will succeed. I hope.” 

They are a rare breed, these cautious optimists, but Tunisians know how much is at stake. As Mohammed al Chebani said, “We are like a lab experiment.” 

Indeed. Except the combustion came first, let’s hope it’s now time for the logical equation.