Tunis lifestyle

Shopaholics will think they've died and gone to heaven in Tunis. Just plunge into the tangled web of lanes around the medina and you'll enter a fairytale world of maze-like souks crowded with noisy stalls, hawkers and makeshift shops selling everything from Tunisian leather, brass and copperware and iron lanterns to carpets, clothes, perfumes, exotic spices and endless other treasures, trinkets and antiques. There are separate souks specialising in leather, metalwork and spices, but wherever you are, remember to haggle - it's the done thing and the fun thing!

Tunisian cuisine offers something to satisfy every appetite from the ethnic fast food of its medina to the international restaurants. Tantalizing flavours, herbs and spices an essential ingredient. Most dishes feature cumin, saffron, ginger, turmeric, cloves and cinnamon to bring out the flavours of meat, vegetables and pastries. Restaurants and stalls cook up fried fish and aromatic kebabs and you can feast on delicious tagines - tender meat and vegetable stews cooked under conical clay lids. Other delicacies include a delicious concoction of cous-cous served with meat, fish or vegetables, hummous, Brik a loeuf, a filo pastry filled with egg and tabourna, delicious freshly baked bread. Desert-wise, give zgougou, a sweet vanilla packed full of nuts a try. And, whatever you do, make sure you sample some Tunisian mint tea - it's wonderfully refreshing. Whilst here don't miss out on climbing the cobblestones of Sidi Bou Said to the lighthouse at the top, you can sip mint tea as you marvel at the spectacular view, especially as the sun sets.

Evening's tend to be relaxed with most night-life revolving around bars in town and in hotels, so it never gets too rowdy. For a memorable evening, take in the sunset from the café at the top of Sidi Bou Said, sipping mint tea as the bright orange sun slips below the horizon. Alternatively, most hotels stage flamboyant Tunisian folklore nights, some with incredible whirling dancing, where you can join in a carnival of colour and live music and singing. Otherwise, stroll around the centres to find friendly coffee houses or book one of the restaurants to enjoy a leisurely meal.