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When looking to experience the real flavour of Africa visitors can do worse than spending a week exploring the province of Mpumalanga. This historical region lies approximately six hours away from Johannesburg by car, so it is easy enough to drive to. With so much to see and experience, it can be a bit confusing planning an itinerary. The following are the most popular attractions in the region, and give an idea of what this wonderful area has to offer:

1. Wildlife

Mpumalanga is renowned for its game reserves and conservation efforts. And topping the list of game reserves is the Kruger National Park. The greatest opportunity to enjoy African wildlifelies within this historical game reserve. The most common method of exploration is self-driving around the park, while staying overnight in one of the twelve camps. You can however also take part in guided walks, bicycle rides, night time game drives or even a round of golf right in the middle of the wilderness at the Skukuza Golf Course!

Bordering the Kruger are many private game lodges, offering opulent surroundings and exquisite services, while you relax in the African bush. Wherever you stay you can be sure to view a huge amount of diverse wildlife, from zebras and springbok to any of the ‘Big Five’ of buffalo, elephant, leopard, lion, and rhinoceros.

2. Waterfalls

The area is home to many stunning waterfalls, which are all within day trip distance of each other. The top falls include the Berlin Falls, Eland River Falls, Forest Falls, Lisbon Falls, Lone Creek Waterfall, Mac-Mac Falls and Montrose Falls. All of the above waterfalls can be found with ease just off the main roads, although there is a short hike to the Forest Falls. Swimming is permitted at the both Berlin and popular Mac-Mac Falls.

3. Beauty Spots

There are many wonderful beauty spots in Mpumalanga, but perhaps the most popular one is the Blyde River Canyon. This massive natural canyon cuts through the famous Drakensburg Mountains, and has much for the traveller to discover and admire. Gods Window, Wonder View, the Pinnacle, the Three Rondavels and Bourke’s Luck Potholes are all must-see items that should be included on any tour of the ‘Panoramic Route’ of the canyon.

The eerie, yet beautiful Sudwala Caves offer a different kind of exploratory visit to tourists with its complex system of tunnels and rock formations. This is where Kruger’s Millions may even be hidden, although they have never been found…

4. Towns and Villages

There are a number of towns that should be visited in order to appreciate the history of the area. Sabie is generally associated with outdoor pursuits. Walks on offer include simple one day hikes, to the more extreme 70km Fanie Botha Trail, complete with basic camps with no hot water! Fly-fishing, the Long Tom ultra marathon, rock climbing and various other activities can be enjoyed, while the town offers plenty of curio and art sellers and lots of choice in places to eat.

Graskop is another wonderful little town, which, like Sabie, is close to many tourist attractions. The town has plenty of accommodation and is famed for its specialty pancakes!

Pilgrims Rest is a step back in time. A time when gold prospectors came to the town in the 1800’s. The town has been restored to how it would have looked back then, and is a national monument. An overnight stay in the Victorian style Royal Hotel, or gold-panning the old fashioned way are highly recommended.

There are also cultural villages to be visited such as the Ebutsini and the Matsamo cultural villages. South Africa has a population as diverse as its wildlife. These villages give visitors to the country a chance to see how the indigenous tribes lived in earlier times. Guests can stay in these villages to experience genuine African food, ceremonies and other activities such as horseback trails.

Mpumalanga is a province rich in history, teeming with wildlife and covered in beauty. It is a destination that should be explored at least once in a person’s life.

As I’m sure Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie would agree, Namibia is quite a country.

South Africa is on the tongues of many travellers this year. The world cup is coming to town in a couple of months and everyone in South Africa is more excited than a child with a rattle. It’s part of the recession cure and great boost to a failing infrastructure. Businesses are competing for business and everyone wants a finger in the pie. It’s a huge income for a greedy country.

People already have a mental picture of our country. Many see open stretches of grass lands filled with wild animals from lions to Elephants and our cities are made out of shanties. Many also believe that there is only Africans with their traditional cloths and traditional rituals. South Africa is in fact a very surprising country to visit. It’s a container filled with surprises and filled with all kinds of people and races. Some of our cities are truly ground breaking and Cape town is one of the most prettiest areas to visit.

We may have some fantastic scenery’s and people, but there is also several other nasties the traveller needs to be aware of. South Africa is not always a safe place and everyone should be extremely weary and careful of where they go and what they do. I will list the 10 most important things that the traveller should be aware of. Take these steps serious and prepare well.

1. If you decide to travel at night make sure it’s with a group of friends and you know the directions. It’s always best to do some research on the place or area your going to visit.

2. When using our bus service and Taxi service make sure the vehicles are in a safe working condition. Some taxis are truly dangerous and their drivers can cause an accident very quickly.

3. If you are located on any of the beaches in South Africa, be sure to be accompanied by someone if you decide to take a walk.

4. Always lock your doors and close your windows when your not around. This goes for cars as well and try not to make your valuables obvious inside of the vehicle.

5. Never drink the tap water, doesn’t matter where you are. Rather purchase spring water and be safe.

6. Make sure you try some ‘Biltong’ when in South Africa. It’s a tasty protein snack and a total addiction.

7. Pap is one of our favourite and cheapest food around. Ask for this when in South Africa. It can be enjoyed with mince and is liked as a great breakfast with eggs or milk and sugar.

8. The bunny chow is also a fantastic meal at half the price.

9. When close to the bush veld area try and go for game drives.

10. Wherever you are, try to enjoy South Africa itself just as much as the sport we will be hosting.

I hope you will enjoy your stay in South Africa. In the next coming weeks I will provide the soccer fan with interesting locations to visit. There is so much to do and see it will be mind boggling.

Taxis

Image via Wikipedia

Biltong

Bunny chow

The sights and sounds of Lagos are amazing. Lagos State is like a country unto itself. There are various towns, all with markets and living quarters. There is the constant chatter of various languages, as well as motorcycle and bus engines and last but not least the ongoing toot of vehicles horns. It is definitely not a place for the faint hearted because the amount of people walking about will and can overwhelm you. Lagos is overcrowded and it is not uncommon to experience a “go-slow” or traffic jam that lasts for hours. At any given time you can witness massive amounts of people converging on the streets and navigating traffic via foot or automobile. You will also find a plethora of businesses including street vendors and storefront properties. The senses are titillated and one is inundated with any and every item to meet the needs of people. If you like hustle and bustle, then this is the place to be. It is a diamond in the rough.

If you have never visited Nigeria, I would recommend you do so and get a taste of what it is really like. You may have done a web search, heard from friends, seen Nigeria on a television program-but there is nothing like the real thing. If you are cautious about 419 scams etc, you would be relieved to know that there are structures stamped with “This property is not for sale-beware of 419.” So not only have outsiders experienced such but native Nigerians as well.

I had an experience in the market place with my fiancé and his friends. This was not my first experience hearing negotiations or bartering, however this experience involved me as a visitor and family member. Unlike my past experience where I was a tourist. I was being drawn into the negotiation for some beautiful dresses that I wanted, but by 3 different women at the same time. LOL I played it safe and focused on the first woman.

I can say that having personal connections in the only way to manage oneself in Lagos. I thought about if I lived here what I would experience. Excitement, frustration, confusion and all the other elements that go into culture shock… The yellow busses would be my first thing I would need to learn because that is the major source of transportation. People pack in and journey about their way. Secondly getting used to the amount of people walking or going about their daily affairs, would pose its challenges. And of course the language barriers as well as the amount of rubbish strewn about. However, putting those aside, people here are very mannerable as a normal way of life. It was not uncommon to hear sir, madam, thank you, welcome, brother, sister, auntie, how was your day etc.

There are restaurants as well as “buka’s”, which is the local eatery. Buka’s serve the traditional Nigerian cuisine. If you are a vegetarian-well…it will be difficult to get a vegan meal. There is egusi soup, pepper soup, vegetable stew, fried fish in a sauce, jollof rice, etc., most of which will be accompanied by fufu, pounded yam, semovita or rice. The local delicacy is Isi-Ewu. If you don’t know what it is I suggest you do a Google search and also find images. I have to add a little suspense for my readers- so I just did.

One of the most beautiful sites that I saw was the Synagogue Church of All Nations. The structure was enormous. It housed beautiful blue windows and every pane had a scripture carved on it. The entrance way has a marble mosaic of the Bible which is very beautiful. Another site I visited was Badagry. Badagry is an ancient town where Yoruba people live and in the past were taken to Brazil during the Atlantic Slave Trade. It is said that 4 heads were sold for 1 umbrella. Also there are barracks there that housed 400 slaves before they made their trek down to shore through the door of no return. The families of this slave merchant (who was an African) still reside in these quarters and the monies made from tours go to help support the families. Also around this area is the first story building in Nigeria. It was built in 1842. This is where missionaries taught Yoruba people how to read Bible and the Bible was later on translated into the Yoruba language. On the premises is a well and it is the only well in this vicinity that has clean, tasteless, odorless water. I was up for the challenge, and cupped my hands for drinking. Indeed, it was refreshing. If you have ever been curious about what Nigeria has to offer, there are other places to see such as Abuja and Calabar. Calabar is another area that has some rich history concerning slavery.

Next flight to Nigeria, I might be your seat companion!

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Though at one time the pan was a lake fed by a river, today the pan is mostly dry and only fills during heavy rains and then quickly dries up again.

The park is almost 14,000 square miles large and home to some of the most magnificent animals on planet earth. These are some of the fantastic creatures found inside Etosha National Park.

Giraffe

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The South African giraffe can be found in Etosha where they will fill up with large quantities of water when it is available in the pan to hold them over for the dry periods.

Kori Bustard

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One of the heaviest birds in the world that can fly, the Kori Bustard can reach heights approaching 4 feet and weigh up to 50 lbs.

Lions

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The king of the Jungle lives in Etosha which is not a jungle at all and lions do not really live in the jungle. Etosha provides plentiful prey for these beasts to fight over.

Elephants

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Roughly 2,000 elephants make their home in and around Etosha and they are regarded as the tallest elephants in Africa.

Leopard

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The smallest of the four big cats after tigers, lions and jaguars, the leopard is generally a solitary hunter and can be hard to spot in Etosha.

Warthogs

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Warthogs are members of the pig family that live in the wild. The can grow up to 5 feet tall and weigh well over 300 lbs. Sow’s like the one pictured here will defend their cubs viciously even attacking lions if necessary. Reportedly warthogs will allow banded mongooses to groom them in Etosha.

Zebras

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Herds of Zebras are relatively plentiful in Etosha as the open grasslands provide ideal habitat for them. Unlike their relative the horse, Zebras have never really been domesticated to any real extent.

Rhinos

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Both black and white rhinos can be found in Etosha where they prefer to use watering holes at night. Black rhinos (3,600 in wild) are a critically endangered species while white rhinos (9,000 in wild) are listed as vulnerable.

Southern Ostrich

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The largest living species of bird who also lays the largest eggs live in Etosha where they do not fly as the ostrich is a flightless bird.

Monitor Lizards

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Sometimes referred to as “leguaans” (iguana in Dutch) in Southern Africa, these large reptiles are reportedly not that hard to find in Etosha.

Mongoose

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Rikki-Tikki-Tavi can be found in Etosha! Reportedly they will groom the warthogs in Etosha.

Springbok

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The name means jumping antelope or goat in Afrikaans and Dutch and springboks are noted for their springing in the air actions. The springbok has a growing population in Etosha and are widely hunted for their beautiful coats by humans and tasty meat by the lions, cheetahs and leopards. Springboks can run well over 50 mph.

Black Eyed Jackals

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The Black-backed Jackal is the oldest living member of the genus Canis and are quite common in Etosha.

Dik Dik

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These small antelopes are named for the sound they make and provide food for the predators like monitors, lions, cheetahs, leopards, hyenas and jackals that roam the park.

Spotted Hyena

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Thought to be scavengers at one time, hyenas are recognized today as great hunters and they have plenty of prey to choose from in Etosha. Hyenas have been known to kill humans.

Chameleon

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Not sure if Warren Buffet’s Geico provides travel insurance to Etosha visitors but one of the lodges near Etosha is named Chameleon Backpackers Lodge.

Wildebeest

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A large antelope found in Etosha that can live up to 20 years.

Gemsbok

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Another antelope found in the park, they can reach speeds of 60 mph.

Cheetah

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The fastest land animal makes its home in Etosha but are sometimes hard to spot. There is nearby Cheetah Farm though were you can pet the tame felines.

Impala

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Medium sized antelope found in Etosha that can run over 50 mph.

Cape Fox

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Etosha’s open grassland plains provides a good habitat for cape foxes which mate the year round unlike their cousin the red fox.

Flamingos

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When the pan is full of water the flamingos appear.

Humans

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Can be seen frequently visiting the park on a daily basis where they sometimes interact with the local wildlife.

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For another great place to visit in Namibia please see Namib Desert: A Hauntingly Beautiful Place

The tea poured, he began to tell me about the wondrous herbs, spices and crystals that filled his shop. Cardomon, star anise, grains of paradise and ajwain seeds to make delicious couscous and spicy tagines. Thyme to use as an antiobiotic, marjoram to combat rheumatism. The aphrodisiacs ash berries and monk’s peppers to tempt my lover when I returned home. Lavender to soothe (my hangover). and a white crystal to stop the bleeding when shaving.

My senses drunk with the wonderful aromas and the delicious tea, and my hangover beating its revenge behind my forehead, I knew I would soon be spending some money. He asked me which herbs and spices I was most keen on. I weakly selected four at random, and he began to pour my selections into bags. He put the bags on the table. They were full. I began to feel a bit scared. How much was this going to cost? He reached for the scales and started weighing, then wrote down the price for each of my selections. They totalled £68.

Despite the fog filling my brain, I knew I was in trouble. How had I got here? I didn’t actually want to buy any spices at all, but how was I going to extricate myself whilst not offending him and still retaining my dignity?

Perhaps he could see my fear. Or just felt sorry for me. But whatever it was, he realised that I was a bit shocked, so took pity on me and said I could just choose two if I liked. So I chose the lavender, which I thought I would need to relax after my experience, and a strange herb which you mixed with water to make a weight-loss drink – well, it was worth a try. The total now was £32.

I knew I had to haggle. But it doesn’t come easy to an English girl of Cotswold origin. I shyly said it was too much, and his eyes lit up as the game began. With the gentleness of a child and the sales techniques of a City trader, he gradually broke down my defences as I struggled to stay strong and keep up the bartering. I reduced the price whilst he threw more ingredients into the deal.

Finally, we reached an agreement with which we were both happy. I handed over the money, and finished my tea. I stood up, and we exchanged a warm and friendly handshake – he was happy with a good sale, and I was happy that I’d escaped with all of my dignity and most of my money intact.

I returned to my hotel and fell asleep, the effects of the unexpected adventure and the remnants of the hangover combining to provoke some colourful dreams. On waking, I looked into the bag that he’d given me. For just £11, I ended up with the lavender, the coriander and the weight-loss herb, and he’d thrown in free of charge the shaving crystal for my boyfriend. Plus an indelible lip balm which turned lurid pink and couldn’t be removed for eight hours, making me look like Coco the Clown in my holiday photos.

Many more seasoned travellers will probably now be laughing at my inexperience, my gullibility and my weakness. I’m sure that it was a high price to pay. But the memory of the scent-filled shop, the colourful cushions, the delicious flavour of the tea and above all, the skilled and respectful shopkeeper are worth every penny, and the lesson in haggling meant that two days later I bought a wonderful leather bag at a great price!

Now where did I put my tagine?

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It is said, the night has a thousand eyes. I thought it would be nice to share with you the readers some of the landmarks of Egypt; it has many places and things to see.

One of my favorite landmarks is the Tower in the city of Cairo. You can see as far as the eyes will allow and pretty well in all directions. It is a freestanding tower, (187 meter) or (617 feet) high.

This concrete structure is located in the Zamalex district on Gezira Island in the River Nile.

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You can see by looking at the picture that it is a cool tower.

If you are ever in Egypt, you will want to visit some of its Universities, as they are a site to see. Cairo is considered the hub of education for the completely Arab world.

The picture below is of the Cairo University.

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You may also want to visit the Great Pyramids of Egypt; take in the history of them and pass it along to your children. They are really awesome and very rich with information concerning the culture and history. Students if planning on a field trip to these places would come away with many memories.

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Another of my absolute favorite sites is the Great Sphinx. If you are ever in Egypt, it is one of your top to do list. You will not regret it.

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You may want to take a tour deep inside one or more of the Great Pyramids also. You can learn a lot of ancient history.

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This is a great shot of the inside of one.

The Great Pyramids are also considered the world’s oldest mysteries. There is still much history buried here and one day soon, I am sure we will hear of many new finds beneath the sands of Egypt.

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You may also consider visiting some of the tombs that belonged to the Kings.

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King Tut the ruler of Egypt tomb is shown above.

This is the face of King Tut and it is truly amazing. I hope you have enjoyed some of the wonders of Egypt with me. I loved writing about them.

Places of Interest for Snorkeling and Diving:

• The lighthouse
• Blue hole (this is the best)
• The Laguna

For Mountain Climbing:

• Mt. Sinai
• Wind surfing
• The Laguna

ATV:

• All over the town

Let’s start. The main part of Dahab which is the most happening one is the El Mashrabe Street (sharae). This is the street where all the low cost budget hostels are located as well as the scuba diving centers etc. the corniche connects to the lighthouse to these hostels most of which are located on the corniche or have approaches to it.

Hilton is located not far off and also has a party scene but nothing like the one on the corniche.

Dahab is a base for scuba diving where one can do introductory dives for around 20 usd the best time to go is June July which is kind of the off season and Nov – Dec should be avoided as prices tend to increase a lot at that time. The diving around the lighthouse is not as enriching probably because of people pollution.

The blue hole is the best part for snorkelers and divers. I have heard that no one has been able to touch its bottom and experienced divers have gone down never to return. That sends a chill!!!

Anyways the sea life and corals are amazing here and unspoilt at least they were and the fact that the approach road is unmettalled would give the area a longer time to be spoilt. one should also keep in mind not to go near the corals as it could damage them and besides while swimming should avoid getting close to the rocks because if the tide is strong then there have been instances where injuries have been reported due to people colliding with the rocks. There is no better way to spend the afternoon than to be at the blue hole with its calming waters and just appreciating nature at its best. There are some small inns where one can keep bags etc and order a bit of snacks and that are it.

The scenery is truly exhilarating. At one side u have mountains with no vegetation on them bare mountains with the sun over them perpetually and at the other side u have the red sea and this hole. I truly recommend people to at least go to the hole three times because the area is so large that one would not be able to scout the whole place I mean snorkel!! Besides entrance to the hole is free although there r lots of checkpoints which in one sense is good since it keeps the crime element away but u have to return at evening because no one is permitted to stay. That’s about the blue hole but it’s bigger than the words which I have described it with aside from me being a very lousy writer.

After returning to the hostel at evening there is just one thing to do grab a bit of rest to b in shape for the night party. there is this bar called TOTA built as a ship where entrance for foreigners is free and thus one can enjoy the fruits of this life for free TOTA is designed like a submarine and the locals who come here are the ones owning the guesthouses and trying to have fun since local women are almost non existent in Dahab!! lolz!!

The eunuchs, also known as the “impotent ones” or Hijras, are men and boys who have been castrated through a genital reassignment surgery where the penis and testes are removed. This process is usually done through unsophisticated means, without the use of anesthesia or antibiotics. Some of the Hijras go through this process voluntarily while others are forced into it. The “lucky” ones are the intersexual ones, who do not have to go through any surgery to become Hijras.

This tradition has been in India for generations and as of 1990, studies say there were 50,000 Hijras. Their exact number today is unknown but they still live in some parts of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.

Modernization of the Indian society has, however, reduced their chances of getting decent jobs and some have turned to prostitution as a means of livelihood.

Another similar tradition occurred in China, before the Sui Dynasty, where eunuchs worked with the Imperial Service and gained a lot of power in the society.

The Fulani Sharo Tradition

“Sharo” means flogging. It is a public ceremony that demonstrates to the society that a young man has come of age, and may take a wife. The young participant is continuously whipped by someone else, called a challenger, but he must show no signs of pain. Blood and injuries are usually sustained. Many have died in this ceremony and survivors are deemed courageous.

The tradition is common amongst a group of people known as the Fulanis and they can be found in Mali, Cameroon, Niger, Nigeria and some other parts of Africa.

The Sati Culture in India

Sati is an ancient culture that existed amongst the Hindus in India, where a woman would burn herself on her dead husband’s funeral fire. It was considered an honorable act and the widow was believed to enter straight into heaven, as a reward for her sacrifice. She became a goddess and statues were built in her honor.

The act was banned by the British Government, but in the late 1980s, an instance was reported. Another case was also reported in 2002.

The Prevention of Sati Act now makes it illegal to aid, glorify or commit Sati. All offenses are punishable under the law.

Chinese Foot Binding

This was an ancient and extremely painful tradition practiced by the Chinese. An estimated 5 billion Chinese women were subjected to excruciating pain in a bid to make their feet look elegant.

From as little as the age of four, a young girl would have her feet bound tightly with bandages by elderly women. These bandages were kept on, but were changed regularly and increasingly tightened. The general aim of foot binding was to keep the foot at a desired size of 3-4 inches.

After years of agonizing pain, toe deformation and tight bandages, the girl would end up with a pair of tiny, folded feet.

Some of the women, who didn’t die in the process from infections like gangrene, lost the convenient use of their toes.

Despite the fact that walking and running were almost impossible for these women, those who didn’t take part in the tradition were deemed disrespectful. They were ostracized and it was difficult for them to find husbands. Their toes were considered ugly and unattractive.

Even though the tradition was outlawed, it still continued until the 1930s.

I stayed in Sousse, which turned out to be an excellent base for getting out and about in Tunisia. However, if all you want is to relax on the beach and wander the shops then Sousse is ideal as everything is at hand. The long golden beaches, shaded by palm sunshades, provided by the hotels, are very relaxing. Some hotels provide free sun loungers, others charge; either way, if you want to spend the day on the beach or beside a hotel pool you need, particularly in the high season, to get down early to stakeout your spot. Water sports are offered by most of the hotels and the more intrepid of holidaymakers can paraglide from the beach, jet-ski or even take a camel ride along the sands. There are a few beach touts trying to sell their trinkets, some are quite determined but will disappear eventually if totally ignored!

The majority of the hotels are on the outskirts of the town, but a cheap and efficient taxi and bus service takes you quickly into Sousse itself, or you can take a more relaxed ride into the town on the “Noddy” train. Sousse is centered on the Medina, a walled inner City packed with a maze of narrow streets overflowing with small shops and stalls – a real shoppers dream! Haggling and bartering are the order of the day and everyone has great satisfaction when an agreeable price is struck. If you don’t like haggling then there are stores with fixed prices for goods. It’s often a good idea to pop into one of these first to check out the prices before entering upon a tough stint of bargaining. Leather handbags and purses were good value. Local ceramic ware was cheap but jewellery needed care as quality was at times questionable. One of the best buys without doubt were local carpets however you need a will of steel to get away from the carpet touts if you dare to hint you might be interested in purchasing. For a fun experience it is worth listening to the sales pitch!

The oldest monument in the Medina is The Ribat, built at the end of the 8th century AD. A flight of stairs leads to the top of the watchtower giving wonderful views over the ancient Medina. The inner courtyard is the only part of the Great Mosque opened to non-Muslims but is worth visiting for that incredible feeling of history. Cafes and restaurants are dotted all over the Medina and city offering everything from burgers to couscous. The local food is excellent and worth trying particularly for quick snacks. Try the “Brik”, a triangular envelope of crispy pastry usually stuffed with runny, lightly cooked egg and tuna.

Sousse has a thriving commercial and fishing port and there is a pleasant walk along the front to view the boats but take care, as you have to walk across the main railway line before reaching the harbor side. A small museum, full of Roman Mosaics and artifacts is a fascinating and delightful cooling place to visit on a hot Tunisian afternoon. It is a haven of peace and tranquility after the noisy confines of the Souk!

Not far from Sousse is the modern, purpose built, lively Marina complex of Port El Kantaoui crammed full of expensive yachts. Apartments, shops offering traditional handicrafts, numerous cafes and restaurants vying for your business, surround it. The seafood here was superb – so fresh that it nearly leapt off the plate! As the owner of one restaurant told me, “No fish landed then no menu!” The Port was, I thought, pricey and very crowded but with the sun shining and the clatter of halyards on the chic yachts all could be forgiven. From here boat trips can be taken in a variety of craft galleons, a yellow submarine or a more sober catamaran for the less adventurous. Port El Kantaoui also boasts a fine golf course and a plethora of up market hotels.

When it comes to ancient monuments then Tunisia can rival the glory of Rome. The Coliseum at El Jem is breathtaking and is only slightly smaller than its famous cousin in Rome. I took a train ride from Sousse to visit the ruins and experienced a trouble free one hour trip, stopping within 500 meters of the spectacular ruins. It really is magnificent, built around 230-240 AD with an estimated seating capacity of 30,000. It still stands proud and in a remarkably good state of preservation. As I climbed to the top tier I looked down on the arena below – little imagination was required to envisage the spectacle of the gruesome gladiatorial fights.

Another outing took me to ancient Carthage. I opted for a guided coach tour from the hotel to visit the famous ruins. Carthage was eventually crushed by Rome and became the third largest city in the Roman Empire. En route, the tour visited the renowned Bardo museum with its incomparable collection of giant marble statues and incredible mosaics. From there we meandered up the hilly street of the delightful blue and white village of Sidi Bou Said with its breathtaking views across the Bay of Tunis.

Here I had a chance to catch up on my shopping as I wandered the narrow street packed full of gift shops offering their merchandise. This included camels – no matter where you go or where you look in Tunisia you see stuffed camels, they come in all shapes and sizes – and all prices! I fell in love with the “singing” camels and had the battery confiscated by my friend back home as the incessant high pitch “whine” drove him mad! No holiday is complete without one or two! Look out again for local silver jewellery, pottery, and leatherwork and of course rugs and carpets. Unfortunately most are too heavy and cumbersome to carry home on the plane, but many shops do offer a delivery service.

To sum up, Sousse was an enjoyable holiday destination with nonstop sunshine, clean beaches, a choice of hotels offering facilities for single travelers’ right through to large family parties. The nightlife is as hectic or quiet as you want and it is possible to get away from the madding crowds that appear in the high season. There is a large choice of extra activities including diving, golf, local excursions and 4×4 tours to the desert.