DJERBA
Area: Tunisia


Location:
Off the SE coast of Tunisia, close to the Libyan border. 316 miles S of the capital, Tunis, 215 miles S of Sfax. Served by its own international airport.

Telephone code from UK:
216

Website:
http://www.tourismtunisia.com/togo/jerba/jerba.html

Position:
In the Gulf of Gabes, barely a mile off the coast. Connected to the mainland by a long French-built causeway.

Description:
A pancake flat, arid island oasis of olive groves, citrus orchards, palm trees and miles of broad soft sandy beaches, Djerba is about the size of the Isle of Wight. Much of the 106,000 population is scattered among the many minuscule inland settlements and the principal town of Houmt Souk on the N coast. Described in Homer's Odyssey as the Land of the Lotus Eaters, the island has endured a turbulent history with a succession of invaders _ Phoenicians, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs and the French to name but a few. With direct international charter flights able to get into its small regional airport, tourism has really mushroomed in the last decade, although it is yet to become over commercialised.

Suitability:
Middle to upmarket couples and families wanting relatively unspoilt beaches, comprehensive in-house entertainments and modern leisure facilities.

Accommodation:
Almost exclusively self-contained hotel complexes and club-style establishments standing almost side by side for several miles along the N and E coast.

Shopping:
Rather limited. Houmt Souk has a small concentration of typical souvenir shops and vaulted souks selling local jewellery, trinkets, rugs and wool products. Most hotels have their own more expensive in-house retailers selling anything from leather goods to post cards.

Beach:
10 miles of virtually unspoilt and unbroken stretches of broad soft pale sand along the N and E coast. Hotels maintain their own sectors and furnish them with straw parasols, snack shacks, loungers and water sports, although flotsam and seaweed are prevalent during the winter season.

Entertainments:
Daytime: predominantly beach based. A 27-hole golf course lies behind the main rank of hotels. Various local historic sites _ subterranean vaults and ancient settlements. Horse riding. Nightlife: individual hotels offer their own programme of live bands, impromptu dancing and some have unsophisticated nightclubs. Not for the 18_30 crowd.

Eating:
Very limited. Houmt Souk has a few cafes and eateries of no particular quality. With little other choice visitors are obliged to confine themselves to the hotels.

Public-transport:
Plenty of taxis patrol the main coast road or hover outside the gated entrances to the hotels. Fares are a little more expensive than other parts of Tunisia due to the captive market. Buses run hourly (supposedly) to and from the tourist area to Houmt Souk.