(NB: The recent political uprisings in Tunisia caused several governments to issue travel warnings for their citizens planning to travel to Tunisia. The situation has however improved greatly after the ousting of President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. Many governments have since then eased the travel alert. However, if you are still concerned about your security, you should seek adequate information from your travel agent and/or country’s state department before making any Tunisia travel plans)

Tunisia is a true gem of North Africa travel, even though an unsung one. Nestled between Algeria and Libya, two of the largest countries in Africa, Tunisia is one country you can easily ignore in any map of Africa. Yet it offers you a great holiday experience that very few other African destinations can match.

Nature and history are the two key ingredients to Tunisia’s attractiveness. Its location at the Mediterranean sea has gifted it with incredibly beautiful beaches, where you can enjoy the perfect sun-and-sand beach holiday. When you venture just a few kilometers from the coast, you will get into the expansive Sahara desert, whose amazing landscapes you can explore atop the back of a camel.

After you have had enough of the beaches and desert landscapes, you can tour the many historical sites in Tunisia. Carthage is one of these. This ancient city-state was the capital of the Phoenician civilization. The city was situated just North of present day Tunis.

It was from Carthage that Hannibal, the great conqueror, launched his almost successful conquest of the Roman empire. From its early days, Carthage and Tunisia have been under the control of different great civilizations, among them the Greeks, Romans, and the Arabs. Today, there are several monuments from this rich past, which you should visit during your trip to Tunisia.

Below are pictures of 11 of the greatest sites you must visit in Tunisia. To book a holiday to Tunisia, I recommend you take a look at these great Tunisia holiday packages at the RealAdventures.com website.

1. El Djem
An ancient Roman town that today hosts several relics from the Roman empire

2. The Ruins of Carthage
Once the capital of the Phoenician civilization, this ancient city was destroyed (and later rebuilt) by the Romans around 146BC. Most of the ruins remaining today are those of the Roman Carthage, which was destroyed by the Arabs in the 7th century AD.

3. Dougga
Another ancient Roman city that has gained the UNESCO world heritage status for being “the best preserved example of an Africo-Roman town in North Africa”.

4. Grand Erg Oriental
A large field of sand dunes stretching for about 600Km from Algeria to Tunisia.

5. Djerba Island
North Africa’s largest island, renowned for its beautiful sunsets and pristine beaches. It also has its fair share of archaeological sites.

6. Sidi Bou Saïd
An almost picture-perfect small town with most of its buildings having whitewashed walls and blue windows and doors. The villa in the  photo below is just one of the many beautiful blue and white buildings in Sidi Bou Said. Image by Craig Macintosh.

7. Sousse
A tourist resort city with a beautiful sea front with fine sandy beaches. Its Medina is a UNESCO world heritage site.

8. Bulla Regia
Formerly, an ancient Roman city, now an archaeological site most renowned for underground villas with many fine mosaics.

9. Hammamet
One of the most popular destinations in Tunisia because of its beaches, and its suitability for water sports.

10. Bardo Museum in Tunis
This museum has a collection of many antiquities from Tunisia’s history from the time of the Greek civilization, to the modern days

11. Cap Bon
A spectacular peninsula lying between the Gulf of Tunis and the Gulf of Hammamet. Some people refer to it as “the garden of Tunisia”