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Tunisia

 * "TN" redirects here. For the Indian state, see Tamil Nadu; for the US state, see Tennessee.

The Republic of Tunisia (Arabic: تونس Tūnis), is a country in North Africa bordering the Mediterranean Sea. Tourist infrastructure is well developed, and there are several ways to enjoy the loveliness of Tunisia, including spending time on the gorgeous Mediterranean beaches, viewing its ancient ruins, living its thriving desert culture, or sampling its delicious cuisine.

Cities

 * — the laid-back capital of Tunisia with easy access to Carthage and a very authentic souk
 * — large town on the east coast, mostly a rail and bus transit point
 * — a major site for Islamic pilgrimage
 * — Byzantine and Ottoman architecture in this small town in the northwest
 * — former captal
 * — ancient city with a history back to Phoenician times; these days it is home of the main charter flight airport in the country
 * — historic town with a great old kasbah; also access to the Kerkennah Islands
 * — a for its architecture and a popular beach resort
 * — the "Gate of the Desert", a Saharan city known for its date tree plantation and Saharan tourism
 * — gateway to several mountain oasis villages

Other destinations

 * — Phoenician colony, biggest trade metropolis of the antique world; famously razed by the Romans; remnants now encased in a museum; site easily reached by train from Tunis
 * — a Mediterranean island in the south which is popular with sun-seekers, and home to a historic synagogue that is one of the last remaining active ones in the Arab world
 * — impressive ruins of a remote Roman city
 * — one of the best preserved Roman amphitheaters in the world
 * — a large Saharan National Park with impressive dunes and rock formations
 * — remnants of the sole untouched Punic settlement which is a UNESCO World Heritage site
 * — on the edge of the sand desert, the saharan oasis known for its hot spring and old roman fort
 * — berber village of cave abodes, where Star Wars' Tatooine was set
 * — get aboard the restored Red Lizard vintage train snaking through scenic gorges and hills
 * (Sbeitla) — a fairly well preserved Roman settlement in the mid-west area of Tunisia
 * — surrounded by various historic forts (ksar) and another filming location of Star Wars

History
Tunisia has a rich cultural history, ever since antiquity. The Carthaginian Empire, Rome's archenemy, was centred in Tunisia. Its capital, Carthage, is now a suburb of Tunis. Founded by Phoenician settlers from Tyre and Sidon (modern day Lebanon), Carthage was an ancient Mediterranean powerhouse. Three wars between Rome and Carthage (known as the Punic wars) were waged in the first few centuries before the birth of Christ. These culminated with the decimation of Carthage in 146 BCE by the Roman general Scipio, who is said to have wept at its destruction.

Between the destruction of ancient Carthage and the Arabic conquests of the 7th century, many cultures have made Tunisia their home. Carthage enjoyed a new period of prosperity under the Roman Empire until its collapse in the 5th century. Roman rule was replaced briefly by the Vandals, who made Carthage the capital of their kingdom. Carthage was then absorbed temporarily by the Byzantine Empire, until the rise of Islam in the 7th century.

After the dissipation of the Arabic Caliphates, the Ottoman Empire's Turkish Pashas ruled Tunisia. With the fall of the Ottoman Empire, Tunisia eventually fell under the sway of European Imperialism, as a French Protectorate, along with neighbouring Algeria.

Following independence from France 20 March 1956, President Habib Bourguiba established a strict one-party state. He dominated the country for 31 years, repressing Islamic fundamentalism and establishing rights for women unmatched by any other Arab nation. Bourghiba was quietly replaced in 1987 by Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. His forced resignation was carried out under the pretext that he was unfit to carry out his duties as president, due to his ailing mental and physical state as a result of extreme old age. Nonetheless, Bourghiba is still credited with the birth of the modern state of Tunisia, for which he fought his entire life. Ben Ali took a moderate, non-aligned stance in its foreign relations. Domestically, it sought to defuse rising pressure for a more open political society.

However, this changed in late 2010. Mohamed Bouazizi, a street vendor set himself on fire in protest of the confiscation of his wares and police harassment. This became the catalyst for the Tunisian Revolution, as well as the Arab Spring. After massive street protests, Ben Ali was forced out of power in January 2011. Since then, Tunisia has taken the path towards democratization of political and civil life.

Malta and Tunisia are discussing the commercial exploitation of the continental shelf between their countries, particularly for oil exploration.

Climate
Temperate in north with mild, rainy winters and hot, dry summers; desert in south.

Terrain
Mountains in north; hot, dry central plain; semiarid south merges into the Sahara desert.

Public holidays

 * Independence Day, 20th March - a time when hotel rooms are completely booked. Plan accordingly.

Tourist information

 * Discover Tunisia website

Get in
Tunisia depends a lot on tourism; therefore, many people can visit the country without a visa.

Visa
Citizens of Algeria, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Barbados, Belgium, Belize, Bermuda, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, British Virgin Islands, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Chile, China, Côte d'Ivoire, Croatia, Denmark, Dominica, Falkland Islands, Fiji, Finland, France, Gambia, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Guinea, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kiribati, South Korea, Kuwait, Libya, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Macau, Malaysia, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Monaco, Montenegro, Montserrat, Morocco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Niger, North Macedonia, Norway, Oman, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and Grenadines, San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Singapore, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States and Vatican City do not require a visa to enter and stay for up to 3 months.

Citizens of Canada do not require a visa to enter and stay for up to 4 months.

If you're not a citizen of any of the countries listed above, you must apply for a visa in advance at a Tunisian embassy.

Visa application requirements
Visa requirements vary from country to country; however, you're normally required to submit the following to apply for a Tunisian visa:

 * A copy of your passport (must have a validity of more than six months)
 * Proof of your legal status in the country you're living in
 * A letter of invitation from your host in Tunisia (a hotel reservation will suffice)
 * The first page of your passport

The Tunisian embassy in the United States states that the Tunisian Ministry of the Interior vets all tourist visa applications and may take up to 21 days to process any visa.

By plane
Tunisair is the national airline of Tunisia.

 * From the airport, you can catch a taxi to the centre of Tunis (beware, meters may be rigged). They are best hailed from the 2nd floor departure hall to avoid getting swindled and should cost no more than 7 DT to downtown Tunis (Avenue Habib Bourguiba area) during the daytime, and no more than 10 DT, 21:00-05:00 (during which meter rates are 150% of daytime rates).
 * Alternatively, take bus #635 or #35 to Ave Habib Bourguiba for 0.47 DT. The bus comes roughly every half-hour and stops in front of the terminal.
 * The official airport Wi-Fi requires payment, but connection to the public "Lindo Cafe" network from a restaurant of the same name is free.
 * For cheap snacks and coffee/tea in place of overpriced airport fare, walk 3 minutes straight out of the airport's bottom floor (arrivals), past the fountain, through the parking lot, and you'll find a small convenience store and cafe selling items at local prices (espresso for 0.7 DT). It is next to a utilitarian car wash.
 * For cheap snacks and coffee/tea in place of overpriced airport fare, walk 3 minutes straight out of the airport's bottom floor (arrivals), past the fountain, through the parking lot, and you'll find a small convenience store and cafe selling items at local prices (espresso for 0.7 DT). It is next to a utilitarian car wash.

Other airports countrywide serve national and international flights including:

Charter flight companies can arrange flight and hotel, many that waiver a visa to enter. There are also some agencies that have ongoing tours for groups and private travellers.

By boat
Ferry services link Tunis to Malta, Trapani and Palermo (Sicily, Italy), Naples (Italy), Genoa (Italy) and Marseille (France). Travelling boats generally leave from La Goulette port (near Tunis). Other commercial ports are also available (Rades, Gabes, Sousse, Sfax, Zarzis)

By train
In 2018 a direct train should have operated three times per week between Tunis and the Algerian city of Annaba. However as of 2022 it isn't.

By plane
Tunisair express is the domestic airline branched off of TunisAir. You can fly between Tunis and Tozeur, Djerba and Gabes, as well as flights to Malta and Napoli. French-only website, booking is available online or through agencies Tunisair Express.

By car
Tunisian highways resemble US Interstate or the highways of Europe with a dual carriageway: A-1 runs from Tunis south heading to Sfax, A-4 runs from Tunis north heading to Bizerte, and A-3 runs from Tunis West heading to Oued Zarga. Tunisian highways speed limit is 110 km/h. It is possible to maintain that speed on that road very easily. The routes shown on some maps have a planned extension to Gabes then Ras Jedir (Libya Frontiers) in the South as of 2011-2014 and to Ghardimaou (Algerian Frontiers) in the West, but several years later. The remaining highways have single carriageways, with traffic round-abouts at major intersections, which follow the European model (those in the roundabout have the right of way). Consequently, on roads other than the A-1,4,3 it can be difficult to maintain an average speed of more than 75 km/h most of the time as the speed limit is 90 km/h. Almost all road signs are in Arabic and French.

Like most developing countries, road accidents are the leading cause of death and injury in Tunisia. Tunisians are aggressive, poorly skilled and discourteous drivers. They are unpredictable in their driving habits, jumping traffic lights, seldom signaling when changing lanes, often ignoring traffic lights and stop signs, driving at very high rates of speed regardless of the quality of the roads or condition of their vehicles, and stopping at almost any location even though it may block other cars or potentially cause an accident. Because of the lack of sidewalks, pedestrians walk on the roads often without regard for cars or their own safety. Sadly, Tunisians seldom secure their children in appropriate car seats and these tiny passengers often bear the brunt of most accidents.

Although police are visible at many major intersections, they seldom enforce traffic rules or stop bad drivers unless it is to solicit bribes.

People unfamiliar with driving in developing countries are best to use public transportation or hire a driver.

Driving in Tunis is further compounded by narrow streets and limited parking spots. To see the Medina of Tunis, it would be best to park some distance from the Medina, and take the light rail (called TGM) in from Marsa/Carthage, the green tramway (called Metro) downtown, or perhaps a taxi in from the nearer outskirts.

Rental cars are fairly easy to find, but somewhat expensive, at DT100 or so a day, for a medium-sized car such as a four-door Renault Clio.

By taxi
Private taxis are reasonably priced even for long-distance travel, just be sure to agree on the fare before you set off. Sample fares for a four-seater are €40 for Tunis-Hammamet or €50 for Monastir-Hammamet. When taking the taxi within bigger towns such as Tunis, there are meters installed. Make sure it is started when you leave and in the corresponding mode (night, day, etc). A green light indicates that the taxi is already taken, a red that it is free.

 * Forus Taxi (smartphone app)

By train
The national train company SNCFT runs modern and comfortable trains from Tunis south to Sousse, Sfax and Monastir. There are three classes of service, namely Grand confort (deluxe 1st), 1st and 2nd, and all are quite adequate. Example fares from Tunis to Sousse are DT12/10/6 (€6/5/3) in Grand/1st/2nd class. Although tickets are issued with wagon/seat numbers marked on it, that is largely ignored by locals. So if you are travelling with more people, try to get onboard quickly to find adjacent seats.

A good thing to do is to buy a carte bleue (blue card). It costs around DT20 for a week and you can travel all around the country using the banlieue (short distance train) and grande ligne (long distance). For the long distance you will have to make a reservation and pay a small fee (DT1,50 or so). These passes can also be bought to cover 10 or 14 days. There are rarely queues at the booking office and a little bit of French goes a long way. Trains go also to Tozeur and Gabes in the south where it is easy to access the Sahara and Ksour regions respectively. In some stations where the frequency of trains is small (e.g. Tozeur), the ticket booth will remain closed for most of the day and reopen around the time of the departure of the next train.

A light railway (called TGM) also connects Tunis northward to Carthage and La Marsa. Take this light railway system to Sidi Bou Said as well. One-way light railway tickets will cost approximately DT0.675.

By louage
Locals use louage or long-haul shared taxis where there is no train or bus. There are no timetables, but they wait in the louage station (which is generally near a train station if your destination is accessible by train) until 8 people turn up. The wait is never too long in major cities, most of the time less than half an hour. They are nearly as cheap as the walk up train fares and operate with fixed prices so you won't get scalped. e.g. Douz to Gabes (120 km) for 7 dinars. While louages are very cheap, they can also be stifling hot during the summer months (although the windows are left open during the ride and that helps!) and tourists may be hassled, if only rarely - most locals will keep to themselves. Furthermore, louages have the reputation to drive at a fast pace, and to be less safe than other transportation, so be aware of that.

Louage departures are very frequent; a louage departs as soon as the seats are filled. It is acceptable to pay for an empty seat to leave earlier.

All louage cars are white, with a side stripe showing the coverage area. Louages between major cities are recognizable by their red stripe, louages within region are recognizable by their blue stripe and louages serving rural areas are recognizable by their yellow strips (the Rural Louage can be yellow with blue stripes, or a van fully painted in brown color).

By bus
Long distance bus (called car) is also a safe and economic way to travel between major cities such as Tunis, Nabeul, Hammamet, etc. You will generally find a station in each major city offering many departures per day (every 30 minutes between Tunis and Hammamet). Some of the bus locally called "car comfort" offer higher standards (TV, air conditioner) at cheap prices. Hours can be found online.

Talk
Arabic is the official language of Tunisia.

Tunisian Arabic (also known as Tounsi), the local vernacular, is spoken natively by almost everyone. It is most closely related to Maltese and has loanwords from French, Turkish, Italian, and so on. Tunisian Arabic is used primarily in informal and spoken communication and is not typically used for formal or written communication. If you don't know the local dialect, do not despair; all Tunisians learn Modern Standard Arabic at school, so you should have no problems communicating in major cities.

As is the case in Morocco and Algeria, French is widely spoken and is a second language for a lot of Tunisians. The language is held in high regard; French is used in many avenues such as business, government, and commerce. French is often used to transliterate Arabic words. For example, the name "Yusuf" is transliterated as "Youssef".

English is seldom spoken and is mainly spoken in tourist areas. Code-switching is a common practice in Tunisia.

History and archaeology
Although Tunisia is best known today for its beach resort holidays, the country has an amazing heritage with some exceptional archaeological remains to be explored.

Little remains of Carthage, but what does is relatively well presented compared to the rest of the ruins in Tunisia. This great city of the Phoenician and Punic periods dates from the 6th century BC and was the base of a hugely powerful empire spanning the entire south Mediterranean. Its most famous general was Hannibal who crossed the Alps to battle the Romans. Hannibal suffered his first significant defeat at the Battle of Zama in 202 BC, and after over 50 years of being watched closely by Rome, Carthage was attacked in the 3rd Punic War and completely destroyed. The city was redeveloped by the Romans a century later, and Carthage became the capital of the Roman province of Africa. What we see today are the remains of that era.

Dougga and Kerkouane are two other must see s that have amazingly well preserved ruins, but are sadly less informative with little to no signboards.

Both Monastir and Sousse are well known as beach resorts amongst sun-worshiping Europeans, but they are also towns with great historical heritage. Monastir has a history back to the time of Hannibal, an especially notable museum and a wonderful ribat (fortified monastery). Sousse is a for its authentic medina and souk, which should not be missed.

El Kef has a splendid Byzantine kasbah rising out of the old medina with both Byzantine and Ottoman architecture evident. At El Jem you will find exceptional remains of a Roman amphitheater, yet another Tunisian.

North of the desert
In the northwest, Jugurtha's Table is a large mesa with a moon-like surface and deep crevasses and is normally accessed fom the town of El Kef.

The desert
Tunisia has some of the most accessible, beautiful Saharan desert scenery. George Lucas fans will recognise the village of Matmata. The troglodyte dwellings here were used as the set for the young Luke Skywalker's home of Tatooine. The central western desert towns of Tozeur (with the film set of Mos Eisley) and Douz are surrounded by beautiful Saharan dune scenery. Since 2009 the oasis Ksar Ghilane is accessible by tarmac road.

Beaches
Beach resort holidays in Tunisia are extremely popular, especially with Europeans. The main resorts are on the east coast from La Goulette (close to Tunis) south to Monastir. The southern island of Djerba is an alternative. Many water sport activities are widely available or you can just relax, taking advantage of the almost relentless sunny climate.

All of Tunisia can be proud of its beaches, you just have to know where to find the "undiscovered" ones. There is a beach not far from Sousse called Chott Meriam. The beach is clean with white sand and beautiful clean sea. The best beaches of Tunisia can be found in Kelilbia, Djerba, Ghar El-Melh, Rafrafbeach, Sidi El Mekki, Sounine, Sousse and Zarzis.

A few tour organizations organize day trips from Tunis to beaches in Bizerte and around the area for a price of about DT25 per person, with a meal included. These events can be found mainly on Facebook.

The desert
Treks into the desert are an increasingly popular part of a visit to Tunisia, and the towns of Douz and Tozeur are good starting points. Close to Tozeur is the small town of Metlaoui, and this is the starting point of a great train journey. The beautifully-restored wagons date from 1904, and the luxurious train takes you into a truly stunning desert mountain landscape. Agencies organizing such treks include Libre Espace Voyage and Au Coeur du Desert.

Money

The national currency is the Tunisian dinar, denoted by the symbol "دينار" or "DT" (ISO code: TND). Typical banknotes circulate in denominations of 5 (green), 10 (blue or brown), 20 (violet-red), 30 (orange) and 50 DT (green and purple).

Note: you are not allowed to take Tunisian dinars out of Tunisia. The Tunisian dinar is a non-convertible currency, i.e, you cannot buy it abroad.

The dinar is divided into 1000 millimes, with typical coins being 5 DT (Silver with copper insert), 2 DT, one dinar (large and silver in colour), 500 millimes (smaller, silver colour), 200, 100 and 50 millimes, (large brass), 20 and 10 millimes (smaller brass) and 5 millimes (small aluminium). It is prohibited to bring dinars in and out of Tunisia, so you have to change your money locally.

Prices are typically marked in dinars and milliemes, with a decimal point like: 5.600 or 24.000 or 0.360 sometimes with DT. Markets typically sell items by the kilogram. So tomatoes may have a sign "480" on them which means 480 millimes per kilo. Good cheese will be marked something like 12.400 DT or about US$7 a kilo. Most self-serve supermarkets expect you to put your purchases in the flimsy plastic bags they provide and then bring them to the nearby scales where a worker will weigh them and apply a price sticker.

You can withdraw local cash with a Mastercard or Visa card at many ATMs all over Tunisia.

Eat
Tunisian cuisine has similarities with Middle Eastern cuisine, and mainly builds on the Northern African Maghreb tradition, with couscous and marqa stews (similar to the Moroccan tajine) forming the backbone of most meals. Distinguishing characteristics are the fiery harissa chili sauce, the heavy use of tiny olives which are abundant in the country, and the Tunisian tajine which, unlike the Moroccan dish of the same name, refers to a type of omelette-like pie prepared with a ragout of meat and/or vegetables mixed with herbs, legumes and even offal, enriched with eggs and cheese and baked in a deep pie dish until the eggs are just set, somewhat like an Italian frittata. Lamb forms the basis of most meat dishes and local seafood is plentiful. Pork and pork products are not widely available but can be found in some supermarkets and in some hotels in tourist areas.

 * Harissa: very hot spicy chili paste (sometimes made more mild with carrots or yogurt), served with bread and olive oil as a starter at almost any meal.
 * Shorba Frik: lamb soup
 * Coucha: shoulder of lamb cooked with turmeric and cayenne pepper
 * Khobz Tabouna (pronounce Khobz Taboona): traditional oven baked bread
 * Brik (pronounce Breek): very crispy thin pastry with a whole egg (Brik à l'œuf), parsley and onions and sometimes meat like minced lamb or tuna (Brik au thon). Very tasty as an inexpensive starter. Eat it very carefully with your fingers.
 * Berber Lamb: Lamb cooked with potatoes, carrots in a clay pot.
 * Merguez: small spicy sausages.
 * Salade tunisienne: lettuce, green pepper, tomato, onions, olives, radishes mixed with tuna.
 * Salade méchouia: puréed grilled vegetable salad seasoned (often with harissa) and served with olive oil and sometimes tuna.
 * Fricassé: small fried sandwich with tuna, harissa, olives and olive oil.
 * Tunisian cakes: sweets related to Baklava.
 * Bambaloni: fried sweet donut-like cake served with sugar.
 * Tunisian "fast food": sandwiches, makloubs (folded pizzas), "libanais"...

Regrettably, Tunisia has a very underdeveloped restaurant culture, and most food prepared in restaurants, outside of Tunisian homes or souks is disappointingly bland and carelessly presented. These characteristics tend to apply across the price scale, though one can occasionally eat tasty couscous or "coucha" stew in some low-priced restaurants. One's best hope for good eating in Tunisia is to be invited as a guest in someone's home or eat at a food stall in a souk.

Drink
Being a progressive Muslim-majority country, alcohol availability is restricted (but not greatly) to certain licensed (and invariably more expensive) restaurants, resort areas and Magasin Général shops. Large department stores (Carrefour at Marsa/Carthage and Hammamet) and some supermarkets (e.g. Monoprix) sell beer and wine, and some local and imported hard liquors, except during Muslim holidays. Female travelers should be aware that, outside resort and areas of significant tourist concentration, they may find themselves with a beer in a smoky bar full of men drinking in a rather dedicated fashion. Some bars will refuse to admit women, others may ask for a passport to check nationality. Look around a bar before you decide to imbibe!

 * Beer: Celtia is the popular local brand, but some places also carry imported pilsner beers. Locally brewed Löwenbräu is decent, and Heineken has entered in the Tunisian market in 2007. Celtia "En Pression" (On Tap) is good. Celestia is a non-alcoholic beer which is also popular.
 * Wine: Most places that serve alcohol will have Tunisian wine, which is quite good. Tunisian wine always was produced by French oenologists. Most of it was exported to France till the 1970s. Wine cooperatives were left and produce 80% of the wine which is served mostly to tourists. Since the privatisation of some parts of these cooperatives the international taste of wine entered the market in Tunisia. The small companies like Domaine Atlas, St. Augustin, Ceptunes etc. have successfully established the new generation of Tunisian wine. Importation of wine is extremely difficult because of very high taxes. Some high-end hotel restaurants can make French or Italian wines miraculously appear at a price.
 * Boukha: is a Tunisian spirit made from the distillation of figs.
 * Coffee: served strong in small cups. Tunisian cappuccino is also served strong in small cups. "Café crème" is available in many tourist areas and may even appear in an "American Cup". Local favorites include the capucin (espresso macchiato) and the direct (latte).
 * Tea: is generally taken after meals. Sometimes served with pine nuts floating in the tea.
 * Mint Tea: very sweet peppermint tea that is taken at any time of the day.

Sleep
There are lots of fine hotels in Tunisia. Many smaller hotels can be found in major cities, tucked into most roads. Hotel star ratings are not at par with European and US standards - a 4-star Tunisian hotel is the equivalent of a 3-star hotel elsewhere.

You can also rent a furnished apartment. Some private people offer their own apartments for rent especially in summer.

It is advisable to organise your accommodations online or by phone prior to your arrival. Other than pricier hotels, most accommodations don't seem to have a website. French would be handy when booking accommodations.

Work
Finding work in Tunisia is difficult, even for Tunisian nationals. Tunisia has a high unemployment rate − 16.1% as of May 2023 − which, as obvious as it sounds, is as good as saying that there's not enough work for anyone. Most of Tunisia's unemployed are university graduates, and many Tunisians move abroad in search of better opportunities.

Unemployment has long been a problem successive Tunisian governments have dealt with, and it was one of the factors that ignited the Tunisian Revolution. Since the end of the revolution in 2011, the government has largely failed to create enough employment opportunities for Tunisia's university graduates. A major terrorist attack in 2015, as well as the COVID-19 pandemic, dealt a big blow to the country's tourism industry.

One seldom manages life in the country effectively without knowing either Arabic, French, or both, so try to acquire the necessary language skills. Doing so will open many doors for you.

While pick-up restaurant and handyman jobs are common in other countries, these positions are much less likely to present themselves in Tunisia because of local competition. It's better to arrange for a job before coming to Tunisia.

Average wages in Tunisia are low compared to Western nations.

Violence
Tunisia has undergone a revolution and is in a contentious transitional period. While large-scale violence is not occurring, demonstrations do still happen from time to time, and are sometimes violent or broken up brutally. So consult your foreign office to check on current conditions before traveling to Tunisia, and do your best to steer clear of any large demonstrations that may occur while you are there.

In 2015, Islamist terrorists targeted tourists in Tunisia. In March 24 people were killed at the Bardo Museum in Tunis and in June a terrorist shot dead 39 tourists at a beach and a hotel in Sousse. For a time after the incident the UK government had recommended that its citizens leave Tunisia and not visit for anything other than essential travel. That advice has now been downgraded and the normal tourist coastal areas are considered safe. However, the border areas with Libya and in parts Algeria are still not safe areas.

Female travelers
It is apparently not considered rude for a man to stare at a woman's body which should indicate that modesty will attract less attention. Women can expect to be the target of frequent catcalls ("Gazelle" seems to be especially popular). If you travel as part of a couple, stay together as much as possible as the female traveller should not wander around on her own if she doesn't want to be pestered. The pestering usually amounts to nothing more than bizarre words and the occasional touch but it can be extremely persistent and annoying.

Tunisian women often wear outfits that would normally be seen on the streets of any major world city (tight jeans, slinky top), but they do so while showing traditional modesty by exposing virtually no skin. Arms are covered down to the wrists, collars go to the neck (cleavage is non-existent) and a head scarf may be worn. Western women visiting can minimize attention by selecting clothing that minimizes skin shown. V-necks are fine if another layer with a higher collar is worn underneath.

Note that in most towns, there are outdoor cafes around squares and on the streets, but they are only for men; even when accompanied by men, women are not welcome. Prices are much cheaper in these cafes than mixed gender cafes and tearooms found in Tunis.

Money and scams
Travellers report problems being pestered either to buy something or for other purposes. Persistence is a major complaint. Some say that a refusal often results in a bad reaction, "being hissed at" is one example, but those who have been advised to refuse politely with a smile rarely complain. "Non, Merci" is a very good response, with a smile. This seems to be borne out by the reports of sole female travellers who you would expect to receive the most attention, but who often report the least problems (from an admittedly small sample), perhaps because they are more cautious than accompanied females. It certainly seems to be the case that sole female sea bathers attract a good deal of unwelcome attention (even molestation) until a male friend arrives.

Theft of belongings, even from hotel rooms and room safes, is widely reported and the usual caveats apply - keep valuables in a secure place (e.g. supervised hotel safe deposit), do not flash too much cash, and keep wallets, purses and other desirable items where pick pockets cannot reach them. A good recommendation is only to carry enough cash for your immediate requirements and only one credit or bank card, provided you can be assured of the security of your reserves. Besides, most of the Automatic Bank-notes distributors are available and foreign credit cards are accepted. You can take cash (in equivalent Tunisian dinars) directly from your bank account with a small extra fee (bank transaction from €1 to €2).

Theft is also reported at airports. Keep your belongings under your direct supervision all the time.

When it's time to settle the bill in a Tunisian cafe or restaurant, it's advisable to ensure that you are presented with an actual paper, itemised copy of a bill before handing over any money. Frequently, your waiter will claim to have calculated your total amount due in their heads and this will always be more than you actually owe. Also, check prices on menus before ordering. Some establishments will claim to have no menus, they usually have wall mounted menus. Tunisian workers are extremely low paid (£300 per month approx) and will frequently try and take advantage of tourists without their wits around them.

Be aware that the export of Tunisian currency is forbidden and searches of wallets and purses can, and do, occur at Tunis airport. You are not permitted to take Tunisian currency out of the country, but the money exchanges at the airport will generally refuse to change your Tunisian currency to foreign currency. If you proceed through immigration and are found with more than DT20 - 30, you will be invited to return landside to change them. The problem is that this "invitation" will come after you have already been through passport control and handed in your exit card; therefore it is not practical. You will then be invited to hand some or all of your Tunisian money (which in any case cannot be spent in the duty free shops) to the uniformed official. Arguing will get you nowhere and a request for a receipt will be met with an outright refusal. Judging from the way the money is swiftly palmed, you will have almost certainly just paid a bribe.

Customs agents may approach you as soon as you have checked in, to ask how much foreign currency you have with you. You may then be escorted a private office where two or more agents count the money, note the amount, and then return it to you. Be sure to check that they have returned the correct amount as there are reports of substantial discrepancy between the amount you gave and the amount that was returned.

Tunisian dual nationals
Tunisia has recognised multiple citizenship since 1975.

If you are a Tunisian citizen – being a dual citizen of Tunisia, having a Tunisian parent, or being a naturalised citizen – possessing another passport will not grant you consular access and protection in the event you get detained or arrested.

Health care
Tunisia, especially in tourist destinations and major cities, has hospitals of international standard. The quality of medical care is generally better and more accessible in the capital Tunis and other major cities. Public health services in the larger cities are reasonably functional, but often suffer from a lack of resources.

There are several private clinics of international standard in the Tunisian capital and tourist centres. Private clinics operate in a hospital-like manner and perform a wide range of procedures. The availability of specialised health care services can be limited. International clinics are staffed by English-speaking doctors, but other staff, especially on the public side, often speak only Arabic or French. Ambulance services are limited outside urban areas.

A few clinics in the capital Tunis include Clinique Internationale Hannibal, Les Cliniques El Manar, Clinique Saint Augustin and Polyclinique Les Berges du Lac.

Dental care in Tunis is provided by DENTYSS (Montplaisir).

In Soussé, some hotels have their own doctors who will make medical visits if necessary. Other clinics in the town include Clinique Essalem and Clinique Les Oliviers.There is also a private clinic in Hammamet, Polyclinique Hammamet.

For more information on public health care prices, visit the Tunisian Ministry of Health website in French. Prices should be verified separately on the spot.

It is highly recommended that you have comprehensive travel insurance when travelling to Tunisia. Without insurance, medical fees can often be quite high. Health care providers often require a cash advance. Most places do not accept payment commitments from certain insurance companies, and only some accept credit cards.

Pharmacies in Tunisia are easy to find and are usually open late. The contact details of the pharmacy on duty can often be found on the doors or windows of pharmacies.

Tips

 * - Please remember that the sun is frequently your biggest enemy and frequently apply a high (factor 30 or better) sun screen. It is usually cheaper in your local super market than at the holiday destination.
 * Be careful what and where you eat and drink (remember the ice cubes too); diarrhea is a common complaint from incautious travellers. The tap water in the high-end Tunis-Carthage-Marsa area seems to be safe (2006).

Vaccinations
Always check with your doctor 4-8 weeks before traveling (the 4-8 weeks is important, as some vaccinations take weeks to become effective, and with polio you can be contagious for a while too):

 * is required for all travelers arriving from a yellow-fever-infected area in Africa or the Americas.
 * Hepatitis A is usually recommended Two Havrix injections, given 6 months apart, provide 10 years of Hep A protection
 * Typhoid
 * Polio
 * Hepatitis B - Highly recommended if likely to have intimate contact with locals or if visiting for more than 6 months.

Respect
Tunisia is a Muslim-majority country, and one should be mindful of the dress code depending on the region. Whilst a lot of skin (even topless) is tolerated on beaches and within hotel complexes, a modest amount of exposed skin may be frowned upon outside these areas. That said, the country is also home to long-established Christian and Jewish minorities who are free to practice their religions, but may not proselytize to Muslims.

Be aware that the further south one travels, the more conservative Tunisia becomes. While most women wear western-style clothing in the Capital (which is a mix of Mediterranean, European and Middle Eastern cultures), Southern Tunisia is more conservative and far more traditional.

Ramadan
At least one Tunisian tourist website says that after the revolution the 2011 Ramadan was more strictly observed, and the same for the following years. For three days at the end of July 2012, the vast majority of shops were closed during the day, although the Tunis medina was mostly open. Virtually all of the restaurants were closed. Beyond a few tourists drinking coke, not a single person was eating or drinking during the day, even at the touristy cafes at Sidi Bou Said.

In Tunis, on the Ave Habib Bourgiba, all of the cafes had their tables put away until after iftar (the breaking of the fast) at sunset, around 19:30. After that many people were out, and you could order food at some cafes, and coffee and desserts at others. Just before the iftar, Ave Habib Bourgiba is completely devoid of life and other-wordly. At smaller cafes, like 3 Etoiles on Rue Mustapha M'Barek, you can see families and men sitting around tables full of food, waiting for sunset.

At night, though, the medina comes alive - huge crowds are out and throng the street, which is definitely something to experience! Shops and supermarkets are often open till midnight.

Be prepared for a somewhat unique experience if you choose to visit Tunisia during Ramadan. During the daylight hours, eat and drink (even water), very discretely. Buy bread and focaccia from the street vendors in the evening for lunch the next day, or find one of the local shops that is still open to buy something to tide you over. Virtually no one drinks alcohol, and your best bet (at least in Tunis) might be the Hotel Africa.

Telephone
Public telephones are available in all towns and cities and in most villages under either the name of Publitel or Taxiphone - in cities simply look around - there is at least one on every street. International calls tend to be quite expensive (DT 1,000/minute to call anywhere in the EU). There are three mobile GSM operators, private Ooredoo, private Orange, Tunisia state-owned Tunisie Telecom all offering wide mobile coverage (including some oasis in the Sahara). Rates tend to be quite low for domestic calls, but very high for international calls (around DT 1,500/minute). Ask for a carte prépayée for a prepaid SIM card. Orange in July 2016 was offering 2 for 1 packs (30 mins + 500mb for a month for DT2.5) and free SIM cards for tourists entering in Tunis airport.

Emergency Call

 * 197 Police emergency number - general emergency
 * 198 Health emergency number - Ambulance SAMU
 * 1200 Telephone information

Internet
Public internet access is available in many cities and towns, usually using the Publinet logo. Look for a large purple sign with the Publinet logo. Access is usually 0.8DT/hour, and speeds tend to be quite low (1024 kbit/s is the norm in Sousse and 4096 in Tunis). Home internet (ADSL) is not as expensive as it used to be, you can have 1 year ADSL of 4096 kbps speed, for just DT400 per year. You can also have 3G internet access through any cell phone carriers (Tunisie Telecom, Orange Tunisia or Tunisiana),FTP and peer-to-peer access is available anywhere in Tunisia, there is no access restriction by the government anymore. USB keys for internet are rather popular and can be found for varying periods, even for short stays.

Post
La Poste Tunisienne is quite efficient and fast. Post restante is offered in certain (bigger) offices. A stamp for international letters costs DT 0,600.

Rapide Post is the Poste's service for sending mail and packages quickly. Once a Rapide Post package enters the US it is handled by FedEx. It is the best and most secure way to send things in Tunisia.

title: Tunisia


text:
Tunja

Tunja is a city in northeast Colombia and the capital of the Boyacá department. It is very much a college town, with several universities despite its small size. At an elevation of 2,820 m (9,250 ft), Tunja has a chilly highland climate.

Like in other places, Spanish conquistadors opened up a can of whoop- here, supplanting the Muisca indigenous people's town of Hunza with their own called Tunja in 1537. They made a point of establishing many religious institutions in the days to follow; as such, Tunja has a trend for religious tourism in particular. But additionally one should consider the pre-Colombian and Colombian revolutionary attractions around too.

Tunja is also known as a center for higher learning and for its Holy Week, International Festival of Culture, and Aguinaldo Boyacense.

By bus
The (Nueva Terminal de Transporte) is in the East of the city and can be reached from the main plaza by mini-bus (COP$2,000, to "Terminal") or by taxi. As of 2022, Google maps still showed the old bus terminal as the main search result for Terminal de Transporte, but it is closed.

 * From Bogotá: COP$18,000, 2 hr 30 min. Buses leave from the terminal, but it may be faster and more convenient to catch one at Portal del Norte.
 * From Cocuy National Park: COP$70000, 9 hr. Buses with Paz del Rio leave three times a day, including a night bus (Jan 2023). It is advised to book in advance. Libertadores also operates a line.
 * From San Gil: COP$60,000 with Copetran, and duration is more like 5 hr. (Jan 2023)
 * From Sogamoso: COP$7,000, 1 hr 30 min (Aug 2022)
 * From Villa de Leyva: COP$11,000, 1 hr, 39 km (Mar 2023)
 * To Medellin: Omega operates a (daily?) bus line to Medellin, leaving at 2:30 pm. Gacela operates (weekly on mondays?) at 5 pm. It is advised to call the terminal and / or the companies, and cross checking informations since some agents may provide inappropriate information.

By taxi
Taxis are plentiful, with a minimum fare of $3.000. Most trips within the city won't cost more than COP$4,000. tel: 3102183305

By bus
Minibuses are usually COP$1,400, and go pretty much everywhere.

See
There's a cool old train station on Avenida Norte. It's fallen into disrepair, but looks like they might be working on restoring rail service.

Eat

Drink
All nightlife closes at 1:30AM, Sundays being rather dead.

Sleep
Dozens of options between the bus terminal and Plaza Bolivar, and somewhat beyond.

Go next

 * Bogotá is 2 to 3 hours away, COP$17,000.
 * Villa de Leyva, one of the nicest colonial towns in Colombia, is 45 minutes to an hour away, take a minibus from the terminal, COP$6,000.
 * Paipa has a natural hot springs, with waterpark and spa. It is 45 minutes away by bus, COP$4,000.
 * San Gil is the capital of extreme sports in Colombia, and is 4 hours away.
 * Suesca is one of the major sites for rock climbing in Colombia.
 * Sogamoso a quaint city surrounded by colonial towns is about 1 hour away, take a bus from the terminal, COP$8,000-10,000

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Tunja


text:
Tunkinsky National Park

Tunkinsky National Park (Russian: Тунки́нский национа́льный парк toon-KEEN-skee nuhts-ee-uh-NAHL'-nee pahrk) is in Buryatia.

Understand
Established in 1991, this 12,000-km² park extends from the south shore of Lake Baikal and includes more than two hundred thermal springs.

Flora and fauna

 * primeval cedar-tree forest
 * black stork, golden eagle, snow leopard, siberian ibex and white-tailed eagle

title: Tunkinsky National Park


text:
Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park

Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park (TARP) is a park off the coast of the island of Borneo in Malaysia made up of five islands: Gaya, Manukan, Sapi, Sulug and Mamutik. The islands are popular destinations for snorkeling, diving, and spending time on the beach, and they also have resorts, jungle trails, and wildlife. They are very close to Kota Kinabalu, so they're easy to reach on a day trip or to spend a few nights.

Understand
The marine park is under the administration of the Sabah Parks Authority, which has the mandate to oversee designated protected areas and ensure their maintenance and upkeep as reserves while catering to tourists wanting to enjoy the natural beauty that Sabah has to offer.

The largest amongst the island group is Pulau Gaya at 15 km2 of untouched dense rainforest. The Kampong at the Eastern end is a Kampong Laut with 6000 villagers.

Gaya Island boasts some of the best coral and un-spoilt beaches in the entire park. It has three resorts.

Landscape
All five islands are partly forested, with a mixture of rocky coastlines and white sand beaches. They are located closely together, well within sight of each other and of the Kota Kinabalu city on the mainland. Gaya is by far the largest of the islands it has walking trails on it at 300ft, stray from the poorly marked route and you will very quickly be stuck in the deep ravines that drop away down to the sea, a guide is recommended. With Manukan coming in at a distant second, with a very good reef at the rear of the island.

Flora and fauna
The TARP islands are home to some areas of old growth forest. The Dipterocarpaceae family of tropical lowland rainforest trees can be found especially on the Gaya Island, the biggest of the group of five TARP islands. Tongkat Ali, a small ever red treelet growing to 15 m and Eucalyptus trees can be found on a nature walk within the islands. Mangrove trees also make up an important part of the coastal ecosystem within the park.

The Marine Park also has diverse wildlife. Pulau Gaya is home to hairy pig, long-tailed macaques, hornbills, monitor lizards which swim between the islands and the mainland, there are also snake, the green pit vipers are stunning, there are sea crates in the water, the yellow banded mangrove snake. Macaques aren't hard to spot if you hang around, as they like to come steal food. An albino python has also been seen there.

Pulau Sapi has much of the same wildlife, especially monitor lizards, which are easy to see on the trail.

Climate
The climate within the marine park is generally very good, clear, hot and sunny in the morning, cooling into late afternoon. The marine park is near the mainland and partially sheltered by the harbour and the Crocker Range.

The state of Sabah (and Borneo) is below the wind (typhoon), but, can still receive some rough weather and heavy rainfall during the Western and Eastern Monsoon seasons.

Every now and then the weather rolls in from the South China Sea and the water can be rough and murky.

With the available internet weather sites you will find more accurate real time information there to plan your days out.

Visitor information
Visitor information from Sabah Tourism

Get in
Travel to the TAR Marine Park can be done by speedboats that can be caught at the in the northern end of Kota Kinabalu, along Jalan Fuad Stephens. There are about a dozen tour boat companies operating inside the terminal. All of them offer different boats with different departure times from both the terminal and back from the islands. Once chosen, passenger will have to stick to that boat and according operator for all his rides inside the national park. Prices are fixed: return boat trip to any of the islands costs RM35, two island hops RM45, three island hops RM55, four island hops RM65 (as of 2024). A compulsory terminal fee of RM7 per person must also be paid at the terminal before departing. Your admission fee (usually RM25, but see below) is payable upon arrival to the first visited island, paid tickets should be kept and shown at the reception desk on any second island. Boats depart roughly every hour, with earliest departure at 8AM (but arrive a half hour early to get the tickets) and last departure at 4:30PM. The last return boats are at 4PM. You can choose to spend as little as an hour on one island, or all day, or hop in between islands depending on how many trips you purchase at the terminal. The trip takes 15-25 minutes depending on the island.

The boats are scheduled, so you must book the time you want to come back when you buy the tickets.

Equipment such as snorkels and life jackets can be rented at the Jesselton Point Ferry Terminal. If you want to swim off the beach, rent a life jacket there, as it is mandatory to wear life jackets while swimming. This will cost RM10 each (2024), although you can also rent one for RM11 (plus a RM20 deposit) on Manukan if you forget.

For unscheduled trips one can charter a boat for RM300-350, with up to 12 people.

It is best to try and go to these islands during the week as the islands are a popular destination for locals and it can get busy during the weekend. The further the island is that you visit the less amenities on the island and also the more secluded. An alternative that avoids the hassle and expense of staying on the islands is to stay in Kota Kinabalu and head over to the islands on day trips. If don't want to face the crowds then pre-book your trip with one of the operators below.

Unless you are spending the night on the islands or have chartered a boat, the last boats back to the city leave at 4PM. Be on time, because the boat operators will charge you a large fee for after hours pickups.

Fees and permits
Admission fee (Feb 2019): Non-Malaysian adults RM25, children under 18 RM15, children under 6 RM10, seniors over 60 RM15. Malaysians adults RM5, children under 18 RM3, children under 6 free, seniors RM3. Visitors with disabilities free.

The admission fee is separate from the boat fare and terminal fees (see above). Pay it at the first island you arrive at, and you'll receive a ticket which you can show at any other islands you visit to avoid paying twice.

The camping fee is RM5 for adults and RM2 for children.

Diving permits are RM50 for Non-Malaysians and RM20 for Malaysians.

Get around
If you paid for it when you booked your tickets, boats can take you from island to island.

Do

 * Some of the islands have jungle trails:
 * Sapi: A single 1.5– to 2-km trail through the jungle that circles the island. It's not overly strenuous, but it is a hike, so probably best to wear something other than flip flops. It takes an hour, give or take, depending on how fast you hike and how much time you spend stopping to look at animals. It's easy to spot two-meter monitor lizards, which will waddle away from you when they hear you coming. You can also see hermit crabs, smaller lizards, and hornbills.
 * Manukan: A 1.5– to 2-km trail.
 * Gaya: Extensive network of trails. It's possible to see macaques here—take the trail to the right, behind the toilets. Also look out for brown lizards, hornbills, and sleeping bats.
 * Marine informative museum is also found here and options for those not inclined to swim in the sea can opt for swimming in the pool or take a hike along the nature trail.
 * Water sports including boat and beach toy rentals are available on Manukan, Mamutik and Sapi.
 * Zipline from Gaya to Sapi. If you're on Sapi, a boat will take you to Gaya and you zipline back; if you're on Gaya, you can zip over first and a boat will take you back. They say it's the longest island-to-island zipline in the world, but it's pretty fast – only about 20 seconds, over the water between the two islands. Unless you've never done a zipline before and you're dying to try, it's probably not worth the money. RM86 for non-Malaysians, RM64 for Malaysians (2019). Operates 10AM-3:30PM.
 * Zipline from Gaya to Sapi. If you're on Sapi, a boat will take you to Gaya and you zipline back; if you're on Gaya, you can zip over first and a boat will take you back. They say it's the longest island-to-island zipline in the world, but it's pretty fast – only about 20 seconds, over the water between the two islands. Unless you've never done a zipline before and you're dying to try, it's probably not worth the money. RM86 for non-Malaysians, RM64 for Malaysians (2019). Operates 10AM-3:30PM.

Diving and snorkelling
Scuba diving & Snorkeling is offered on all of the islands, but Sapi & Mamutik are now the busiest. Many of the boat operators will offer to rent mask and snorkel/ other equipment for RM10, or just bring your own if you have it. Life jackets are required for swimming.

Diving is offered by the several dive centers offering certification courses like PADI, SDI, Scuba :School International and open water beginner courses. Coral beds and marine flora is abundant here and dive spots can be found along all the designated dive sites in the Park. Several dive operators with offices in Tanjung Aru Plaza, Wisma Sabah, Plaza Tanjung Aru & KK Times Square (South KK) in Kota Kinabalu organize day dive boat trips to these islands. During late January - mid March the diving conditions in TARP can be impacted by plankton blooms and jelly fish.

Two full service dive centres provide services to TARP: Downbelow Marine & Wildlife Adventures, based on Gaya Island, and Borneo Dream based in Kota Kinabalu). Both centres have good access to the surrounding dive sites.

Buy
Sapi Island has a small shop with snacks, beach equipment, and a few souvenirs.

Eat
Restaurants are available on some of the islands. Expect the food to be overpriced and not especially good, but it'll fill you up.

There are a variety of hawker stalls and minimarkets at the ferry terminal, so it is advisable to purchase something in advance.

Sleep
You can stay on 3 of the islands, either camping or staying in lodges.

Lodging

 * Gayana Resort catering to tourists wishing to stay the night and enjoy the excursion in Gaya or island hop to the other islands is built on stilts and is sited in a bay on the island and offer chalet style accommodations complete with restaurant, souvenir shops and conference facilities.
 * Manukan Island Resort For the avid diver, the reefs at Manukan Island offers excellent crystal water and beautiful corals. For those who want to enjoy the scenery, take a leisurely stroll along the nature trail or simply laze by the long stretch of beautiful beach.
 * Bunga Raya Island Resort & Spais the award-winning property that sits on Gaya Island. With 52 timbered villas that sits over the hills of Police Bay.

Stay safe
If wishing to travel to Sulug, Gaya and other islands please ensure you check with authoritative and reliable sources as to the safety of the trip prior to booking. The waters surrounding the islands of Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park can be subject to extreme weather events, especially in the middle of the Monsoon season when the seas may become quite rough.

As always, swimmers should be careful of dangerous ocean creatures, especially jellyfish. The park authority posts warning signs during jellyfish season (October - May), although you should stay vigilant at all times. Most jellyfish will cause a very painful sting or burning to the skin. A Jellyfish sting should followed up with first aid then treated with vinegar, further medical help at hospital should be given immediately.

The Eastern tip of Gaya Island, directly opposite the city of Kota Kinabalu, is populated by a Kampung Laut of 6000 mostly illegal immigrants. This part of the island is locally considered to be a dangerous area due to a high risk of crime. Most other locations on Gaya Island, however, including the Gayana Resort, Police Beach, and the dive center, are far from this part of the island.

Go next

 * Kota Kinabalu

title: Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park


text:
Tuolumne County

Tuolumne County is in California. From the Gold Country in the west, this county extends east into the Sierra Nevada mountains.

Gold Country
The following Tuolumne County cities are in the Gold Country:

Sierra Nevada
The following Tuolumne County cities are in the Sierra Nevada mountains:

Understand
Tuolumne County is one of the original counties in California, populated (except for the indigenous Mi Wuk Indians, who have been there thousands of years), by gold miners who came to the area a few months after the famous discovery to the north that started the Gold Rush.

The county consists of two types of terrain--foothills, Gold Country rolling hills, and pine, fir, and cedar forests that are part of the Sierra Nevada mountain range.

The county's economy historically has been mining, particularly gold, timber, and tourism. Mining is now at imperceptible levels, and timber has been much reduced for various reasons, including environmental regulations. Tourism is a major industry, based on visitors interested in the history of the Gold Country, simply visiting a different environment, or visiting the forest or the ski and snow play areas. Tourists heading to Yosemite National Park also often pass through the area, either directly on Highway 120 as they pass through Groveland and the southern part of the county, or taking side trips to the other areas of the county. Tuolomne County attracts many retirees from the Bay Area.

Talk
Communication in Tuolumne County is pretty much exclusively English. It is fortunate that the many European tourists passing through on their way to Yosemite have good English skills. Tuolumne County historically had a significant Mexican and Chinese population, but there are relatively few such people here today. People of other races or ethnic backgrounds should have no hesitation in visiting Tuolumne County. Some may be embarrassed by living in such a nearly white-only environment that they are extremely friendly and welcoming to visitors of other races and backgrounds. People of color, especially Mexicans, living in Tuolumne County find prejudice still rampant.

The only significant minority in the county are Native Americans, mostly members of the Tuolumne Band of Mi-Wuk Indians. The whites and Indians have worked at maintaining a good relationship. When a state highway project uncovered what appeared to be Indian burial grounds, a member of the County Board of Supervisors asked the state to immediately halt the project, saying that he was not at all interested in disturbing any sacred Indian burial grounds. (The project was eventually completed, with everyone happy.)

Get in
Nearly all travel in Tuolumne County is by automobile. There are also tourist buses, most of which come from San Francisco and are either touring the Gold Country or on their way to Yosemite.

There are three main highways into the county. The primary one is Highway 108, which comes in from the Central Valley (Modesto, then Oakdale) heading northeast, passing Jamestown and Sonora, two of the major towns in the county, and then rising in elevation to continue in the forested area (past Twain Harte, through Mi-Wuk Village, and past Pinecrest) and eventually across Sonora Pass to Highway 395. Sonora Pass is closed from about November to May because of snow, at a closure point about eight miles east of Pinecrest.

A second highway is Highway 120, which comes in from Manteca (and an intersection with Highway 99) to Oakdale, and then joints Highway 108 going into Tuolumne County for about 30 miles. Highway 120 turns southeast at Yosemite Junction and heads past Chinese Camp and Don Pedro Reservoir to Big Oak Flat, Groveland, Buck Meadows, and Crane Flat on its way to Yosemite National Park.

The third highway is Highway 49, which follows the Mother Lode along the Gold Country and passes through Placerville, Sutter Creek, Jackson, San Andreas, and Angels Camp to Sonora. Highway 49 briefly joins Highway 108 to pass Jamestown and then turns southeast to join Highway 120 briefly to Moccasin. Highway 49 then goes to Coulterville and Mariposa in Mariposa County.

The closest major airports are Oakland and Sacramento, where you can rent a car. From Oakland go east on Highway 580 toward Stockton and get on Highway 120 at Manteca. From Stockton you can go south on Highway 5 and get on Highway 120, or drive east toward the foothills and get on Highway 49, the more scenic route.

Tuolumne County has two small airports for private planes, Columbia and Pine Mountain Lake, but there is no scheduled air service.

There is train service via Amtrak to Modesto, where you can rent a car.

Stay safe
There are two major safety issues with Tuolumne County. In general, it is a large county with many remote areas and long distances between services. Motorists entering Tuolumne County on Highway 108/120 should get a full tank of gas in Oakdale and make sure they have water. In the higher elevations you should have water, blankets, and, preferably, some food. Areas above about 3500 feet in elevation (most of the county) frequently get snow in winter. During the winter season, from about November to May, motorists should carry chains. In most circumstances four-wheel drive vehicles will not need chains but are still required by the California Highway Patrol to carry them.

Tuolumne County is also subject to wildfires during the fire season (about July to November).

Media

 * Yosemite Express, a monthly newspaper serving parts of Tuolumne county and nearby towns in neighboring counties. Gives some local personality and information about upcoming events.

Go next
Travelers leaving Tuolumne County can go via Highway 120 to Yosemite National Park. They might also continue on, or join, the Highway 49 route that visits various Gold Country towns along the Mother Lode. Going south on Highway 49, they will pass through Coulterville, Mariposa, and Oakhurst, where there are various museums and historical sites related to the Gold Rush. Going north on Highway 49, they can visit Calaveras County, particularly Murphys, and continue through Amador County (Jackson), El Dorado County (Placerville) to Nevada County (Grass Valley and Nevada City) and further north.

 * - Northwest of Tuolumne County lies sparsely populated Calaveras County, which inspired author Mark Twain's first successful story "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County"; today visitors can both visit Twain's cabin and enjoy the annual Jumping Frog Jubilee in the tiny town of Angels Camp. The county is also home to several natural caves, a handful of wineries, Gold Rush history, and giant sequoia trees in Calaveras Big Trees State Park.
 * - Located northeast of Tuolumne County, sparsely populated Alpine County advertises itself with the slogan "two people per square mile and you", making it a good option for a quiet mountain getaway. Attractions include the hot spring pools at Grover Hot Springs State Park, amazing views of the Sierras from the Ebbetts Pass National Scenic Byway, and the excellent winter skiing at Kirkwood Mountain Resort.
 * - Located east of Tuolumne County via Highway 108 (except in winter, when it is closed for snow), remote and expansive Mono County is a destination for outdoor enthusiasts. It is the eastern gateway to Yosemite National Park, home to the Old West ghost town of Bodie, and Mammoth Lakes is a favorite winter skiing getaway. The gigantic Mono Lake is perhaps the county's premier attraction, a stopover for millions of migratory birds and thousands of tourists who explore its alkaline waters and bizarre tufa formations.
 * - South of Tuolumne County lies Madera County, whose agricultural western half offers plenty of hotels and amenities for travelers, while the mountainous eastern half features unspoiled Sierra Nevada wilderness that is home to portions of Yosemite National Park, the Ansel Adams Wilderness, and Devils Postpile National Monument with its impressive basalt columns and iconic Rainbow Falls. There are no roads crossing the county from west to east, so it may be a very circuitous route for those who want to see everything Madera has to offer!
 * - Located south of Tuolumne County, Mariposa was the largest county in California at the time of statehood in 1850, but later ceded land that formed twelve other counties. Today it maintains a relatively small footprint in the Sierra Nevada foothills, but has kept one of the state's treasures: Yosemite National Park, home to impossibly tall granite cliffs, remote alpine wilderness, and an iconic valley.
 * - Tuolumne County's southwestern neighbor is located entirely within the San Joaquin Valley. Most travelers will likely just take advantage of the county's hotels and other amenities, but there are a few attractions worth considering. The Castle Air Museum in Atwater is home to over 50 planes, while the Merced National Wildlife Refuge hosts thousands of waterfowl during winter months, including huge flocks of snow geese and sandhill cranes.
 * - While still primarily an agricultural county known for its almond trees, parts of Tuolumne County's southwestern neighbor have become a bedroom community for people trying to escape the high housing costs of the Bay Area. Travelers will find plenty of amenities, although most only see Stanislaus County while passing through on their way elsewhere.

title: Tuolumne County


text:
Tupelo

Tupelo is a city in Northeast Mississippi that is known best for being the birthplace of Elvis Presley.

By plane

 * Golden Triangle Regional Airport is 1 hour and 10 minutes south of Tupelo. It flies to Atlanta.
 * Memphis International Airport is 1 hour and 40 minutes northwest. It was a key Delta Air Lines hub and is also served by six other airlines.
 * Birmingham–Shuttlesworth International Airport in Birmingham, Alabama. This airport is about 2.5 hours southeast.
 * Birmingham–Shuttlesworth International Airport in Birmingham, Alabama. This airport is about 2.5 hours southeast.

By car
Tupelo is on US Route 78, between Memphis and Birmingham.

Get around
Tupelo requires a car to see freely. A tour bus will keep you on the main tourist trail.

Do

 * at the Tupelo Furniture market comes on the second weekend of every month except when the furniture markets in town. You can buy arts, crafts, furniture, cell phone accessories, clothes & purses, candy, even puppies. The list goes on.
 * at the Tupelo Furniture market comes on the second weekend of every month except when the furniture markets in town. You can buy arts, crafts, furniture, cell phone accessories, clothes & purses, candy, even puppies. The list goes on.

Go next

 * Oxford (Mississippi)
 * Memphis
 * Jackson (Mississippi)

title: Tupelo


text:
Tupiza

Tupiza is a small town in the Potosí Department of Bolivia.

Understand
The town is close to the border with Argentina and also gateway for the Salar de Uyuni tours, and therefore has its fair share of tourists staying over night or passing through.

By train
Tupiza has connections to Villazón on the Argentinian border and north to Uyuni and Oruro. Ask at the train station for the latest departure times. As of July 2019 the Villazón-Tupiza section of the line is out of service, but word is it will be back in August.

By bus
Bus schedules tend to change regularly, but Tupiza is well connected and has daily buses from/to all major and surrounding cities.

 * Villazón – Between 04:30-21:00, hourly (or when full) vans/servis/rapiditos run between the two cities, Bs. 20. There is also a 20 people minibus leaving Tupiza at 10:00, Bs. 15. 1-1.5 hr.
 * Uyuni – Buses leave for Tupiza leave at 06:00 and 20:00. Bs. 40-60, 5-6 hr. They stop in Atocha after just 1.5 hr, and often wait for 1 hr before continuing, even if they say "direct". Take the chance to see the nearby mine and stroll around a little. There is a market west of the rail tracks already in the morning as well. From there to Tupiza it is another 2 hr. As of July 2019 this last stretch is over very rough roads and dry riverbeds, but highway construction is underway. Rapiditos also run this route, Bs. 30 to Atocha and Bs. 60 to Uyuni, but you may have to change buses and wait in Atocha.
 * Potosí - Multiple buses, at least three every day (5-6 hr), both during day and night. Expresso Tupiza (sometimes written as ExP) seems to be a reliable option for around Bs. 40.
 * There are also at least 6 direct buses to La Paz (Bs. 80) and at least 3 to Cochabamba daily, mostly in the afternoon/evening, stopping at Potosí (6-7 hours, Bs. 40-50) and Oruro on the way.
 * Furthermore, at least three daily buses from/to Tarija.

Get around
Tupiza is a small town and the center is very walkable.

Weirdly enough, Tupiza features many tuk-tuks (aka rickshaws), which are certainly cheaper than taxis and can be used to reach the surrounding attractions like El Angosto and Entre Rios.

Outside of the town there exist many hiking and walking opportunities, as explained below. For reliable trails and GPS navigation in this region, consult OpenStreetMap, which is used by many mobile Apps like OsmAnd or Mapy.cz. Or just download the according GPX or KML files through Waymarked Trails for such trails on OpenStreetMap. (Note, you just need to change the OpenStreetMap relation ID to download the GPX or KML files through the same link.)

See
The beautiful surrounding of Tupiza is full of quebradas, cañones and valles. It's excellent for exploring by foot, but it's also possible to go on horseback, mountain-bike or by jeep.

 * Mirador Cristo
 * Cerro la Cruz
 * Mirador Cristo
 * Cerro la Cruz
 * Mirador Cristo
 * Cerro la Cruz
 * Mirador Cristo
 * Cerro la Cruz
 * Cerro la Cruz

Do

 * If you'd like to be a little more independent or economical, hiking or biking along the same trails as the horses is also an option. See above for navigation details.
 * If you'd like to be a little more independent or economical, hiking or biking along the same trails as the horses is also an option. See above for navigation details.
 * If you'd like to be a little more independent or economical, hiking or biking along the same trails as the horses is also an option. See above for navigation details.

Buy

 * Tupiza has a biweekly local market stretching down from just outside the train station. Mainly consists of electronics, cheap clothes, and random knick-knacks. There are also many food kiosks and vendors past the main strip. Interesting drink and jello vendors, as well as vitamin quinoa juice.

Drink
On weekends there could be some local fiesta, ask around.

Cope
It seems common in Tupiza that the Salar de Uyuni tour is priced dependent on the number of people on the tour. However, do not fall for that trick, it is just a way to make more money off you. It is the tour company's job to find enough people, not yours. Your reference price should be the one for a 6 people tour. And from that "official price" actually you should take another 20-30% off to have the fair price. Best to tell them your price, and if they are interested, they shall contact you via WhatsApp. Do that with 6 or 7 companies (and if you got strong nerves even for leaving the next day), and certainly some will get back to you agreeing on the price. The price from San Pedro de Atacama is about US$150, but Bolivia is not Chile and should be less than that. The lowest prices from Uyuni are Bs. 600 (plus Bs. 50 for the bus until San Pedro). If you cannot get a similar price and feel you are overcharged, take the 5 hr and head to Uyuni—there are much more competing companies and number of tourists there, guaranteeing you the best price.

Connect
Most (newer) accommodations will have Wi-Fi for its guests.

Other than that there are many internet cafes which are reasonably priced but very slow at peak times.

Go next

 * Salar de Uyuni – There are several tour agents offering the 3-4 day tour finishing in Uyuni. Make sure you are well acclimatized if you're doing the trip from here, since you'll go from about 3,000 m to 4,200 m and sometimes even scratch the 5,000-m mark, climbing 1,200 m in just a few hours.
 * Tarija, Potosi or Sucre – These would be you next stops depending on your overall time and interests.
 * Villazón or Tarija – Your next destinations if you have finished Bolivia and are heading for Argentina or Paraguay.

There are also trains to both Villazon, Uyuni and Oruro every other day.

title: Tupiza


text:
Tura

There is more than one place called Tura:

Hungary

 * Tura (Hungary) - A town in Central Hungary.

India

 * Tura (India) - A city in Meghalaya.

Russia

 * Tura (Russia) - The capital of Evenkia.

title: Tura


text:
Turangi

Turangi is a town of 3,840 (2023) at the south end of Lake Taupo, in the Central North Island of New Zealand.

By bus
Intercity have three services per day from Auckland and from Wellington.

By car
Turangi is on State Highway 1, between Taupo and Waiouru.

Do

 * Trout fishing. Turangi is mostly famous for the Tongariro River, which runs through it. It provides excellent fishing all year round (but particularly during August-October) for rainbow (steelhead) and brown trout.
 * Hunting
 * Walking, climbing and (in season) skiing in nearby Tongariro National Park
 * Hunting
 * Walking, climbing and (in season) skiing in nearby Tongariro National Park

Go next

 * National Park Village
 * Taupo, the bigger town at the northern end of the lake
 * Tongariro National Park

title: Turangi


text:
Turbo

Turbo is a city in the Antioquia region of Colombia.

Turbo doesn't have a lot to offer, and its primary interest to travellers is its role as the place to get a boat to Capurganá, from where it is possible to get a boat to Puerto Obaldia in Panama.

The city has a population of just under 50,000, so there is stuff going on if you do decide to spend a few days here. There is a main plaza in the middle of Turbo (Calle 100 and Carrera 13) and most of the shops and restaurants are within a few minutes walk of the plaza.

Understand
The dock where the boats leave from is just over the bridge from the main plaza, although you can find it by following the smell; the water around the docks is a fetid, putrid mass of sludge that almost seems alive as it bubbles with the methane given off by decaying sewage.

By bus
Turbo is on the Pan-American highway, and there are regular buses here from Medellin.
 * The ride from Medellin takes about 8 hours and costs COP$55,000 (every hour), but beware as the road is one of the worst main highways in Colombia, with frequent breaks in it due to landslides and much of it is not tarmaced.
 * From Cartagena take an early bus before 11AM to Montería (COP$45,000, 4½ hr) and change there for a bus to Turbo (COP$45,000, 5 hr)

By boat
Fast boats to Turbo depart from Capurganá, further along the coast. The fare is COP$55,000, they also charge excess baggage at COP$500 per kg over 10 kg. Everything is weighed.

Tickets for the boats go on sale from about 6AM, with boats leaving up until just before midday; so get a ticket as early as possible to be certain of getting a place however. The main operator seems to be Cootransflumar (+57 872 9280).

A ticket to Capurganá costs COP$55,000, and COP$1,000 for every 2 kg of luggage that you take when you board the boat (not always enforced). The ride to Capurganá is 3 hours of worth of concussion-inducing bumps as the launch jumps the waves. You and your stuff are also likely to get wet. Large plastic bags are available for sale on the docks. It's best to book your ticket the day before so your name is called early as they load the boat. Try to get a seat in the back on the port side of the boat for a more comfortable and drier ride. You can also tip one of the luggage boys to save you a good seat. It's worth it. You might also want to have rain gear ready.

If you miss the boat to Capurgana in the morning, there is another boat that leaves later to Acandi (COP$35,000), from which you can catch an additional boat to Capurgana in the afternoon (COP$15,000).

Get around
It is very easy to get around.

Do
Turbo has a beach (admittedly not a particularly nice one), about 15 minutes walk from the main plaza, crossing over a concrete bridge that affords a nice view of the surrounding mangrove swamps. If you don´t fancy the walk, there is a bus service, or you can get a taxi or motorcycle. There are a couple of nice bars on the beach, which faces west, so it's a great place to go and watch the sun set.

Budget

In addition to the above, there are a range of cheap hotels, just opposite the docks where the boats leave from:

Go next

 * Capurganá
 * Panama
 * Medellin
 * Cartagena

title: Turbo


text:
Turda

Turda is a city on the Aries River in Cluj County, Transylvania.

Get in
Getting to Turda is very easy because it is on the junction of 2 major roads in Romania. Turda had a great importance in the history of Transylvania because here, for the first time in Christian Europe, was declared in 1568 the Edict of Religious Freedom, the religious tolerance, a more important edict for Transylvanian identity.

By train
Because Turda doesn't have a train station you have to go to the nearest town called Câmpia Turzii and from there take a bus to Turda, the price of the bus is around €0.75.

By car
Turda is on the A3, E60, E81 European roads so it has great access from all the parts of Romania. It is directly connected to the most important locations in Transylvania: Cluj-Napoca, Alba Iulia and Târgu-Mureș.

By bus
Turda can be reached by bus from Cluj-Napoca, major cities in Romania, most cities in Transylvania, and a number of major cities in Europe. Search for a route online at autogari.ro.

You can pick up minivans with "CLUJ-TURDA" signs from Piața Mihai Viteazul, Opera bus station or Calea Turzii road (close to the Observatorului roundabout). The trip costs 10-14 lei and takes 30 minutes. The most important company on this line is FANY.

Get around
Turda has a local public transportation company called Societatea de Transport Public Turda (STP) but taking the bus won't be necessary due to the size of the town.

See

 * Unitarian Gothic church
 * Catholic Gothic church

Do
The main attraction and the reason for most national and international tourist for going to Turda is the salt mine. It's not only place for getting an idea about the Austro-Hungarian mining industry of the 19th century but mostly an in-ground leisure park offering pool, table tennis, mini golf and rowing on a lake far below the surface.
 * Swim in the salty lakes and swimming pools around the city. Entry fees are moderate. A map and more details can be found online (e.g. at inforturda.ro or at the Romanian Wikipedia).
 * Visit one of the gorges around Turda. is the most famous of them. You can take the car to the mouth of the gorge. Leave the city in direction of the A3 to Bucharest or Târgu-Mureș but take the DN75 to the village Mihai Viteazu. Right behind the village you take the small street to Cheia on the right. After crossing a river and driving through the village you will reach the entrance to the gorge. Hiking in the valley is rather easy and takes about 1 hr. The surroundings offer longer and more advanced trails.
 * Visit the well preserved village of which offers an insight in the rural culture of the last centuries combined with a great view at the Piatra Secuiului (1128 m), one of the most beautiful rocks. You can combine your trip there with visiting other sights on the way there:
 * Leave Turda in direction of the A3 to Bucharest or Târgu-Mureș but take the DN75 to the village Mihai Viteazu (see above). Behind Mihai Viteazu you stay on the DN75 and follow the road which leads you into the scenic Arieș valley. After a couple of kilometers you see a bridge which crosses the river on the left. Take this road (DN107M).
 * You will pass two monasteries on the left: and . It's worth to stop the car and have a short look at them.
 * The next village on the street is Rimetea. Find a place to park and explore the village. It's mostly inhabited by Hungarians and has been an important mining place. The view on the 1128 m high Piatra Secuiului is amazing. The village offers an ethnographic museum and a starting point of hiking trips in the surroundings.
 * After visiting this highlight you should consider to drive further to the Colțești, the next village. It offers not only a great restaurant but also the ruins of the . Take the first street on the right in the village and drive until its end. From there it's a 25-min walk to the ruin. You will get a great view over the area including the Piatra Secuiului.
 * After visiting this highlight you should consider to drive further to the Colțești, the next village. It offers not only a great restaurant but also the ruins of the . Take the first street on the right in the village and drive until its end. From there it's a 25-min walk to the ruin. You will get a great view over the area including the Piatra Secuiului.

Buy
Turda does not offer too many opportunities for shopping. For groceries you can try the local market in the town centre or one of the Kaufland supermarkets.

Eat
Typical for this region is the "Turda Roast" meat with garlic and pepper and a cake with honey that goes by the name of "Turda's honey cake".

Sleep

 * For a less expensive option, go for Casa Margareta Turda, on Street Salinelor no. 71, very close to the Salt Mine.
 * For a less expensive option, go for Casa Margareta Turda, on Street Salinelor no. 71, very close to the Salt Mine.

Go next

 * visit Cluj-Napoca, Alba Iulia or Sighișoara
 * Salt mine Salina Veche in (quite distant) Slănic

title: Turda