Arriving in Tunisia
We are a married couple from Canada who arrived in Tunisia with no set plan and a curiosity about the country. Our Canadian names are Dyl and Jill, but the locals gave us the Tunisian names Mekki and Zakiya. Right away, we realized that the most memorable part of our trip wouldn’t be the landscapes or historical sites, but the people. Even before we made it through security at the Tunis airport, we had already made 3 Tunisian friends! We met locals who welcomed us openly and generously in Tunis, Sousse, and Zammour. Nomadic Bike gave us amazing opportunities to cycle around Tunis and experience even more hospitality! What we’ll remember most are the small, genuine moments of kindness that made Tunisia feel like home.
Visiting Zammour
Our introduction to southern Tunisia began in Zammour, a town in the Dahar mountains near Medenine. Zammour instantly showed us what Tunisian hospitality looks like. It seemed like every day we encountered new hospitality. Here are two stories that stood out. One evening, while hiking up to a mountain behind a ksar for sunset, a young local caught up to us to warn about wild animals on the trail.
He didn’t just give us advice and turn around. Rather, he stayed with us the entire hike to protect us, point out landmarks, and share bits of local history as if he’d suddenly become our guide. Another day, Dyl met a young man who was a barber and quickly became a friend. They were only able to communicate with hand signals and Google Translate. During this man’s lunch break, he showed up on a motorcycle, asked Dyl to hop on, brought him to his barber shop, gave him an awesome haircut, and refused any payment. Encounters like these are what make Zammour such a memorable part of southern Tunisia. Kindness, hospitality, and genuine relationships are the things that stuck with us, even after we left.
Staying With Friends in Sousse
From Zammour, we journeyed to Sousse, one of Tunisia’s major coastal cities and a popular tourism destination. We stayed with a friend whom we met in Zammour. She welcomed us like family. She cooked us a traditional dinner, hosted us for the night, and the next morning bought us breakfast before giving us a personal tour of Sousse and its souk.
We’ve visited over 10 souks between Morocco and Tunisia, but Sousse felt different. It was calmer, more approachable, and we could smell and feel the fresh ocean air as we wandered through the souk. The tour made the cultural experience so rich, and it felt like we got to know the souk rather than just see the souk.
When it was time to head to Tunis, our friend arranged a carpool for us through a Facebook group since it was getting too late to catch a louage. On the way to Tunis, our driver stopped halfway through the trip to buy us chocolate and juice for the journey. It was such a small gesture and displayed more of the warm hospitality that we kept experiencing across Tunisia. These moments of friendship and hospitality don’t often show up on TikTok, but are the moments we repeatedly experienced throughout our travels in Tunisia and want to share with others.
Tunis and the Nomadic bike community
In Tunis, we stayed with Selim’s mom. Although she doesn’t know English and we don’t know Arabic or French, we were able to communicate through Google Translate and received a warm welcome and hospitality. From the moment we landed in Tunis, we felt welcomed, not just as travelers or new friends, but as family. We were a little hesitant and nervous to bike in Tunis. We had experienced the sometimes crazy traffic from a vehicle and weren’t sure how things would go on the bike. The Nomadic community assured us that if we biked in a group with them, everything would be okay. It was more than okay! We had a great experience biking from Bardo to the medina! The bike was followed by tasty coffee and friendly, genuine conversation with the Nomadic Bike community.
Looking Back on the Journey
If you’re considering visiting Tunisia, we hope our experience gives you a glimpse of what the country is really like. It’s beautiful, historic, and full of incredible landscapes. However, what stayed with us most were the people who welcomed us without hesitation. Travel with an open heart and you’ll be welcomed with one.
Whether you come for the culture, the coast, or to explore routes with Nomadic Bike in Tunisia, you’ll leave with more than memories. You’ll leave with stories, friendships, and the feeling that you were truly looked after. Tunisia gave us more hospitality than we ever expected. We hope this inspires you to experience it for yourself. Just go!
-Dyl and Jill (Mekki and Zakiya)
A married couple from Canada, travelling to more than 15 countries in 1 year to make friends and learn about beautiful cultures.
