The best introduction to Tunisia one can ever have! Make it your first experience and activity – you won’t regret it!
I had such a wonderful experience with Nomadic Bike (Semia, Esdene, Malek, and Mehdi) doing both their cooking class and cycle tour. From start to finish, everything felt genuinely welcoming, warm, open and generous.
From the moment I arrived, I was made to feel genuinely welcome. (In fact, I felt so welcome, I even went back a few days later!!) There was such openness, kindness and hospitality — the type that feels completely natural and never forced.
The cooking class was home-like, the food was mouth-watering-ly delicious (I will no longer make couscous in any other way than what Semia taught me!!), and the whole day relaxed and full of generosity and love. The cycle tour gave me a completely different perspective on Tunis, discovering places, stories and corners of the city that I would never have experienced in the same way on my own.
But it was about so much more than the food or the bike ride. It felt like being welcomed into someone’s world, sharing stories, learning, laughing and enjoying the simple pleasure of preparing and eating something together. There’s a real sense of kindness and connection; something very honest and authentic – like you are a member of the family who has come home after a long time away. It feels personal rather than packaged, and the people behind it are incredibly kind and hospitable.
If you’re visiting Tunis and want to see, taste and understand the city from a different perspective, I can’t recommend Nomadic Bike highly enough. Come hungry, curious, and open—you’ll be very well looked after! ❤️🚲
A Taste of Tunisia: Meera’s Unforgettable Adventure
Hello everyone! I’m Esdene, and today I’m going to tell you about my friend Meera’s unforgettable experience in Tunisia.
Meera is of Indian origin and lives in London, England. She had always wanted to visit Tunisia, and when she finally arrived, she was excited to discover the country, its food, its history, and its culture.
Her first stop after landing was at nomadic bike house, where she was introduced to one of Tunisia’s most famous dishes: couscous. Of course,Meera wanted to try it! There was just one small problem—she wanted her couscous without pepper or chilli spices.
For a Tunisian, that was quite a challenge! The traditional flavour of couscous often comes from spices such as harissa arbi and felfel zina. But our “unstoppable chef” Semia was ready for the challenge. She prepared a vegetarian version with potatoes, onions, carrots and other vegetables.
Neena helped prepare the vegetables before they began cooking. They put oil and onions into the pot and added water and tomato sauce. When Meera saw the process, she jokingly said that it sounded like “a recipe for a disaster!” But the cooking continued. They added the vegetable and couscous, carefully leaving out the pepper and chilli.
After about forty minutes, everything was ready. Semia had also prepared tajine and a Fresh salad, along with a traditional Tunisian grilled salad. They even bought “lban”, a drink often enjoyed with couscous. Meera was surprised by the result. I had never imagined that I could enjoy couscous without chilli, but it turned out to be delicious. Meera even joked that she could call it “couscous in Meera’s style.”
Discovering the Medina
After lunch, the Nomadic cyclists (Melek and Mahdi) joined us so they could help Meera explore the Medina of Tunis. Before going they stopped for some green tea, cake and fruit. During their conversation, they happened to talk about the Bardo Museum, which was very close to the house. They immediately agreed that it would be a plan to go in future
Later, they set off on bicycles with their “Cultural tour guide” Mahdi .
Mahdi helped Meera discover Tunis, not only through the streets they were riding through, but also through stories, imagination and Tunisian history.
Their first major stop was the ancient aqueduct near Bardo.Where she was amazed to learn about its age and its connection with the Roman period. The aqueduct reminded her that Tunisia’s history stretches back thousands of years and that the country has been home to remarkable engineering achievements.
From there, they headed toward Bab Saadoun, one of the historic gates of the Medina.
Bab Saadoun: A Gateway to History
Bab Saadoun dates back to the nineteenth century and was named after the holy Sidi Saadoun. The gate once opened toward the roads leading to places such as Béja and Bizerte. Its original design included a single arch, before additional arches were added later to make movement easier.
Although the original gate was demolished in the nineteenth century, its name has survived as part of Tunis’s historical identity.
As they passed through the gate,Meera felt as though she was stepping into another time. The narrow streets, old houses, markets, mosques and traditional buildings created a completely different atmosphere from modern London.
The Medina had grown into a lively centre of life and trade over the centuries. Especially during the Hafsid period, people arrived from different places, bringing their cultures, traditions and businesses with them. Walking through the old streets, Meera could almost imagine the people who had lived, worked and traded there hundreds of years ago.
Khayreddine Street and the Heart of the Medina:
Afterwards, they visited Khayreddine Street, which dates back to the early Ottoman period. The street was originally known as Dar El Pacha, referring to the house of the Pasha. Because of its location near the Kasbah and several important Ottoman institutions, it became an important part of the Medina.
Traditional buildings and old houses surrounded them, making every corner feel like a piece of history.
Finally, they reached one of the most famous places in the Medina: Jemaa Ezzitouna.
The Zitouna Mosque is at the heart of the religious and cultural life of the Medina of Tunis. Its history goes back centuries, and its architecture, courtyard and surrounding markets make it one of the most remarkable landmarks in the old city. Meera admired the arches, geometric patterns and traditional details that surrounded her and she was lucky to witness it when it was raining.
Also In the early 19th century, Youssef Sahib Ettabaâ, a powerful minister under Hammouda Pacha Bey, built this magnificent mosque in the Halfaouine area of Tunis. Its architecture combines Tunisian, Ottoman, and Italian influences, with a large prayer hall, elegant marble columns, decorated arches, and a tall square minaret. The mosque remains an important monument of Tunis, telling the story of a period when Tunisian and Ottoman artistic traditions came together.
For Meera, the visit was more than simply sightseeing. It was a journey through Tunisian history—from ancient Roman engineering to Ottoman-era streets and the lively Medina that still exists today.
By the end of the day, Meera had discovered something she had not expected: Tunisia was not only a place to visit, but a place where food, friendship, architecture and history come together.
And perhaps the best part of her adventure was that she did not experience Tunisia simply as a tourist. She experienced it through the eyes of her new Nomadic Tunisian friends.
The Bardo Museum day:
After i contacted Meera and agreed to meet at the nomadic bike house, Friday at 12:30, Semia prepared pasta “the Tunisian style” (of course the Tunisian version without chili) and salad.
Then, at about 14:30, we went to the museum. It was like a seven-minute walk. We paid for the ticket, which was about 30dt ( 9€)?
First, we started with Islamic history in Tunisia. There were a lot of old colours and beautiful things to see. Then we moved on to everything related to history before that, which was related to Carthage.
Then we went to see the Bey and the King-related things from the late 1800s to the mid-1900s. She wasn’t looking at the statues of Cartage at AD. She was so fond of the ancient architecture of the Bey era, and when she heard that the museum was the Bey palace before, she was mesmerised.
She kept taking pictures of everything there. Also, she was really stunned by the mosaics, and she even wanted to learn how to do it.
We passed the big mosaic, and I told her that every mosaic has its own myth and that my favourite is the pirate and … secret island , which I am not gonna tell you guys about, so you come and discover it here with us.
That turned into our next journey with new people: Tunisian – Nomadic bikers.
And for this article, the quote is from our friend Meera
“Tunisia is so underrated!”
