Family visit Nov 2006
Booked through Thomson travel and got a good deal on full board (1100 pounds (2k US) for 2 adults and 2 children for 2 weeks. End of Oct thru Nov 12, 2006.
If you've never been to Tunisia, you should be aware of the fact that the hotel properties are clean and nice, and that's about the extent of it. Almost anywhere we went off-site (to include Tunis, Hammamet, Sousse, etc.) could be compared to Mexico in N.America. Very poor, very run-down and not at all pleasant looking in most parts. The few exceptions are either strictly tourist-based sites (Port El Kantoui (sp?) and parts of Monastir) which are fairly clean and beautiful catering almost exclusively to tourists. To be fair though, there are miles of countryside in Tunisia that I'd consider beautiful, but most of the rural and city areas are literally covered in debris and garbage, crumbling architecture, and poverty at every angle.
Souveniers are inexpensive and plenty. I read reviews and articles describing the aggressive lengths that the market sellers take to get your tourist dollar, but I have to admit that we were taken aback and somewhat annoyed by the practices. The sellers will, in some cases, literally block your path physically, giving you the proverbial hard-sell, or to get you into their shops. If you are easily flustered or unused to haggling and/or aggressive dialoge, I'd highly recommend skipping the markets entirely and visiting one of the many set-price "malls." I fancied myself a haggler and after purchasing a couple souveniers at what were decently low prices, I found it increasingly annoying to make my way (with family in tow) through the guantlet of the market being "hit upon" by each and every seller standing outside his shop. In the end, I was glad to have a little taste of it, but gladly paid the extra couple dinar at the set-price stores!
Of all the hotels in the area, the Thalassa Monastir stands head and shoulders above their neighbors. The beach was clean, the sand almost as soft and fine as talcum, and the water clean and welcoming blue (and warm!). The pool was another story, bordering on Arctic water temps at our time of year. Rooms are pretty sparce, and most definitely not 4-star, as Thomson lists, but by Africa standards they likely are. By UK/US standards, I'd rate the rooms at about a 2.5-3 star at best. However, they were clean and comfortable. Hair dryers in the bathroom and the shower worked like a champ. Rooms were also clean anb maintained well by a friendly cleaning staff. Rooms facing the inner horshoe have a great view and I'd recommend either the top floor for the ocean view, or the ground floor for the easy access to the pool and beach.
While the Thalassa Monastir may not exactly shine in the luxurious room department, they more than make up for it with the buffetts. All 3 meals were excellent, with very impressive range of selection. Dinner is the big meal and they consistently delivered huge selection and high qualities of foods. From traditional british cuisine to pasta, rounded out with a generous helping of local quality cuisine, the meals never failed to prove their worth. Full board is worth every penny. Highly trained staff prepare extensively adorned food-based decor and an average of 15 seperate main course dishes (including vegetables), 2 soups, 6 salads and an average of about 15 dessert choices for dinner. Those are conservative estimates. Pasta is cooked to order at lunch and dinner and omelets, eggs, crepes are available at breakfast on top of the 12-15 pre-cooked offerings on the food line. Every meal includes a varied cheese and bread offering self service. Drinks are included with breakfast, but you'll pay for them at lunch and dinner even with full board (avg. approx 3-5 dinar for a family of 4).