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Mediterranean
Charm
Tunisia, Malta & Sicily
14
days - Tour starts in Tunis weekly on Saturdays , Year Round
For any questions , please e-mail
us.

We'll take you through Carthage, desert oases, curious troglodyte dwellings,a
Roman amphitheater, and unspoiled beaches. Then it's on the the Malta
and Sicily. You'll appreciate the breathtaking beauty of these Mediterranean
Island has drawn wanderers over the centuries.
DAY 1 - TUNIS - Saturday (D)
Start in Tunis on Saturdays, year round.
Our local staff will meet you upon arrival at Tunis Carthage International
Airport. You'll be assisted with the formalities, and escorted to the
fine Hotel El Hana International in Tunis or "Palm Beach"
Hotel in Hammamet or similar. There will be time to relax and recuperate
from your journey, and enjoy the excellent facilities. If you wish,
you can adventure into the center of Tunis to start your exploration
of the winding alleys of the souk, filled with treasures of beaten brass
and basketry and carpets, and merchants who will welcome you with traditional
mint tea. Dinner will be at your hotel.
DAY 2 - CHARTAGE, SIDI BOU SAID - Sunday
(200 Kilometers) (BLD)
we'll
marvel at the ruins of Carthage, a true metropolis of the ancient world,
as evidenced by its theater, circus, baths, port installations, and
extensive urban plan. We'll lunch at a fine local restaurant, then speed
forward in time to the middle ages, as we visit the picture-perfect
Moorish village of Sidi Bou Said. With its whitewashed walls and narrow
laneways, it's the perfect setting as we stop for traditional mint tea.
Back in Tunis, we'll stop at the Bardo Museum, to view the most extensive
Roman mosaics in the world. We'll then head for the Medina, the old
quarter of the city, with its warrens of shops filled with wares ranging
from humdrum to exotic. Hotel
El Hana International in Tunis or "Palm Beach" Hotel in Hammamet
or similar
DAY 3 - HAMMAMET, SOUSSE, EL DJEM, SFAX
, GABES - 400 Kilometers- Monday (BLD)
After breakfast, we'll set off to explore! Hammamet, a cosmopolitan
port where sun-worshippers from all over happily coexist with fishermen
and traditional ways. We'll stop at the port of El Kantaoui, and then
proceed back into time to venerable Sousse, once the Phoenician City
called Hadrumatum. We'll stroll through the medina, the old quarter,
cooled by sea breezes, and visit the museum as well as the Ribat, a
stronghold of the warriors of Islam,
and visit the Roman catacombs and. Our next stop is El Jem, which
boasts a Roman coliseum very similar to the famous one in Rome.
Lunch will be served at " Palm Beach Jawhra Club" in Sousse
or "Donia" in Sfax. Our busy day continues with a drive to
the coastal city of Gabes, a Roman outpost of old and a traditional
market center where, for centuries, goods from across the sea and across
the desert have changed hands. We'll visit the oasis, where palm groves
and gardens flourish. Accommodation : in Gabes : Hotel "Oasis "
or " Chems" .
DAY 4 - GABES, DJERBA (250 Kilometers)
- Tuesday (BLD)
Today we
cross to Djerba, an island where Ulysses once encountered the legendary
Lotus-Eaters. Explore the old quarters,
including the synagogue of Hara Sghira, Hara Kebira with its modern
Jewish community, and Guellala, with its craft stalls, and to see the
waterfront and fishing fleet, and the lively town of Houmt Souk. After
a lunch stop, we'll either return to our hotel on the Island of Djerba
: "Palm Beach " or similar or cross back to the mainland and
overnight in Gabes at hotel Oasis or Chems. Dinner at the hotel.
DAY
5 - MATMATA, KEBILI, DOUZ - ( 300 Kilometers) - Wednesday (BLD)
Our route takes us through terrain of increasingly sparse grasses and
shrubs, into the desert to Matmata. We'll stop to look in on a community
of miniature underground houses, where the earliest settlers sheltered
from the extremes of the desert above -- as do the Berbers of today.
We'll enjoy a full day of desert adventure, we'll
visit the village of Kebili, largest of a cluster of oases, islands
of life in a harsh landscape, then proceed to Douz, fabled as the Gateway
to the Sahara. There, a special treats waits, the opportunity to sample
a caravan trek! This close encounter with a camel is entirely at your
option! Hotel : "Oasis" in Kebili, or "Palmyre"
in Tozeur.
DAY 6 - TOZEUR - (280 Kilometers) -
Thursday (BLD)
We
set off across the Chott El Djerid, a great dry salt lake, for Tozeur.
Here, we'll wonder at the ancient irrigation works .We'll
learn more about oases today . Despite the dryness of its surface, great
aquifers underlie the Sahara. Where they spill their riches out in springs,
they create the green havens of Tunisia's oases. We'll see a dramatic
example, as we explore the irrigated fields around Tozeur and motor
overland to the great mountain oases of Chebika and Tamerza ( in 4 wheel
drive) . We'll return to Tozeur late afternoon, after which you're free
until dinner. You can choose to enjoy the unique desert resort comforts
at your hotel. Or, you might decide to wander the streets of Tozeur,
look in on daily life, admire the classic North African houses built
around patios on terraces above a river fed by springs, and shop for
baskets and capes of camel hair.
DAY 7 - TOZEUR, GAFSA, SBEITLA, KAIROUAN,
TUNIS - Friday (BLD)
We'll delve more into Tunisia's rich and varied past today, as we motor
overland through pleasant, rolling coastal lands. At Gafsa, we'll see
the Roman pools of Capsa, the ancient crossroads between desert oases
and the cultivated coastal lands. We'll wonder at the Roman ruins of
Sbeitla , Suffetula, as well as the great mosque. Later in the day,
we'll reach Kairouan, an ancient, holy, and vibrant city noted for its
historic mosques and centers of learning. Lunch at a local restaurant.
Kairouan also is noted for its souk, and
the crafting of carpets and leather goods. Of course, there will be
time to check out these wares, before we depart to Tunis, or Hammamat
where a night's rest and dinner await us once again at the Hotel El
Hana in Tunis or "Palm Beach" in Hammamet or similar.
DAY 8 -At Leisure- Saturday (B)
Full day at leisure or relax on the beach .
DAY 9 - The Island of Malta-Sunday (B)
After breakfast, our local personnel will escort you
to the international airport, where you'll your flight heading for Valetta
,Malta and your 4 stars ,hotel ( Forum/ Victoria or Corinthia Marina)
.
DAY 10 - Monday- VALLETTA
- City of the Knights- (B)
Morning tour of the Capital Valletta and walk to the Upper Barracca
Gardens for a panoramic view of the Grand Harbour. Then on to St. John's
co-Cathedral, Malta's greatest treasure which includes the famous painting
by Caravaggio. Our tour proceeds to the Grand Master's Palace, which
houses Parliament, the offices of the President of Malta and the Armoire.
Remainder of the day at leisure
DAY
11 - Tuesday-The
Silent City Mdina and Rabat (BL)
A Full- day tour with
lunch .We drive towards Ta' Qali to the Crafts Village to watch local
artisans at work producing typical Maltese ware which includes glass,
silver, filigree and pottery. We then proceed to the Silent City Mdina
with its defense bastions dating back to the 09th Century. We walk through
the town, visiting St. Paul's Cathedral and then to the Bastions for
a panoramic view of the Island. We then walk to Rabat to visit the Roman
Villa with its mosaic floors and St. Paul's Catacombs, an underground
burial place used by the early Christians. A typical Maltese lunch will
be served in one of the village's restaurants. We also stop to see the
local handwork for which the village of Rabat is renowned. Then on to
Dingli Cliffs for a panoramic view of the open sea where we will also
stop to see some Cart Ruts. WE stop by Mosta to visit the famous Dome
considered to be the 3rd largest in Europe before we head back to our
hotel.
DAY
12 - Wednesday- SICILY (B)
SICILY (Weather Permitting)
,early morning departure by Catamaran for Sicily, where we are met by
fully air-conditioned luxury coaches, accompanied by guides. The excursion
starts by crossing the 2nd and 3rd highest bridges in Europe which pass
over the baroque town of Modica. Then onto the lblei Mountain Range
with a view of the quaint villages among canyons. Free time for refreshments
and photos. Then onto Mt Etna to visit Sylvester Craters , break for
lunch (on your own) . We then proceed towards Taormina having time to
enjoy the unique panoramic views overlooking Giardini Naxos. Late afternoon
we leave Taormina for the harbour to embark on the catamaran for Malta
where we arrive late in the evening. (Port Tax and local Transport included).
.
DAY
13 - Thursday- Gozo (BL)
D
GOZO Full-day with lunch included. Gozo is the legendary abode of Calypso
daughter of Atlas. Our tour starts with a visit to the Ggantija Prehistoric
Temples in Xaghra and then proceed to Dwejra to see the 'Azure Window',
Fungus Rock and the Inland Sea. We will also stop to see the local lace
and knitwear for which the island of Gozo is renowned. Lunch will be
served in a Typical Gozitan Village. After lunch we visit the Citadel
including Gozo's Cathedral in the capital Victoria, then we let you
roam the place on your own or for shopping , late afternoon we embark
the ferry boat at Mgarr Harbour to return to Malta.
DAY
14 - Friday- Departure (B)
Our local rep will escort you back to the
airport for your flight home. Bon Voyage
RATES per person in US$:
Sharing
in triple Occupancy: $1850
Sharing in Double Occupancy: $1890
In Single occupancy : $2210
Prices
include:
-
Round-trip transportation between airport.
- Air
fare Tunis, Malta including tax.
- Ferries
& Catamaran tickets, and port taxes as per itinerary.
- Hotel
Accommodations as mentioned in itinerary, in comfortable three or
four-star (first-class) hotels, with private facilities.
- Meals
as indicated from preset menu (B = breakfast, L = lunch, D = dinner).
-
Guided sightseeing as indicated in air-conditioned coach, including
all admission fees.
Please note that in Tunisia, touring & guiding will be in French
and English.
Not
Included:
- International
air transportation. Optional excursions, such as camel ride.
- Any
meal not specifically mentioned beverages, and personal expenses.
- Gratuities
for local personnel.
- Travel
insurance (please inquire about plans available upon request).
-
Airport taxes.
- Upgrade
available to the 5 star beach property in Tunis: Khamsa Corinthia
Hotel , for the first 2 night at the beginning and the one night at
the end for : $96.00 per person in triple o double occupancy , or
$150 per person in single for the total of 3 nights.
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