Nightclubs and bars in Tunisia

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Comparing Red Iguana with other clubs in Sousse and Port El Kantaoui I can tell that there is the best music and people can have a great fun till morning! I also heard that in club Metalika is ok but I wasn't there :(

Dress Code: I always say-Be yourself, but if you don't want to be too different from others, wear something to impress..

We encountered little to no nightlife in Tunisia. We had been advised that as women travelling alone, it would be best to stay in at night, so we did. This actually worked out better for us because we were then able to wake up early, hop into the VW Polo and head off to our next city. The big resort towns like Sousse most likely had places that women could go to at night, but we only visited there for an afternoon. Our only exception was the bar at the Sidi Driss Hotel in Matmata. this is the place where they filmed Star Wars, it seemed a lot safer than wandering the streets of Tunis, or even Sfax.

Dress Code: No dress code, very casual

Before going to Tunisia as a tourist I read some tips on VT about its nightlife. Most of them sayed that there was no nightlife in Tunisia… Now that I live in Tunisia and like a tunisian I can say that this is completely false!!! Tunisians know very well how to enjoy nights and specially in summer time there are a lot of soirées at the big hotels by the swimming pool, private bbqs on the medina’s terraces, improvised mini parties on the beach…. Of course I cannot talk for all the places in Tunisia (maybe in the middle of the Sahara surrounded by camels there is no much nightlife…) but I know that Tunis, Sousse and Hammamet in summer time are nightlife hot spots. How can you find them? As usual, don’t stay at your hotel and ask to the locals :-D

The Medina of Tunis has a lot of hidden treasures and its difficult to discover if you only spend few days in the city. During Ramadan nights (on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday) there are very beautiful guided tours. Following the guide you will enter in another world full of arched and narrow alleys, beautiful decorated palaces, unknown mosques and zawouias, most of them from the XVIIth-XVIIth century. I could not immagine that there was so much to see!. The explanations are very good and during this trip you will learn a lot about Tunis’ history, arts and local customs. The meeting point is in front of Al Diwan (Dar-el-Jeld street), a restaurant-crafts shop inside a XVIIIth century nice palace; The duration of the tour is about two hours and the ticket cost 13 DT (7€) in 2008.

Dress Code: No dress code
Wear appropiate shoes

If you don’t like neither the pubs nor the discos but you don’t want to stay at the hotel at night a good choice could be La Marsa. This old seaside resort is very alive during summer nights and lots of local families go there to spend the evening walking along la corniche or taking something to drink in one of its caffès in front of the sea. The Mosque’s Square its very busy too: there are lots of people and street vendors and sometimes you can find any kind of mini fairies there (books, music, handicraft…). Summer nights at La Marsa finish very late!

Dress Code: Very casual

If you are in Tunis during the month of Ramadan dont miss the Medina Festival. Every night during all this month you can enjoy different performances, basically popular performances, that take place inside several rich and beautifully decorated palaces in the medina.
Tunis medina is not only the stalls full of touristic gifts: you have no idea of the beauty of this medina until you have visited this hidden palaces and gardens and if you can admire it during a nice concert its always much better!

I went to see the derviches from Konia in Dar Hussein and we spent a nice time. Tickets cost 20DT (11€) in 2008; Usually there are not crowded performances (50 to 100 people) so they run out very quickly. You can buy them at the National Theater in Habib Bourguiba Avenue;

Dress Code: No dress code

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Le Centre des Musiques Arabes et Méditerranéenes in Palais Ennjema Ezzahra (Sidi Bou Said) proposes you since 2006 and during Ramadan nights a musical festival called Musiqat. It consists on some traditional and neo traditional music concerts of big quality and from different european, mediterranean and arabic countries. Sometimes they surprise you with rare proposals from Africa or South America too. The concerts take place in one of Palais Ennjema Ezzahra halls and there are not many seats but it’s better for these kind of concerts, they manage to create a pleasant and more intimate atmosphear.
This year (2008) Musiqat offered concerts of popular music from Tunisia, Iran, China, Turquey, Romania, Brasil, Mali, Afghanistan, Spain, Morocco, Italie, France and Armenia. I went to Selim Sezler’s concert (a well known clarinet player) who played with his clarinet gipsy turquish music. His music made us travel to the old suburbs of Istambul. Not to be missed

Tickets cost 10DT (5,55€) Year 2008

Dress Code: Well in summer since the hall is not very big its hot inside so its better to wear light clothes; A fan is very useful too

If you're staying away from the main tourist areas/hotels then there is very little to do at night. You'll probably find yourself going out to eat and then either walking around aimlessly around shops or markets or finding yourself in a dead end bar with the locals smoking like chimney's. Not really my idea of fun so bring a book or something to pass the time!