Sidi Bou Said, a Gem of a Tourist Trap

Sidi Bou Said is a gorgeous little clifftop village overlooking the Gulf of Tunis, just north of Tunisia's capital city Tunis. Steep cobbled streets are lined with white-washed buildings, adorned with flowering bougainvillea, jasmine and many other types of flora that I couldn't discern, but looked very pretty. Brightly painted blue doors and window trellises complete this quaint picture. And so do bus loads of tourists who are on a whirlwind tour of the capital Tunis and its environs. Ready to spend a precious day away from the beach resorts, sunburned English folks jostle with confident French tourists, as they spend an hour or so traipsing through the narrow streets, haggling for tourist trinkets.

But if you choose to spend a few nights in Sidi Bou Said like I did, the rewards come thick and fast. With several excellent restaurants, boutique hotels with gorgeous views of the Mediterranean -- Sidi Bou Said is a perfect base to explore Tunis and Carthage. Check out my photos of Sidi Bou Said and see why this town has inspired the likes of Paul Klee and André Gide.

_{Typical Door, Sidi Bou Said -- © Anouk Zijlma}