Djerba is renowned as the dream island and features among the top ten US travel destinations for 2008 as per the survey of TripAdvisor TravelCast. It is situated in the south eastern region of Tunisia, a North African country. The Isle of Djerba is located on the Gulf of Gabes. Houmt Souk is the capital town of Djerba. Djerba is rightfully known as “Polynesia of the Mediterranean”. It is blessed plentifully with long sandy beaches, luxurious hotels, mosques, Roman sites, Ghriba’s ancient synagogue and pirate’s castle.
Djerba has many international flights from majority European capitals and it can thus be a great entry point for exploring southern Tunisia. If you wish to go to Libya, then Djerba is the cheapest and easiest option. This was what the earlier travelers did when there were no international flights available to Tripoli. Djerba is connected by a causeway to the mainland. There are many ferry services that operate between mainland’s Jorf and Djerba’s Ajim. Area wise, Djerba is only 30 km in width and 27 km in length. Considering its small size, it is quite surprising to see that Djerba houses nearly 354 mosques coinciding with the number of days in the Islamic calendar.
Houmt Souk, the capital is situated on the north coast and is at a distance of 6.5 km from Mellita airport. The meaning of Houmt Souk is marketplace and it is the town’s main purpose in combination with tourism. Majority tourists prefer to stay at the lavish beach hotels in Djerba’s main tourist zone within a radius of 10 to 11 km east of Houmt Souk. The accommodation within the town however includes comfortable and simplistic fondouk hotels. These fondouk hotels are built near the old courtyards and have a very typical atmospheric ambience.
Midoun is the second biggest town of Djerba and it comes to life on every Friday with a sprawling and huge market. It holds great attraction for the local people as well as the tourists. You need to come here early as the market ends by lunchtime. You must visit Guellala, a major center for pottery production. The pottery is produced by using the clay that is locally quarried from the hills that area situated above the village. The main street of the village is flanked by shops that are fully piled with plates and pots. Another must see tourist attraction is the El Ghriba Synagogue of Erridah. It is one of North Africa’s holiest Jewish worship places.
From Djerba, you can make trips to other interesting places in Tunisia. The places of touristic importance in Tunisia are Tunis, National Museum of Carthage, Sidi Bou Said, Bizerte, Jebel Ichkeul National Park, Tabarka, Cap Bon, Hammamet, Nabeul, El Haouaria, Kelibia, Port El Kantaoui, Sousse, Monastir, Mahdia, Kairouan, Kerkennah, Chott el Jerid, Douz and Matmata along with many more. You can take historical and cultural tours to get an invaluable insight into the history, culture and lifestyles of Tunisia. Do visit this tourist hotspot for 2008 for a memorable experience.
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