Mahdia information

Climate 

Mild Mediterranean climate. The average temperatures vary depending on the season and the areas, but remain quite pleasant even during winter. Sunshine is to be found all year long for you to enjoy. The average temperatures are about 26° in autumn, 16° in winter, 25° in the spring and 31° in summer.

The currency

The official Tunisian currency is the Tunisian dinar, divided into 1000 millimes.
There are 30-, 20- , 10- and 5-dinar banknote as well as coins of 5 and 1 dinar, besides coins of 500, 100, 20, 10 5 millimes.
MasterCard, American Express, Diners Club and Visa are accepted.
The Central Bank issues daily the exchange rate.
International credit cards are accepted in most of the hotels and tourist centres.
Cash machines are available in most of the cities.
Credit cards and traveller’s checks are accepted in the hotels and most of the restaurants and shops.
Exchange of bank notes is possible in the banks and the exchange-offices of hotels and airports.
It is strictly forbidden to import or export Tunisian dinars.

Opening time of banks :

Monday to Thursday :
08:00 to 12:00 and 14:00 to 16:30
Friday :
08:00 to 12:00 and 13:00 to 16:30
From July 1st to August 31st banks only open from 07:00 to 11:30, Mon to Friday.

Health

There is no evidence of amoeba in Tunisia so you can calmly savour your crudités.
The climate is beneficial, the health situation good, the level of hygiene controlled regularly and there is no major health risk.
Hereafter, some useful numbers :
S.A.M.U. (Paramedics) 190
Protection civile (Civil protection) 198
SOS Ambulance and doctor (00216) 71 341 250
Urgence médecine (Emergency medicine) (00216) 71 663 319
Hello Doctor (00216) 71 780 000
Garde médicale (Medical guard) (00216) 71 249 226
Médecin de Nuit (Doctor on duty at night) (00216) 71 717 171
SOS Doctor (00216) 71 571 421
Urgence Secours (Emergency first-aid) (00216) 71 351 500
Centre anti-poison (Poison centre) (00216) 71 245 075
Hôpital (Hospital) Charles Nicolle (00216) 71 262 740
Hôpital Militaire (00216) 71 391 133
Hôpital La Rabta (00216) 71 262 083
Hôpital Aziza Othmana (00216) 71 560 763
Institut Pasteur (00216) 71 789 608
Emergency Clinic Ettaoufik (00216) 71 800 211

Gastronomy

The favourite national dish : Couscous, that may be prepared with lamb, chicken or fish. The last one is a typically Tunisian, very delicious speciality. Among the recipes for meat, the Tunisian dish that will surprise you the most, is without any doubt the “Melloukhia”.

“Tajines” and stews have to simmer for hours to become mellow ; formerly this had to be done on the embers of a “canoune” in order to be considered perfectly realised. It was also customary to use copper mortar and pestle to crush certain ingredients.

You will also enjoy to sample, for example, egg “Briks, that taste even better if prepared by hand. Like in all Mediterranean countries, it is the rule to nibble a selection of appetising starters before a meal : pistachios, roasted salt almonds, “kakis” (salt sticks), green and black olives, small local salads, Harissa (spicy hot sauce), tuna and seafood dishes, fish eggs (Boutargue)…

Tunisian pastry is often prepared with honey (makrouds, samsas, baklavas, ghraïbas…) and contain frequently dried fruit : dates, almonds, hazelnuts… The picture won’t be complete without the famous mint tea and Moorish coffee, trimmed with some drops of orange tree blossom water.

Other practical information

Language : Arabic. French, taught from elementary school on, is spoken fluently very often.
Religion : Islam (98% of the population), Jewish and Christian.
Population : 9,5 millions inhabitants in 2000
GDP per inhabitant : 2700 DT in 2000
Schooling rate : 99% of the six year old (girls same percentage as boys)
Literacy : 68,3%
Time : GMT + 1
Museums are closed on Mondays
Telephone : 00216 (dialling code of country)+7+dialling of zone (1 figure)+6 figure number
Formalities : Valid passport (Identity card for groups or with a hotel booking), no obligatory vaccination
Voltage : 220 V
Arrival by plane : International airports in Tunis, Monastir, Djerba, Sfax, Tozeur, Gafsa and Tabarka.