Спокойный отдых в Африке Relaxing holidays in Africa

My boyfriend and I decided to spend a long-awaited vacation in Tunisia in October. During this period, the heat just subsides, but the sea is warm and not cold in the evenings. We chose the resort town of Mahdia, because. it is located in the South of the country (it is already cool in the North) and because of the beauty of the town itself.
NUMBERS. The hotel itself is wonderful! I can’t say anything about standard rooms, because. we were lucky enough to check into a huge 2-room suite (we were just waiting for a group of tourists from Italy and kept all the 2-bed rooms for them) - awesome room with an ideal bathroom, very comfortable beds (1 double and 2 small) and 2 balconies overlooking the patio with a small pool. Cleaning, change of linen/towels and water in the refrigerator took place daily, efficiently and imperceptibly for us.
HOTEL. There were practically no Russian-speaking tourists in the hotel, mostly Italians (Italian hotel chain), Germans, French, Poles and other Europeans. Accordingly, the hotel staff practically does not speak Russian. Ideally, if you know French, in extreme cases, English (school curriculum). The representative of the tour operator, who speaks Russian, sits every day at the hotel near the reception at certain hours and resolves all issues + sells excursions. The infrastructure is very convenient, the area is large and green (especially compared to other hotels, even 5 *) - it is interesting to spend time in the hotel itself, walking through its labyrinths. There are exercise machines in the open room with mirrors, as well as a mini-water park. The pools are clean, but they work until the evening, then it stinks strongly of bleach (you can’t swim at night).

FOOD. I would like to highlight the food in this hotel. Thanks to the Italian owners, the choice of dishes is huge! You can always choose food to your taste. There are also dietary boiled products. You will never be hungry, because. everything that ends is instantly updated and there are no queues anywhere. Enjoyed the grill! I am a supporter of a healthy diet, but I decided to try the local french fries (they are made at the grill bar on site) - very tasty, and most importantly, not harmful, because. It is made in olive oil and, accordingly, without cholesterol. Juices and alcoholic drinks leave much to be desired. . . For alcohol, there is a local coffee or date (I don't remember exactly) liquor that is worth a try. Every day in the evening, a variety of alcoholic cocktails are made near the main pool - quite tasty, but low in alcohol.
LEISURE. The sea is good (there are buoys, but it’s easy to swim under them), clean and transparent, the beach is comfortable, there are enough sunbeds for everyone and they are comfortable. Relatively cheap water activities. We took a parachute flight behind a boat - awesome. Prices around the hotel are too high. If you walk further, you can ride for a penny and even throw off 50-70% of the price if you are together. Boredom in the hotel wild! It is clear that there are animators and various entertainments, but for young people it is very boring. Therefore, be sure to go on an excursion to the Sahara for 2 days - a sea of ​ ​ ​ ​ impressions and even extreme sports, getting to know the country again, and most importantly, souvenirs are 5-10 times cheaper than in a hotel and a city. Mahdia itself is an interesting town - beautiful, calm, well-groomed. The feeling that time has stopped in it and it’s not clear you are in the 50s of the 20th century or already in the 21st century... During our vacation, Ramadan was in the country, so the locals did not interfere with a calm walk and acquaintance with the city. You can go to Mahdia by taxi from the hotel, there are also buses (did not try). If you want discos and fun, then you will not find them in the hotel - a complete disappointment in this sense. But there is a way out - there is a train station opposite the hotel and you can get to Sousse (the resort center of nightlife in Tunisia) in a couple of hours.
Have a good rest and positive emotions!