Port-El-Kantaoui

[selz]

Hi Charlene....
Welcome 2 the forum.
Hope that u have a fab time there, which hotel will u b staying at?
As Truly said u will hardly need any money with staying A.I but consider trips, gifts u want 2 buy 2 take home & tippping!!!

[Coyote]

Originally Posted by Essem

PEK was the first place I holidayed in Tunisia and although it is lovely, it was purpose built for tourists. It's nothing like 'the real Tunisia'. And it's a bit of a gold fish bowl too.

I fully agree - all the people I know call it a "tourist trap" and I have yet to find any "original tunisian" thing there <g>.

It is nice to take a walk there sometimes into the harbour, or to visit the fair (Hannibal [Luna] Park), but else PEK is so (actually even less) authentic Tunisian as a Chinatown is authentic for China. :-)

PEK was, btw, built in some regards after the image of the also artifical town of Port Grimaud in Southern France (near St Tropez).

[elegcoll]

Hi Rachael
Can you please advise how are the fowoing hotels, if you know:
Houria Palace Hotel in PEK &
Soviva Resort also in PEK
Do the dolfins come beside the catemaran all year round?
What about Nov/Dec?
I hope to make my first visit in Nov in PEK.
Any suggestions welcome
_______________________________

Originally Posted by RachaelLahmar

Hiya,

I am very suprised that nobody ahs made a new thread for PEK. As it is very popular with the tourists whether it be Tunisian and or European. It is lovely place to be in the summer with all the Tunisian familys who come down to see PEK and see what has changed.

There is the lovely fountain in the middle of the original PEK and the other half which is through the arch way is a new addition to the port. It funny i talk to my fiance and friends etc and they all say that they can remember when the port wasnt there. Must be amazing to see a city change so much over a short period of time.

The evenings in PEK are great on a summers evening everyone is in a good mood the restaurants and shops are all full to the brim with happy tourists. Its lovely to sit outside the restaurant mediterannian (cant spell) and have a lush 3 course meal with the best customer service i have ever seen (well alot better than in England) a bit on the pricy side but its lovely something i would reccomend. It is just at the end of the port before you go onto the beach, it has a shop next door called Yasmina Shop which is owned by my fiance and stairs that are outside to go to the non-smoking area upstairs (i no what your thinking non-smoking in tunisia!) which is good for the people who do not smoke or do not enjoy smoke around them while eating. So go have a look.

I know most of the hotels in PEK the good the bad and the ugly as i lived in Tunisia for nearly 3 yrs and i had experiance of all the hotels. So if anyone has any questions then let me know.

Happy Holidays!!!

[Coyote]

Originally Posted by elegcoll

Hi Rachael
Can you please advise how are the fowoing hotels, if you know:
Houria Palace Hotel in PEK &
Soviva Resort also in PEK
Do the dolfins come beside the catemaran all year round?
What about Nov/Dec?
I hope to make my first visit in Nov in PEK.
Any suggestions welcome
_______________________________

Soviva is not really in Port El Kantaoui anymore, it is on the northern end of the hotel zone in a suburb called "Tantana", ca. 2.5km away from the port, 20-30 minutes walking (bus, louage, taxi). The hotel is not bad and not good (3 stars), but then again, the Houria Palace is about the same, just located near the center of Kantaoui.

In November/December both hotels (as most others) will be fairly empty, the two hotels are not known for "winter guests" (people who stay like 3-4 months in winter), so expect a quiet time.

The hotel Houria Palace is located between 2 discotheques (Metalika and Patapa, the latter is NOT recommended, though - but both will be rather empty as well). The Acqua park is closed in winter, and parts of the Luna park as well.
Temperatures will be between 14-24 in the day and 5-14 in the night, expect occasional rain and near the sea a steady cold wind blowing. Water temperature will be around 17-20.

When you are lucky, then you can spot dolphins, but it is not that they are there all the time waiting for a tourist ship to arrive. :-)

[Patrice]

I stayed at RIU Green Park last year and at El Mouradi Palm Marina last July.

In my opinion, Green Park is more organised than Palm Marina (my brother was in Palm Marina last August and he swears he will never be back there); as for the beach, I would prefer Palm Marina's, which was less crowded by the same month as Green Park's last year (July).

Green Park is also 10 minutes (if so much) walking until PEK. No need for taxi.