An island and a peninsula south of Sfax where palm trees outnumber people and the sand goes on and on. Some of Tunisia's most luxurious hotels are here, offering everything you need to unwind. Sail, windsurf, play a gentle round of golf, hire a bike or go for a stroll around sleepy Berber villages. Or be rejuvenated by sybaritic seawater treatments. They say Ulysses found this part of the world hard to leave during his mythical Odyssey. So will you. Live the myth on Jerba Island or retreat to the aptly-named Odyssée Resort and be well and truly pampered.

For more detailed information and for booking your holiday, call us on 020 7836 4999,
or request a brochure here...

On Jerba, the beaches are glorious, the hotel gardens green and lush and the sea limpid. Inland, the golden countryside hints at the nearness of the Sahara, its sandy soil anchored by a million palm trees. A scattering of whitewashed Berber villages doze in the sun, stirring only when a passing visitor shows an interest in their wares. Hand-woven carpets, wickerwork and sun hats, spices, brass and copperware and stacks of terracotta pots vie for attention. Not much English is spoken on Jerba, but it’s amazing how you can bargain in sign language if your French isn’t up to it!

On market days, Houmt Souk, the tiny island capital revs its heartbeat, but most of the time it simply idles, watching sightseers as they wander about exploring its dazzling blue-andwhite buildings, domed minarets and 13thcentury fort.

Jerba island is linked by a causeway both to the mainland and to the peninsula south of it. Outside the faded colonial resort of Zarzis are good sandy beaches. Here nestles the stunning Odyssée Resort. Well-named, this beautiful hotel is truly lotus-eater land, with the most sybaritic thalassotherapy centre you could wish for. Paradise for the determined-to-get- away-from-it-all. But if you feel like sampling a little local excitement, Houmt Souk is only 52kms away. Hire a car or an inexpensive taxi and go for some fresh fish in one of the old port’s small restaurants, or try some mechouia, the Tunisian slant on roast vegetables topped with tuna and olives.

Wherever you stay, there’s easy access to everything on Jerba, including a championship golf course designed by Martin Hawtree. Hire a horse-drawn calèche for a romantic ride or plan an excursion to the mainland if you want to go further afield.

Plus a little desert magic
The perfect holiday is a week relaxing on Jerba/Zarzis added to our Sahara Adventure Tour (see page 46). We can arrange this any time from September to May.

Excursions
Full programme on arrival from our representative. These are just a few of the options:

Island Tour. Guided trip around Jerba island stopping at the Berber village of Guellala with its pottery centre, the Ghriba Synagogue, Houmt Souk and Folk Museum.
Half day: £15

Tataouine and Chenini. Visit to two Berber villages.
Full day: £25

Sea Trip. Sail to Flamingo Island for fun and fishing.
Full day: £25

Private Tours with English-speaking driver can be organised by your representative in the resort.

All excursions, which are subject to availability, must be booked on arrival and paid for in dinars. Prices are approximate.

Mövenpick Ulysse Palace
This hotel, is one of the most established in Jerba. Now run by the Swiss Mövenpick Group, it has undergone an extensive two-year refurbishment and redecoration and is luxuriously and stylishly designed, offering all the comfort you expect from a five star hotel including a state-of-the-art thalassotherapy centre. The Mövenpick Ulysse Palace and Thalasso is right on the beach and just ten minutes drive from Jerba’s main town, Houmt Souk.

Sofitel Palm Beach
The architecture and superb interior design of this five-star hotel on the island of Jerba blend perfectly with its surroundings, and a sense of luxury envelops you the moment you step inside. Perfectly sited on a white sandy beach, the Sofitel Palm Beach is fifteen kilometres from Jerba’s main town, Houmt Souk, and five kilometres from the village of Midoun.

Riu Palace Royal Garden
Superbly sited on one of the island’s finest white sand beaches and opposite the golf course. Thirty-five acres of palm tree gardens surround this elegant and comfortable hotel. Houmt Souk, Jerba’s main town, is 18 kilometres away, but local taxis are inexpensive and readily available.

Dar Dhiafa
A very special small hotel for discerning travellers seeking comfort with character. Dar Dhiafa is a stunning conversion of four local houses in Erriadh, a quiet village in the centre of the island, inhabited by an ancient Jewish community. Here you can experience, in an updated way, the authentic style of old Jerba. Fifteen minutes from the main tourist area and twenty from a superb golf course and casino.

Iberostar Jerba Beach
A low-rise hotel built in Tunisian style on a splendid sandy beach thirteen kilometres from Houmt Souk and five from the village of Midoun. The hotel is decorated throughout in the cooling colours of blue and white. The Jerba Beach has everything you could want for a lively and bustling holiday.

Odyssée Resort
On a peaceful stretch of beach and set in a garden of swishing palm trees, the stunning Odyssée Resort is 10 kilometres north of the small town of Zarzis and 52 kilometres from Jerba’s island capital, Houmt Souk. The hotel’s architecture shows both Moorish and Berber influences and is truly Tunisian. It offers style, comfort and all the ingredients for a quiet and relaxing holiday.