PETER STEMMET
There I was sitting on a comfortable chair in the lovely winter sunshine on the Tunisian island of Djerba. I sipped my mint tea, which I had discovered was pretty much ubiquitous around here. My guide, Ali, told me that this unique isle is home to Christians, Muslims and Jews, and they all live in perfect harmony together. My Arabic, and indeed my French, are of an embarrassing standard, so I thought it best to have a local with me to help out. As it turned out, there was always at least one person at a hotel who could speak English; but except for that, I needed assistance.
Of course, if you are more adventurous than I, then there is no need for a guide at all. That said, Tunisia has undergone significant political change since I was there in 2007, and there is unrest on the other side of its borders, most notably Algeria and Libya, so make sure you read up on the security situation before you go to the border areas.