Backpacking in Tunisia - Using El Kef as a base to backpack the ancient sites of Tunisia
February 2, 2020 | Tagged: Tunisia
Using El Kef as a base to visit Makthar, Bulla Regia and Dougga.
El Kef is the perfect place to use as a base for visiting the surrounding area. It is a small city perched on the edge of a hillside and is 900m asl so walk up through the medina to the fortress for awesome views across the city.
Makthar with the Archaeological site of Mactaris is 70km away, Bulla Regia is 68km away and Dougga is 60km away.
I stayed at the Hotel Ramzi. Single rooms with either shared or private toilet/washroom (no showers) as of January 2020 were priced at just 25 Dinar, including a breakfast of the usual bread, butter and jam, coffee and an egg. No WIFI was available. The heating in the winter months was switched on at just after 7 pm and went off around midnight. It's quiet and very clean though a bit chilly inside. I guess it would be nice in summer.
I stayed at the Hotel Ramzi. Single rooms with either shared or private toilet/washroom (no showers) as of January 2020 were priced at just 25 Dinar, including a breakfast of the usual bread, butter and jam, coffee and an egg. No WIFI was available. The heating in the winter months was switched on at just after 7 pm and went off around midnight. It's quiet and very clean though a bit chilly inside. I guess it would be nice in summer.
1 block away next to the STB bank is a café which has WIFI. Diagonally to the left from the hotel is La Poste where you can exchange money. Guichet no.11. No need to get a ticket. There's a well-stocked mini supermarket, "Drug Store" along the road heading east after Café Pyramide.
Location of the Station Louages de Transport, El Kef
Visiting Mactaris as a day trip from El Kef
Louages from El Kef to Makthar cost 5 Dinar. Journey time is 1hr 20 +/-. It's a pleasant ride. The archaeological site of Mactaris is just on the edge of town, coming from El Kef.
Entrance fee is 8 Dinar. Coming back there is a through bus from Kairouan at around 3 pm. A bus going the other way also comes through at around the same time so make sure you get on the right one.
The stop is where the El Kef louages go from and across the road from the only hotel in town, the Hotel Makthar. Singles cost 60 Dinar and doubles, 90 Dinar.
Entrance fee is 8 Dinar. Coming back there is a through bus from Kairouan at around 3 pm. A bus going the other way also comes through at around the same time so make sure you get on the right one.
The stop is where the El Kef louages go from and across the road from the only hotel in town, the Hotel Makthar. Singles cost 60 Dinar and doubles, 90 Dinar.
Visiting Bulla Regia as a day trip from El Kef
Louages from El Kef to Jendouba cost 4,300Dinar. Journey time is 45 minutes. Then it takes a bit more effort to get to the archaeological site of Bulla Regia.
You need to go North West up the P17 towards Firnanah but turn off right down the C59. Or take the smaller road.
It's all on Google Maps.
There are regional buses. SRT JENDOUBA but I don't know where you would catch them from. Bulla Regia is the name of the small village next to the ruins.
There is a boring looking Hotel right by the bus station. 35 Dinar for a single room, if you really need to stay the night. But Jendouba is a very dusty town with minimal charm.
I walked from Jendouba, which took 90 minutes including the stops to buy some bread and cheese and a(nother) bottle of cola. I gotta stop drinking this shit.
Entrance fee is 8 Dinar.
Coming back, just wait for the bus back to Jendouba.
You need to go North West up the P17 towards Firnanah but turn off right down the C59. Or take the smaller road.
It's all on Google Maps.
There are regional buses. SRT JENDOUBA but I don't know where you would catch them from. Bulla Regia is the name of the small village next to the ruins.
There is a boring looking Hotel right by the bus station. 35 Dinar for a single room, if you really need to stay the night. But Jendouba is a very dusty town with minimal charm.
I walked from Jendouba, which took 90 minutes including the stops to buy some bread and cheese and a(nother) bottle of cola. I gotta stop drinking this shit.
Entrance fee is 8 Dinar.
Coming back, just wait for the bus back to Jendouba.
How to visit Dougga from El Kef:
Louages to Teboursouk cost 5 Dinar and the journey time is about 1hr. The trick here us to get off at Nouvelle Dougga, a few k's before (west) of Teboursouk.
This will put you 3km from the southern entrance to Dougga. Then after visiting Dougga, you can leave by the northern entrance, hit the main road and turn right and head into Teboursouk. Then you just have to find a the louage station for a ride back to El Kef. Or even onto Tunis.
But I did not visit Dougga. I am a bit 'Roman Ruined out.
***
Tunisia is famous for Roman Ruins and Star Wars filming locations of which I have absolutely no interest in at all, though I did see the original circa 1976, at my local cinema with mum and eldest sister at a complex which is now an estate agent.
I have seen but not documented nor photographed Carthage just north of Tunis. I explored thoroughly the amphitheatre at El Jem, the archaeological ruins of Sbeitla, Makthar and Bulla Regia.
I have also seen and loved very much the Roman ruins in Plovdiv - Bulgaria, in Baalbek - Lebanon, in Bosra - Jordan, in Palmyra - Syria, and The Verulamium - 30 miles south of where I grew up, and I lived all my life when in England just 1 mile from a Roman Road that stretches 264miles from London to Holyhead. I have cycled all of it at some point. The sections nearer to home, were my training ground when I was an avid cyclist.
So forgive me for missing out on what is arguably the best Roman site in Africa. It is standard procedure for me to leave something out in the event that I make a return trip but with Tunisia, it's not really on the way to anywhere.
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This will put you 3km from the southern entrance to Dougga. Then after visiting Dougga, you can leave by the northern entrance, hit the main road and turn right and head into Teboursouk. Then you just have to find a the louage station for a ride back to El Kef. Or even onto Tunis.
But I did not visit Dougga. I am a bit 'Roman Ruined out.
***
Tunisia is famous for Roman Ruins and Star Wars filming locations of which I have absolutely no interest in at all, though I did see the original circa 1976, at my local cinema with mum and eldest sister at a complex which is now an estate agent.
I have seen but not documented nor photographed Carthage just north of Tunis. I explored thoroughly the amphitheatre at El Jem, the archaeological ruins of Sbeitla, Makthar and Bulla Regia.
I have also seen and loved very much the Roman ruins in Plovdiv - Bulgaria, in Baalbek - Lebanon, in Bosra - Jordan, in Palmyra - Syria, and The Verulamium - 30 miles south of where I grew up, and I lived all my life when in England just 1 mile from a Roman Road that stretches 264miles from London to Holyhead. I have cycled all of it at some point. The sections nearer to home, were my training ground when I was an avid cyclist.
So forgive me for missing out on what is arguably the best Roman site in Africa. It is standard procedure for me to leave something out in the event that I make a return trip but with Tunisia, it's not really on the way to anywhere.
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