Starting with Carthage and the early Punic colonies, we take advantage of the fact that many of the Roman cities in Tunisia retain the romance of ruins in the countryside, unnoticed by crowds of tourists. Travelling south through ruined towns of the high Roman Empire, where impressive public monuments and houses decorated with brightly coloured mosaics, we bear witness to the wealth once enjoyed here.

We also see the highlights of Islamic culture, before encountering the scenery of chotts (salt lakes), palm oases, sand dunes and ksour. An internal flight takes us back to Tunis to return home.

We stay in a wide range of hotels in Tunisia. The best are new hotels which combine traditional Tunisian architecture - barrel-vaulted rooms, exquisite tiling and filigree plaster-work - with modern comforts. All have been chosen for their positions, close to many of the sites, and some are simply the only ones available for many miles.