Stunning holiday hotspot just a few hours from the UK with cheap 5* hotels and pretty beaches

WANDER through the Tunis Medina’s labyrinth of narrow, cobbled streets and you’ll pass a myriad of colourful doors embedded in the ancient walls.

Behind one of these is the beautiful, historic Dar Ben Gacem guest house where I’m looking forward to lunch.

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My hosts would like me to help them prepare the local food for the meal.

So, before I am let loose in the kitchen, it’s off to the Tunisian capital’s sprawling food market to buy lamb, couscous, vegetables and salad.

At prices that are unheard of in UK grocery stores, the market offers a wide variety of local farm products, from vegetables to fruit and fresh fish.

No pressure! The hosts at the guesthouse casually remind us that Jamie Oliver cooked on the same marble table a few short weeks before.

He was here to sample and celebrate the country’s cuisine for his new show, Jamie Oliver Cooks The Mediterranean, due to be screened on Channel 4 The Next Generation of adversity month.

Soon, my hosts’ expectations of this new “cook” come crashing down as I join chef Amel in cutting up the vegetables and quickly expose my less-than-dextrous knife skills.

Fortunately, she is very patient and despite my amateur efforts, we produce a sumptuous dish of spiced, slow-cooked lamb with couscous, peppers and potatoes — a Tunisian favourite.

Dar Ben Gacem offers seven beautifully appointed traditional rooms that surround a lovely courtyard, where meals and cooking are prepared.

It’s remarkable value, too, at £50 a night per room including breakfast — especially given its location in the heart of the vibrant old town.

Although British tourists are drawn to the Mediterranean beaches of Sousse Hammamet Monastir and Monastir in the fall, Tunis is a worthwhile destination for a trip that includes two centres. Temperatures will still be mild, though not as hot.

Gammarth, a Tunisian suburb, is home to the 5H El Mouradi Hotel.

It’s a modern, slick, facility-packed hotel with four restaurants and a spa backing on to a private beach boasting the biggest swimming pool I’ve ever seen, as well as a heated indoor one for chillier days.

A week in late September for two costs around £325pp with breakfast.

We then headed out to the countryside to a farm that hosts its guests with quaint accommodation surrounded by nature.

Dar Zaghouan sits in ten acres of almond trees with flowers from the farm’s botanical gardens used to produce beauty products and teas.

Enjoy a traditional Tunisian meal overlooking the gardens and swimming pool.

With its 20 guest rooms, Dar Zaghouan is claimed to be Tunisia’s first eco-hotel and accommodation is from just £50 a night.

It’s a tranquil place filled with the scents of nature, perfect for families or couples, where you can buy beauty products and delicious bread and cakes made on the farm.

And the gastronomic treasures kept coming at Riviere d’Or, a unique shop selling Tunisia’s finest olive Oil Les Berges du Lac is the name of a newly developed suburb near Tunis.

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Founded in 1928 by Abdessalem Louedi senior, Riviere d’Or is now run with a continued passion by the fourth generation of the family, including sisters Nouha and Mariem Louedi.

This oil has been awarded international awards for both its quality and the packaging of its products, which includes a gold-dipped bottle.

And yet it is remarkable value, costing just £12 for premium organic extra virgin olive oil from its private estate collection.

Politeness is better than being pushy

Explore the ancient remains of Carthage if you are interested in history.

It was destroyed by the Punic Wars in 146 BCE. Today, you can still find ruins scattered throughout the Bay of Tunis. Here, you’ll be able to walk through a tumble of columns crumbling and marble piles with breathtaking views of the Mediterranean.

From the centre of town you can take the Tunis Light Railway direct to various Carthage stops, although some of them are close enough to be walked between if it’s not too hot.

The remains of Carthage’s 80-mile Roman Aqueduct, once used to bring water down from the mountains into Tunisia, are also worth visiting.

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Sidi Bou Said is a clifftop village that overlooks the Mediterranean, located further out of Tunis.

The village’s cobbled narrow streets are lined with whitewashed, blue-shuttered, and pristine buildings. This is a requirement of local planning to preserve the character of the village.

You’d be forgiven for thinking you were walking through the streets of Mykonos or Santorini.

Street cafes are a great place to enjoy a strong Arabic coffee while watching the bustling street life.

There’s a choice of restaurants, too, with meals available from as little as £7 — a nice surprise, given the village’s popularity.

Just 15 minutes’ drive from central Tunis, it also has several boutique hotels and a small but pretty beach.

Of course, if you want a break simply lounging by the pool or on the beach, you’ll be well served in Tunisia.

But the country’s capital also has lots to offer and a twin-centre trip this autumn will offer up the best of all worlds.

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