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FOR warm weather, beach resorts and mountain views, Tunisia is slowly becoming the hot new destination again.

The African country had been a popular spot with Brits for years up until the attack in Sousse 10 years ago – but numbers reveal it is rising in popularity once again.

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Tunisia has so much to offer for an autumn or winter break for Brits wanting sun, sea and sand.

In November, you can easily laze about on a beach in Tunisia as temperatures can still reach at 20C.

The most popular beaches in Tunisia include Hammamet which is known for its long sandy shores and Sousse, a lively resort town.

Ten years ago, the attack at the Bardo Museum in Tunis followed by the one on the beach resort in Sousse, resulted in plummeting bookings for Brits heading to Tunisia.

Now, statistics have revealed that holidaymakers are returning to the country in similar numbers.

Foreign arrivals to Tunisia have jumped by nearly 10 per cent this year compared with 2024, reaching 5.3 million through July 20, according to the National Tourism Office.

The government hopes to attract 11 million visitors by the end of the year – which is a million more than in 2024.

Back in 2014, there were 7.1 million tourists visiting the country, one year later in 2015, that dropped to 5.3 million.

The capital of Tunisia is Tunis, and is found on the northeastern coast.

Visitors to the city will find an ancient Medina and Roman Mosaics as well as plenty of bars and restaurants.

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Just outside of the capital is the pretty town of Sidi Bou Said which has a completely different feel with white coloured houses and cobbled streets.

It has lots of al fresco eateries and small art galleries with a marina on a sandy beach.

One writer visited the town last year and treated herself to a three-course meal for £10.

She also bumped into friendly locals and saw Ottoman-inspired architecture.

On a recent trip to Tunisia, Head of Sun Travel Lisa Minot explored the island off the coast called Djerba.

Lisa said that one thing she noticed was that it had an uncanny resemblance to the Greek islands.

Like Mykonos and Santorini, Djerba has vibrant pink bougainvillaea and white-washed buildings with blue window shutters and doors – unlike Greece, coffee costs 25p.

Lisa said: “Relatively undiscovered by us Brits, Djerba is a great-value option for those looking to explore beyond the Med favourites.

“Sizzling in summer, temperatures remain high all the way through to November and rarely dip below the 20Cs, even in the depths of winter, making it ideal for out-of-season sunshine.“

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The island is a great place to explore for any fans of Star Wars as the small town of Erriadh was used as a filming location.

Back on the mainland, the city of Tataouine was said to have inspired the location for Star Wars with its desert look and unique house exteriors.

George Lucas, the creator of Star Wars, even called his fictional planet, Tatooine.

EasyJet runs flights to Tunisia from multiple airports across the UK – one-way flights from London Southend to Enfidha in November are as cheap as £26.

It launched year-round flights to the island of Djerba from both London Luton and Manchester with one-way flights starting from £35 in November.

EasyJet even runs multiple tours from Djerba, over the ancient Roman Road that crosses the sea to southern Tunisia. 

TUI also offer all inclusive holidays to Tunisia, as do Thomas Cook and On the Beach to name a few.

Read more on Sun Travel’s favourite TUI holidays from African beach resorts to European bucket list hotels.

Plus, discover the other two African destinations that Brits are heading to rather than Europe.

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There are plenty of reasons to visit the charming UK village but most tourists admit they’re there purely because of the destination’s memorable name

Usually when planning a staycation, most people will look at the hotels, attractions and restaurants on offer in a destination; but there’s one tiny village in Wales that’s catching people’s attention purely because of its name.

While Llanfair­pwllgwyngyll­gogery­chwyrn­drobwll­llantysilio­gogogoch is hardly a new destination, in recent years thanks to social media it’s continued to become increasingly popular for UK holidays, as people flock to the spot to get photos next to the village’s station signs.

After all, at 58 letters long it’s not one you’d see every day! The name is so lengthy that some signs have to be specially made to accommodate it. As a result, tourists are flocking there to snap a photo by the signs, with visitors having to now queue for the photo opportunity. It’s a far cry from the UK’s five worst seaside towns including a resort with a one-star beach.

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Locals have embraced the fame with shops selling mugs, magnets and other souvenirs emblazoned with the full name.

Travel experts at walking holiday specialists Mickledore say that that name was “deliberately lengthened in the 19th century as a publicity stunt to attract visitors and boost trade”. They added: “The Welsh language is known for its compound words and descriptive place names, often drawn from local geography, landmarks, or saints. In this case, the name loosely translates to ‘St Mary’s Church in the hollow of the white hazel near the rapid whirlpool and the church of St Tysilio of the red cave’.”

Clearly those Victorians had the right idea, as centuries later and that publicity stunt still works. In fact, it’s estimated that around 200,000 tourists visit the village every year, just to snap photos right by the signs and say that they’ve been able to tick it off the bucket list.

“You have to visit here, just to get a photo of the signs.. There is one on the station building, and one on the platform. The station is still in use today, and there is free parking next to a small mall, where there is a nice gift shop,” one happy holidaymaker wrote on Tripadvisor.

Another added: “This is the most interesting place that you mustn’t miss if you visit Anglesey. The longest train station name that you can never find anywhere else, in Welsh language.”

Luckily for tourists who turn up, there’s more to Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch than just its name. Because of its popularity, you can find everything from cosy cafés to boutiques and budget-friendly hotels in the area, not to mention it’s right by the Menai Strait so it’s ideal for hikers and ramblers who want to do some exploring.

Oh, and as for how you pronounce it? The Mickledore team have put together a handy explainer. They added: “The generally accepted pronunciation in Welsh is: [ɬanˌvairˌpuɬˌɡwɨnˌɡɨɬˌɡɔˌɡɛrəˌxwɨrnˌdrɔˌbʊɬˌɬanˌtəsˌɪljɔˌɡɔˌɡɔˌɡoːx]. For English speakers, that’s ‘clan-vire-pooll-gwin-gill-go-ger-uh-kwin-drob-ool-llan-tis-il-io-go-go-goch’.”

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Each year, mature women flock to The Gambia in search of a holiday romance with a local toyboy, leaving authorities to despair over the country’s nickname, ‘The Gran-bia’

As Brits up and down the country jet off in the hope of finding holiday romance, a number of grans have just one destination in mind.

The Gambia, officially known as the Republic of The Gambia, has long had a reputation for attracting lusty OAPs, who flock to the West African country in search of toyboys.

Affordable package holiday deals at the main resorts are certainly part of the draw, but for these mature women, it’s the prospect of meeting young men on the sun-kissed beaches that has them packing their bikinis in droves.

To the frustration of authorities, who are working to crack down on geriatric sex tourism, The Gambia has earned an unwelcome nickname over the years – ‘The Gran-bia’.

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For those like Barbara, from Dartford, Kent, a trip to The Gambia is about having “a bit of fun”. Speaking previously with The Sun, the 65-year-old said: “I don’t know what all the fuss is about. I’m not doing anything illegal. If you go to somewhere like Thailand you see loads of old men with young girls, but no one talks about that.

“The minute a woman gets together with a younger man, there’s an uproar, and we’re called cougars and sex tourists and all that. I came here for a bit of fun, and I’m not harming anyone. If I want to take a good-looking bloke to my hotel room, it’s no one’s business but my own.”

There are, however, other Western women who are after something more serious, and say they’ve genuinely fallen in love with their Gambian toyboy. This includes Heidi Hepworth, 51, who even converted to Islam to tie the knot with fiancé Mamadou Salieu Jallow, back in 2018, even ending her 23-year marriage in the process.

During an appearance on ITV’s Loose Women at the time, Heidi shared: “No one imagined this would last, but we love each other and are making plans to marry. I’ve never been happier. It was daunting at first. I got on the plane and thought ‘Oh my God, what have I done?’ But then I got there, and he met us off the plane with his brother and friend, and it was alright. It was magical.”

Back in 2020, Channel 4 viewers were shocked by a documentary titled Sex On The Beach, which showed bars filled with elderly white women searching for younger Gambian men, in scenes some social media users found “disturbing”. One pensioner told reporter Seyi Rhodes that the country was “paradise” as they could have a different man every single night.

Among those interviewed was P, who claimed she’d travelled out to The Gambia four times in one year alone.

When asked whether she felt immoral about her choices, the 60-year-old responded: “I don’t feel morally nothing. It’s my noo-noo. I do what I want with my noo-noo. You’ve got to kiss how many frogs before you find your prince.

“I’ve done it so many times I have a bingey drink, one night stand then say take your socks and everything and go, bye.”

Reflecting on the scenes he was confronted with, broadcaster Seyi remarked: “What I do find troubling when I see these unequal relationships on the beach is that racial imbalance and the history of this country, the centre of slavery. You can’t ignore that. When you speak to people they say over and ever again, ‘This is only because we’re poor’.”

The Gambia is a stunning country with breathtaking beaches and parks teeming with wildlife. From delicious cuisine to a rich history and culture, there is plenty here for visitors to enjoy.

However, it’s feared that the country’s reputation as a real-life ‘Tinder’ for pensioners could be holding it back from becoming a family-friendly destination.

Unfortunately, the widespread poverty across The Gambia creates a power gap between the elderly sex tourists and the younger men whose company they seek. Although sex work is illegal in The Gambia, men who entertain these so-called cougars could well receive potentially “life-changing” financial gifts that could help support their struggling families.

Ali Cham has seen first-hand the older women looking for their paramours on the Senegambia Strip, where he plays at music venues, and says the impoverished men want to accept the opportunity presented to them.

The dad-of-five explained: “People are dying at sea in the search of a better life – and it’s both men and women trying to escape. Many of those left behind have little choice but to go out and look for Westerners that can support them.

“The men are not working as prostitutes, it’s more that the women have a financial advantage that is appealing. The £1,000 they change into local currency is a lot of money here, and that makes these guys want to be with them.”

Do you have a story to share? Email me at [email protected]

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