ABOVE: Sea views and ancient ruins at Carthage

By day three, I had itchy feet and needed to explore, so we booked a taxi and headed off to the nearby Roman-era city of Carthage. Our taxi driver acted as tour guide – it certainly wasn’t the most thorough tour I have ever been on, but our whistle-stop route showed us the Roman baths, amphitheatre and other historical sites. Keener tourists should also visit the National Museum of Carthage to see the local archaeological discoveries. We also visited the famous bohemian village of Sidi Bou Said – it’s absolutely beautiful, a sea of white-and-blue buildings perched on a hillside. Admittedly, it was very touristy, but the village and Moorish cafes were charming and definitely worth a visit.

After our road trip, we decided to spend the rest of our stay at the hotel (actually, let me rephrase that, I stayed at the hotel, the other half excused himself to go for a round of golf at the hotel course). I didn’t want to move, though. I’d become accustomed to all the pampering and lounging, and the trip was working wonders on my harried body. I needed the full fix before heading back to reality. As we landed back in London, tanned, relaxed and a few pounds heavier from the huge amounts of food we’d been eating, I realised that my battle with Tunisia was finally over. Tunisia had won. We were now friends.

Essential Escapes offers a seven-night holiday at The Residence Tunis from £1,160 per person based on two sharing including BA flights, transfers and accommodation in a Deluxe Room with breakfast; essentialescapes.com. For family holidays to The Residence Tunis, please visit totstoo.com

Additional images: Getty

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