Introduction
Skanes is a suburb which is located outside the historical Arabic port town of Monastir in Tunisia. The resort location is home to golden, sandy beaches as well as historical sites and ruins. Monastir, itself, has been the setting for such movies as the Monty Python film, The Life of Brian, and Raiders of the Lost Ark. Located north of the Sahara Desert, the resort area of Skanes is situated in the smallest and northernmost nation in the North Africa.
Types of Holiday-goers
Most of the visitors to Skanes consist of singles, couples, and older travelers from the UK. Families, who visit the resort location, tend to spend most of their time at the beach, where they can enjoy water-related activities, such as snorkeling, swimming, or sailing.
The Best Time to Visit Skanes
Tourists regularly visit Skanes throughout the year as the climate, although quite warm at times, is still well-suited to those who enjoy lying out at the beach or taking part in water sports or golf. However, if you canât stand excessive heat, itâs best not to travel to Skanes during the summertime.
Activities
The area surrounding Skanes will take you back in time if you visit the markets and eateries outside the resort area. Stop by one of the cafes where local males meet over coffee or smoke water pipes. Just donât expect to see any local women in these establishments. Female visitors, however, can enter the cafes as long as they are dressed conservatively.
Besides visiting the cafes surrounding the resorts, travelers enjoy such beach-friendly activities as sailing, swimming, diving, water skiing, jet skiing, or para-gliding.
Golf is also a popular pursuit as well, with most tourists practicing their putts and swings at one of two links - the Flamingo Golf Course or the 18-hole Palm Links Course in the area. Horseback riding is featured as well.
Beaches
Needless to say, the beach resorts in Skanes are bustling with plenty to do. Water sports are offered as well as plenty of opportunities to just lay back and relax. The reason most holiday-goers travel to Skanes is to visit the beaches.
Beach-goers like the beach locations of Skanes accommodation likethe Rosa Beach, Sahara Beach, and Neptunia Beach hotels.
Sights and Attractions
Along with the beaches, there are a number of cultural attractions and sites that are worth noting too.
The ancient monastery, the Rubat of Hartema, is a famous landmark in Monastir. Featuring a Moorish facade, the building overlooks the Tunisian coast.
Youâll also want to review the artefacts at the Bourguiba Museum, famed for its Islamic architectural design.
Add to that a visit to the Mausoleum of Habib Bourgiba, which features a gold dome and is the tomb of Habib Bourgiba, Tunisiaâs first President.
Visitors also like to shop in the Medina in Monastir, which features a maze of alleyways as well as open-air markets called souks. Prepare to barter for your purchases too.
Other shopping destinations which provide tourists with the chance to pick up some interesting cultural knick-knacks include Hammamet, Sousse, and Tunis.
When you are done shopping, you may want to head south to the Sahara Desert â" the ideal spot outside of Skanes to take a camel ride.
Nightlife
If you are someone who likes the nightlife, then itâs best to stay close to your hotel while youâre visiting Skanes as establishments outside the resort area typically shut down around midnight.
Therefore, if you want to drink or dance until the wee hours of the morning, itâs best to go to such venues as the Nightclub at the Sahara Beach (which plays DJ-spun tunes) or the Sahara Beach Disco (which also features a piano bar as well).
Club-goers also like the Mille et Une Nuit Disco (located in the Houda Hotel).
You might try testing your luck too in nearby Hammametat the Grand Casino. Play blackjack, poker, and roulette. Or, check out one or more of the casinoâs 75 slot machines and see how you fare.
Accommodation
The Sahara Beach Resort is a preferred choice for families as it features a small water park which provides young visitors with two slide pools and a splash pool. Terraces for sunning are available as is an indoor pool and three outdoor swimming pools. Guests can also partake in other activities, such as sailing, tennis, aerobics, or archery as well.
The Houda Hotel in Skanes is a three-star hotel which showcases a fashionable d©cor and activities that are ideally suited to families on holiday. The hotel features a childrenâs pool and playground area. Families like the hotelâs evening events, which include live comedy shows and cabaret-type entertainment.
Just a short distance from the coast, the Prima Life Hotel in Skanes is the ideal choice for holiday-goers who want to relax on the beach or savor the hotel restaurantâs mix of international entrees and specialties. Guests appreciate the hotelâs comfortable, inviting rooms and amenities, especially the satellite TV and air conditioning when they come in from the heat.
The Saadia Gardensin Monastir, still yet another 3-star accommodation, is preferred, again, by families as it features a playground and childrenâs pool. The 300 rooms in the hotel each come with a terrace or balcony, telephone, safe, and satellite TV. Adults can partake in spa amenities, such as a massage, or sweat it out in the hotelâs sauna or Turkish bath.
The 252 rooms of the Thalass Village Hotel in Skanes each feature a safe, hair dryer, and satellite TV. In addition, guests can send out their dry cleaning at the hotel and order room service 24 hours per day. Because of its location, the hotel makes it possible for tourists to visit the beach as well as the historical sites and attractions in the surrounding area.