MARION SAUVEBOIS finds the African country embracing tourism and offering clock-watching Western visitors a chance to rewind

“BE careful.” Whether coming from well-meaning friends or my family, warnings and reminders to cover up, pack long-sleeved T-shirts and linen trousers to comply with the strict rules for tourists post Arab Spring, were thrown at me left, right and centre.

You’d have thought I was being shipped off to a war-torn country with wits and luck as my sole companions, rather than on my way to Tunisia for a relaxing four-day trip.

I must admit the paranoia got the best of me too.

Even as I checked the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website, which reassuringly confirmed that Tunisia was considered to be a liberal country – and that yes, summer occidental dress in 33C balmy temperatures was indeed acceptable – their concerns had taken their toll.

Perils there must be, I imagined, given the gnawing cloud of anxiety which shrouded me anytime the ominous ‘T’ word was uttered.

I soon found out that all the talk of watching over my shoulder was unjustified, a fact which seemed even more ludicrous as we made our way from the airport into Tunis.

Strolling along the coil of narrow streets in the Sousse Medina, enjoying a spot of friendly yet vigorous, haggling with the cunning and always inventive shop owners, or admiring the turquoise-tinted sea from the vantage point of the Hammamet Citadel, the troubles were worlds away.

The only political intrusion to my trip came from a single offhand comment about ‘our former dictator Ben Ali’ from the curator at the Baron d’Erlanger Palace in Sidi Bou Said –a spectacularly ornate mansion, and former home to the aristocrat and Arab musical tradition researcher, overlooking an idyllic enclave of the obligatory Ottoman-inspired white and blue ‘batisses’.

Having travelled to Djerba as a child, Tunisia seemed to me as enticing and tourist-friendly as it ever was. And my companions were inclined to agree.

Visiting such a country means embracing its leisurely pace and approach to seemingly any task.

The very real notion of ‘African time’ reigns supreme and keeping to a tight schedule is not only a losing battle but also beside the point. Losing your way among the maze of vendors in the Hammamet souk – where the traders swear everything is ‘moins cher que gratis’ or cheaper than free, and finding yourself suddenly at the heart of the medina itself, away from the thoroughfare, and in front of the colourful Arabic carvings that are locals’ front doors – is part of the adventure.

‘Pleasantly unpredictable’ is how Tunisia’s eclectic historical treasures and heritage are best described.

Explore the Sousse Medina, a labyrinth World Heritage site, and you will come upon the large glass Archaeological Museum in its Kasbah with its subterranean galleries, home to a stunning Roman mosaic collection dating as far back as 300 AD, not to mention a remarkably preserved baptismal font.

Continue just a few miles out of town and step through an inconspicuous archway, and the trendy and self-contained Port El Kantaoui and its marina studded with an armada of yachts appears in oddly modern and stylish contrast after a foray into Tunisia’s Punic, Christian and Roman heritage and artifacts.

The enchantment (and I use that word perfectly aware of its fairy tale connotation) never ceases. While every tour, impromptu visit or jaunt into the medinas came with its own delights and discoveries, it was the Roman ruins of ancient Carthage that proved to be the true highlight of my visit.

Wandering through the Antonin baths, it is easy to see the impact of lives led long ago – their touch is everywhere.

Ambling around the pillars rising from the desert dust, the elephantine bones of the past, I was overcome by the air of grandeur that enshrouds the site.

Had we not been ushered back into our minivan on our way to the airport, I would have happily sat amid Carthage’s imposing relics until forcibly removed by the staff.

The site is certainly worthy of a repeat excursion, or several.

Marion Sauvebois stayed at the five-star Regency Tunis Hotel in Carthage. Rooms cost from £111 per night.

For more information or to book, visit www.regencytunis.com Tunisair operates five flights per week from London Heathrow to Tunis, prices start from £237.

For information on what’s happening in Tunisia, visit www.cometotunisia.co.uk