Description
Hello there,
It’s Kala Jarda and Dianne Chikhaoui. We would like to invite you to our first ‘Taste of Tunisia’ workshop, tour and holiday!
About this trip
The tour and workshop begins on September 4 and concludes on September 14, 2024.
We have designed an immersive experience, where you delve into the history, architecture, gastronomy and culture of this exotic country. It is one of the most visited countries in Africa. From its souks (markets) to its golden beaches, its monuments and its excellent cuisine, everything here is tradition, light, harmony and friendliness. The country is famous for beautiful pottery, ironwork and mosaics. As this is Kala’s birthplace, he has an intimate knowledge of the language, traditions and special places. Kala and I spent 3 months in Tunisia last year, and are excited to share with you the special towns and villages of this fascinating country. All this will be at your reach while you stay with us in a beautiful, all inclusive 4 star hotel in Monastir, Tunisia. There are pools and the beach at your disposal there, and air conditioning and very comfortable beds in the rooms.
The first three days
Monastir is a town very central to all the interesting coastal tourist areas of Tunisia. The hotel has provided the use of a workshop area, where for the first 3 days of the trip, we will be having each morning a private, mini masterclass of mosaics, where we will demonstrate our unique D&H Technique for creating realism in mosaic. We will coach you individually so that you can learn cutting, movement, use of colour, and observation of detail. We will prepare you for this class before the tour with Zoom meetings, so that you are well organised and can bring some tools and materials with you. We will outline what you need in the Zooms well before the tour begins. These meetings also help you make connections with other people joining us on the tour.
After lunch, afternoons can be spent in the pool, at the beach, or working on your mosaic.
Joining Kala and I on the trip will be Kala’s brother Hamza, who is the mayor of his town in Tunisia, and his wife, Marwa, our gorgeous sister-in-law. Nevine Salem, our dear friend from Egypt is also joining us, so between all of us, we have English, French and Arabic covered. There is nothing as good as travelling in a foreign country with locals who speak the language!
About the hotel
The hotel reservation in Hammamet made on your behalf, and included for the trip price, is for check in on September 4 and check out September 14.
If you wish to add days after the tour, we ask that you speak with this hotel directly, or another hotel, to make those arrangements.
The hotel we have reserved is a four star hotel which is bright and modern, and with a Tunisian touch. The staff are particularly friendly and helpful. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are inclusive at the hotel, as well as drinks.
The Cost
The package of hotel, all meals at the hotel, drinks, workshop, and transportation is $3450USD per participant, double occupancy. Please speak with Kala if you prefer single occupancy, which will be an extra cost of $500USD. Please note that single rooms cannot always be guaranteed. There is a new Tunisian government tax for 2024 that is charged for each night in a hotel now. This will be an extra charge for you, but will be no more than $50USD altogether. We will discuss this in a zoom with you. Airfares and airport transfers to and from your country of origin are not included. There are 4 days where you may need to pay for lunch, if the hotel is unable to provide that for us. However, prices in Tunisia for food are generally very cheap. Admittance fees are also very cheap.
We prefer to take a limit of 10 people on this tour. Before you book any flights, please confirm with Kala.
Payment and Cancellation Policy
A $500USD deposit is required by February 20, 2024 to secure your place. We have had to move this date forward due to great interest in this tour. We have added the $500USD to the cart. Full payment is due by July 4, 2024. There will be a link on our site for payment.
Refund or Cancellation Policy:
90 days notice or more we will refund 100% of your payment to date, less a $200USD admin fee.
89-45 days notice of cancellation we will refund 100% of your payment less $450USD admin fee.
Less than 45 days, no refunds, no exceptions, UNLESS there is a government travel ban OR the minimum number of participants is not reached, and the tour cannot go ahead. We urge you to purchase travel insurance that can protect you against any necessary last minute cancellations.
Travel Insurance
It is highly recommended that you purchase travel insurance. Please do research to find the coverage that suits you and check out their reviews. We recommend you purchase Trip Cancellation, Medical Evacuation, Baggage, Accident, and Emergency Medical Insurance. There are many insurance companies out there, and it is your responsibility to ask any questions to these operators. Please contact them directly. CF Travel Insured International is one of the largest, with a good reputation. But please find a policy that suits your particular needs. We will not be liable for any additional costs or fees related to the issuance and/or cancellation of airline tickets or other travel arrangements.
Itinerary
Day 1, September 4:
Arrive at Tunis-Carthage Airport, then transfer to the Phenicia Hotel, Hammamet. We will give you more information on transfers later. Ideally try and time your flight in the afternoon. Upon settling in, this will be a leisurely day connecting with Dianne, Kala and other participants. The pools and beach are right there for you to enjoy, with a refreshing drink. Dinner is included and the animation team at the hotel will be there to entertain you.
Day 2, September 5:
Buffet breakfast in the hotel, and meet, with your materials, to begin the workshop, which runs between 9am and 1pm on each of the three days. You will most likely be working on a relatively small close up of an animal’s eye. We will discuss the project with you beforehand. This project will teach you everything you need to learn in order to create a bigger and more detailed project at home. Dianne and Kala will be there to offer suggestions and feedback in order to improve your technique to a very high level.
Buffet lunch at the hotel. In the afternoon, you are free to continue with your mosaic, or enjoy the pools or beach. The animation team will entertain you and often provide water aerobics classes for fun and fitness.
Buffet dinner at the hotel.
Day 3, September 6:
Buffet breakfast.
Mosaic workshop during the morning.
Buffet lunch at the hotel. In the afternoon, you are free to continue with your mosaic, or enjoy the pools or beach. The animation team will entertain you and often provide water aerobics classes for fun and fitness during the day, and evening entertainment.
Buffet dinner with animation (entertainment) afterwards (each night).
Day 4, September 7:
Buffet breakfast.
Mosaic workshop during the morning.
Buffet lunch at the hotel. In the afternoon, you are free to continue with your mosaic, or enjoy the pools or beach. The animation team will entertain you and often provide water aerobics classes for fun and fitness during the day, and evening entertainment.
Buffet dinner at the hotel.
Day 5, September 8:
Buffet breakfast.
Today we will take a coach to Sousse which is probably the best known beach resort town in Tunisia. The second largest mosaic museum in the world is situated here, as well as a charming souk with a variety of café’s decorated in the Tunisian style. A well known mosaic artist friend lives there, who organised the Afghan scarves for women displays all around the world. We met him in Sousse last year, and visited a rooftop café with him where you could see the view of Sousse all around. We hope to meet him there again this year, or perhaps even see his workshop!
Lunch may be at your own expense, but we will ask the hotel if they can provide us with sandwiches to take with us if necessary.
Buffet dinner at the hotel.
Day 6, September 9:
Buffet breakfast.
We will take a coach to El Jem today, which is a fascinating archaeological site from the Roman times. The amphitheatre there is slightly smaller, but better preserved than the Colosseum in Rome, and is one of the very best known monuments on the African continent. There are mosaic workshops in this district, where Roman style mosaics are still produced in marble. We are planning on visiting at least one of these studios.
Lunch may be at your own expense, but we will ask the hotel if they can provide us with sandwiches to take with us.
Buffet dinner at the hotel.
Day 7, September 10:
Buffet breakfast – early start, so we can leave at 8am.
We will take the coach to Tunisia’s capital, Tunis, today. This is the home of our much anticipated visit to the Bardo museum, which is the largest mosaic museum in the world. It only reopened at the end of 2023, after being closed for a few years, and from all reports, it is even bigger and better! We also have access to a private workshop within the museum, which is not normally open to the public.
Lunch may be at your own expense, but we will ask the hotel if they can provide us with sandwiches to take with us.
In the afternoon, we will explore the old souk, or market in Tunis, where you can shop for an enormous store of beautiful items such as fabrics, shoes, leather goods and typically Tunisian homewares.
On the drive back to the hotel, we will visit the hugely picturesque Sidi Bou Said, with its blue and white houses, rustic doors, and magenta bougainvillea everywhere. The views in this town are just amazing, overlooking the sea, and it’s worth exploring the main street and some of the surrounding streets to discover its special charm. We may also visit a house decorated in the Tunisian style, which is open to the public.
Buffet dinner at the hotel. You will be tired, but happy and inspired after this full day of exploration!
Day 8, September 11:
Buffet breakfast.
We take the coach to Nabeul today. This is the home of a great mosaic friend and artist. We are sure he would love to meet you all! Nabeul is the centre of hand-painted ceramics in Tunisia. The posts on Facebook I made after our time there were some of the most popular posts of my trip. It seems everyone loves Tunisian ceramics! We will have coffee in the souk there. This souk, as in every souk in each town, has a huge variety of wares on sale. We are also hoping to visit some ceramic shops today, where you can buy some beautiful souvenirs. You have to carefully calculate how much you can take home in your luggage!
Lunch may be at your own expense, but we will ask the hotel if they can provide us with sandwiches to take with us.
On the way back to the hotel in Monastir, we will visit trendy Hammamet, another beautiful coastal town. Close by is Yasmine Hammamet with its classy cafes, restaurants, expensive yachts and boats, and its Mediterranean feel.
Buffet dinner at the hotel.
Day 9, September 12:
Buffet breakfast.
After a very full couple of days, we will remain in Monastir today, and explore the souk there. This is one of your last chances for some shopping and to find some treasures to take home with you. You can visit some sights with us in this beautiful town, but it will be a more leisurely day.
Buffet lunch at the hotel.
Have a camel ride on the beach if you choose. Sunset camel rides are a specialty here, and can provide you with a very unique memory.
Buffet dinner at the hotel. We are hoping animateurs will be doing a special show, based on requests by us. We can’t confirm this until later in the year.
Day 10, September 13:
Buffet breakfast.
Our last full at the hotel for you to relax at the pool, or have a camel ride on the beach.
Buffet lunch and dinner at the hotel.
Day 11, September 14:
Buffet breakfast.
Goodbyes, and transfers to the airport.
Some participants may like to make arrangements to stay for another 3 nights in this, or a different hotel, or we will discuss spending a few days in Egypt.
Please note: Minor changes may be made to the itinerary as necessary. We also hope to have a few surprises in store for you, but these are as yet are not confirmed.
Day 12, 13 and 14, September 15, 16, 17:
Stay an extra three nights either at this hotel, or another, to take advantage of the beautiful beaches, pools, food and entertainment. Day trips can be arranged if you prefer, for extra shopping, if you stay at the same hotel as us. These extra days will be at your own expense. We will also discuss the possiblity of a trip to Egypt.
We are hoping that you will join us and enjoy a ‘taste of Tunisia’!
About D&H Fine Art Mosaics
Kala and Dianne established D&H Fine Art Mosaics only 3 years ago as a team. Kala has spent his whole adult life (27 years)studying mosaics at university, making mosaics, exhibiting mosaics all over Europe, creating mosaic commissions and teaching mosaics while running his own mosaic business in Tunisia, overseeing 11 employees. He is experienced with working in marble and smalti, and has since changed to glass since meeting Dianne. Until the end of 2022, Dianne worked full time as a teacher, and has since retired to focus on making and teaching mosaics, which is her passion. She has sold her work both in Australia and overseas, and has successfully exhibited and received prizes, including in art shows where she has been the only participant exhibiting mosaics. Both Kala and Dianne have made a name for themselves creating beautiful mosaics with the highest possible level of realism, by using a technique that Kala spent many months developing and perfecting. They have been teaching their unique technique online and their participants have achieved remarkable success.
