Getting lost in CARTHAGE, Tunisia - An ancient city destroyed by the Romans قرطاج تونس

Hi everyone! This is episode eight of my Tunisia series in which I explore Carthage, one of the great ancient cities of the world. It was a Phoenician city that was sacked and destroyed by the Romans in 146 BC during the Third Punic War. It was then later rebuilt as a Roman city by Julius Caesar.
Carthage is based only c. 15 kilometers from Tunis and 2 kilometers from Sidi Bou Said. The vlog starts off with me walking in the streets of Sidi Bou Said, looking to get to Carthage. A taxi driver notices me and asks me if I need a taxi, after which I ask how much a taxi to Carthage would cost. He initially asks for 10 Dinar but after I mention that I am happy to cover the distance on foot, he offers me a ride for half price at 5 Dinar.
During the taxi ride, he establishes that I am a tourist and tries to sell me his services as a local guide going to various ancient sites in Carthage. At this stage, I have no idea what I wanted to see and in which order, so I hear what he has to say but ultimately declines his offer. He eventually drops me off at the Cisterns of La Malga, which played an integral role in supplying ancient Carthage with water.
I walk around a bit trying to orientate myself and gather a plan of action. Luckily, I notice another man who is seemingly doing a solo tour of Carthage, and asks for directions. He then suggests walking to the various sites as they are all very walkable, and especially recommends the Roman Baths (Baths of Antoninus).
Before leaving the cisterns, I find a local supervisor who kindly opened the gate to the tourist area. At this point, I did not yet have a ticket - after a brief walk along some of the cisterns, the supervisor asks for a ticket which I could not present. I tell him that I haven't yet bought a ticket and I ask where I can buy one. He suggests the Roman theatre, which is about a 10-15 minute walk away according to the man who helped me with directions earlier.
I then hit the road in the search for more sites, without any particular plan. I stumble across some Roman columns next to a busy street and then walk through various park paths before finally getting to a cathedral. At the site of the cathedral, a local trader greets me and provides me with some information of the cathedral. He then - of course - invites me to his shop to look at his merchandise...will I buy something from him?
After my encounter with the trader, I head towards the Roman Baths, walking through a beautiful affluent neighbourhood with a heavy police presence. After finally reaching the Baths, I pay 12 Dinar for a ticket that allows me access to all the sites, but I only have a couple of hours before the sites close at five o'clock. A local guide offers me his services at a premium price - will I take him up on his offer?
In the rest of the vlog, I explore the Baths before also briefly visiting the Roman Villas (which I erroneously refer to sometimes as the Roman Villages) and the Theatre. The vlog ends with me enjoying the view from the top of the Theatre at sunset after a very random, hectic and energy-consuming day of exploring!
Please hit the LIKE and SUBSCRIBE buttons if you haven't already - this really helps the channel to grow and allows me to produce more content such as this. Thank you!

[@willieexplore]

Hi everyone! If you enjoy this video of Carthage - an ancient city in modern day Tunisia - then please give this video a LIKE and please SUBSCRIBE to my channel! It really helps this channel to grow and allows me to make more interesting videos for you to watch!

[@biohazerdtrollztrolls4798]

destroyed by romans and rebuilt by romans then later destroyed and not rebuilt by islam get it right at least lol

[@willieexplore]

@@biohazerdtrollztrolls4798 Your name suggests you are a troll, say no more?

[@biohazerdtrollztrolls4798]

​@@willieexplore prob do research before exposing yourself as a fool who did not do research :) the Romans built a new Carthage on the ruins. A bcontemporary depiction shows the ancient Carthaginians defending their city against the Roman Empire in 149 B.C. In 698 CE, the Muslims defeated the Byzantine forces at the Battle of Carthage, destroyed the city completely, and drove the Byzantines from Africa. They then fortified and developed the neighboring city of Tunis and established it as the new center for trade and governorship of the region took less than two min to find that......

[@jawherdjelassi7606]

Hello Willie, I watched every single video of your experience in Tunisia, it was quite nice to re-discover my country through a different perspective, I thank you for that opportunity ! I must say that I truly admire your positive energy and friendly attitude, it's an honor to have someone as respectful as yourself venture into our country . I'm sure plenty of comments recommended other locations for you to visit so i'll spare you the trouble of recommending them again (although you should ! they are absolutely amazing ) . I apologize on behalf of the pushy vendors and the scammers, they are present everywhere in the world. These videos were a wonderful journey, if you're ever in Tunisia again, please contact me so you can see the country and its hidden gems through the eyes of a local (dont worry its free of charge :) ). Subscribed !

[@willieexplore]

Hi Jawher! Thank you so much for your heartfelt message and for supporting my channel! It is my absolute pleasure to take you along these travels through my channel in your beautiful country. Don't apologise on behalf of said individuals - we all have our own battles to fight in life and they are also just trying to make a living during difficult times. But yes, luckily I am an experienced traveller so I don't fall easily for scams, but someone less experienced and street smart may run into trouble. I absolutely intend to return one day and will definitely be in touch with you when I do. Having said that, I still have a few more Tunisia videos that I will upload in the next few weeks, so hope you look forward to those!

[@mokchahaahmed4226]

@@willieexplore much love♥

[@willieexplore]

@@mokchahaahmed4226 thanks for watching my friend! :)

[@elizabethbakewell6046]

Thanks so much Willie! Showing us Carthage ruins and information What an Amazing place must Have been and is. I will read history about Carthage

[@willieexplore]

Thanks Elizabeth, this was a very fulfilling travel day for me! Struggled to get places but got there in the end. Have a good one!

[@Greatest.p]

Honestly, you are the James may of vlogs. I hope more people do your style. No plan, just exploring. I understand it's pretty risky but great content, and great comments as well. It's sure difficult dealing with people but you make it entertaining.

[@willieexplore]

That is a wonderful comment to receive Abderrahim, thank you so much. My channel is still very young (under a year old) so I am still experimenting with different styles and various types of vlogs. However, many have echoed that the "no plan just exploring" type vlog is entertaining and I do like making those too. I've travelled to many places over many years, and I know that the best days can often be the one with no plan and no expectations. Glad you're enjoying my content and thanks again for supporting my channel!

[@Greatest.p]

@@willieexplore I am impressed. You are truly talented considering how old the channel is. I am glad youtube recommended your tunisia vlogs to me. I am subscribed. So next time you upload I will explore new countries the Willie way. Good luck man!

[@willieexplore]

@@Greatest.p that is great news my friend, much appreciated! I hope you have a wonderful experience with my channel and my forthcoming adventures - let's go and explore!

[@sheilam4525]

I thought your interaction with the taxi driver was interesting. He tried his best but you made the right decision. I would love to see Carthage, it's almost impossible to comprehend the history. We really enjoyed this feature length vlog, Willie, 👏

[@willieexplore]

Cheers Sheila. It is tough making those decisions under that kind of pressure with a camera in your hand. To then be dropped in seemingly the middle of nowhere was daunting at first but I saw it as a great opportunity for a unique adventure. That view of the baths from the vantage point is something I'll never forget. Glad you're enjoying this series :)

[@sheilam4525]

I think that is the essence of your vlogs, just seeing what happens in unplanned situations. Incredible vantage point and also the amphitheatre at the end was amazing. Especially to have had the place so quiet too, it would have added to the atmosphere. I can see how Tunisia was one of your favourites.

[@Swanoaks]

Again very interesting Willie. You described the feeling the history of the place must give everyone who visits. The Trees are magnificent also the Theater. But I have to say the blue of the Mediterranean Sea is breathtaking. Thank you,. Kiwi from Virginia.

[@willieexplore]

That blue colour certainly is fascinating! I really enjoyed Carthage and it was quite the adventure getting to the Baths :) Cheers for watching!

[@toscabrutus1781]

Willie baie goeie Video weereens!

[@willieexplore]

Dankie Tosca, hierdie was 'n interessante dag!

[@crizton8504]

don't ask for price before entering the taxi tell them to reset the counter before going ( it will be 900 millimes tax) then pay after your ride is over

[@willieexplore]

Yes mon ami I know you should check the meter. But remember I am a vlogger and look at things differently - I specifically asked him some questions to see if he would be a good character in my vlog... I didn't mind paying the 5 Dinar but 10 was a bit much :)

[@PostcardAndAPint]

This was brilliant Willie. We live Sidi Bou Said and Carthage, it’s been a while since we visited though. It was great to take a trip down memory lane . Amazing visit 🍻

[@willieexplore]

Thank you for your positive feedback! Glad I could provide you with a bit of a walk down memory lane. It is always interesting to see how much have changed since a previous visit (and how much still remains the same!)

[@NabilNabil-uh4th]

Thanks so much mate for sharing with us this amazing vedio and the more Important for me is how to you deal with some dodgy peoples 😀 once again you very welcome to my 🇹🇳 and all of the best I'm waiting for the next vedio.

[@willieexplore]

Thank you Nabil! Really appreciate your support. Hope you get a chance to watch my other Tunisia videos as well :)

[@NabilNabil-uh4th]

@@willieexplore actually I watched all of them .and I subscribe to your channel. All of the best 👌

[@willieexplore]

@@NabilNabil-uh4th great stuff mon ami! Let me know which of the videos was your favourite and which other places in Tunisia you think I should include in a second series when I return one day :)

[@NabilNabil-uh4th]

@willieexplore to be honest with you all of them are great I highly recommended to visit tabarka ..and ain drahem you not gonna be disappointed mon ami

[@willieexplore]

@@NabilNabil-uh4th cheers mon ami much appreciated!

[@RIANDOA]

Essentially, what that French sign said translates to: The grapes were crushed by feet. The cleanliness of the pressers had to be impeccable so that the wine could be used for religious libations. After the crushing, it was pressed. The two operations, crushing and pressing, were usually done in the same room. Hope that helps! :) Great video as usual!

[@willieexplore]

Merci mon ami - translator par excellence! Thanks as always for watching and contributing to my channel Landshark! Great to hear from you :)

[@RIANDOA]

@@willieexplore One bonus of being Canadian - mandatory French classes in the middle grades lol

[@willieexplore]

@@RIANDOA a very useful mandatory education :)

[@ramiibrahim3719]

Hello Willie, i'm really sorry for that taxi driver ! like your videos !

[@willieexplore]

Cheers Rami, really glad you enjoy them! Don't say sorry, it is part of the experience and resulted in good footage for my vlog. It was a fantastic day of exploring and I'm glad to be sharing it with people like you. Thanks so much for the support!

[@no_soy_rubio]

Great interaction with the locals Willie, I think I would start to get tired after a while 😆 Carthage is a very impressive archaeological site, amazing how quiet it is, guess it was due to the time of year?

[@willieexplore]

Cheers mate, thanks as always for watching and leaving a comment. I was really surprised at the lack of tourists. I think you are right, it is definitely out of tourist season, but even considering that I still got the impression from many that they expected more tourists at this time of the year.

[@bentesrtmme6594]

Omg when i was in Tunisia i knew the taxi driver so i had no problem :-) i love Tunisia

[@willieexplore]

What a wonderful country Bente!

[@jaspervanzyl6212]

Blasted Romans! Guess the Colosseum wasn't enough. Thanks Willie! Cool video and interesting factoids

[@willieexplore]

They certainly caused some damage here! Cheers for watching!

[@bushtactics4936]

never hesitate to negociate or bargain (in whatever place it might be ) , our country has been through a lot and economy is tanking so the seller was kinda desperate to sell in order to help himself and family but overall i think he was pretty respectfull and friendly .

[@willieexplore]

All of the sellers I engaged with in Tunisia were friendly and respectful

[@Samy-1965]

Welcome bro,

[@willieexplore]

Thank you Samy! Cheers for watching and supporting my channel, much appreciated :)

[@marekkowalski6767]

Tnx, HNY 👍🇵🇱.

[@willieexplore]

Thanks for watching!

[@supergool8928]

i'm from switzerland i fly to tunisia every 1-2 years. very nice people 👍🏻 inflation and covid 19 have destabilized tourism in tunisia, the sellers are the most affected and fight every day with every customer to sell their goods. i also try to help sometimes and buy things i never needed. I recommend you to visit El Djem, Djerba and Touzeur where the first Star Wars movie was filmed very nice video I like it ❤

[@willieexplore]

Thanks for watching and for contributing to the discussions! Really appreciate those suggestions :)

[@oussamax_1976]

Hello willie as a tunisian i am deeply sorry for that awkward encounter with the taxi, most of the taxis nowadays are like that, they like take advantage of everything, a ride from sidi bousaid to Carthage is like 2 dinars to explore tunis the capital i would advise everyone to rent a car (only for the capital) no problem for other cities because it gets expensive when you go around, and you could have taken the TGM forb1 dinar from tunis to sidi bou said, sorry for the long comment i got many things to say hahah, welcome monsieur

[@willieexplore]

Thank you for your message oussama X_19, and please don't apologise for anything! I was willing to take a taxi for a few extra Dinar to take a break from walking. Also got some good footage from the taxi ride and it tells part of the story of the day. Thank you for watching my videos! Hope you get a chance to watch my other vlogs I made of Tunisia too. Have a great day :)

[@oussamax_1976]

@@willieexplore thanks, you too sir

[@sbkazmi2]

We are due to go to Tunisia in 2 weeks any tips, recommendations?

[@willieexplore]

@@sbkazmi2 I have absolutely no hesitation to recommend all the locations featured in my vlogs! Hope you are excited for your trip!

[@MaSTeRXDOfficial]

@@sbkazmi2 How did it go? Did you like it?

[@jayceontalylor4244]

Welcome Monsieur, there is the night part of Tunisia at clubs, like in Gammarth and other places so vibrant. greeting to sud d'afrique and die antwoord

[@willieexplore]

Thank you mon ami! Haha yes Die Antwoord is from South Africa :)

[@rachedhadhri1639]

Thank you

[@willieexplore]

Cheers for watching!

[@Sherirose1]

£1=3 dinars so price for taxi was good if I heard 10 dinars. The taxi try the fishing method😂. Take bus and walk. Its much better and you enjoy the weather.

[@willieexplore]

When converted to Pound Sterling it is cheap as chips! Remember that I'm a vlogger looking for content and I thought he would be an interesting character in my vlogs...so I got in :)

[@kixoup]

the taxi man give you a price more than good, local people will pay more 😅

[@willieexplore]

Yes my friend but he also tried to charge me 10 Dinar for a short ride to Carthage ;)

[@kixoup]

​@@willieexplore his english not good but i think what he want to explain is to take you around 10 places and you can take a pic every one of them and go to the next... another thing i'm sorry for no english signs around the ruins, i hope the goverment will take a change when you come back again 😀

[@willieexplore]

@@kixoup no I mean right at the start of the video, he offered me a ride for 10 Dinar initially then lowered it to 5 Dinar :) I'm sure he tried to cut me a good deal when we discussed a tour of Carthage but I simply did not know what I wanted to see...

[@kixoup]

@@willieexplore you right is cost less than 5 Dinar for that, any way i enjoy your videos and again welcom to tunisia ❤

[@willieexplore]

@@kixoup really appreciate your support for my channel, thanks for watching the videos :)

[@satzioflax]

Hello Willie , watching your Vlogs about Tunisia really made my day since I'm currently in another country , and about your question " yes the theater is still used till today , also there is an annual festival (August-septembre) where artists from all over the world come and perform there " . I'll finish watching all the Tunisia playlist and move to your other ones I'm really interested to see and learn about your adventures in other countries . Good luck and stay safe :)

[@willieexplore]

Hello Zied! Thank you so much for your kind words and for supporting my channel, it is people like you that allows me to grow and make more videos such as these! I'm glad you enjoyed this video about Carthage and thanks for the additional information about the use of the theatre. I also hope you'll enjoy the rest of the Tunisia series (more videos to come in due course) and my videos of other destinations. Safe travels and keep well my friend!

[@ahmedboutrif2517]

zah taw nitfarej , kadeh 7zent kifech el hjar eli ahna mtaychinou hoa krib bich imout alih , kadeh narfouch natiw lel aja kimithha ! ou el taxi kifech hab ighochou ! kenet tnajem tkoun experience lih khhir men haka ibarchha !

[@willieexplore]

@@ahmedboutrif2517 Google translate could not translate your comment for me but I appreciate you watching my videos :)

[@Boubouchan1]

Carthage is a presidential area, with the President's headquarters and many embassies, that's why the police is everywhere. A lot of ministers and ambassadors and people from prestigious families live in Carthage

[@willieexplore]

Yes I did find that out right at the end - it makes a lot of sense :)

[@oussamax_1976]

poor carthage ,destroyed by the romans ,the rebuilt, destroyed by the vandals, remained a bit like a ghost town after the roman conquest then all the rocks are used to build tunis

[@willieexplore]

The fall of some means the rise of others!

[@YuHaneul]

Next time try to find a local online who can show u around for free

[@willieexplore]

I was happy to get lost and take the road less travelled :)

[@YuHaneul]

@@willieexplore have fun and enjoy every moment

[@willieexplore]

@@YuHaneul thank you for your support!

[@banr390]

5:57 لاحول ولا قوة الا بالله.الغشة لماذا لو كنت صادقا كنت ربحت .Beware these scammers from dinars become wanting dollars

[@willieexplore]

For sure mon ami

[@moones35]

Please if u travel next time to Tunisia , the taxi is metered , and drivers doesn't have the right to bargain about the price , you only pay the balance on the meter .

[@moones35]

Really sorry for what happened, I ve seen all of Ur videos in Tunisia and too many bastard's try to take advantage, taxi drivers , souvenir shops , even that guy who sold u that small bottle of water for 1 tnd

[@willieexplore]

@@moones35 don't worry my friend, I'm used to it and have paid a "tourist price" on many of my travels! I don't mind it as it adds some context to my vlogs. Re the taxi - I asked the driver a general question about how much it is to Carthage and he said 10 Dinar. I declined and then he said 5 Dinar. I got in the taxi knowing that that was still a high price but I thought he was quite the character and would add value to my vlogs. So vloggers sometimes have to think differently about their options when they travel. All in all, when converted back to British Pounds it is still a huge bargain :)

[@mohamedgharsallah4579]

This driver is funny

[@willieexplore]

He was quite the character

[@DarkTruthPlatform]

For the Taxies you just get in without talking to the driver and he must activate the counter before leaving. If he doesn't you ask him to do. If he refuse that's illegal and you can take the taxi number on top and file a complaint. Also it's illegal for the Taxi driver to ask were you are going before you are in the taxi. You can use Heetch or Bolt apps. They are similar to Uber but they work with Taxies. They are a bit more expensive (they cann add 1TND if there is no traffic). And at the request of the service the price and the wait time would be given before you purchase. Then, you pay in the taxi after reaching your destination.

[@willieexplore]

As I mentioned below to many people who commented on the taxi driver - it was my decision to get in and I was happy paying the 5 Dinar. I'm a vlogger looking for good footage so that was my primary consideration :)

[@aymenhakiri6367]

Mala taxsist hhhh wlh rajel 😂😂

[@willieexplore]

Thanks for watching!

[@ahlamerabi3400]

ههه قلت الحق والله

[@tajmajal4197]

That taxi driver looks and sounds like a scammer. Can't trust that face.. The old man seller is scary, so pushy!!

[@willieexplore]

They were all very nice but I did not have enough information to make informed decisions. Only myself to blame :)

[@belknizar9868]

TBH 13 Dollars is not expensive for 2h guided tour

[@willieexplore]

No, it isn't, but would you buy anything if you don't know what you are buying?

[@its4481]

Sometimes its not the price putting you off but the way people approach you about it.

[@EsoTarek]

The guy already ripped him off by charging him 5 dinars as a taxi ride from sidi bou said to Carthage which is normally less so the least he could've done is drop you off at the main site (where you purchased your ticket). Instead he just dumped you on the side of the road, that wasn't cool. So you may think only 13 dollars but he won't be there as a guide (he barely spoke English) so he would just be there to drive around from 1 site to another and that's certainly more than what a local would pay. Always ask for a meter on in Tunis and if possible set the route on your phone GPS so you know they're not taking any dodgy detours. Unfortunately Tunisia has been overly reliant on Tourism for many decades and never looked at other ways to grow the economy. These vendors are very pushy but as Willie understands it is born out of desperation. A lot of struggles and sometimes overpaying when you know you're being ripped off or buying some junk to support a vendor is a form of charity. On a side note, those charms don't protect you from anything (as I'm sure you're probably aware). These are cultural beliefs held by some but actually has nothing to do with Islam and believing that the khamsa (meaning 5) or the eye actually brings you good luck is actually forbidden in Islam.

[@willieexplore]

@@EsoTarek Hello my friend, agree with everything you posted there - great comments! Absolutely crucial to ask for a metered taxi but I thought a taxi ride with him might result in good footage and it did. Your recommendation about the GPS is a great tip and I would also recommend getting a Tunisia sim card as the other gentleman explained. Regarding the charms - yep, I'm aware of it and I'm not superstitious in the slightest. Thanks as always for watching my videos and supporting my channel!

[@willieexplore]

@@its4481 100% my friend