Tunisia is a country in North Africa, bordered by Algeria, Libya and the Mediterranean Sea.

I spent my internship in the capital of Tunisia, Tunis. Together with other interns, we lived in a neighbourhood called La Goulette, near the port. The city offered many places to visit and spend free time, mostly we went to La Marsa or Sidi Bou Said, or the centre of Tunis with the historical Medina with a busy market.
Tunis is like no other city I have been to. It is divided by a large lake in the centre, which makes distances longer and the city more spread out. The best means of transport is a taxi to get anywhere in the city, but it is possible to take a collective taxi for 1.3 TND to the city centre, or the TGM (urban train) for 0.8 TND to the city centre, or to Carthage, Sidi Bou Said or La Marsa. Personally, I preferred the TGM when possible as it was the most authentic, interesting and cheapest way to get around the city. There was no timetable for the train. It is not recommended to use the TGM at night, especially if you are alone. Otherwise it is a safe and good option.

IAESTE volunteers organised many activities and trips for us, we visited the cities of Bizerte and Hammamet with beautiful beaches, at the beginning of August we went on a 5-day trip to the south, where we could visit places further away from Tunis. I'd recommend going on this trip as almost everyone goes and it's the best way to see the south. It's also a nice bonding activity. The trip cost 565 TND.

In Tunis you should visit places like:
Sidi Bou Said with its white and blue houses
La Marsa, many restaurants and the most accessible beach
Rocky beach at Sidi Bou Said
El Abidine mosque in Carthage
The archaeological site of Carthage
The old medina of Tunis

I worked for 6 weeks in a small architecture studio together with my supervisor, another IAESTE intern from Oman and 2 other students - interns from Tunisia and Morocco.

The supervisor gave us tasks from projects she was working on, sometimes the tasks were interesting and sometimes easier, without giving us much responsibility.
One time I worked on adjusting the layout of a residential building in Libya, which was challenging as the standards there are different from what I am used to at home. The location of the office was good, I had to take a taxi to work every day as there was no connecting public transport, but taxi fares are not very high in Tunisia and I usually shared the rides with other interns working in the same area (Lac 2 or Lac 1).

My salary was 550 TND, which was enough to cover basic living expenses such as food and accommodation.
But plane tickets were expensive and we also spent a lot of our free time going out with friends, and I spent more money on various activities and trips. So the salary was not enough and I had to cover the expenses from my savings and from the scholarship I got from my faculty.

In my job, the employer and colleagues spoke English. Although they had some difficulties in speaking, we were able to communicate easily.
In general, English is not enough in Tunisia. It is better to learn at least the basics of French or Tunisian Arabic, which is different from the Arabic used in the Middle East. So I recommend learning basic phrases and vocabulary in these languages, it will make life easier when talking to the taxi driver or other locals.
Personally, I only learned a few useful phrases and words in Arabic as I spent most of my time with friends who either spoke some French or were native Arabic speakers, so they took the initiative in communicating with the locals.

The lodging was provided by IAESTE. All of us interns lived in the same block of flats in La Goulette. The IAESTE volunteers also lived in the same building during the summer. They were always there when we needed something.
I had my own room and shared the flat with 3 other girls. Most of the other trainees shared a room with one other person.
The accommodation provided was sufficient for a short stay and we paid a low price, 150 TND per month. Everyone had their own fan as there was no air conditioning in the accommodation, but it was enough.
In the accommodation, one apartment served as a common room for all, called headquarters or just HQ. We could come there whenever we wanted and it was like a living room to spend time together.

The summer reception in Tunisia was the best I have ever heard of or experienced. From being picked up from the airport to living together in our shared accommodation, to the many trips or activities organised by IAESTE members or us interns.
Every weekend there was a trip to places close to Tunis, or at the beginning of August we were able to take part in a South trip, thanks to which we were able to visit the more distant places in Tunisia, such as the Great Mosque of Kairouan, Tozeur, the waterfall in Chbika, Tamaghza, the Star Wars site in Ong Ejmal, Douz, Matmata, the beautiful island of Djerba and the amphitheatre in El Jem.

As we were all accommodated in one building, it was easy to meet other international students. I made friends with Middle Easterners, Indians, Americans, and other Europeans. The highlight of the internship was actually the social life, as we spent most of our free time together.

During our stay, we played basketball or football, went jogging in the morning (the only time the streets were empty) or went bouldering in Gammarth. Some people went to the nearby gym or played tennis. Mostly we went swimming in La Marsa.
Tunisian culture is different and I loved discovering the differences by living there. It is not possible to buy alcohol in most places (bars, restaurants, shops). We could only buy it in a special liquor store in La Goulette, which is open until 7 pm, but gets crowded at the end of the opening hours, or in a large supermarket Carrefour in La Marsa. Only a few bars sell alcohol.
Generally, people do not drink alcohol for religious reasons, but most young people start drinking at university. Tunisia is perhaps the most open-minded of all the Muslim countries, and you can see the European influence very clearly. Interns from Jordan had a cultural shock when they came to Tunisia because it is much more open than what they were used to at home.
The best place for cheap and fun clothes shopping is definitely the thrift shops, especially the one in Hafsia (near the Medina). You can get clothes from 2-3 TND and they are often of good quality, you just have to look for them.

Tunisian food consists mainly of eggs, tuna, harissa and bread. If you have these ingredients, you can easily call the meal Tunisian. Harissa is a hot chilli pepper paste that is used in almost every meal, so if you are not a fan of spicy food, always ask for less or no harissa, otherwise it will be really hot.
Tunisians like to eat out a lot, mostly in fast food restaurants, sitting outside. In the summer, people from all over the city come to La Goulette, the area where we lived, to eat fish or fast food.
Dishes you must try are plat tunisien, kafteji, lablebi, ojja, brik, couscous, kafteji sandwich or many types of fast food - malfouf, mlewi, shawarma. The best fast food dish is the baguette fraise.
Tunisian cuisine is not particularly vegetarian-friendly, so if you ask for a vegetarian dish in a restaurant, you are likely to get a side dish with salad.
The best sweet, sold in the medina but also in larger supermarkets, is Makroudh! They're biscuits filled with dates and soaked in syrup. And enjoy the Maghreb mint tea! It is the best sweet tea typical to North Africa. We spent many nights sitting in a café, drinking tea and smoking shisha. Tea and shisha were of a really good price, in our favourite place nearby, tea was for only 1 TND and shisha 4 TND (medium quality).
In addition to Tunisian food, we also tried Middle Eastern cuisine at the Syrian restaurant Damascino (thanks to the Jordanians who introduced us to their culture and cuisine).
In all the small supermarkets you can buy mojito juice, which was the best! You can also get fresh strawberry juice in all the cafes, restaurants and supermarkets, which is amazing. The best ice cream in town is definitely Parad'Ice. In Sidi Bou Said they make Bambalouni for only 1 TND, which is similar to our typical donut - šiška.

When I arrived, I bought a Tunisian SIM card with internet, so I used it all the time to communicate, and it was good enough. IAESTE volunteer helped me buy the card at the airport. I bought 25 GB for 30 TND, then later again - it is easy to recharge the card directly in the app of the provider, Ooredoo.

The climate and weather is different and much hotter than at home, but don't be intimidated. I was afraid of it before I came to Tunisia, but I got used to it really quickly and enjoyed it anyway. During the hottest part of the day I was in the office with the air conditioning on and the evenings were mostly nice with a slight breeze.
When exchanging money, it is advisable to take enough cash with you. I used my Revolut card for withdrawals. Most ATMs usually charge a fee of around 10 TND, but I had no fee at all at the Al Baraka Bank ATM (in Medina or Lac 2), which I recommend. It is good to keep the receipt from the exchange office, as you may be asked for it at the end when exchanging money back into €.

Bring clothing and items that will protect you from the sun. A good hat, sunscreen, longer clothes made of light material. Also, goggles are nice for swimming, I always forget them.
For work, people usually wear long trousers or skirts, which I did not know before. It is generally considered polite and formal to dress in this way, it is not based on religion but rather a culture.

It was an amazing experience and it enriched me a lot. I learned more about myself, and about the work I might do in the future. Most of all, I spent a really nice summer with international friends, expanding my knowledge through our endless conversations about our cultures and religions. I enjoyed living in a country so different from my own and travelling around.

IAESTE volunteers did a really good job, from the moment I was accepted they were in contact with me and I could ask them anything I needed - and I asked a lot.
They also helped me with my arrival, picked me up from the airport, went to work for the first time and were present during the whole internship. They organised activities and trips for us. I could not wish for more.