We stayed in La Goulette, a port district on the outskirts of Tunis. It feels more like a small town where locals quickly recognize you. The atmosphere is very friendly, and you can find everything you need nearby. Just 5 minutes from the accommodation there is a beach, which is nice for swimming, although not very clean because of the ships. I felt safe in this area. To get to the city center, you can take the TGM train, louage or a taxi.

Tunis is the capital and the largest city of Tunisia. At first it may look quite chaotic, but once you get used to it, you realize that it has its own system. In the center, the Medina is definitely worth visiting – the old town full of souvenir shops, local products, and a beautiful mosque. In front of it stands the impressive Cathedral of Saint Vincent de Paul. Nearby, you can also find the City of Culture, a cultural complex with an opera house, theaters, and museums. Along the coast there are the ruins of ancient Carthage, the picturesque village of Sidi Bou Said with its blue and white houses (which inspired the Greek islands), and La Marsa with a lovely beach and many restaurants.

IAESTE organizers arranged trips almost every weekend to nearby as well as more distant towns and places. We also did some trips on our own with other interns after work. Examples of places to visit include Kelibia, Hammamet, Sousse, Monastir, Bizerte, Raf Raf, Tabarka, and many others. Around the turn of July and September, a ‘South Trip’ is organized – a multi-day journey to the south of Tunisia. During this trip we visited the Roman forum in Sbeitla, the desert town Tozeur, an oasis and the Star Wars village in the Sahara, the island of Djerba, and the Colosseum in El Jem. I highly recommend joining as many trips as possible, as they are amazing, but the South Trip is an absolute must.

I worked at the architectural studio ARAU, led by Naoufel Douik. It was a small office with only the supervisor and two permanent employees. Besides me, there was also an intern from Tunisia. The atmosphere was friendly, the colleagues were amazing, but I did not have much direct contact with the supervisor.

I could choose whether to work on a new project or continue on an ongoing one, and I chose a new one. I was given site documents and one of the office’s previous projects. First, I studied the materials and then spent the rest of the internship working on a residential building study in AutoCAD. It was interesting to learn about construction principles and regulations in Tunisia. The work was valuable, but I would have preferred more consultations about my progress. I visited a construction site of several residential buildings once, but only because I specifically asked for it. The tasks from the O-form were only partially fulfilled, as the coordination with structural, fluid, and electrical engineers was missing.

The salary was 500 TND. It was definitely not sufficient for local living conditions. It only covered accommodation and transport to work. In addition, it was paid only after the internship was finished, so it could be used only after the internship ended.

In Tunisia, not many people speak English, except in tourist areas. The main languages are Tunisian Arabic and French. However, you can always manage – even with gestures. Learning just a few basic phrases is enough for the whole stay. My supervisor spoke perfect English, while most other employees spoke very little, but we always managed to understand each other, sometimes using AI translators, so there were no real problems.

The accommodation was provided by IAESTE Tunisia in an apartment building (in La Goulette) where all interns stayed. The flats usually had three rooms. Since there were fewer interns that year, many people had their own room, or shared a larger room with one other person as I did. The apartments had their own kitchen, bathroom and a laundry room with a washing machine. The accommodation was acceptable – not very modern, but it had everything necessary for daily life.

I was picked up at the airport by one of the IAESTE members. They helped me exchange money, buy a SIM card, and took me directly to my accommodation. As I mentioned earlier, big trips were organized almost every weekend, and during the week there were smaller activities in Tunis and nearby (paintball, football, zoo, etc.). At the beginning, we were advised not to travel on our own, but later we got used to the transport system in Tunis and started visiting nearby towns by bus, louage, or train.

I met the other students on my second day, when they returned from work. Since all interns live in the same building, everyone interacts and helps each other, for example by sharing taxis. There is also a common room called HQ, where we gathered for parties, games, or just to talk.

As for sports, we sometimes played team games such as padel. You can also go swimming at the beach every day, and some interns went running around La Goulette. Tunisia has a huge number of museums, so culturally you will definitely not get bored. In La Goulette there were also occasional free street concerts, which created a very nice atmosphere.

The local food is excellent. Tunisians like spicy dishes, but you can always ask for a mild or non-spicy version. Food is very cheap, especially fast food. Almost every meal includes some kind of flatbread or baguette. Apart from these meals (such as malfouf, makloub, mlawi), there are also restaurant dishes which are a bit more expensive but still cheaper than in the Czech Republic. An example is ojja, a local spicy dish with sausages or chicken, and also grilled fish. They also have excellent pastries.

On the first day, an IAESTE member helped me buy a SIM card with data at the airport. There was no Wi-Fi in the accommodation (and generally not at work or other places), so the SIM card was essential. Communication was easy, and it was possible to use WhatsApp, Messenger, or Facebook on a daily basis without any problems.

I recommend arriving as early as possible so that you can spend the maximum amount of time in Tunisia and experience as many places as possible. Take part in all trips and activities you can – you definitely won’t regret it. Don’t be afraid to try new things, explore new places, and taste the local food. Make sure to stay at least until the South Trip, as it is an unforgettable experience. If possible, stay a bit longer after the internship ends to enjoy life in Tunisia to the fullest. Be prepared that you will often see garbage in the streets. It is quite typical for Tunisia – the streets are cleaned regularly, but waste appears again quickly. This is simply part of the local reality, so don’t be surprised by it. There are also many stray cats and some dogs in the streets. Locals often feed them, but if you like animals, you can bring some treats from home to share with them.

It is very important not to forget your laptop. In most workplaces there is no computer provided for interns, so you need your own to be able to work. It is also a good idea to bring sweets, alcohol, or small gifts to share with others. Every year there is an International Party where each country prepares typical food, so if you need any special ingredients for Czech dishes, bring them with you. However, in Tunisia you can find almost everything you might need. Most things are available in small shops in La Goulette or in a large Carrefour. You also don’t need to bring too many clothes, as there are souks (flea markets) where you can buy good clothes very cheaply.

An internship in Tunisia can bring many benefits. Professionally, you will gain insight into local construction principles and building standards, and the international work experience will be a valuable addition to your CV. Personally, you can expect to improve your English, pick up some basics of other languages, and become more independent and responsible, which will boost your self-confidence. And perhaps most importantly, you will meet wonderful people from around the world and make friendships that can last a lifetime.

The cooperation with IAESTE Tunisia was absolutely amazing. Right from the moment of arrival at the airport, they were there to help and support us. The members were very hard-working and organized several activities with us every week, as well as weekend trips outside Tunis. They always tried to keep the group together and made sure nobody felt left out. Whenever there was any problem, whether at work or even health-related, they solved it immediately and were very helpful. On top of that, they were wonderful people who became real friends to all of us.