I've booked a holiday in late December in Sousse staying at the Tour Khalef hotel. Has anyone stayed there or been to Sousse and what were your impressions? Also where else did you go? I'm planning on seeing El Djem and Kairoun. Am I missing somewhere close by?

You should try and go to Mahdia and especially in December it will be quiet and with only the locals. It's an easy train ride from Sousse. We visited Sousse for the day in March - it's okay if you like touristy places. Also Monastir, which I thought was horrible! It all depends on what you look for in a holiday and what your interests are. Definitely go and visit El Djem - take a louage there; cheap and clean and safe. When in El Djem do not miss the museum, which has the most wonderful mosaics. It's not next to the amphitheatre but a short walk away. When we visited the amphitheatre we arrived early and for about an hour we had the place to ourselves, and even when we left there was only another couple there. It is far far better to visit than the one in Rome - you can go all over and up and down and gives you a real feeling of what the place must have been like when it was up and running.

Sousse is a bit boring. Definately take some excursions.

In the souk in Sousse find the fixed priced shop. Will save you money, time and HASSLE.

I would recommend heading either to Tunis or Sfax and exploring the old cities there. You can reach both cities by train from Sousse, and the journey time is a couple of hours. Louages (shared taxis) are a bit mroe expensive but quicker...you just wait for them to fill up, and Sousse-Tunis and Sousse-Sfax are busy routes.

Tunis has a lot to see...the Zeitouna mosque, the miles of souqs (some very touristy, most not), the faubourgs (old suburbs) of Halfaouine and montfleury...the old city is great for just exploring and getting lost. Then there's Avenue Bourguiba with all the colonial buildings, cafes and shops. You could also take the suburban train out to Carthage or Sidi Bou Said if you have time.

I prefer Sfax though...very few tourists go there, as the guidebooks write it off as an industrial mess, but the old city is great...similar to Tunis medina, just the alleyways are narrower, the souqs more crowded, and there is no hassle from touts or guides at all. El Djem isn't that far away, so if you are really energetic and an early riser, you could combine the two in a day.