Dar El Bhar

Dar El Bhar is the kind of place travelers swap recommendations about. A restored townhouse with seven rooms tucked into the old port of Bizerte — Tunisia's northernmost city, two hours from Tunis but in a different rhythm entirely.

There's no buffet, no animation team, no entertainment. There is a rooftop terrace looking over the fishing harbour, an honest Tunisian breakfast with bambalouni doughnuts and fresh juice, and a host who will happily walk you to the best grilled-fish restaurant a few alleys away.

Use it as a base for two or three nights to see the old port, the Andalusian medina, the wild beaches of Cap Angela (Africa's northernmost point), and the Ichkeul national park — a UNESCO wetland 30 minutes south.