There are certainly many times I've been glad to make the effort o get off the beaten track a little and enjoy places the way they should be. But there are other times when i get the "is this it?" feeling. Nothing negative just blasé. A prime example of this is the coastal town of Mahdia, Tunisia. Again, i feel i need to reiterate, that Mahdia is not a bad place. On the contrary, it's just like all 
the other coastal towns in Tunisia. Which is part of the problem. It really had nothing new to offer. But being slightly more off the beaten track (notice i said "slightly"), the lack of tourists hoards was refreshing. That being said, there is a rather large "Zone Touristic" just outside town. The town's setting is somewhat interesting. Its narrow alleyways piled onto a small jetty of land piercing out to sea. The streets aren't filled with shops and artisans as other similar places. Instead small cafes line the streets. There can be a little life in evenings, but not much mid-day or early morning or certainly not late evening. And unfortunately, with a 1,000 year history, the village seems to lack any sort of historic feel. Sure there's a "great mosque". Ok, so there's a fort. But i guess after seeing the same thing in numerous other Tunisian cities, i was simply unimpressed.
the other coastal towns in Tunisia. Which is part of the problem. It really had nothing new to offer. But being slightly more off the beaten track (notice i said "slightly"), the lack of tourists hoards was refreshing. That being said, there is a rather large "Zone Touristic" just outside town. The town's setting is somewhat interesting. Its narrow alleyways piled onto a small jetty of land piercing out to sea. The streets aren't filled with shops and artisans as other similar places. Instead small cafes line the streets. There can be a little life in evenings, but not much mid-day or early morning or certainly not late evening. And unfortunately, with a 1,000 year history, the village seems to lack any sort of historic feel. Sure there's a "great mosque". Ok, so there's a fort. But i guess after seeing the same thing in numerous other Tunisian cities, i was simply unimpressed. Transport in and out of Mahdia is pretty easy for anyone looking to kill an afternoon. 
There are hourly buses and train to/from the more interesting city of Monastir. It's a little over an hour, and costs a couple dinar. The train station is much more conveniently located. The bus/louage station is about a kilometre south-west of the train station. There are frequent louages to Sousse, El Jem and even to Tunis (among other destinations). Mahdia is definitely not a place to be avoided. Actually, many may find it quite charming. But with more interesting bases nearby, there is very little reason to budget more than an afternoon trip there.
There are hourly buses and train to/from the more interesting city of Monastir. It's a little over an hour, and costs a couple dinar. The train station is much more conveniently located. The bus/louage station is about a kilometre south-west of the train station. There are frequent louages to Sousse, El Jem and even to Tunis (among other destinations). Mahdia is definitely not a place to be avoided. Actually, many may find it quite charming. But with more interesting bases nearby, there is very little reason to budget more than an afternoon trip there. 
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