Tour Khalef Hotel

my husband and i stayed here for a week travelling with portland we paid just over 500 pounds for us and a 4 year old and 1 year old half board the room was loverly and clean fresh towels every day loverly sea view, the pool was great for children and the play area next to it so my 4 year old played freely while we sat by the pool, we had a tv in the room and the littleones watch the fimbles and other childrens programes which was great, the beach was great and the beach bar was great food and pool bar , bar staff were friendly and fun you can also use ad joining hotel pools night club gym ect as they are sister hotels the childrens club staff are english girls and they were great, thats all the great stuff the down side we felt was we had a double buggy and we only just fit in the lifts, also the dinning hall is down steep steps with no lift so we dreeded that up and down everyday it meant i could nt go to breakfast without my husband so didnt bother most days bit did try it and it was a let down no eggs or omlette nothing for childrens taste , i ripped my new top on a bad catch on the belcony door and hotel manager didnt want to know even though the rep said to him it could have been my sons head , but back too the food in the dinning hall it got harder to eat because the food was repeated every day people that had been before were complaining to the mamager but nothing changed we eat mainly poolside bar beech and surrounding resturants but we felt we paid so little to go there it didnt matter if we ate out if you go with that attitude you will love it there, we are returning in may to the sister hotel next door maharba beach with lots of our family mainly because i went in there checked what was on offer and the food looked great more choice and eggs and omlettes but i will use the facillities and especially the pool here because its loverly for kids however if i got this hotel as cheap as we did again i would go back here but eat out more than the dinning hall the waiters are friendly and do make up for the misserable reception staff cant wait to go back we have been going to tunisia for 5 years now and this is a great area for families everything near by so give it a try we go to tunisia for value for money and have always felt safe and had fun we usally take the in laws in there 70 s and they love it too and are returning with us and my sons of 18 and 21 we all love tunisia and love the cheap water sports so iF you havent tried it give it a go Roz east sussex

we have just came home from tour khalef and what a great time we had .when we arrived we just wanted to go home but i think we were tired .after a day i had already decided it was my best holiday we didnt care for the reception staff but everyone else was great and friendly.we went on a boat trip booked with first choice but we werent impressed a bit boring.we went on a quad bike trip with smiley it was exelent and a camel trip it was ace.very cheap over there we came home with money.it was very hot when we were there about 130 one day theres a waiter at the pool hes an older man and hes really nice nothings too much trouble for them especialy if you tip them.the small shop keepers at the pool are very nice as well.would go back definatly great place to be

I did really enjoy myself here. Its not a palace, and i think those who expect ones are those who write the dissappointed reviews. Its not a palace, but its not dirty or uncomfortable as some of the reviews suggest. We went half board and i loved the food!! The buffet was really nice but we learnt to go a bit later down to dinner, the selection of food was still there but the long queues weren't. The deserts were my favourites to be honest. A wide range of cakes and local specialities. Fresh watermelon distributed in large loads, always on hand. The entertainment wasn't amazing on a night, however the man Medhi tried really hard to entertain, usually getting people up out of the audience, he actually became a good friend of our family during our stay. A really hardworking nice man, always wanting to please. The hotels i thought were nice. Really comfortable and more importantly cool. Never stiflingly hot, as i have experienced in other places. They were clean and contrary to some reviews always stocked up with clean towels, soaps, shampoo, even if they aren;t used its nice to know they are there. I am 17 and i enjoyed it but so did my whole family. It reallly appealed to all ages. The only thing that was tiresome was the entertainment by the pool. They were an italian organisation singing their theme tune every 15 minutes. On our first day we sat close to them and it was often hard to concentrate on anything, however we learnt to sit further away from the entertainment, which was much better as it was still nice to hear them however you didn;t have them asking you to play darts or french bowls every 5 minutes. The pizza shop was lovely there, really nice food. You must try the seafood pizza, gorgeous! The beach is lovely aswel. The sea was actually warm at some points, and the pool was clean and spacious. you could even go to neighbouring pools in neighb ouring complexes, these however were not as good as the hotels own. Overall, it is a really nice hotel. Totally enjoyed myself, and would recommend it to all ages. Definately try it cos i will again!!

Dissapointed, have had late deals with thomson before, ie the thalassa monistir april 2006 which was excellent, main reception quite nice, clean and comfortable, but knowhere to have a quite drink, children have access to all areas and ran around screaming and shouting all evening, this continued outside sometimes until midnight, meal times horrendous, having to fight for very meiocre food is just not our idea of a holiday, so ate out every evening, some very nice resturants 5 minute walk away, breakfast again awful, some mornings no hot food at all, so once again didnt bother, as were on half board(thank god)ate a few times at poolside snack bar, good value and quite a variety, pool area very nice but if you wanted to relax round it you had to get up very early indeed, went down at eight a.m. and every bed reserved with towels and even the side tables piled on top, loud music blaring out round the pool most of the day, beach very nice, but once again by 8 a.m. all beds reserved, the staff went round the pool and beach areas collecting the hotel towels people had brought out of their rooms to sunbathe daily, pity they did not show as much enthusiasm, removing towels from beds that were being reserved, some people who had reserved beds in the early hours did not come to the pool or beach until the afternoon!! rooms were ok, tired and well worn, but clean and comfortable, apart from the pillows. our cleaner fatima was lovely, only one english channel, BBC Prime, but sometimes movies in english, had to pay 30 dinar for remote which was returned on departure, but reception was awful, had someone come to look at it a couple of times but in the end didnt bother, bar staff excellent very polite and helpful, didnt expect a tip but grateful when you did, the weather was lovely and very cheap to get out and about, PEK lovely to walk around, do not seem to get hassled as much here, the hassle to buy is understandable, its their living they are trying to make, a polite no thank you usually suffices, we like tunisia, and will come again in a couple of years but not to the tour khalef

We have just returned from 2 weeks at the Tour Khalef. The hotel was as expected for three stars. Our room was airy and clean but some floor tiles were cracked, towels were changed daily but glasses in bathroom were not washed for the whole two weeks! The TV reception was dreadful and only one English channel (movies) available. The restaurant served all buffet meals which we were impressed with at first, but by the end of the first week we were seeing the same dishes over and over again. My partner and I both went down with serious tummy upsets on our second day, after that everything looked suspicious and we ate more pasta with tomato sauce than when we stayed in Italy! My partner lost 8lbs in total. There was little fresh fruit unless you liked oranges and dates and you had to fight the swarms of Polish and Russians to get to any strawberries before they took them all. We were allocated a table but during the second week people nearly came to blows when they decided to operate two sittings for both breakfast and dinner using the same tables. If you missed your time slot, tough! We used the poolside snack bar for some lunches and were pleased with the food there. Staff were attentive if you tipped them a few times. We went with Portland but didn’t meet anyone from the company, as they are apparently part of the Thompson group. Would have been nice to have been told that before we wasted a lot of time at the airport looking for the Portland reps! The Thompson rep was good and very helpful when booking us onto their excursions. We booked a 2 day Sahara trip which was an experience we perhaps should have been warned about – they don’t tell you that you cover over 700 miles in two days on a cramped coach with very few comfort stops. We were given ‘lunch’ at a hotel in Sfax at 11 am and did not get to the hotel for our evening meal until 8.25pm. Healthy people were feeling quite rough by then and a diabetic man on our coach was very ill during the journey so we had to detour to a clinic for him to be treated which didn’t help matters. They don’t tell you that you are woken at 4.30 on the second day and back on the bus by 5.30am either. The camel ride in the Sahara was excellent but it was an extremely long way to go for the privilege of seeing a dessert sunset. On the bright side, the day trip to Tunis to see ruins of Roman baths at Carthage, the pretty village Sidi Bou Said, and the Bardo Museum (of Mosaics) was brilliant and we would thoroughly recommend it. Sousse is a big city (500,000 people) which was a surprise but the Medina is worth exploring. The ‘Happy Noddy Train’ ride to Port El Kantaoui was cheap and cheerful and the port there was beautiful. Take the train from Sousse to Monastir and have a look around - the port and castle there was worth a visit. The most enjoyable thing we did on this trip was a quad biking session; an excellent route though local dirt tracks and olive groves, felt that we really did see the real Tunisia and we got to do a few tricky manoeuvres as storms in the night had left some enormous puddles and muddy patches. We are 52 and 49yrs old respectively and felt like kids again! Our guide at 4x4 Quads, Rafique, was excellent and very safety conscious. Overall, a very mixed holiday: Parts of Tunisia are breathtakingly beautiful, particularly the Atlas mountains and Sahara, but the rest is like a landfill site! Doubt that we will return there.

What a great hotel, my wife, 3 year old daughter and I arrived at about 8 pm on the Sunday, the restaurant was closed by the time we sorted our room and currency out but sandwiches were available. The Thompson Reps were great, although the kids club does not start until 1st May our daughter was treated like royalty and was never bored, what a great idea the play area is right next to the pool. No complaints about the food whatsoever, only that there was too much of it!!. We went on a camel safari with Smiley Miley the guy by the pool, really good value ( £10 adult, £5 child ) that includes a 2 hour trip riding on camels, horses and donkey's, food and drinks. The evening entertainment was great and the kiddies disco starts at about 8 pm, it certainly tired my daughter ( and me ) out. Took the Noddy train a couple of times, about £1.25 round trip. All in all, a great holiday, real good value for money and we will definatley be going to the Tour Khalef again. Gavin. D

I have just arrived back from a week at the tour khalef, as a single travelor i wasn't sure what to expect i had heard mixed reviews. The hotel and the service offered was excellent, the only disapointing factor was the food it was very bland, so even though i had paid for half board i went out to eat every night. If you are interested in the tours offered by the reps ask around and check how long you will actually spend on the coach, some of them you will spend most of the day travelling. one trip i would recommend is the camel caravan it was a very relaxing way to spend a morning. Although i did get hassled by the men it wasn't that bad and if you just ignored them after a while they got the hint and went off! The staff at the hotel are excellent and if you spend a bit of time getting to know them they are a mine of information about where to go, much better than the reps who only want to sell you their tours. Be prepared to queue at the airport!!!!

We had an okay time, but wouldn't bother going back to that neck of the woods again. At first we thought we had booked a holiday for the older generation The reps were helpful but didn't go out of their way to make you feel welcome. As for the hotel staff, there are mixed feelings, some were over friendly and some were not so friendly. Be prepared as the locals like to visit the hotel in the evenings, you can learn alot from them. The beaches are beautiful but there are people that hassle you alot. The food leaves much to be desired and when ordering pizza make sure you get all the toppings and the juice is not watered down. Evening entertainment is quite amusing as their locals entertainers are "jacks-of-all-trades" and I am sure they work hard for their money. The rooms were pretty standard, they could invest in duvets as the blankets seemed a bit worn. The Catamaran is a must and so is the Camel Caravan. You are however advised to book through the tour company as you are guaranteed a proper tour and not a knock off from the locals which are often a few dinar cheaper. Bartering was fun in the medina, be aware and don't be over friendly as they soon get you digging in your pockets unnecesary. You can pick up good bargains i.e. leather. The taxis are cheap, but due to the "wacky races" we decided the tuc-tuc to be more reliable and safer as its a bit slower. Don't bother with the Camel Market as we found it of no interest to the tourist as there is nothing there worth having. Overall it was worth the money we spent and that is it.

first trip to tunisia, have been to north africa before, morrocco and egypt, we new what to expect regarding local customs and people. on arriving at the hotel, first impressions were quite good, the rep who did eventually greet us seemed to have only arrived in the country 5 mins before us,and didnt really have any idea what was happening, on completing the booking forms at reception for 2 adults and 2 children we were taken to our rooms, 2 seperate rooms with adjoining doors, the rooms seemed tired and well worn, not as expected from a 4 star rating. the restaurant food was excellent and plentiful with lots of variety, our waiter charlie was superb in every way, could not be more helpful, the main problem with the restaurant was no matter what time you went it was always busy with germans and russians. the beach was lovely, but it was a get up at 6 o'clock to put towels on the limited sunbeds to beat the germans, the hotel pool was very nice but a lack of sunbeds again, entertainment in the day was the DIVI club around the pool area, what was that about! our kids aged 15 + 11 were as baffled as we were, evening entertainment was on the same level as the daytime DIVI club, we were bored, the kids were bored, still cant think what age group the entertainment was aimed at, not a great deal to do of an evening except sit around the hotel lobby or one of the sister hotels, for evening entertainment you would be advised to bring a pack of cards, as did a few people, as mentioned by a few other people smiley miley is a great character who would sell you his grannys teeth, we did have a afternoon quad biking from him which was superb. the holiday was a experience, but not again!

Apart from the nightmare of going through immigration, we were greeted by a friendly tour rep and told us what coach to use. When everyone turned up, it was only a half hour ride away. When arriving at the hotel, you are given a form to fill in before you get your room key, this does cause quite a queue, but as we had been before we were well prepared. They let us have £20.00 changed up as we arrived quite late, and as the beer is cheap as chips that was plenty. The room we had was spotless and a lovely view looking out to sea. There is a tv in the room and you get the remote control when you hire your safety deposit box, the total cost was 35 dinars for the week, on checking out you get 30 dinars back. So for only a couple of quid it was well worth it. The hotel staff couldn't have been more friendly if they tried, they said the remembered us from before, but I thought they were just saying that, until one came up to us and came out with a saying the only my husband was using two years ago, so maybe they did remember after all. The pool has been refurbished and very safe and nice a clean, although a bit cold in November, but made a nice rereshing swim when you got a little bit warm. The beach at the back could have been cleaner, but as there were loads of umbrellas in the sand, it made it difficult for the tractor to get round them. The restuarant was buffet, if you went hungry it was your own fault, they really did try hard to please everyone, but you always get one who enjoys a moan about anything. My husband and I ate very well for the whole of the week we were there. Glad for the beach walk every day to try and keep the pounds at bay. The evening entertainment was amusing, they love doing the kids disco, and even though it was out of season there was still quite a few kids there. The fakir show was very impressive. The last night they put on a riverdand type show, and considering they had only been doing it for a few months, it was very good. Tipping is very big here, but it pays to tip, about a dinar or two, you notice the type of service you get if you don't type. Remember Tunisian's do not earn a lot of money and rely on tips. The shop by the pool is a little bit more expensive that outside the hotel, but you can still barter. The gold stall next door can be a little bit pestering if you just was to have a look, but as long as you say just looking and see how your money goes before you buy they are ok. We used the pool side restaurant lunchtimes and that was brilliant.You can even use the pool side waiter to bring it to your lounger for you. I never lifted a finger all week and was so relaxed. Also the chambermaids are always smiling and saying hello. Note a few Arabic words go a long way, like please - Menfadlk - thank you - Shakran. Our chambermaid was chatting on the day before we left, and conviently told us it was her day off on the day we were leaving, hence a tip on the Saturday for her, which we didn't mind as the towels were changed everyday, the beds made and if your nightware was around it was placed on the bed all pleated and presented lovely. We had a late pick up and went to reception to see if we could keep the same room or move, there was no problem, we had to change rooms, but it was well worth it as you can get every last drop of sunshine before leaving the hotel. You cannot take Dinars in or out of the country, so it's advisable to try and spend all change on the last day, and keep the notes to change at the airport. The hotel was spotless and I felt safe and comfortable. You keep the same table for the whole of your holiday, which is nice, as it doesn't become a free for all at meal times. I didn't mind sitting quite close to complete strangers at the beginning of the holiday, as it makes conversation at meal times. We are looking forward to going back next year, we paid a very good price to get out there and it's dirt cheap while your there.