I'm in Tunis for half a day; am landing at the harbour from a cruise. What can I do there locally?

wld prefer going around the place myself, instead of taking an organised tour. Is that a good idea? Is vegetarian food available? Is it a safe place?

Vegetarian food is widely available, especially in Tunis, and yes it is a very safe place. Here are some things to do:

NORTH AFRICA AMERICAN CEMETERY: A resting place for all the Americans who lost their lives in WWII. The cemetery site covers 27 acres of the plateau between the Mediterranean and the Bay of Tunis, both of which are a mile or so distant. It is located near the site of the ancient Carthaginian city destroyed by the Romans in 146 BC and lies over part of the site of Roman Carthage.http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-5ksVjU47e...

THE BARDO MUSEUM. 4 km/2.5mi west of Tunis is the suburb of Le Bardo, famed for the Bardo National Museum, which has the world's largest collection of Roman mosaics and other antiquities of interest from Ancient Greece, Carthage and from the Arab period, and it ranks with the Egyptian Museum in Cairo as one of the two great museums of North Africa.

CARTHAGE. It is the famed capitol of the ancient world and is located on the eastern side of Lake Tunis across from the center of modern Tunis. Now there is a museum there where you can view the ruins and ancient artifacts.

SIDI BOU SAID. The town is a tourist attraction because it is known for the extensive use of blue and white colors (the traditional colors of Tunisia) all over the town. All kinds of souvenirs can be bought in the main street. There is the traditional High Coffee there which is worth a look. My favorite is a coffee that overlooks the marina. It has fantastic views and a wonderful ambiance.

THE MEDINA. Just going there you can feel the history come to life. The streets are buzzing with shoppers and sellers. The medina itself contains around 700 monuments, including palaces, mosques, mausoleums, madrasas and fountains dating from the Almohads and the Hafsids periods.

DAR BEN ABDALLAH. A small but interesting museum within an 18th-century palace in the medina, covering the everyday life of a rich merchant in the Ottoman era.

ZITOUNA MOSQUE. The largest mosque in Tunisia. This Aghlabite mosque dates back to the 9th century. Modest dress is essential, and non-Muslims can only enter the courtyard, not the mosque itself.

PORT DE FRANCE. It is comprised of architecture and decoration from many different styles and periods and is believed to stand on the remains of a Roman theatre as well as the tenth century palace of Ziadib-Allah II al Aghlab.

CATHEDRAL OF ST. VINCENT DE PAUL. It is located in downtown Tunis. It is a grand church situated in between shops and coffees.

DOWNTOWN TUNIS ITSELF. Here you can see the French infuence on Tunisia as many of these old buildings are built in French style. It also is home to a beautiful giant clock tower that is illuminated at night.

LA MARSA. It is a coastal town not far from Tunis. It is a popular vacation spot for many middle class Tunisians, being one of the only accessable beaches in the capitol.

If I can be of more assistance, just contact me.

I'd look for the souks and go shopping. Ask for al-wasat al-medinah, Arabic for "center of the city".

where r u??
if u're in sousse i advice to go to shooping like "chompion, bonprix,
promogros" and to have a nice lunch or dinner i advice u to go to "shala el bortokal" it means the street of oranges
there's some new restaurant there like: new feeling, sidney...and there's a fantastic restaurant called TOMTEM
and if u're in tunisia "the capital"
i advice u to go shopiing see the centre ville "city center" or in arabic west-el-madina, it's called habbi borgiba the name of the ex-present
and also to have a nice dinner or lunch i advice u to go in a wonderful place like "the lac" it's so amazing, and in salambou musim
have a nice day in tunisia

Two main options: stay around the port, go to old downtown and shop for souvenirs and hand-made crafts, OR take the TGM train to Sidi Bou-Siid (20 minutes in train, costs almost nothing) and have a traditional meal in one of Tunisia best place, just above the Sidi Bou-Siid marina and Carthage.