When traveling around the world you will face a different kinds of toilets and toilet cultures. The bathroom rules and restrooms that we are used to in our home country might be different from those which you will be facing in your travel destination. So here is a couple of tips before you are heading into Tunisian toilets.
Tunisian toilets: public places
In Tunisia, in places such as airports, shopping centers, main tourist attractions, museums, restaurants, cafes, and bars will be a public toilet. In restaurants and cafes, it’s better to buy something before using the restroom or at least ask for permission to use it.
The toilets are normally very well maintained in hotels, airports, and high-quality restaurants. Others are normally a bit dirty unfortunately and very minimalistic. It’s advisable to take a hand sanitizer with you as some toilets might miss a soap or washbasin. In most cases, you won’t find any toilet paper, so it is best to carry some tissues or wet wipes with you.
The toilet inside the long-distance train looked a bit too adventurous for me, so I skipped using that. The bigger stations are equipped with public toilets. You might find a toilet from the public beach if there is a restaurant or other kind of facilities, in other cases, the public beaches do not have toilets.
On my travels, most of my struggles have something to do with the bathroom doors, especially those with a key. Trying to twist the key but the door is staying closed hehe. But here I am so it seems that in the end, I have found my way out.
Tunisian toilets
Most of the Tunisian toilets are with a normal toilet seat but some older places might have a squat toilet. Squat toilets are very common in many Asian and African countries, you might face those also in southern Europe and Latin America. Personally, I haven’t seen squat toilets in Tunisia but I know that those exist.
Often the public toilets are equipped with a toilet seat, bin, washbasin, and bidet. Seldomly you will find toilet paper and hand towel/ tissue paper. The toilets in hotels, hotel rooms, and high-quality restaurants are equipped with everything.
The squat toilets are used in public toilets and not in households. This kind of toilet is equipped with a toilet bowl at floor level, which requires the users to squat. If you are not familiar with this kind of toilet it might take a couple of tries before using gets more comfortable.
Can I flush toilet paper in Tunisian toilets?
In Tunisia, flushing the toilet paper is alright in most cases. One good general rule is that if there is no deny sign then it’s ok to flush the toilet paper. In most Tunisian homes people flush the paper but in some older buildings, it can cause a blockage. In the majority of the hotels, you can dispose of the toilet paper by flushing.
Typically, you will find a bin beside the toilet which you can use to dispose of the toilet paper. Just fold the used paper or at least place it facing downwards, like that the bin looks tidier. Also, remember that Tunisian people use a bidet to clean themselves afterward and paper is used just for drying. That’s why the bins stay also cleaner.
Just remember that you won’t find the toilet paper from the public toilets.
What is a bidet?
Bidet is the most common feature of a Tunisian toilet. A tubed bidet is a small hand shower that is used to clean the lower body in a toilet instead of toilet paper. In Tunisia, bidets/hoses are inserted on the wall next to the toilet seat. The hose is used for cleaning and toilet paper for drying.
Public toilets do not have toilet paper, so bring it with you. Sometimes toilet attendants are working, they keep the restrooms tidy and can provide some toilet paper for a tip.
And just like this a little guide for Tunisian toilets has come to end. Happy traveling!
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Tunisian bucket list – 40 things to do and see in Tunisia