Jerry Sorkin, Travel Agent
Tunisia

Jerry Sorkin, TunisUSA

888-474-5502 | info@tunisusa.com
Wayne, PA United States
http://www.tunisusa.com/

Condé Nast Traveler Says

Sorkin, who is conversant in Arabic, spends much of the year in Tunis (where his company has an office), and served as a World Bank consultant there following Tunisia’s revolution in January 2011. His trips link sightseeing—walks around Roman ruins and normally off-limits excavations, visits to beaches and mountain villages, shopping in city souks, drives through the Sahara—with human connections between travelers and everyday Tunisians (minimum price per day for two people: $600).

Have you returned from a trip arranged by this travel specialist? If so, please scroll down to add your review. Be sure to include your name (please, no anonymous reviews), the destination(s) to which you traveled, the month/year of your trip, and your advice for anyone planning to hire this travel planner. If you'd prefer to comment privately, please email Condé Nast Traveler's Wendy Perrin.

Travelers Say

We loved our trip to Tunisia! We are experienced travelers and visiting Tunisia compared favorably with any of our other trips around the world. Our tour was the circuit around the country, and we enjoyed each part. The Roman ruins and excellent museums excited our visions of past cultures. As we drove, we were fascinated by the changing scenery of mountains, forest, farms, cities, villages, savannah, desert, and oases. The cities had impressive forts and mosques with vibrant souks and cheerful merchants. We cannot compliment TunisUSA enough. The trip was expertly planned and executed. The hotels were very modern with helpful staff; they had lovely pools and enticing breakfast buffets. Tunisian food was an entrancing mix of cuisines from the Mediterranean region. Our guide was the best we have ever had; he was experienced and enthusiastic. He talked expertly about Tunisian history and culture, but also about its economy and politics. We have never had a guide who so accommodated our desire to modify our itinerary for brief stops. Between planning our trip and taking it, the Jasmine Revolution happened. We enjoyed experiencing Tunisians' discovery of democracy and free-speech. People spoke freely with us, and expressed hope for their future. People were uniformly friendly and welcoming. To repeat, we loved Tunisia and plan to return with our children when they are a little older.

Stephen Waring

July 25, 2011

Travelers Say

My wife, Ruth West, and I visited Tunisia in early April and enjoyed it thoroughly. From he vestiges of the Carthaginian and Roman eras to the modern hotel accommodations on the Mediterranean at Sousse (and many adventures in between) we relived ancient history and partook of the hospitality of the people who had created the first success in the Arab Spring. We did not encounter any experience that caused us any personal anxiety despite the recent civil unrest and the beginnings of plans for a new government. To walk on Avenue Bourguiba and listen to the many vigorous impromptu debates that were present there was, indeed, exhilarating. Our guide, Fawzi, and our driver were professional, knowledgeable, and pleasant companions during our 10 days in Tunisia and the itinerary provided by TunisUSA was well paced and thorough. Robert E. (Bob) Wells

Robert E. (Bob) Wells

July 5, 2011

Travelers Say

I have just returned from an Educational Mission to Tunisia, attended by 12 Americans, and arranged by Jerry Sorkin, a well-known expert on North Africa and the Middle East. Our Tunisian guide was Hatem Bourial, a newspaper columnist, radio and TV commentator, and an expert in the literature, culture, and history of Tunisia. My journey through this wonderful country revealed to me the progress Tunisia has made since the December-January revolution. Tunisia is a country filled with the promise of democracy, but suffering from poor a poor location. Many members of this Educational Mission had been warned by family, friends, and the U.S. State Department about the dangers of traveling through Tunisia, which is bordered by Algeria to the east and Libya to the west. However, none of us felt threatened or uneasy while we traveled through Tunisia, starting from Tunis in the north to the island of Jerba in the south. We stopped for several hours, sometimes overnight, in Dougga, the city of Temples; Sousse, a popular resort on the Mediterranean; Kairouan, the holy city and the site of the oldest Mosque in North Africa; Sidi Bou Zid, where the revolution began; Sfax, Tunisiaâs largest industrial city; and Matmata, where the first Star Wars movie was filmed. Our group consisted of renowned photographers and documentary film-makers; a paleontologist, an archaeologist, and an economist; and a young man who worked for an American NGO in Rwanda last year, and who this year has created his own business designing children's digital games. All of us enthusiastically embraced Tunisia and its people. Tunisians are beautiful, very intelligent, generous, open-minded people, with a history reaching back from the Bronze age to the Phoenicians of Carthage, followed by the Romans, the Byzantines, the Arabs, the Spanish, the Ottomans, and the French. All of these ancient civilizations and modern occupiers have left their mark on the Tunisian landscape, language, and culture. The multicultural spirit of this country is unmistakable. Its people are tolerant, indeed respectful, of religious differences. They take pride in their commitment to womenâs rights, and to education for all from primary school through college. However, the revolution in Tunisia and the continuing battle for democracy in Libya have taken a toll on the tourist industry, which before the so-called "Arab spring", supported many Tunisians. Other industries have been hurt as well, as investors shy away from possible turmoil. The unemployment rate is high, with too many unemployed below the age of 25. These are problems that can be alleviated somewhat by improving Americaâs image of Tunisia as an inspiring and rewarding place to visit. I plan to return with my husband to Tunisia in the Fall, and hope that other Americans will travel soon to this country that is rich with history and promise for the future. TunisUSA's idea of creating a special way for travelers to understand and enjoy Tunisia, as well as helping us understand the revolution through the many opportunities we had in meeting Tunisians, was a unique way to not only learn about and enjoy Tunisia, but to see how different Tunisians are and how their country is handling their post-revolutionary period, as well as how different Tunisia's situation is from the political upheaval taking place in other countries in North Africa and the Middle East. At a time when it seems all other companies have chosen to stay away from Tunisia due to a fear created by the unknown or overly protective State Department warnings, Jerry Sorkin channeled his long years of experience in Tunisia and the region in general, to put on a program that was not only enlightening, but a tribute to Tunisia and its people. Conde Nast Traveler certainly chose a specialist when it awarded Jerry Sorkin and TunisUSA their "Top Travel Specialist". Mary Tiryak Radnor Township, PA

Mary Tiryak

June 30, 2011

Travelers Say

Ms. Perrin: I gather that you are interested in hearing from people who have recently visited Tunisia. My wife and I were there from April 17 (my 65th birthday and her 57th - convenient sharing a birthday with your wife) to April 27. We are delighted to offer feedback since I believe that we have had a subscription to CNT since your very first issue and, even though we also have subscriptions to most of your competitors, we enjoy CNT the most... and we particularly love your column and often get a good chuckle out of Ombudsman also. We had booked a private six week trip, which originally included Libya, through TunisUSA. Needless to say Libya was canceled but Jerry Sorkin of TunisUSA assured us that Tunis was perfectly safe to visit and thankfully we listened to him. We are quite experienced travelers, having now been to 107 countries on all seven continents, but must admit that Tunis was one of our absolute favorites. From beginning to end it was awesome and entirely without problems. One anecdote - we were walking through a souk in Tunis when a wizened old man in traditional garb asked where I was from. Since we only became US citizens in February (I'm Australian and my wife is Canadian) I proudly answered "I'm from the United States", but was ready to defend myself physically. There was no need as he broke into a semi-toothless grin and said "We like Americans - you good people", and that's a verbatim quote! We covered over 2,500 kilometers by car plus a flight so we really saw a lot of the country. There were so many things that amazed and delighted us but I'll give you just a few examples. If you want more I actually keep a diary of all our trips so I can provide more detail if needed. Our personal favorite was the Coliseum at El Jem where we were amongst only a handful of visitors. To walk around this magnificent 1,700 year old structure that seated 35,000 people on your own was incredible. The same can be said of the ruins of the Roman town at Dougga dating back to the 6th century BC where in fact we were the only visitors. The town is amazingly well preserved and it's easy to spend a whole day exploring the temples, amphitheater and villas. The accommodations everywhere were wonderful right down to our tent in the Sahara. In Tunis we stayed at Le Residence. The food was fantastic as were the local wines of which we sampled many. One particularly memorable meal was our lunch at La Falaise in the La Marasa part of Tunis. We sat at a table high on a bluff overlooking the blue waters of Tunis Bay. I won't bore you with all the dishes but suffice it to say that grilled sardines and calamari, and fried red mullet are indelibly etched in our memories. After a huge meal washed down with ample wine the final surprise was the very modest bill. We were also blessed with the guide from heaven. Hatem Bourial is a non-practising lawyer, a television personality, a newspaper columnist, a lecturer and who knows what else. To say that he is knowledgeable is a gross understatement. Tunis is one of the undiscovered gems of the world and we are so glad we went. Our entire trip went off without even a hint of a hitch thanks to Jerry Sorkin of TunisUSA and Hatem Bourial. We cannot thank or compliment them enough. I think I'm going on too much but as said earlier I'd be happy to provide more of you wish. Best regards, Peter I. Volny Fountain Hills, AZ 85268

Peter Volny

June 30, 2011

Travelers Say

Being in Tunisia is like being in the midst of an exquisite kaleidoscope - so many pieces of mosaics, so many cultural, historical and geographical factors - so many beautiful images, so much to think about! Visiting Tunisia is a must, especially now in this exciting post-revolutionary period, when people are so happy to speak with Americans and when they are feeling so free and so eager to establish their democracy. I would love to be there for a longer period of time. Believe me, I feel more anxiety from the nightly surveillance helicopters flying over my house in Washington DC than I felt at any time during my visit to Tunisia. We had visited Tunisia shortly after September 11th with TunisUSA, as well as visiting Iran and Egypt through them. This is an exciting time to visit Tunisia. Visit Tunisia with TunisUSA!

Fran Swan

June 29, 2011

Travelers Say

I am writing to give you some feedback on my recent Tunisian travel experiences with TunisUSA. Jerry Sorkin organized a Post Revolution Educational Study Mission from May 15-25, 2011. When the idea was first posed, I wondered about the wisdom of traveling to a country which recently had a revolution that caused the President to flee the country. However, after talking to Jerry, he said that this is the ideal to visit, learn about the process of becoming a democracy and seeing the wonderful historical treasures of Tunisia at a time when tourist travel is light. The trip was truly a "once in a lifetime experience" and much better than I imagined before going. For me as a traveler with TunisUSA, I did not feel any concern about safety because both Jerry and Hatem Bourial (tour leader, guide and well known writer, TV and radio personality in Tunisia) are very well connected and made sure that we did not travel to any current trouble spots. Prior to the trip, Jerry had taken public transportation to the various locations that were included on the itinerary to personally assess the situation on the ground. On the other hand, we did experience access to many individuals who were directly involved in the demonstrations that lead to the regime change. And we visited the site of the self-immolation in Sidi Bou Zid where the revolution started. Even with visits to wonderful museums, beautiful antiquities, such as Dougga, and of course the wonderful Mediterranean coast, I personally found Sidi Bou Zid to be the most memorable. The town itself was not particularly remarkable but the events that occurred there have empowered people throughout the Middle East and have forced rulers in the region to grant many more freedoms to the people. Very inspiring!! One of the most important insights gained about the revolution is that details of the self-immolation of Mohamed Bouazizi differ widely but all agree that it was the spark that caused the revolution. Think about the American Revolution and the Boston Tea Party and other events that lead to our own Independence nearly 240 years. Perhaps the second most interesting experience was meeting with a Libyan rebel refugee. Being able to ask questions directly to people involved in the neighboring conflict was a truly unique and very current experience. The border is not closed between Tunisia and Libya. Travel and trade continue. The only question on a given day is who controls the border crossing on the Libyan side. While we did get close enough to see road signs to Tripoli, we were still a safe distance away and felt quite secure. Finally, this study tour provided opportunities to have dinner in various homes which provided direct access to people living their day to day lives while the country is changing politically. Life proceeds apace because it has to. Also, we had lectures interspersed with travel on such topics as education, Sunni Muslims, women's issues in the country and the role of NGO's. We attended a reception at the home of the Deputy Head of Mission for the U.S. Embassy where we met business leaders and several embassy personnel. A final dinner included representatives from the Foreign Ministry of Tunisia. All of these opportunities provided richness that is usually missing on group tours. Tunisia is a very welcoming country to tourists and is very comfortable for Americans. The dress is quite Western and the people were very friendly. It has the potential for become a model for the Arab world. I was honored to be on this trip and will be happy to answer any other questions that you may have. Shel Thompson P.S. I am a subscriber to CN Traveler. Although, Libya is not a good destination at the present time (very unfortunate timing with your article), Tunisia is wonderful and offers many of similar travel experiences in a very comfortable Muslim country.

Shel Thompson

June 29, 2011

Travelers Say

Dear Wendy Perrin and Kathryn Maier, I write to tell you about a trip I took to Tunisia in May, 2011, with Jerry Sorkin of TunisUSA, one of your Top Travel Specialists. My interest in this small, fascinating country began in the 60's when I spent two years there as a Peace Corps volunteer, teaching English in Monastir, a small coastal town and the birthplace of the then-president, Habib Bourguiba. I absolutely loved that experience - the rich culture, the moorish architecture, the earnest students, the lively women, the beautiful sea, the fresh food...Sadly, I never returned. When the opportunity to participate in this Educational Study Mission to Tunisia presented itself, I leapt! Having closely followed events, from the spark in Sidi Bou Zid to the subsequent unfolding of the full-blown revolution, I was intrigued with a post revolutionary visit. Lingering in the back of my mind was a recent article (in the Philadelphia Inquirer, I believe) written by a man who'd taken his young family to Egypt after their revolution. They found it the very best time to visit because of the ease with which they moved about historic sites with no lines! So, with strong encouragement from my husband and daughter, I signed on this exciting trip. (After that, my 30-something son, who lived and worked in sub-Saharan Africa for several years, but had never been to North Africa, freed himself up to share the experience with me.) Our group consisted of just 12 people with rich and varied backgrounds. Educators, economists, journalists, travel industry specialists, professional photographers, businessmen and engineers - all had a different lens through which they experienced the country. Our leader, Jerry Sorkin, had chosen a very knowledgeable Tunisian writer and historian, Hatem Bourial, to co-lead and to spend the entire 12 days with us. As a weekly newspaper columnist and a regular history and culture contributor on a national morning TV show, Hatem provided us with both background and context. Jerry Sorkin had pre-arranged a full agenda of activities that kept us intellectually challenged, on many levels, for about eighteen hours a day! Here are some highlights: Visiting four of the five UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Tunisia A lecture on the revolution by a Tunisian who'd studied in the USA as a Fulbright scholar Meeting with a professor from the University of Sousse about his understanding of the revolution and his students' reactions to the responsibilities of citizenship in a democratic society Meeting with young leaders of the revolution Touring the ancient Punic and Roman sights of Carthage and Dougga A visit to an NGO providing micro-finance opportunities for women - and hearing from those women Meeting a young man who, with his friends, organized (in just one evening) forty families in the city of Kairouan to accept forty extended families of Libyan refugees Meeting with an extended family of Libyan refugees, hearing the specifics of their tribulations - and sharing dinner with their generous host family Sharing meals with four different Tunisian families A visit to La Ghriba Synagogue on the island of Djerba, one of many synagogues where Jews continue to live both openly and vibrantly with their Arab Muslim neighbors A visit to Matmata (known as the site of the filming of Star Wars), a town of troglodyte dwellings An impromptu meeting with the author of a recent best-selling book about historic events in the 30's (that have had an impact on today's events) regarding women's roles and rights in Tunisia An unplanned encounter with a Shakespearean actor who recited parts of MacBeth, with great flourish, on the streets of Sidi Bou Said, a spectacular town hanging in a cliff overlooking the Mediterranean...as a crowd gather to enjoy! Gorgeous hotels with marble lobbies and many pools, some on the beaches, others in central locations in towns Food so fresh...cantaloupe bursting with flavor, berries that had just been picked, fish caught that morning, unique combinations of herbs and spices, bread in every fashion you can imagine, dates that melted in your mouth... A population welcoming, friendly, hospitable and gracious I could expand on each of the above points - at great length! It was such a superb trip, especially since I'd lived there so happily years ago The Tunisian people were thrilled to see tourists and especially happy to learn we were Americans. Americans have always been warmly welcomed in Tunisia. As a Peace Corps volunteer, I was often seen as a sort of celebrity because Tunisia's then-president, Habib Bourguiba, had laid the groundwork, telling the citizens to welcome the new teachers and architects from the USA. This time, with no encouragement from authorities and all restraints lifted because of the revolution, people were free to speak their mind. And they did...they welcomed us, telling us of the restrictions they'd lived under, the malfeasance of the ousted administration, their hopes for the elections (now scheduled for October) and their cautious aspirations for a free and democratic civil society. We met youth who were fervently committed to making their country a better place, using their education to its best advantage and connecting freely (at long last!) with youth in other parts of the world. They hope to travel and be able to move freely about the world, learning from other societies. At the same time, it seemed to me, people were so very aware that Tunisia had begun something enormous and citizens seem to be collectively holding their breath, hoping all goes well as so much across the Middle East is resting on Tunisia's success. A big responsibility for a small country. I was astonished to read that 66% of the lawyers and judges in Tunisia are women. And I was equally astonished, at a reception held by the US Embassy to bring our group together with Tunisian business people, to hear several well-established businessmen say that Tunisia would never be where it is today without its women. Women, they said, are the backbone of the country, leaders in every regard, conveyers of wisdom in the society. This is not the impression Americans have of Muslim men's attitudes towards women...but Tunisia has always been different. When Habib Bourguiba succeeded in gaining independence from France in the 50's, upon becoming president he discouraged the veil, made it possible for women to divorce, gave women the right to vote and declared that everyone (most assuredly girls) must attend school to a certain age (16 I believe). This set the foundation for what Tunisia is today, a firm footing upon which to build. This trip was so intellectually engaging, so visually pleasing to a traveler's eye, so exciting for food lovers and locavores and very satisfying for anyone with a spirit of adventure. What made it so unique and exceptional is that it incorporated Tunisia's revolution and, in doing so, dispelled any misconceptions or concerns Americans might have about Tunisia...a country very different from others in the region that are going through political upheavals. TunisUSA's program was truly a special way to see Tunisia. Please call me at 267 475-0890 if you have any questions or would like me to elaborate! Sincerely, Bonnie Hamilton PS...And I am a loyal subscriber but under my husband's name.

Bonnie Hamilton

June 22, 2011

Travelers Say

Tunisian Trip, March 2010 Dear Jerry, You have done a wonderful job spreading your love of Tunisia to us by means of TUNIS, USA. The list of new knowledge and reinforcement knowledge given by you and Hatem Bourial, our guide,is fantastic. During the trip, Phoenician Numidian, Greek, Roman, Carthaginian, Punic, Berber, Bedouin, Jewish, Christian and Muslim group histories have all been sorted out, or defined for the first time...and in such a lovely, collegial manner. Our co-travelers were just as eager as we were to observe and meet current Tunisians and gawk at traces of ancient Tunisians. The food was delicious and the hotels varied and excellent. The ease with which our erudite and tireless leader, Hatem informed us, met and introduced teenagers, ancient grandmothers, shepherds and brick makers, potters and weavers, embroiderers and jewelry makers, rabbis and imans astounds us still. He deserves to be the TV star that he is in his other life. We had a good time in the markets, too. The night in the desert tent was COLD, but the views and camels were terrific. Your occasional festive visits were charming. We hope to be able to travel on another of your tours. With Thanks, Kay and Graham Finney

Graham and Kay Finney

May 23, 2010