Toto, I KNOW we are not in Kansas anymore!

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If Dorothy really knew what she was doing, she would have clicked her ruby red slippers and said "There's no place like Dar Dhaifa. There's no place like Dar Dhaifa. There's no place like Dar Dhaifa."

Before leaving home, we made the decision to avoid the Zone Touristique in Djerba where the large resort hotels are located to stay in the small community of Erriadyh. (After staying there, I would actually say, the VERY small community!)

We chose to stay at the Dar Dhaifa a small boutique hotel and we are very happy with the choice we made. Off the beaten path and in the middle of a residential community, the Dar Dhaifa was the lap of luxury. It was subtle and hard to find, but well worth the journey. (Our driver had to ask 7 different people for directions and still remained lost for an hour!)

The owners renovated and remodeled a home to create this hotel in 1999. They maintained the traditionsl architecture of the island of Djerba and that is part of what is so attractive about this destination.

The hotel has only 10 rooms, which was really no difference to us since (like the other hotels we visited) it seemed to be open just for us. The rooms are not numbered, but rather have names. We stayed in the "Sultan" and probably could have been content staying just in our room. We had two huge beds that were built into the walls, a sitting room, a gigantic bathroom with extremely high ceilings and a walk-in closet.

A person cannot walk 5 five steps without happening upon an open-air sitting place. Some had chairs, some had loungers and others were benches built into the walls. The courtyard in front of our room had a small swimming pool shaped like a keyhole and a blooming pomegranate tree. It is the sort of place where all you need to pack is a good book.

The hotel is located only a few feet from a mosque, so we heard the call to prayer loud and clear every night and early morning. On the last call to prayer each day, we walked out the front entrance and watched people going to the mosque. What also made for an interesting landscape was the storms on the island several of the evenings we were there--the dark skies and exotic setting painted an even prettier picture.

To say it is gorgeous is an understatement. To say it is serene, elegant and relaxing only scratches the surface. And to say I plan to return is no lie!

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Comments

[Joy]

Amazing!!!
At first I thought you were addressing my cat whose name happens to be TOTO.