Dar Bibine

Er Riadh, Djerba, Tunisia

Overview

This is what Djerba was missing – a seriously chic maison d'hotes. But as of June 2008, it's got one. Brilliantly white walls and cerulean blue doors impart a Greek island feel; the designer furnishings are straight off London’s Kings Road. It’s a bold design choice for this dusty village, where the locals travel by donkey and dress in long tunics, but the juxtaposition of the two is somehow cool.

Belgian owners Isabelle and Gérard spotted the ‘houch’ (ancient house) in Er Riadh's medina 2 years ago; since then they’ve been carefully restoring it to be just so. It’s been a true labour of love and today it’s beautifully spruced up with a tranquil roof terrace, a small indoor pool and 4 stylish bedrooms. Antonio Citterio (of The Bulgari in Milan) has helped with design; Philippe Starck dressing tables sit alongside Descamps bathrobes. If you’re looking for an indulgent retreat and an insight to the culture that surrounds you, book in while you can. We think it’s going to be a big hit.

Guest Ratings

Room:		95%
Food:		100%
Service:		100%
Value:		100%
Overall:		99%

Dar Bibine: View all reviews

Highs

• Perfect for less adventurous travellers who want the reassurance of a top-quality guesthouse
  
• Pure, minimalist design with Armani linens and Verner Panton furniture
  
• Isabelle and Gérard are keen for guests to understand the Tunisian way of life, and will give you cooking lessons and tell you about the Arabian culture
  
• Right on your doorstep, Er Riadh, is a fascinating village. Muslims and Jews live peacefully side by side and you can visit the world-famous El Ghriba synagogue
  
• Bicycles to borrow or private tours of the mosques arranged (although non-Muslims may not be allowed inside)

Lows

• You're 7km from Djerba's capital Houmt Souk and 10km from the coast, but taxis are cheap and plentiful
• Women may get unwelcome attention from local men - dressing conservatively is a must
  
• There’s no restaurant, although lunches and dinners are available on request
  
• It can be noisy in summer (wedding season), but you'll probably be invited to take part in the celebrations!

Rooms

The 4 double rooms are set off a winding corridor and 3 flank the indoor pool. The colour scheme complements the exterior with whitewashed walls, royal blue rugs and aquamarine curtains.

The double beds are snuggled into little alcoves (watch your head in the night!) and clad in finest Armani linen. Shelves are filled with books and Philippe Starck perspex 'Ghost' chairs or curved white chairs and cowhide rugs adorn the small seating areas. As you'd expect in a room of this calibre (although not a given in Djerba), each room has a plasma TV, air con and free ADSL internet access.

The bathrooms are all ensuite, with tubs or showers, and the velvety towels and dressing robes are Descamps. And on the dressing table (Philippe Starck, of course) sits an Alessi bowl of oranges, which is replenished daily.

Room includes:

• TV
• Internet Connection
• Safe box
• Air-Conditioning
• Baby Cots
• Extra Beds
• Bathrobes

Eating

Breakfast is included in the room rate and served on the sun terrace or beside the pool. Hearty enough to see you through, you get viennoiseries (sweet breads), homemade marmalade, fresh OJ, pancakes and eggs made to order. Salads can be made up for lunch if requested in advance, as can typically Tunisian dinners: spicy couscous with lamb; guenaoia beef stew with chillies, okra, sweet peppers and coriander; various tagines and ratatouilles.

If you'd prefer to eat out, we'd recommend Dar Dhiafa, also in Er Riadh, which serves imaginative vegetarian creations and excellent seafood and lamb dishes.

Dining features:

• Breakfast
• Lunch by Arrangement
• Dinner by Arrangement
• Walk to restaurants

Activities

• People-watch in the old medina: Jewish men reading holy books and women in conical straw hats bartering for shopping
  
  
• Visit the synagogue of El Ghriba, a place of pilgrimage for Jews worldwide, which dates back to 586BC. Inside, the walls are tiled a beautiful blue, and during the services orange blossom water is sprinkled over your hands
  
  
• Taxi into Djerba's capital, Houmt Souk, and barter for jewellery, carpets and leather goods at the old market, and for pottery in the ceramic souk
  
  
• Take a guided tour of the village and see how traditional rugs are woven
  
  
• Cycle to Guellala on the south coast and browse their famous ceramic workshops
  
  
• Head to the palm- and parasol-lined beaches; you'll find water sports, bars and warm sandy shallows (the water reaches 28 celsius in summer). Bear in mind though that these are very touristy; expect lines of Europeans turning red. If you're feeling more active, head to the nearby golf course and have a round and a half (27 holes)
  
  
• Relax on the hotel's roof terrace, swim in the indoor pool or treat yourself to a traditional hammam and massage; there is a hammam house 200m away
  
  
• Take a day trip to the incredible troglodyte village of Matmata, which featured in the original Star Wars film, and the remote Berber community at Chenini, with its stunning hill-top mosque; Isabelle can arrange various excursions and overnight expeditions to the south of Tunisia
  
  
• Drive into the Sahara desert for a camel trek, where the sunsets are awesome and the night sky is crammed with stars (you can camp overnight at Ksar Ghilane)

Activities on site or nearby include:

• Cycling
• Golf
• Historical sites
• Shopping/markets
• Swimming
• Traditional cultures
• Well being
• Windsurfing

Essentials

Who goes?

When to go?

The best period is October to May, to avoid the sweltering heat of the summer - but do bear in mind that winter nights can be very cold, and that Christmas / New Year is extremely popular. If you have a free choice, we'd recommend the months of October and March.

There's a four-day International Festival of the Sahara in Douz every December. It's a spectacular celebration of desert arts and traditions - drum music, belly dancing, horsemanship, camel fights, rabbit chases, storytelling and resplendent marriage ceremonies - which draws 50,000 performers and spectators from across Northern Africa.

There's also a Festival of Ksour (fortified hamlets) in Ksar Ouled Soltane every March, and a festival of Ulysses in Djerba every July

Features

Location

Location
Dar Bibine is situated in the medina of Er Riadh, a small village in the centre of Djerba, 7km from Houmt Souk and a 15-minute drive from the airport.

By Air:
Zarzis International Airport on Djerba (10km). Click on the links below for a list of airlines serving this airport.

From the airport
The hotel can arrange a private transfer (see Rates). Alternatively you could take a taxi - approx €10.

By Car:
If you want to hire a car to explore the island we recommend Holiday Autos, which offers competitive prices and you can collect your car at the airport. Parking near the hotel is easy. However, if you are just going to be on Djerba, you may find it easier and cheaper to use taxis for local transport. A taxi to Houmt Souk costs about TND4.

Detailed directions will be sent to you when you book through i-escape.com.

More on getting to Tunisia and getting around

Rates

Reviews

Press Reviews

Red Magazine, December 2008
"Just three hours away, Tunisia is seriously tempting. [Try] the chic new Dar Bibine, [a] four-bedroom maison d'hotes."

The Guardian, August 2009
"The island of Djerba off the coast of southern Tunisia offers a different experience from that of the cosmopolitan north of the country; it has the vibrant souks and narrow streets but all at a much slower pace.

Autumn is great for touring Djerba by bicycle - the island, which is rich in palm and olive trees, is flat and very easy to navigate, and has little traffic. Sea temperatures remain warm well into autumn, and with fewer tourists around, it can be a great time to try windsurfing and kitesurfing.

There are some stunning hotels on Djerba; Dar Bibine has a small indoor pool and four stylish bedrooms."

Guest Reviews

Reviews are from people who have booked through us.

• “Room gets a 5 for decor, a little smallish but stylish. Isabelle is a fabulous cook, exquisit presentation. They couldn't have done more for us. Wouldn't stay anywhere else in Djerba.
  ”

  Kate , Singapore (01.02.10)

• “Bedrooms a little small and required much stooping over but well worth it for all the rest this super-cool, contemporary Tunisian blue-and-white makeover of a tradition "Dar" in a small quiet village.”

  Gil, Canada (17.11.09)

• “Very welcoming and helpful...even getting up at 5:15am to cook and present us with the most artistically arranged breakfast we have ever had prior to our departure for the airport!”

  Pauline, Netherlands (27.08.09)

• “Amazing hospitality in the secluded village of Erriad. Dar Bibine is a hidden gem behind the post office on the main street (even most of the residents don't know its there). Beautifully designed house with stunning designer touches, from Villeroy and Boch tableware to Armani bedsheets this is boutique hotel at its best. The deep blue and white of djerba is reflected in rooftop rooms for sunbathing and a small dipping pool to relax by. Paul and Nicole welcomed us as if into their own home, giving us an incredible breakfast which rarely warranted a lunch and offering to cook us delicious dinners on each night of our stay. (Website suggests that home cooked dinners happen only once a week, luckily this was far from our experience as Nicole's cooking is divine and there is no where much to eat in the town).
  
  This is the ideal place for a relaxing break where you can feel totally looked after, close to Houmnt Souk if you should be curious to experience more of Djerba and thankfully far away from the very odd 'zone touristique' (if you are a beach lover, you can still join the flocks of bronzing tourists a 20 minute taxi ride away). Wi-fi avalible, a small library and Bang and Olufsen sound systems if a book by the pool doesn't suffice for your idea of perfect relaxation. Heaven.
  ”

  James, United Kingdom (02.07.09)