I visited Tunis some years ago, and spent the day in a terrific little place nearby called Sidi Bou Said ­ a short train ride away. I am hoping to revisit Tunis next spring, but I wonder if there are any nice hotels in Sidi Bou Said now, and if so, is there a tour operator that could help? Arthur Hughes, Poole

Sunday Times travel expert Richard Green responds: One of the joys of actually sleeping in Sidi Bou Said, are the sunsets, followed by the evening quite, after the day-trippers have negotiated the steep cobbled street back to the little train station and the line back to Tunis.

There are just two or three hotels in the settlement, even now, and the best by far is the Dar Said. It was built as a grand 19th century residence, and now has 24 tastefully decorated rooms built around a small swimming pool and a shaded courtyard. It also has a Turkish bath. The white walls and blue doors and window frames are in keeping with the rest Sidi Bou Said's predominant colours, and there are excellent restaurants a few minutes walk away, including opposite, the excellent Dar Zarrouk, about £20 a head.

Wigmore Holidays (020 7836 4999) have a week at the Dar Said from £775pp including flights from Heathrow or Gatwick, transfers and bed and breakfast accommodation.

There's also a small, rather basic hotel in the town, called the Hotel Sidi Bou Fares. It has eight bedrooms overlooking a patio, while the ninth is a mausoleum for the village's patron saint. It's a bit too spartan to be featured by tours operators though. Other tour operators featuring Tunis are Indus Tours (020 8901 7464), and Cadogan Holidays (0845 615 4390).

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