They are two brothers from different backgrounds but equally blameless who manage, build and manage “Le Verger des Montagnes”, a cottage which is located a few kilometers from Testour. Meet Fadhel Chaouch to hear more about it. Interview by Amel DJAIT
1001Tunisie: Le Verger des Montagnes is a guest house located in the countryside of Testour. What are its characteristics?
Fadhel Chaouch: “Le Verger des Montagnes” is a cottage that meets geographic, agricultural and ecological features of Testour and not a guest house. The cottage is located 80 km from the capital, overlooking the slopes of Mount “El Hindi.” It’s a beautiful space, providing calm and serenity that opens on one of the most magnificent views of Testour.
The house is located 4 km from the city and 6 km before the dam “Sidi Salem”. From its position, it has the charm of rural areas, while being close enough to the old town of Testour. Built on 4 hectares of olive orchard, it gives direct access to the mountain and to the “Oued Medjerda”.
Your cottage has been open for nearly a year now. What is your assessment of this experience?
That’s a pretty good experience, especially on a human level. We bet sharing and living together. We made the knowledge of beautiful people of different ages, nationalities, world, business … It is for us a very important enrichment to the daily.
Has it notneeded a great deal of courage to open a reception center dedicated to tourism in such political and economic context?
It was really a challenge than opening a host structure in such difficult circumstances! But, the truth, we were charmed by the geographical environment of the orchard and the Andalusian soul that comes in and spreads. Despite great natural and cultural wealth, the region was rarely visited. We noted that the few tourists who were there, were not to spend the night. It is also difficult to taste food typical of the region. Testour was reduced to a simple stop and it was a pity! We took our courage in hand and decided to create the cottage. Our goal with “Le Verger des Montagnes” is to contribute to a cultural and tourist awakening of Testour and its surroundings.
The region is undoubtedly a beautiful setting for a weekend of discovery. What do you offer your guests? That would share with the readers of 1001Tunisie as secret addresses and routes to discover Testour?
For starters, we offer “Le Verger des Montagnes”; ideal for rest, meditation and a nice compromise for agricultural, cultural and sporting activities, Â .
Apart from the top addresses of the old Testour and its monuments, we recommend guests to the region to discover the charms and various aspects of rural life Testour. We offer them to visit the trail “Djebal El Hindi,” the source and the Roman heritage buried in the village of “Skhira” the hill reservoir of “Ouled Ayar” landscape “Mzougha” …
“Le Verger des Montagnes” is also a guest table. What are your specialties?
Here we offer products from organic farming. You should know that “Le Verger des Montagnes” engages in organic beekeeping (40 breeding hives), which gives an excellent quality honey. It is a mountain honey with thyme scents, rosemary and eucalyptus.
“Le Verger des Montagnes” is it as a vegetable. Is this open space to your customers?
Absolutely. The cottage has a garden espalier. We are planting various organic vegetables. We offer our customers an experience that share of agriculture and ending by the culinary.
That is to say ?
Our local produce (fruits and vegetables, olive oil and olives preserved traditionally, honey and jams from the orchard or region …) and our dishes (spicy and revisited in an original way) are prepared with care.
Here we offer various meats such as freshwater fish, use fresh or dried cheeses, spoil ourselves with various teas (thyme, rosemary, lavender, verbena …) and prepare breads and donuts in the region ( ” tabouna “whole wheat,” kross “,” khobz koucha “,” sfenj “…)
Andalusian heritage with its architecture, music, dream food . What can we touch this culture at home?
This is especially the architectural side of the cottage reminiscent of the Andalusian heritage. “Le Verger des Montagnes’ takes the form L and opens onto a terrace surrounded by plants and having a water point, as if he were a half Andalusian house.
The house is bordered in some places of the roof, terracotta tiles salvaged from old houses of the area and abandoned by their owners. The coating and texture of the facade walls are inspired by those of the Great Mosque of Testour. So some of the cottage construction techniques are in harmony with the architectural and cultural environment.
“Le Verger des montagnes” is above all a farm. How can tourism it help balance the viability of your business?
Our cottage offers not only the possibility of a farm visit, it is beyond! “Le Verger des Montagnes” is not at all a purely and exclusively tourist area.
It goes without saying that it offers tourist activities such as visits to monuments, hiking, camping, dinner, caving … The cottage offers also and above all its customers the opportunity to participate in agricultural activities such as integration into agricultural life, participation in the work like picking olives, making local products … Here, tourism and agricultural activities are complementary. Do it -this is not the vocation of every agritourism project?
Do you think that alternative accommodation like guest houses and villas are more sustainable? Will they multiply in Tunisia and in your area?
We think yes but as long as these accommodations do not lose their essential purpose, valuing the tourism dimension at the expense of the agricultural aspect. There is no doubt that many institutions will multiply as the beautiful sites in Tunisia are still numerous and not yet promoted like Siliana, Nefza, Jendouba, Ain Draham …
And it must be said that attitudes are changing in Tunisia. Tunisians are increasingly inclined to spend stays in the villas rather than hotels. They fit more in clubs and associations of hikers. For them it is an opportunity to rest, to discover unknown landscapes and leave out the monotonous life by integrating, even temporarily, other living environments.
Who are your clients ? What are they looking? What services are they most fond of?
Customers we get are mostly groups forming part of an association or institution. They are doctors, teachers, representatives of international organizations, curious people  …
They seek “luxury, calm and voluptuousness,” as Charles Baudelaire said. We try, whenever possible, to meet their needs and satisfy their curiosity and desires. Apparently they like the culinary experiences we offer them, walking on the banks of “Medjerda” and climbing mountains we organize, not to mention the cultural activities that we animate.
To discover “Le Verger des Montagnes” http://1001tunisie.com/directory/item/verger-des-montagne-a-testour/
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