The Souk - tourist trap or local life?

The souk was an interesting experience. We first went to the souk in Midoun, closest to the hotel. This was a complete disappointment. Every stall is a tourist trap, items are sold overpriced, and most of them aren't authentic. Most stall-keepers will spin a story of how unique and authentic their items are. Don't let them convince you to buy something you normally wouldn't. If you're not interested, no is no.

Houmt-Souk is a much better town to visit, is has a more authentic feel to it and you will see many locals drinking mint tea on the café terrace or haggling for fresh fish at the stalls. Although the items sold to tourists are similiar in practically every shop, the feeling here is more relaxed and less agressive than in Midoun. If you do want to haggle (and you should) it's important to know how to do small talk and be friendly with the shopkeeper. It's a whole art, but haggling very well will get you the item up to half its original price.

Ladies, if you choose to walk around in revealing clothes (even a slight décolleté) you will attract undue attention, so I reccommend dressing modestly just for the sake of peace.

Overall I thought the souk was interesting, and I did acquire a few nice items (e.g. a silk scarf, some handmade olive soap). But don't go crazy shopping, as most the stuff is not worth it.