Tunisia: Get a fix of Star Wars in the sun

Jan 4 2010 By Wendy Horton

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away...

Many will recall the line above from the opening of the epic two-part Star Wars trilogies.

Some, however, may not know that parts of the blockbuster films were shot a little closer – in Tunisia.

Despite the ‘alien’ looking landscapes, the back drop to a few of the Star Wars films, including Star Wars (Part I) and Phantom Menace (Part IV), were shot in and around the Sahara Desert in the south of the North African country.

And with Tunisia only a two and a half hour flight from Heathrow, it is easily accessible to UK holidaymakers and Star Wars fans alike.

Called the Jewel of the Mediterranean, Tunisia is a landscape of beautiful beaches and clear waters in the north and plush green oases snuggled amidst the dry and barren lands of the south.

I flew from Heathrow to the capital Tunis, which is a hive of activity.

It is the main international gateway and is great for a short break, as it combines a vibrant medina of narrow lanes and bustling souks with a more European-style new town of tree-lined avenues and elegant buildings.

The city’s star attractions include the Bardo Museum, with a collection of Roman mosaics, and the seventh century medina, which is listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.

Away from the hustle and bustle to the northeast is the Carthage Coast which includes the small, fashionable resorts of Gammarth and La Marsa.

It’s also close to the picturesque village of Sidi Bou Said where every house and shop is painted in traditional Tunisian colours of blue and white.

Tunis itself provides the perfect place to kick start an Arabian adventure. I stayed at the five star Hotel Sheraton for the first evening of a five night break before taking an early morning one-hour flight to the island of Djerba and the populated area of Houmt Souk.

My first thought was how deserted the island looked for my travelling companions, a bunch of fellow journalists, and I passed no other vehicle for miles as our driver and our guide from the Tunisian National Tourist Board Lillia led us into the more populated area of Houmt Souk.

Here we got a real feel of Tunisia as we wandered around the medina trying out our haggling skills on traders, such as silversmiths and basket weavers.

Djerba, the legendary land of Ulysses, is actually joined to the mainland by a causeway which enabled us to drive off the island past beautiful sandy, but as it was October, empty beaches.

An hour later we were in the town of Zarzis, close to the border with Libya.

The Sultana Residence was a great pit-stop. Built right on the edge of the Mediterranean as a home for local businessman Mohamed M’Charek, he then expanded it into a small, self run hotel boasting just 20 rooms, all individually and tastefully designed.

Heading inland we drove to the cave dwellings of Matmata. In what seemed like a no-man’s land were the troglodyte houses from the first Star Wars.

Cut inside a mountainside crater, the cave dwellings were once homes for an ancient civilisation, but provided the perfect backdrop for the alien looking world in which Luke Skywalker enjoyed a peaceful existence before encountering the famous ‘Force’.

For me, a Star Wars fan, being sat in the same caves where young Luke grew up was nostalgic. But the sheer lack of commercial enthusiasm at a main tourist attractions was disappointing.