DESTINATIONS ESCORTED TOURING | TUNISIA
CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Street in Houmt Souk town; Chenini, a fortified Berber village in Tataouine; an elderly woman grinds grain; Star Wars set in the Sahara
PICTURES: Shutterstock/Authentic travel, Leonid Andronov; Grauvision/
Dreamstime.com
While Djerba is an enticing destination in its own right, tourists may wish to combine a trip to the island – which is about two hours by air or six hours by train and ferry from Tunis – with stays elsewhere in the country. Tim Williamson, customer director at Responsible
Travel, says: “Djerba makes a great extension to an otherwise busy holiday, and a chance to see a different side of Tunisia. Plus, it’s where Star Wars fans can
find none other than Obi-Wan Kenobi’s house.” Book it: A five-day tour of Djerba with Responsible Travel starts at £1,300, including most meals, accommodation and transfers from Djerba airport. Flights are extra.
A GALAXY FAR, FAR AWAY Speaking of Star Wars, the Tunisian landscape is famed for its starring role as Luke Skywalker’s home planet of Tatooine – named after the city of Tataouine – first seen in the original 1977 film. That iconic scene of the Jedi hero walking out into
the red desert with the setting sun in the background in A New Hope? The place where tiny droid R2-D2 was kidnapped, also in A New Hope? The bustling marketplace and pod-racing arena seen in The Phantom Menace? All were filmed in southern Tunisia. Star Wars buffs are bound to recognise these places in an
36 9 FEBRUARY 2023
33For those who think the tour could be too Star Wars heavy, guests will also learn about the Islamic and Berber influences on these areas
instant, but even those with just a passing interest in the series will appreciate settings that look as if they come from an intergalactic world. In Tozeur, visitors pass moisture vaporator sets
left behind from the three prequel films, as well as the igloo-style huts that served as the homes and shops of all manner of space creatures. These sites, as well as those in Tataouine, form
part of Wild Frontiers’ Tunisia Uncovered tour, with several days dedicated to locations beamed around the world in Star Wars. Combine that with stays in a desert camp and trips in a 4x4 (where, if you use your imagination a bit, it could pass as a cross-planet vehicle), and you could easily feel like you’re in one of the films. For those concerned that the tour could be too Star
Wars heavy, guests will also learn about the historic and longstanding Islamic and Berber influences on these areas. And the tour makes the most of Tunisia’s stunning
desert landscapes, with huge dunes, seemingly endless salt flats, craggy hills and traditional villages just some
of the sights clients will witness along the way. Book it: Wild Frontiers’ 12-day Tunisia Uncovered tour is priced from £2,985, including meals, accommodation, internal transport and site entrance fees but excluding international flights. The first tour departs on April 25.
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