As we approach Star Wars Day (May 4), let’s talk travel risks in Tunisia. Why? Well, although this awareness day is one of the very hardest to forget, given it has the motto of May the Fourth be With You, it’s still not enough for all keen fans. For many, a full satisfaction of their Jedi desires can only be achieved by travelling to places where the Star Wars movies were filmed.
Tunisia is the country in which the planet of Tatooine was brought to life by Lucasfilm. The movie franchise shot scenes here at times including March/April 1976, July/August 1997 and September 2000. For ‘A New Hope’ seven sites were selected. Then, there were another six for ‘Phantom Menace’, three for ‘Attack of the Clones’ and one for Revenge of the Sith. In fact, Tunisia is so intrinsic to the early movie releases in the franchise that Tatooine was named after the Tunisian city of Tataouine.
Compelling Star Wars itineraries that make Tunisia’s travel risks seem worthwhile
Star Wars aficionados are absolutely fanatical about these movies, which is why there are so many different Star Wars tours available in Tunisia and why travel risks are not always top of mind. The choice of tour might be dictated by the itinerary and how it links to a specific love of particular movies. If you head to Mos Espa, amidst the Sahara dunes, for instance, you will see sights such as Watto’s shop, the market and Sebulba’s café, as well as being in the location in which the podracing scenes for Phantom Menace were filmed.
East of Subulba’s café is where some will visualise the landing of the Royal Starship and the lightsaber duel between the Jedi and Darth Maul.
Tracking down Darth Vader in Tunisia
To go back to Darth Vader’s roots, you will probably want to head to Ksar Ommarsia (Medenine), which became the movie home of Anakin and Shimi, when living in the Slave Quarters. However, other Slave Quarters shots were filmed in Ksar Ouled Soltane.
The interior of Lars’ Homestead was actually the Hotel Sidi Driss in Matmata, whilst the exterior is an igloo-shaped structure to be found on salt flats at Chott-el-Djerid near the largest salt lake in the Sahara. This is close to Nefta and a location known as Ong Jemel, the neck of the camel, where Darth Maul makes an entrance, to release Sith probes.
Star Wars Canyon, at nearby Sidi Bouhlel, will also be a must, with nine scenes having been shot here. It is also where you will find Jawa Rock.
On the track of Obi Wan
If you are an Obi Wan devotee, a trip to Djerba Island, off the Tunisian coast, is a must. There, on a coastal road, you will find what was turned into Obi Wan’s house, whilst his abode, in exile, is in Ajim town, where the heritage mosque supplied exterior shots. The coastal part of Ajim will, however, allow you to visit the exterior of the Cantina and place you close to where the Millennium Falcon blasted off, when making its escape. Also on the island is Sidi Jamour, which was the backdrop for Anchorhead and Tosche Station.
Travel risks in Tunisia
As any Star Wars fan will know, this is dune-filled, sandy, dry and salt-flat sprinkled terrain. How you cross it will be one travel risk you face. If it is by camel, in a location perhaps like Douz, you need to be sure that your travel insurance will cover that. However, you might just as well need to check whether a four-wheeled drive safari vehicle trip would be similarly protected, or even any injuries whilst using an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) as you head to hidden mountain oases such as Chebika and Tamerza.
Travel health risks in Tunisia
Your tour might include an overnight stay in a Berber village, or maybe a tent feast. As with any such experience, it is important to think about food safety and other aspects of ‘going native’. That can include making sure your travel vaccinations are up to date. For Tunisia, this should be all of the routine vaccinations and boosters as recommended in the UK or European home country, plus those recommended for most travellers to Tunisia – hepatitis A and tetanus.
If you are traversing or staying in rural locations, or exploring cave environments, you might also be well advised to consider a rabies vaccine, suggested for some travellers. Typhoid and hepatitis B are also in this category of ‘recommended vaccines’.
Checking on the overall risk level in Tunisia
There is another important thing to factor in, before you head off on your Star Wars adventure. Your travel insurance will expect you to consult the advice given by the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office in the UK, or the equivalent authority in your European country, if you are a Europesure Travel Insurance customer living in the EU, EEA, Monaco or Gibraltar.
If travel is advised against to a certain area, or ‘all but essential travel’ advised against, your venturing into such a zone will both put you at high risk and also jeopardise your travel insurance. At the time of writing, locations close to the Algerian and Libyan borders fall into these categories. Close to the identified high risk areas on the Algerian side are Star Wars locations like Nefta, Sidi Bouhlel, Mos Espa and Chott-el-Djerid. In fact, Sidi Bouhlel is only 30-50km (18-31 miles) from the border, so it pays to check whether it falls into the all-but-essential-travel category. On the Libyan side, Tataouine is about 128 km (80 miles) from the border.
Terror travel risks in Tunis and other parts of Tunisia
Many tours will also encompass visits to archaeological sites and take travellers to Tunis. It is worth remembering that there was a terror attack at the Bardo Museum in Tunis in 2015 and another terrorist attack in Tunisia, at the beach resort of Port El Kantaoui, a few months later. There have continued to be significant incidents from 2020-23 in Tunis and Djerba. For this reason, travellers should exercise great caution and awareness but also perhaps consider a terror disruption add-on to their Europesure Travel Insurance single trip or annual policy.
Medical assistance; get your travel insurance in place
Travel insurance is highly advised for many reasons but particularly because there is no provision for free medical attention for foreign nationals. All healthcare administered by a private clinic must be paid for on the spot and sometimes before being treated. Also, whilst some staff will speak English, that will not necessarily be the case in the facility that you attend. Having access to a travel insurance support team, who can liaise with doctors on your behalf, can be a weight off the mind.
Staying alert in Tunisia
So, if you do give in to your Star Wars fantasies and travel to a galaxy far far beyond, otherwise known as Tunisia, be cautious. Keep a watchful eye on your surroundings and note the emergency number of 190. Also familiarise yourself with latest advice on how to act if caught up in a terror incident.
Similarly, do your homework and check that, if you buy the necessary travel insurance, you will not invalidate it by travelling into a zone in which travel is not advised. Make sure you do not jeopardise cover by the activities you engage in and get your travel vaccinations planned in, several weeks or months before departure. Whilst you may consider yourself a Jedi, that illusion can soon be shattered, if things play out differently than expected.
Travel to Tunisia and a Star Wars tour can be the trip of a lifetime for many. If you do decide to take this up, may the Force be with you.
