Nicki Post

KSAR OULED SOLTANE This is the coolest Ksar we saw in Tunisia. A ksar is a fortified village in Tunisia, where the nomadic berbers and other nomadic tribes would store grains. Inside the Ksar, or village, are the ghorfas, or grain storage structures. We had seen many that were 2 stories high, but here at Ksar Ouled Soltane, they were 3-5 stories high, with large staircases built up to them. It’s completely free to enter the area. We were the only people there besides the artisans working there. It’s a common misconception that Star Wars was filmed here, but it wasn’t. However it did serve as inspiration, and was a location scouted to potentially be on the films. We stopped here on our Tunisian road trip, but you can also take a bus or a louage from the town of Tatouine. It’s worth it! This was probably my favorite stop on the entire road trip!

DOUIRET This is an ancient Berber village in the governate of Tatouine, in Tunisia. We stopped here on our Tunisian road trip, because of a suggestion by our guest house host. It’s really off the beaten path. I had never read about it anywhere else, except from this local woman. It was worth a visit. It’s on top of a hill, and you can keep climbing up and up to reach the very top, where there is a rounded path, and amazing views of the valley below. We were there all alone, not another person in sight except for the people working at a hotel that is now in a renovated section of this ancient village. It would be an amazingly peaceful place to spend a few days. Tunisia bucket list, Tunisia travel, Tunisia road trip, travel blogger, adventure travel, Tunisia adventure

KSAR HADADA This hotel was once a filming location for Star Wars, episode I, The Phantom Menace. It can be found in the Tatoine Governate of Tunisia. These were the slave quarters where Anakin and his mother lived. Photo 3 shows a current day cafe, but it was the courtyard where Anakin worked on his pod racer. Just beyond that was the location where Shmi Skywalker told Qui-Gon Jinn about Anakin’s virgin birth. This was previously a Berber village, and these buildings were called ghorfas, and used for grain storage. Currently, the front section is renovated and used as a hotel. There are fun props that you can play with to take gimmicky Star Wars photos. If you are not sleeping at the hotel, you must pay 2 dinars ($ .60) to enter the village. If you’re curious about more Star Wars filming locations in Tunisia, check the link in my bio. I’ve written a whole post on how to find all the filming locations in Tunisia. Star Wars filming location, Star Wars Tunisia, Tunisia road trip, Tunisia itinerary, travel blogger

KSAR HALLOUF It is a rumor that Ksar Hallouf is the place that originally inspired George Lucas to create the planet of Tatouine here in Tunisia. These structures are hundreds of years old. They were originally used as grain storage for the Berber people. Because they were nomads, they needed a place to store and protect their food all year. So a couple of people would stay back and act as guards while the rest of the tribe moved around. They would come back each year to use and store more grain. It was really windy and rainy on the day we went. Ksar Hallouf is at the top of a hill. We had the place to ourselves, nobody else around. If you’re in Tunisia, I recommend making a stop here along your Tunisian road trip! Tunisia itinerary, Berber, grain storage, Tunisia bucket list, travel blogger, travel in Tunisia

MOS ESPA This is the Mos Espa filming location for Star Wars. It was in both The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones. Anakin Skywalker was enslaved to Watto and worked in a shop in Mos Espa. You can get there by car, about 40 minutes from the town of Tozeur. The roads are paved because the Star Wars film crew built a road out there. It’s cool to walk around the set, but you also have to deal with camel sellers who follow you around and won’t leave you alone. One even pushed me against his camel because he wanted me to take a photo with it (presumably to ask for money after the photo). If you want, you can take a camel ride or a quad ride into the desert from here, to another filming location called Ong Jemal. It’s a rock formation that looks like the head and neck of a camel. Tunisian road trip, Tunisia itinerary, Star Wars Tunisia, Tunisia bucket list, travel blogger, travel in Tunisia

CHOTT EL DJERID This is the biggest salt flat in Africa. If you look on a map, it looks like a giant lake. But make it is not! All dry. There is a highway that goes through the center of this salt flat. We drive through here on our Tunisian road trip, between Tozeur and Tatouine. There are a few random things you can see in this salt flat, such as the Lars Homestead in Star Wars, or a random bus. Also along the highway were these strange roadside attractions. They were huge piles of salt with flags in them. There were also a few jokes like the small boat being the Titanic. It was super windy the day we passed through the salt flats. Tunisia itinerary, Tunisia salt flat, Tunisia desert, travel blogger, travel in Tunisia, road trip

CHEBIKA OASIS The loop around Chebika Oasis takes you to the top of this mountain where you can look down to see amazing views! Travel in Tunisia, Tunisia itinerary, Tunisia road trip, Tunisia bucket list, travel blogger, oasis, desert, desert travel, adventure travel

CHEBIKA OASIS This is a desert oasis on the southwest of Tunisia, near the town of Tozeur. The canyon is dry now but it was once full of water, but unfortunately it doesn’t rain enough anymore. There is a big loop path that you can take around the area. It takes you along a dry canyon, a small waterfall, then a small river. Then you turn and walk up several stairs, and keep walking to the peak of the small mountain. From there, you have a view of the ancient and abandoned village down below. To complete the loop, you can walk back down and through that abandoned village. It’s a beautiful little spot that feels so unreal even while being there. Tunisian road trip, Tunisia itinerary, Tunisia bucket list, travel blogger, Chebika, Chebika oasis, Tunisian oases