The best "Star Wars" fix you can get in Tunisia is staying at the hotel Sidi Driss in Matmata.

This hotel was used as the actual house of Uncle Owen and Aunt B in the films. This means it was in both the Original Star Wars and the more recent Attack of the Clones.

If you have ever wanted to sleep on an actual film set, then this is your chance!!

The hotel is a pit dwelling which is the traditional style of homes in the area. And just as the name implies, it consists of several pits dug into the ground. You can walk around them and look down into the pits.

During the day tour busses do stop here, but they don't stay for long. This means, as a hotel guest, you have pleanty of time to get the perfect shot of where Luke Skywalker stood, with absolutely no one else in the photo.

The pit used in the film now houses a small bar and rooms where breakfast and dinner are served.

A central pit has some rooms off of it, but when we were there these were not in use.

The third pit is where most of the guests are. Our room was a cave off of this. The pit style means the rooms stay at the same comfortable temperature all day every day of the year. The caves have no windows but have been painted white and do have electricity. Our came with four twin camp-beds and one lamp. That is really all you need in the room, as you come to this hotel to see the film set, not for a luxury room.

Breakfast was the Tunisian standard of coffee and bread. Although the coffee was cold and the bread stale. We paid for dinner but missed it (had met some friends and headed to a bar at one of the other hotels) so can not rate that meal.

The toilets/showers are shared. Toilets were clean enough, although it was annoying to share them with the tour groups. The showers were clean and had hot water.

The rooms are basic but thrilling as now I can always say I slept on the set of Star Wars. WOW!!! And all this at a bargain price -- only 16 Tunisian dollars for lodging, breakfast, dinner, and a fabulous experience that I can brag about to anyone that has seen Star Wars.

Sidi Driss
Off the Toujane Road near the centre of town
Matmata, Tunisia

phone: 75 240 005

Well, Star Wars doesn't get more authentic than this hotel!!! It was the real thing. Luke actually lived here, and now, so have I. I am not actually a Star Wars fan, but this put me in a trance. We traveled to Tunisia b/c of its inexpensive yet exotic appeal, but we got much more than that throughout. This hotel proved exactly what we were told and we enjoyed wandering around with absolute freedom and taking in the orginal set. It was as authentic as they come! If you read a bit about Tunisia, and then travel around, you will quickly see where Lucas got all his ideas from...Go to Tatouine (yes, it's a real town with all the original Star Wars sets still standing!)I won't spoil it for you, but it does become quickly apparent. Have Fun and travel freely; Tunisia is ridiculously safe!