Tunisia: In a galaxy not so far away… | The Skinny

Tunisia: In a galaxy not so far away… | The Skinny: "Tunisia: In a galaxy not so far away…
Posted by Dave Kerr, Fri 05 Nov 2010
Armed with a pen, a camera, and a mild disdain for Euro house, our Music Editor walks the coasts of Tunisia…

'When I was searching in 1977 for a place to make the first Star Wars movie,' George Lucas explained to a Tunisian newspaper in more recent times, 'I found Tunisia the ideal country for filming: beautiful countryside, unique architecture and a very high level of technical sophistication.'"

Not even Lucas’s penchant for changing a scene after the fact could embellish Tunisia’s natural allure. Dubbed “the jewel of the Mediterranean” (jostling for the crown alongside Croatia and Cyprus), the ideal climate of the North-African coastal region – not to mention its strange coalescence of Islamic culture with a very European outlook on hospitality – makes for an accessible destination.

Scottish city dwellers will have seen the ubiquitous ad campaign scrawled down the side of double-deckers since the start of 2010; so why Tunisia now? Well, with a wealth of attractive historical sites and a coastline boasting over 800 miles of beach to explore, Tunisia has become a tantalising – and affordable – option for backpackers and budget holidaymakers alike as direct flights to Monastir and Tunis have opened up in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen over the last year. Sun-chasers might want to put that bottle of perma-tan away; the Republic's autumn months yield ample rays to replenish the soul.