Star Wars. Arguably the greatest space opera ever and undoubtedly the exemplar of science fiction in the minds of many.

One of the most memorable locations of the series is Tatooine, the rugged desert planet home to both Luke and Anakin Skywalker. As we shared yesterday, much of Tatooine was filmed in Tunisia and you can even still visit the set of Mos Espa, Anakin Skywalker’s hometown in Start Wars: The Phantom Menace.

But when speaking of Tatooine, surely most people think not of Anakin and Mos Espa, but of the Lars homestead, the home of Luke Skywalker before he became a Jedi Knight.

Well it turns out that’s still there too and you can actually stay the night at Luke Skywalker’s home. Needless to say, we did just that.

The Lars homestead—or its interior, at least—can be found in the Matmata, a small village in southern Tunisia. Matmata became famous in the 1960s for its network of traditional “troglodyte” cave dwellings, some of which are still inhabited by locals today.

The Lars homestead is actually a section of the Hotel Sidi Driss, a traditional trodlodyte compound built centuries ago. Though you won’t find any props lying around, the exterior is the same as how it was from the movies and visitors can eat in the Lars dining room or even rent a bed for the night.

The accommodation is simple (you are sleeping in a cave, after all) and there is nothing more than a few beds in a cramped white room, but thinking about how you’re spending the night on the set of where Luke’s adventure began should be enough to lull any Star Wars fan into a pleasant slumber.

The hotel is open year-round and costs only about US $10 to the stay the night—including a tasty Tunisian breakfast of brik, salad and bread. Ice cream and drinks are also available at the front desk and one of the rooms has been turned into a bar with a Star Wars-inspired menu if you’re still hungry.

If you’re interested in visiting, Matmata can be reached by taxi or bus that run dailey from Gabes, a large city on the Tunisian coast about 40km south-west of the village. When going by bus, be sure to specify you are going to Matamata Acienne as some services stop at Matamata Nouvelle, 15km away from the hotel.

Correspondent: Kuzo


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