15 Apr 2024
We were already in Tunis so we drove the 6.5 hours south, and hit some sites like El Jem along the way, to do a day in the desert. If you've done other Middle Eastern desertscapes, it'll be very familiar; the difference, obviously, is Star Wars.
Pick up at our AirBNB was prompt in a clean Land Cruiser Prado. This is NOT a guided tour. The driver doesn't speak English and doesn't really want to communicate in French or Arabic either. He's a fine driver, and very safe, just not social. This is also not an 8 hour tour. We didn't need to spend an inordinate amount of time at the studio sites and we passed on Mides Canyons. Mustafa called the driver and communicated with us in English regarding lunch, which we skipped because there was little open due to the Eid. We were back in our own space by 1PM.
As others have noted, the level of sales pressure at the Star Wars sites will be ridiculous. The Chebika Oasis tour was nice, with a competent, English speaking guide (20TD for the group). We spent a little time resting at the snack bar afterward before heading out to Tamerza and then home.
Final note, there will be no comms from the tour operator other than a receipt. The phone number listed doesn't work from the US or Tunisia EXCEPT through WhatsApp. There is a FB page for SaharanSky but you'll get no response from messages there or through Viator (at which I requested a guide to no avail). Viator customer service has no way to communicate either. However, WhatsApp messages were returned promptly. I'd do the trip again... now with better understanding of the tour's limitations.