On the road to the Ksour in southern Tunisia

Are you staying in Djerba? How about an excursion to the Tataouine region, to see something other than the beach and camels? If you take the 7km Roman road linking Djerba to the mainland, you'll see a Spanish castle off the coast - the local Fort Boyard - which is not open to visitors. Then it's on to Tataouine, 125km to the south-west, a 1hr 45min drive.

Welcome to Tataouine, literally source of water in Berber, the former French military prison during the colonial era. Hence the expression "to go to Tataouine", meaning to get lost at the end of the world! Major battles were fought in the area during the Second World War between the troops of Rommel, the Desert Fox, and the Allies. A giant tyrannosaurus on a hill overlooking the town is a reminder that many dinosaur fossils have been found in the area. Tataouine is ideally situated for a tour of the ksours (plural of ksar, fortified village housing granaries for storing foodstuffs, particularly olive oil and cereals). We recommend staying at the Sangho Privilège Tataouine, a small oasis on the outskirts of Tataouine, a human-scale hotel full of charm, with its bungalows and lagoon pool with waterfall.

Along the road to Chenini, 2 km from the village, you can see the Mosque of the Seven Sleepers, recognisable by its leaning minaret and troglodyte style. Its whiteness stands out against an ochre desert landscape. The long tombs in front of it are said to be those of the legendary Seven Sleepers. You have to take off your shoes to enter. The first room is classical, then a door leads you into an underground chamber, barely lit by two candles, like two mysterious eyes watching you.

All you have to do is listen to the story of the Sleeping Seven. Legend has it that seven Christians persecuted by the Romans took refuge in a cave, where they were buried alive. They slept for several centuries and continued to grow. When they awoke four centuries later, they converted to Islam and were buried in giant tombs close to the mosque. This legend can be found in Tozeur, Ephesus in Turkey and Vieux-Marché in Brittany!

The Berber village of Chenini

A surprising Berber village perched on a rocky outcrop, Chenini appears from afar to be at one with its natural surroundings. The closer you get, the more you can make out the dwellings, pressed up against each other and hugging the steep slopes of the mountain. Pierced by narrow openings, they offer a maze of passages leading to courtyards or terraces from which you can enjoy superb views. Chenini is also the name of one of the moons of Tatooine, Luke Skywalker's planet in Star Wars, many scenes of which were filmed in the Tataouine region.

Ksar Hadada still boasts its ghorfas, one-storey granaries that were used to keep provisions safe from looters and in anticipation of famine. It contained cereals in the lower part and olive oil in the upper part, as well as olives and cheese. The rounded domes of the roofs and the arched buttresses supporting the walls are typical of Berber architecture. The site was also used as a backdrop for the filming of "Star Wars". In 1997, this fortified village was used as the setting for the slave quarter of Mos Espa, the mythical village of Anakin Skywalker, the future Darth Vader, in the film The Phantom Menace.

Another ksar, less well known than Hadada but well worth a visit, is Ksar el-Ferch. It is one of the few ksour in the Tataouine region that has not been renovated, which is what gives it its charm. It is one of the settings featured in the film Star-Wars I: The Phantom Menace.

On the heights of the charming Berber village of Chenini, one of the last ksour still inhabited, the Kenza residence has converted old troglodyte dwellings into a gîte. Comfort may be a little spartan, but a change of scenery is guaranteed! This charming place, which can accommodate around thirty travellers in its converted caves, offers a breathtaking view of Chenini, its superb white mosque and its hill full of ghorfas, granaries storing food on two levels. Once you've lost yourself in Chenini's narrow, winding streets, come and enjoy a mint tea here, or a delicious lunch of delicious Berber specialities!