Day 2 – From the Blue Coast to the ruins of Ziba

After our first night in Sidi Bou Said We wake up to a view of the white and blue of perhaps Tunisia's most famous coastal town. The hustle and bustle of Tunis already seems far away here. Today our journey south truly begins. And although the Star Wars locations are still a little while away, this will be a day where film history, Tunisian antiquity, and the first real off-road adventure alternate in rapid succession.

First, back in time: Carthage

We start off slowly. From Sidi Bou Said, it is only a short drive to Carthage, once one of the most powerful cities of the Mediterranean. We don't want to set aside half a day here for all the archaeological sites – there is simply too much to see – but if you are practically driving past, you naturally cannot skip Carthage.

We are therefore making a short stop to take in something of this special place. Here, Carthage and Rome fought for power over the Mediterranean, and here the downfall of the Carthaginian empire ultimately began. It is remarkable to think that today we are driving our SUV through a modern suburb of Tunis, while beneath and between the houses lie the remains of a civilization thousands of years old.

But we still have a long drive ahead of us. Time to leave the coast behind.

From asphalt to adventure

The further we drive, the more the landscape changes. The buildings become fewer, the roads emptier, and the surroundings wilder. And then comes the moment we have secretly been looking forward to a little: We are leaving the asphalt.

The route towards Ziba It is exactly the kind of road we want to take this trip with SUVs for. Not a dead-straight main tourist route, but a beautiful stretch through the Tunisian landscape. Stones, sand, potholes, and narrow passages ensure that the speed drops, but the smile only gets bigger.

This is where the feeling of a real self-drive expedition begins.

The car makes its way along the unpaved track while the hills rise around us. Every now and then, we simply stop for a moment. Not because we have to, but because the view calls for it. No tour buses, no rows of souvenir shops. Just us, our car, and the Tunisian landscape.

And somewhere above us lies our next goal.

Zriba Haute

The old Berber settlement Zriba Haute It lies spectacularly against and between the rocks. As soon as we get out, we understand why this place is so special. The abandoned stone houses seem to almost grow out of the mountain itself.

We walk through the ruins, along narrow paths and past crumbling walls. In some places, only facades and arches remain standing. Elsewhere, you can still clearly see how the houses were once built against one another. And time and again, there is that view of the surrounding mountain landscape.

This is not a film set.

This is the scenery.

Zriba is exactly the kind of place that shows that this trip will be much more than just a tour of film locations. Of course, we are here for Star Wars, Indiana Jones, and Life of Brian. But Tunisia itself already has thousands of years of stories waiting.

On to Sousse and Monastir

After Ziba, we set course for the coast. The landscape gradually flattens out, and eventually the Mediterranean Sea comes into view again.

Our destination for tonight is the area of Sousse en Monastir. And with that, we return to the film theme.

For long before we drive around here in our SUV, a certain Brian walked around here.

Parts of Monty Python's Life of Brian They were actually filmed in Tunisia. The historic buildings of Monastir, in particular, formed a fantastic backdrop for the Jerusalem from the film. Anyone familiar with the film will recognize various locations here where the now-legendary scenes were filmed.

And the best part?

We are staying right in the middle of that historic atmosphere tonight. Not an anonymous hotel along the highway, but an overnight stay at a place directly connected to the filming locations of Life of Brian.

So, after Carthage, a spectacular off-road ride, and the abandoned ruins of Zriba, we end the day amidst film history.

We continue tomorrow.

And then another world-famous film is on the program.

Indiana Jones is waiting for us in Kairouan.