The land of SPLAJ (The Socialist Peoples Libyan Arab Jamharya), as Libya is officially known, is home to so many incredible ancient sites; such extraordinary and differing unspoilt desert landscapes and such a truly hospitable and welcoming people, for the intrepid traveller it makes a perfect short holiday. Highlights of this trip include Tripoli old town and the bustling bazaar, the UNESCO sites of Leptis Magna & Sabratha, the incredible Ubari sand seas, the Akakus Mountains and ancient rock art of the Sahara.
On this small group tour (maximum 12 people) to Libya you will witness all the wonders of Ancient Rome at Leptis Magna and Sabratha, plus take an adventure through the pristine Sahara desert, where you will travel through the amazing Ubari Sand Sea and the Akakus Mountains to see some of the best preserved rock art on earth. Combining the most impressive Roman ruins anywhere in the world with the myriad of wonders of the great Sahara Desert, this nine day itinerary to Libya will truly blow your socks off.
Anyone in a reasonable state of health should be perfectly able to cope with this tour; however, it should be made clear that this part of the world is not for the faint-hearted, or fastidious. The majority of the nights will be spent camping in the Sahara with few facilities and though that is undoubtedly a huge attraction to some it may not be to everyone’s taste.
Wild Frontiers Adventure Travel is are very aware of the economic, ecological and ethical impact tourism can have on ancient cultures and fragile environments. They realise that taking clients through such a region can have a negative impact on the lives of those who live there as well as the environment. On all the tours they therefore go to great lengths to minimise the negative and accentuate the positive… after all, there are also many good things that the traveller can bring. Dividing this issue into two categories, the ethical and the ecological, they are actively involved in trying to help local communities while doing as little damage to the world as we can.
Wild Frontiers Adventure Travel has teamed up with Carbon Clear to help you repair the biggest environmental impact of your trip – the greenhouse gas emissions from your flight. When you take one of their trips, they will make a contribution to Carbon Clear at no extra costs to yourself towards ‘offsetting’ or ‘neutralising’ these emissions. This is done by funding projects across the world that will reduce greenhouse gases on your behalf through sustainable energy or rainforest restoration.
Day 1
Tour starts in Tripoli: After meeting our tour leader in the afternoon, we will head into the city for a first view and a visit to the Old Town and souk. Tripoli, the capital of Libya, is situated on the Mediterranean Sea, in the Northwestern part of the country. Principally a seaport, this fascinating city is the commercial and manufacturing centre of Libya, producing processed food, textiles, clothing, construction materials, and tobacco products. Having changed very little since its foundation in the first millennium BC, the city has a wealth of old and new monuments, representing many different periods of history, from the Roman Arch of Marcus Aurelius to the Turkish mosques of the medina.
Points of interest include the Natural History Museum; the Archaeological Museum; the Ethnographic Museum, with a collection of regional cultural artefacts; the Epigraphy Museum, containing inscriptions from the Phoenician, Roman, and Byzantine periods; the Islamic Museum; a Roman triumphal arch erected in honour of Emperor Marcus Aurelius in the 2nd century; the Karamanli and the Gurgi mosques; and a Spanish fortress dating from the 16th century.
Dinner at a local restaurant.
Hotel (D)
Day 2
Tripoli–Sabratha-Sebha: This morning we will drive out to Sabratha where we will have lunch and take a good look around this wonderfully preserved ancient city. At around 5pm we will drive to the airport for our evening flight down to Sebha. On arrival we will transfer to our hotel.
Hotel (B,L,D)
Day 3
Sebha – Akakus Mountain camp: After breakfast we will drive by minibus southwest along the main road towards the Algerian border before transferring to 4x4 Land Cruiser’s to head into the spectacular mountains where we camp overnight in tents at Awiss.
Camp (B,L,D)
Day 4
Akakus Mountain Camp – Dune Camp: The Akakus Mountains are among the most spectacular anywhere in the Sahara. Dark sandstone carved by the desert wind into twisted chimneys, stacks and columns climb from the orange dunes to give an almost Martian landscape. This area has also been classified as a UNESCO World Heritage site because of the hundreds of prehistoric rock art sites. In the afternoon we will drive through the Teshweinat valley to reach Tadrart.
Camp (B,L,D)
Day 5
Dune Camp – Wankasa: This morning we leave the Akakus for a spectacular drive to the Wankasa sand sea.
Camp (B,L,D)
Day 6
Wankasa - Germa – Mandara Lake: Today we will have arguably the most spectacular day of the trip leaving the Wankasa sand sea just a blur behind us. Some of this day will be crossing a gravel plain – known as a reg. Beyond Germa, we drive through the Great Ubari sand sea to the extraordinary chain of lakes that burst up through the earth in this region. These are the Beau Geste sands of your imagination, where wave after wave of petrified dunes, climbing to 500 metres in height, continue unbroken to the horizon. The palm-fringed lakes that erupt among them are little short of miraculous. We will have lunch by the Umm al Maa – Mother of Water – before driving on to camp by Mandara Lake.
Camp (B,L,D)
Day 7
Mandara Lake – Tripoli: After breakfast we will drive back via Mafo and Gebraoun Lakes where we can swim and have lunch, then on to Germa, centre of the ancient Garamatean civilisation, where we will see the old city of Germa and its museum. After a shower and early lunch at our agent’s fixed campsite, we will drive back to Sebha to have dinner before flying back to Tripoli. On arrival we’ll check into our hotel.
Hotel (B,L,D)
Day 8
Leptis Magna: After breakfast we drive out to spend the day at the extraordinary Roman ruins at Leptis Magna. These are arguably the most complete and magnificent reminders of Ancient Rome anywhere on earth besides perhaps Rome itself. Now a UNESCO World Heritage site, this is truly a wonder of the world. As well as all the main sites – the forum, the theatre, the basilica etc – we will also see the huge amphitheatre and the remains of the beachside.
We will then return to Tripoli for dinner at a local restaurant, usually by the fish market.
Hotel (B,L,D)
Day 9
Tour ends in Tripoli: This morning will start with a wander through the old town and Medina. We will follow the narrow alleyways and streets stopping off at places of interest, including the old British and French consulates and the main bazaar, before having coffee or mint tea outside one of the cafes. After this we visit the Tripoli Museum and the spice and vegetable bazaar before finishing the tour early afternoon.
(B,L)
Please note that Pre and Post Tour extensions are available to Tobruk, Cyrene and Ghadames. – Please contact us further details.
Cultural Sensitivity
Although an Islamic country, Libya is more relaxed than most in terms of dress code. That said one should still err on the side of caution and be respectful and as such everyone should have their shoulders covered at all times and only wear shorts when in the desert – though knee-length skirts or dresses are acceptable for women in the towns and at the Roman sites.
Climate
The best time to visit Libya is between October and March, when daytime temperatures are relatively mellow for a desert country. In November, when we run our group tours the average day time temp on the coast is mid to upper 20s with an evening temp of around 18, while in the desert the days will be around 30 and the evenings just below 10 degrees Celsius.
Accommodation will essentially be camping out in the desert under the stars or in tents. The tents are the two man mountain type and we will provide good mattresses – meaning that thermo rests are not really necessary – but clients should bring their own sleeping bags.
The hotels we use in Tripoli and Sebha are of a good standard – roughly comparable with European 3*.