Explore the Libyan Sahara

          

Wild Sahara Libya

Wild Sahara Grade A-B  Fully vehicle supported This programme combines some of the best destinations with some really wild desert travel. There are several days involving driving long distances over tough terrain but also on most days there are plenty of opportunities for a few hours walking from campsites or during lunch stops. You will almost never camp within sight of other people and often in pristine countryside. All meals are cooked for you and evenings are spent round campfires under a starry sky. Itinerary Day 1 Arrive in Tripoli, transfer to three star hotel. Day 2 Three hour drive to the pleasant town of Nalut. Stop for lunch in a traditional restaurant. Visit the old sector of Nalut where the granaries and a mosque are beautifully preserved. Excellent views down to the plains below. After another three hours Darj junction is reached where a short break is made at a pleasant restaurant. Ghadames is a further hour away. Overnight at campsite or in a guesthouse. Day 3 Visit to Ghadames old town and museum then drive back to Darj before heading south-east across the hamada al Hamrah (stone desert). Camp in the wadi Awat. Day 4 Continue across the hamada to where a narrow wadi leads down then across open desert to Hassi Nahia waterhole and sand dunes, lunch. Continue on to camp amongst some beautiful dunes. Day 5 We drive out of the dunes and across the hamada to a dramatic escarpment before plunging down to plains at a lower level, beautiful scenery. After lunch we leave the rugged escarpment behind and drive over a sand desert to camp amongst dunes and small rocky hills. Some excellent walking is available from the camp. Day 6 We continue driving through magnificent wild scenery till we finally reach Idri with its old mud town and castle nearby slowly collapsing away. Drive a short way to the small town of Birgin for lunch and a shower before heading south through the Zellaf Reserve to camp amongst sand dunes. Day 7 Continue through dunes to reach a beautiful oasis with palms and a waterhole. Nearby magnificent dunes offer a fine walk during the lunch break. Now a short, tough drive takes us towards the Ubari Lakes and a refreshing swim at Umm al Maa. Night in dunes not far from Germa. Day 8 Visit Germa museum and the ruins of Garama. Continue with a stop for lunch to a campsite in dunes just short of Ghat offering excellent views of the Acacus. Day 9 A short visit to the Ghat medina then a have refreshments and a shower before we drive south along the Algerian border to the southern entrance of the Acacus at Wadi Ayad. Continue amongst rugged mountains to Takharkhuri and camp in dunes amongst dramatic cliffs. Day 10 Drive to Wan Bubu where the wadi narrows to a gorge; water is often found here. Continue to the famous Afazeghar Arch, then on into wadi Tanshel where we see the first of the rock paintings in shallow caves or under overhangs. Lunch. A short drive to camp near Wan Amelal. Day 11 We drive through sparsely vegetated areas, where Tuareg are often met grazing their goats, then on to Imenineh, a major waterhole at the entrance to Wadi Tashwinet. We visit this famous wadi with its innumerable cave paintings and have lunch. A short walk up a narrow gorge provides a view of two distant rock towers that were thought to be the Gods of the Acacus. Legends say people came here to worship the gods and collect water. We then follow wadi Tin Lallal to the arches of Til Bubu. Shortly we leave the Acacus and reach the beautiful Wan Caza dunes. Camp. Day 12 We drive west over bleak desert to the characteristic sharp summit of Tini Farafar and flat-topped Tini Cammet. Continue on to a lunch spot then across a black stone hamada towards the to Wadi Methkandoush. There will be plenty of time to explore the wadi and see many of the innumerable prehistoric animal carvings for which it is famous. We continue to Murzuq Dunes. Beautiful campsite on the edge of this huge sand sea. Day 13 We visit part of the great wadi Barjuj irrigation scheme that has converted arid desert into a rich farming area. We continue on to Sebha for a shower and lunch. In the afternoon there is time to see a local farm with a variety of animals and crops - an insight into what can be achieved in the desert given water. Evening meal, fly back to Tripoli. Day 14 After breakfast we drive along the coast to Leptis Magna, arguably the best-preserved Roman town on the Mediterranean. After lunch at Leptis we drive back to Tripoli with time to explore the network of streets in the medina and maybe have time to visit the excellent Jamahiriya museum. Final meal in an atmospheric restaurant. Day 15 Drive to airport, fly home.

Murzuk Dunes Tripoli Castle Ghat Castle Ubari Lakes

cave painting   camp in the dunes   evening by fire

The trip costing basis is for a minimum group size of four people. If you have a group of four you could have this trip run at any date to suite you as a private trip. Included in Cost: All transfers, transport, food and accommodation, internal flights, guides and entry fees to museums etc. Camp equipment, tents, mattress, blanket. Cook and catering equipment. Not Included: Visas, tips, international flights (unless requested from UK), personal spending, personal insurance and photography fees in museums etc. Book Now | Dates and Prices