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15 Days: Tripoli (2nts)
- Sabratha (1nt) - Sebha (2nts) - Germa - Ghat (1nt) Departure: starts 21st
December 2004, ends 4th January 2005 |
| Mesmerisingly beautiful landscapes and a lush, fertile coastline define the desert nation of Libya - a place of rare fascination and unexpected discovery, perfect for the true connoisseur of adventure travel. Populated by a friendly and welcoming people of real generosity, Libya's long and varied history has been enriched not just by Berber but also Roman, Arab, Turkic and Italian influences. The mark of the Romans, in particular, can be seen in the fantastically well preserved ruins of Leptis Magna and Sabratha. In the south the unforgettably hospitable Tuareg have somehow managed to carve out a viable home from the unbelievably inhospitable Sahara. What is now desert, however, was once fertile savannah and in the region of the Acacus mountains the rock art of early man has left an extraordinary record of an otherwise unknowable time. Today, after centuries of foreign domination, and, more recently, misinformed malignment, Libya is re-establishing itself upon the world stage as its doors begin to open wider to a new wave of visitors from afar... |
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Just some of the highlights...
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Wander through the charming white-washed alleys of North Africa's most authentic bazaar. See the splendid architecture of Tripoli's Ottoman mosques and the remarkably well preserved Arch of Marcus Aurelius. Visit the great Jamahiriya Museum housing one of the world's most renowned classical art collections. |
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Pass beneath the same ornate Arch of
Septimius Severus that has witnessed the passage of generations of toga-clad
ancients. Roam around the opulent Hadrianic baths in which, though now
dry, the
imagination still has a chance to plunge into the depths of Caesarean
decadence. Wander amidst the marble columns and time worn colonnades of
Leptis Magna's forums, nymphaeum and basilica. |
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Visit the important archaeological remains at
Garama whose desert people were once the Saharan scourge of the Roman
Legions in Africa. See the ancient 'beehive' tombs of Hatia. |
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Stroll around this entrancing Tuareg town's
evocative mud-brick medina set against a backdrop of towering sand dunes. |
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We spend three nights camping beneath the
desert stars, each day exploring the Acacus and gaining a vivid pictorial
insight into the lives of our distant ancestors. The sophisticated
inhabitants of this once fertile region left their invaluable and
unforgettable mark in a legacy of colourful rock art galleries and
intricately carved petroglyphs - a rare and true window on prehistory. |
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Our Tuareg jeep drivers take us on an exhilarating
'voyage' across endless waves of soft, rolling sand, navigating by
instinct, before arriving to spend the night at the now deserted oasis
hamlet of Gabraoun. |
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Explore the area's cliff top villages and extraordinary
medieval qasr granaries and olive oil presses. Spend the night in a
delightful (and comfortable!) troglodyte dwelling set deep into the earth. |
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See perhaps the most well-preserved Roman amphitheatre bequeathed by antiquity. Enjoy the peace and ambience of an ancient coastal city (without the people!) and let the imagination and the legs wander back through time. |
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