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26 October ITINERARY
Saturday 26 September, 2009: Arrive Tripoli. We are met upon arrival at the airport and transferred to the hotel. Tripoli, "Oea", the white bride of the Mediterranean, is the capital of Libya. Founded by the Phoenicians in 1000 B.C., and later conquered by the Romans, Arabs, Ottomans, Spaniards, and Italians. They all left their mark, but particularly the latter, whose impressive architecture, mainly the product of Mussolini’s Fascist Italy, merges with the modern buildings of today. Afternoon free to wander through Green Square and the narrow laneways of the Old City to absorb the wonderful sights, sounds and aromas of this charming North African city. Dinner in a local restaurant.
Sunday 27 September, 2009: Tripoli. Our city tour begins at the Jamahiriya Museum. Housed in the great citadel, this beautifully designed museum displays artifacts from the Phoenician, Greek, Roman and Islamic periods. Continue our stroll through the Old City, visiting the Naga Mosque, Tripoli’s oldest mosque, the Roman Arch, and Gurgi Mosque, built in 1833 by a Georgian mamluk who was responsible for Tripoli’s fleet. Its unusual octagonal minaret is the tallest in the Medina. We will also visit Dar Ahmed Nayib al Ansari, the restored Jewish School, which now houses Tripoli’s archival material, and examine the remnants of the original Roman settlement that once occupied this area. Lunch and dinner in local restaurants.
Monday 28 September, 2009: Amongst all of Libya's many archaeological sites, Sabratha stands out as the most majestic. This World Heritage Site was founded by the Canaanites in the 6th Century B.C., ruled by Carthage, Phoenicia, Numedia and then Rome in 46 B.C. Sabratha was valued not only for its agricultural wealth, but also for the gold, ivory, wild animals and slaves that reached the city by the great caravan route from Lake Chad. The city we see today was built under Emperor Marcus Aurelius. This grand and ancient site offers a wonderful collection of public buildings, arenas, the impressively restored Roman Theatre, the temples of Liber Pater, Serapis, Isis and Hercules, all magnificently set against the Mediterranean Sea. Return to Tripoli for overnight.
Tuesday 29 September, 2009: This morning we leave Tripoli and drive to Qasr Al Haj, a large, fortified granary, built in a perfect circle and undoubtedly the finest example of Berber architecture in the country. Continue on to the “ghost town" of Nalut, located high in the Nafusa Mountains, and one of the most scenic areas in Libya. Nalut offers insights into the traditional lifestyle of the locals until the Libyans found the rich oil, enabling them to move from caves to concrete structures. Early evening arrival into Ghadames. Dinner and overnight in Ghadames.
Wednesday 30 September, 2009: Ghadames, the fabled “Pearl of the Sahara”. This oasis was settled from prehistoric times and was a major port of call for the traders and pilgrims en route to Mecca. Today, Ghadames is a beautiful, tranquil desert town that has retained its original culture, visible in the narrow streets lined with uniquely adapted mudbrick architecture. Our tour will cover the museum and the intoxicating old ghost town, with lunch in one of the traditional houses. In the late afternoon we drive out to view the desert sunset, weather permitting. Dinner and overnight in Ghadames.
Thursday 01 October, 2009: After breakfast we have a long drive today, heading further south to the Fezzan region. Visit various oases and towns en route to Sebha where we have dinner and overnight at the hotel.
This morning we meet our drivers and head off in landcruisers towards the breathtaking Jebel Akakus region. This is a World Heritage Site displaying a maze of dramatic black basalt cliffs, ridges, and a treasure trove of some of the world’s finest prehistoric paintings, rock carvings and unusual rock formations. The Sahara has some of the most spectacular and diverse scenery to be found anywhere in the world. Splashes of fertile wadis dot the landscape set amongst the towering sand dunes. We explore this fascinating region over the next five days taking in Wadi Tashwinat, Awanini, Wan Kassa Dunes and the Murzuq Dunes. Desert camping.
Return to Sebha for a farewell dinner with our Sahara drivers who will take us to the airport for our evening flight to Tripoli. Here we are met upon arrival and transferred to the hotel for overnight.
Wednesday 07 October, 2009: Well we’ve saved the best for last! The highlight of any visit to Libya is undoubtedly the World Heritage Site of Leptis Magna. World famous as the best-preserved and most extensive Roman city in the Mediterranean. It became important when established as a city by the Canaanites and reached its climax under the rule of Septimus Severus, the first African Roman Emperor. We spend most of day exploring this stunning Roman city, walking the ancient chariot-scarred streets of the vast site that lead us to the Triumphal Arch, Basilica, Forum, Public Baths, Hippodrome and the Amphitheatre. We return to Tripoli via Villa Sileen, a wonderfully preserved Byzantine villa renowned for its vivid floor mosaics. Dinner and overnight in Tripoli.
Thursday 08 October, 2009: Morning at leisure in Tripoli. Transfer to the international airport. Tour ends.
Cost includes all accommodation, all meals, local escort, all sightseeing with English speaking guides, all transport with private vehicle and driver, entrance fees, internal flight and visa for Libya.
A$4870 per person twin share A$415 single supplement |
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Join us on this journey to North Africa and witness first hand the ancient and the modern Libya.
