Traveling in Libya, North Africa
Berber Villages, Leptis Magna, Benghazi, Jebel Akhdar and Ghadames
Oct 6, 2007
Tripoli is the best place to start a tour of Libya, to settle in a bit and get accustomed to the pace and feel of the country.
Distances in Libya are vast and facilities are quite primitive in some places, so it is advised to always have supplies like bottled water and toilet paper at hand.
Day trips or Stopovers from Tripoli
Seaside city Sabratha (67 kms from Tripoli on the busy highway to the Tunisian border), is a well preserved Roman city with the most beautiful theater and a very good museum.
Don't Miss Leptis Magna
The magnificent Roman ruins - Leptis Magna is the one archeological site that every visitor to Libya has to visit. In its time, Leptis Magna was the second largest town of the Roman Empire, after Rome. It is regarded as the best Roman site in the Mediterranean. There's an excellent, large museum next to the main entrance, but the real treasures wait out on the site itself.
Leptis Magna may be a bit far from Tripoli for a daytrip, so stay for a few days at the seaside town of Khoms (120 kms from Tripoli) and enjoy the beautiful beach.
Some other places to see in Libya:
- Berber culture in the Jebel Nafusa. The Jebel Nafusa is a mountain range to the south of Tripoli. The main area of interest for travelers are the Berber villages where the Berber culture and language still thrives -between Gharyan and Nault. This is where Berber troglodyte houses are found.
- Ghadames – desert Oasis. Famous for its desert architecture, the oasis town of Ghadames lies 650km (400mi) southwest of Tripoli, close to the borders of Algeria and Tunisia. For visitors who plan to see one traditional desert place, Ghadames must be top of the list. Visit one of the tourist offices in Ghadames.
- Benghazi, in the Green Mountain area. Benghazi is the second largest city in Libya, situated on the Eastern side of the Gulf of Sirt. It is a modern port city and a major commercial center. There are several good beaches within reach of the city although most of them are beach clubs or resorts. Benghazi is a good base for touring the scenic Green Mountain area of Libya. (It has a Greek like feel because it was founded by Greek settlers).Benghazi is certainly worth a visit.
- Jebel Akhdar. The Jebel Akhdar, North of Benghazi is a beautiful green coastal area, also known as the Green Mountains worth exploring
- Cyrene, well preserved Greek ruins. Second in importance only to Leptis Magna, Cyrene is a must see. It ranks as the best preserved of the Greek cities of Cyrenaica, with its temples, tombs, agora, gymnasium and theatre originally modeled on those at Delphi. Apart from the spectacular Greek ruins, its location high on a bluff overlooking the sea is stunning. There is also the 5th century BC Temple of Zeus and Cyrene's museum
Wesaam Toursim Services’ main objective is to introduce un-discovered potential and amazing tourist revenues, touring capabilities and cultural wealth of Libya in the field of tourism.They offer a variety of tours ranging from three to seven days.
With Caravanserai Tours the choice is yours, Classical cities of Libya, Dessert tours, Classic Tripolitania…
Read the excellent article on Libya with great images by Galen R Frysinger of Sheboygan, Wisconsin, USA.
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