Libya Explored

Slowly digesting my 14 days in Libya courtesy of Peregrine Adventures.

The Greek and Roman ruins of the coast were almost too impressive in their extent and had benefitted from rebuilding/restoration by the Italians. Similarly, the rock art in the Tadrart Acacus is in an amazing condition considering that some of it is 14,000 years old. Ghadames felt like a dying town – a very melancholy place. At least Ghat had been put out of its misery.

Panoramic view of the theatre, Sabratha
Panoramic view of the theatre, Sabratha

The highs were:

  • drinking in the Milky Way in the desert silence of the Tadrart Acacus
  • walking around the empty streets of Ghat’s old medina (although the absence of our local guide contributed to the experience)
  • Pippi, Lois and Sybl

The lows were:

  • the unprofessional behaviour of Peregrine’s local guide
  • ending the trip feeling that it has been overpriced and that I’d got extremely poor value for money

Lessons for me:

  • avoid local leader-only tours
  • trust my gut instincts on value for money

I’m certainly not travelling with Peregrine/Gecko’s again. Libya’s worth visiting though, especially if you liked Syria – it has a very similar feel.

Here’s an Excel spreadsheet showing what I actually spent in Libya, on top of the cost of the tour, flights and getting a certified Arabic translation of my passport details for the Libyan visa.

And, our reading list.

(And finally – July – the Photos & Notes.)