Sahara TravelCaravan Route - Western Libya | ||||||||||
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Sahara Travel - Caravan Route Initially we follow the caravan routes leading from the coast to the unique town of Ghadames. Dubbed the city of the seven gates Ghadames is an ancient oasis lying on the edge of the Libyan Sahara. A charming maze of dark passages, bright squares, palm trees and beautifully decorated houses. This fascinating place has been declared as a UNESCO World Heritage site bringing back memories of the days of caravans crossing nthe sahara laden with treasures. Just beyond Ghadames we enter into the Hamada Al-Hamra or the red desert which takes two days to cross before we reach the magical landscapes of Tassili n'Azjjar. This is perhaps the most beautiful area of the whole of the Tassili Sahara. Here the wind has carved and sculpted the sandstone rocks into a forest of pinnacles, a labyrinth of canyons and towers emerging from the soft sands set against a background of pinkish dunes. This area has been home for millennia to men and women who recorded their changing world in fine rock art engravings and paintings. Scenes of wildlife such as giraffes, lions, rhinos and elephant up to 8000 years old. More recent art indicates a gradual desertification of the area. We now have a few days to wander through this fairy tale land, we will be away from the vehicles and only have one as a support vehicle for all the equipment. On average we will walk about 4 hours every day. After crossing a sea of dunes we suddenly come across a series of salty lakes surrounded by dense vegetation of palm trees and reeds. These are the Ubari Lakes. Beside one of the lakes is the old abandoned village of the Daouada people (also known as worms eaters). This is a unique area where it is possible to have a swim in the lake. You will almost never camp within sight of other people and often in a pristine wilderness. All meals are cooked for you and evenings are spent round campfires under a starry sky. On most days there are plenty of opportunities for a few hours walking in the morning or evening. Itinerary It is possible to extend your stay by one day at either end of the trip to visit Leptis Magna, arguably the best-preserved Roman town on the Mediterranean. The scheduled trip costing is based on a minimum group size of two people. Groups of 5 or more will be accompanied by an EWP representative.
Included in Cost: Not Included: | Ghadames Tassili Tassili Ubari Lakes Cave Painting camp in the dunes evening by fire |