This expedition, possibly the ultimate desert experience, crosses one of the Sahara's most extensive sand seas - the beautiful and little visited Idahan Murzuq (the Murzuk Sand Sea). We then visit some of the most interesting regions of the Fezzan: the Tadrart (Acacus) Mountains, with their magnificent scenery and famous cave art, the Wan Casa dunes and the Ubari Oasis Lakes. Although the Murzuk Dunes extend for some 300km their crossing is a serious expedition involving driving long distances over tough terrain in order to find a passage through the maze of dunes. This is a unique opportunity to be guided by Tuaregs who come from the Murzuq area and know the dunes as well as anyone can.
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.
Your Itinerary:
Day 1: Tripoli to Sebha Arrive in Tripoli, evening flight to Sebha, night in hotel. Dinner will be either in Tripoli or Sebha depending on flight times.
Days 2-4: Idahan Murzuq: A short drive to Murzuq town. Morning devoted to visiting the Turkish fort built on an old slave trading route and the souq with its wide range of local handicrafts. After lunch, we enter the Murzuq desert with its 500 kilometers of sand dunes shaped by the wind that blows from the northeast to southwest. The route is rather demanding, the continuous succession of dunes requires a spirit of adaptation and team work from all participants rewarded by breathtaking scenery. We will be camping among the dunes, admiring the sunsets then sitting around the fire after dinner.
Days 5-7: Wan Kasa - Acacus We follow desert trails to Wan Casa with a brief stop at a well for a water resupply. We continue to the southern Tadrart (Acacus) mountains with their beautiful winding wadis, rock walls, arches and towers. The area is renowned for its cave art and archaeological sites. Along the way we may meet up with Tuareg nomads who live here permanently with their herds of goats.
Days 8-9: Ubari Lakes We leave the Acacus and after crossing a short sea of dunes, part of the Erg Ubari, we come across a unique series of lakes surrounded by palm trees and reeds. The source of the water feeding these lakes remains a mystery. There is an abandoned village of the Daouada people (also known as tha worm-eaters (actually small reddish crustaceans called Artemia Salina).
Day 10: Sebha to Tripoli We leave the Ubari deserts and head towards the city of Sebha. Dinner at the agritourism Fezzan where ther is a small zoo and you can enjoy the swimming pool. Evening transfer to Sebha airport and flight to Tripoli. Bed and breakfast in hotel.
Day 11: Depart Possibly free time in Tripoli, the Jamahiriya museum is particularly worthwhile to visit. Transfer to airport and flight home.
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 four people. In this case our representative will accompany the trip. If the group size drops to two or three we either do not send a representative or make a surcharge. If you have a private group this trip may be run at any date to suite you (subject to guide availability) as a private trip at similar prices.
Notes:
Airfare is not included in the tour price.
The price of 1350 Euro is based on a minimum of 4. If the group size drops to two or three we either do not send a representative or make a surcharge.
Price Includes:
- All transfers,
- Transport,
- Food and accommodation,
- Internal flights,
- Guides.
- Camp equipment, tents, mattress, blanket. Cook and catering equipment. On-entry visas on entry and visa support. An English speaking guide and for group size 4 or more our representative.
Price Excludes:
- Tips,
- International flights (unless requested from UK),
- Personal spending,
- Personal insurance and fees in museums.
Also see tour packages in:
Africa
Libya
Outdoor: Land Rambler
Desert Expeditions
Hiking & Trekking
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