Libya

Travel to Libya

Libya is once again an opportunity for the adventurous pioneer traveler. Several groups over time visited this old Roman territory with Penguin Travel and we are delighted that now (autumn 22) we can present a travel to the country with well-preserved world-class Roman ruins, distinctive desert cities, lots of attractive unexplored places and wonderful Italian cafes in the center of Tripoli.

The huge North African desert state (1 676 198 km²) has just 6.8 million inhabitants, the majority of whom live in the areas close to the Mediterranean. The Sahara covers 90% of the country and the desert forms an impassable sand landscape with gigantic endless dunes in large parts of the country. There are no rivers here, only wadis or dry river valleys that during rainfall are filled and quickly dry up again. But under the desert there is fossilized water reserve from the past and this is utilized in a Gadaffi water extraction project from the 1980-ies, which created the Great Man-Made River ensuring drinking water for the areas around Tripoli and Benghazi.

Today, Libya is divided into two parts: East and West and the peace after 2 civil wars is regulated by a peace agreement from 2020. The first, in which NATO was involved, meant the fall and death of Colonel Gadaffi in 2011, while the second started in 2014. Since 2020, the peace agreement ensures the stability of the country. In the western part is the capital Tripoli, while the eastern region is governed from Benghazi, which is also the main city. Unfortunately, the eastern part does not yet allow tourism.

On the Roundtrip in Libya with Penguin Travel you can expect experiences outside Tripoli in the ancient desert city of Ghadames, located 600 km southwest of Tripoli. The old town is on the UNESCO World Heritage List. We visit Sabratha and Leptis Magna, which, with the Mediterranean as a backdrop, are located respectively east and west of Tripoli and have world-class ruins from Roman times. With Penguin Travel, you experience a Glimpse of Libya that will not be forgotten and it is about to be compared to the experiences in countries like Lebanon, Syria, Iran and Iraq.