- Join for free
- Sign In
TheWanderingCamel Says: The road from Sebah to Ghat (the main access route to the Jebel Akakus) passes through a string of small towns, the largest of which is Germa. Apart from being the biggest of the towns in the Wadi al-Hayat, the town, as it appears from the road, doesn't seem to be any more...
TheWanderingCamel Says: That's the reaction of everyone when you tell them about the Ubari Lakes, extraordinary bodies of water that are to be found lying amid the barren dunes if the Ubari Sand Sea. These lakes fulfil the quintessential vision of a desert oasis - a calm, still body of water rimmed...
TheWanderingCamel Says: Barren and dry as the desert is, there is still vegetation to be found there. A small variety of plants have managed to adapt themselves to the meagre traces of water available to them. The dunes are all but totally devoid of vegetation (watch out for tiny dics with a...
TheWanderingCamel Says: The Garamante people who dominated the Fezzan in the last years of the pre-Christian era introduced the camel along with the horse. First as a beast of burden and increasingly a mode of human transport as the desertification of the region increased, the camel came to be the...
TheWanderingCamel Says: Scattered on rock faces, hidden under overhangs, the rock art of the Jebel Akakus is an marvellous body of work that not only spans a period of some 10000 years but also tells the story of the changing face of the Sahara, from a time that saw elephant, giraffe, hippo and...
TheWanderingCamel Says: As with any civilization, the introduction of the wheel and the arrival of the horse brought huge changes to the Saharans of the Jebel Akakus. Now it was possible to cover large distances, to move people, animals and belongings quickly. Depictions of chariots (photo 1) and...
TheWanderingCamel Says: Over countless years, the sand-filled winds of the desert have created some extraordinary rock formations in the Jebel Akakus. Huge natural arches (photos 1 and 2) carved out of the sandstone, gravity defying pillars of black basalt (photo 3), a trio of massive rocks that...
TheWanderingCamel Says: By the time things had moved on to what is now known as the Pastoral period (6000-2000BC), the region of the Jebel Akakus must have been an idyllic place. People were living in settled communities, cattle were domesticated (photos 1) and there was time for ceremony and...
TheWanderingCamel Says: The first depictions of man in the Akakus paintings is referred to as the Round Head Period and covers the period 8000-6000BC. Faded and indistinct as many of them are, there's a charm to these figures that I found very endearing, with their almost abstract forms and strange...
TheWanderingCamel Says: For reasons of safety, permits to travel in the Akakus are only issued to a minimum party of 2 vehicles, so even though there was only MrL travelling with me, we travelled with 2 drivers and a cook. A journey into the Akakus means camp-kitchen cooking in wonderful...
larserik1 Says: No restaurants or other catering facilities exist. You have to bring what you need. The best thing is to hire a cook. He will fix everything for you. Couscous or pasta together with onions, tomatoes etc and occasionaly chicken. all served with bread, water and non-alcoholic...
TheWanderingCamel Says: Whilst camel treks and trailbike safaris (photos 4,5) are two of the options on offer for getting around the Akakus, most people will spend their time here in a 4x4. Toyotas are favourite choice of the Tuareg drivers who operate in the area - Land Cruisers for the client and...
It's not exactly easy! Part 2 - Permits, etc
TheWanderingCamel Says: PermitsA permit is essential for any tourist vehicle wishing to travel within the Jebel Akakus. These permits are only issued to a minimum of two vehicles. Independent convoys are required to be accompanied by an official guide. Your Libyan travel agent will arrange this for...
It's not exactly easy! Part 3 - Stage 1: To Sebah
TheWanderingCamel Says: Access The Jebel Akakus lies in the south-west corner of Libya, almost 2000 kilometres from Tripoli. Whichever way you look at it, simply getting to one of the gateways to the region - the towns of Al Aweinat and Ghat - involves a minimum of 2 days travel once you have...
It's not exactly easy! Part 4 - Sebah to Ghat
TheWanderingCamel Says: Access - continuedDriving from Sebah to Al Aweinat or Ghat, the two jumping off points for a journey into the Jebel Akakus, offers some real surprises - not the least of which is the 200 kilometre long Wadi al-Hayat the road travels through as you leave Sebah. Green fields...
A blanket under a palm shelter...: Tuareg treasures
TheWanderingCamel Says: ... that's the nearest thing you'll find to a shop (photos 1 and 3) once you leave the towns and villages of the only road to the Akakus behind. In fact, we didn't find anyone selling anything once we left the road, and even in Al Aweinat we only saw one trader with a few...
If you forget something - that's it!
TheWanderingCamel Says: This is not the place to bring your smart new suitcase - your bag is going to get very dusty - but do be sure you have something that seals very well. Desert nights can get very cold - even as summer approaches - so bring something warm but lightweight for chilly evenings...
Umbrella is useful in the Sahara
larserik1 Says: Our guide had been travelling in the Akakus mountains since 1992 and never experienced any rain. We had heavy rain for 24 hours in March 2005
larserik1 Says: The tuaregs, 'the blue people' live generally as nomads in the central Sahara. This caravan was found close to the Akakus mountains
TheWanderingCamel Says: There's something about deserts - they really get into your blood - they certainly have got into mine. Don't ever think they're just a boring expanse of nothingness - the everchanging colours, shapes and shadows; the play of light and shade across angles and sweep of the...
Plan a Jibal Akakus vacation with reviews, tips and photos posted by real travelers and Jibal Akakus locals
There are walking safaris in Akakus - but the best thing is to go by 4WD
Our members can help!
1
....and into another - that just about sums up the experience of days spent among the sands and rocks of Libya's Jebel Akakus. World Heritage-listed; considered the cradle of North African art and......
2
Our guide told us: "More than three cars use to pass here every day - once a week no cars". A fantastic place: spectacular mountains. 5000-10000 year old rock carvings and rock paintings
3
The Akakus is -like Tassili n'Ajjer in Algeria, at the other side of the border- one of worlds best places to enjoy rockpaintings in an amazing beautifull desert scenery.
Build your own Jibal Akakus page
