Tripoli Warnings and Dangers

well i am libyan ,travelled and lived western life ,when you come here be ready to start a new way of life ,the freedom you exercise at home and within public places you better shift it to closed doors to avoid getting stuck up with local closed mind people who dont even know what the hell you are doing ,a woman wearing nice clothes is a normal scene in Rome but its a sexual attraction in tripoli ,so be careful play safe and enjoy what you can ,sorry to say this libya is developing and in all aspects even human interaction , freedom of expression and traditions ,just act like libyans and do what they do in public its the safest way to avoid problems ,and if you got money or ride nice wheels you are gonna be preyed on by muggers good luck

I would seriously warn against women travelling alone in Tripoli. I live here and as a woman every day is a struggle. It was advised when i arrived to work here to respect local culture and tradition which i was keen to do. Tripoli is a predominantly muslim city and the majority of women on the street have their heads covered. I was told i would not have a problem if i dressed conservatively (long trousers and long sleeve tops, no cleavage and nothing tight fitting). This is not the case. From the moment i leave the house in the morning i am stared at and shouted at by locals. The men make a strange hissing sound at me and the women look with a certain amount of animosity. I am not saying all the residents of Tripoli are like this. Many are kind and open minded but I cannot walk in the street without men shouting something or cars stopping and men trying to speak to me. I am assured by locals in the office that no harm will come to me and that these people just find it strange to see a foreign woman alone with her head uncovered. I feel very threatened by the behaviour and do not believe it is harmless. I know of 3 ex pats who have been attacked here. One was punched in the face by a teen boy for refusing his advances in the street, another had stones thrown at her during a short walk to work. I have been chased in cars by people claiming to be police only to have a friend groped by them when we stopped. Tripoli is not a safe place for women alone. Even accompanied by a man you willl have cars beeping at you and men making comments. GOOD LUCK AND BE CAREFUL.

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The Taxis in Tripoli are black and white, but so are also the police cars; before you wave at a car be sure you make a sign to the right one when it comes around the corner, otherwise your final destination may not be the one you expected! it’s a joke, but yes both types of cars have the same colour, only, the taxis are black with white wings and the police cars are white with black wings; it looks like the cars have been imported as one coloured cars and then, the wings have been exchanged!
hahahaha

In no country have I ever seen such mad driving on the highways. The main route in Libya is along the coast, going around both the Big and Small Syrte from Tripoli to Beghazi. My guide
took me to Sabratha and to Leptis Magna from Tripoli. The roads certainly are modern (way
more than in Tunisia), but the driving is on the downside. There are no rules where to over-
take, and the word "safety distance" does not exist (instead, you can fear bumping into
another car while going 160 km/h speed and only 2 sec safety distance from the car in front).
You can imagine I was always on a high blood pressure while sitting in a car.
My kind guide ignored my fears by simply stating, "Forget Europe, this is AFRICA!"

Mind that sightseeing in Libya is a very bureaucratic procedure still. You need one guide who will have to show all documents such as Visa, a list of the name of the guide and
also papers of your residence.
Public transport is not really there for sights such as Sabratha and Leptis Magna near
Tripoli. Also consider the fact that you might not get along so easily since most of the
people only know Arabic and just a few English phrases.

Libya is very safe for women. However the attention from men can be intimidating and tiring. Mostly the comments are friendly, but sometimes they are of a sexually suggestive nature. Just be prepared to be watched -especailly on a Friday when there are more men on the streets than normal.

It is a good idea to cover up bare skin, just for your own comfort. Head covering is not necessary unless entering a mosque.

1) Be coutious when you take pictures of the people. They may don't like it! We should respect somebody elses religion. 2) Make sure you have no visa from Israel in your passport. You may have problems to get Libyan visa or problems in the borders. 3) If you have no experience with Libyan customs and don't speek Arabic fluently you should choose an organized tour!