Safety Tips in Libya

Update - March 2009 Just returned from Libya and can report that all camera charges and restrictions have been removed from museums and historical sites! I don't use a video recorder so don't know about those, but for still camera photographers at least, this is excellent news, but, this being Libya, things could change back again at any time.

so ... be prepared ... this is how it was until recently ...

Whilst entry charges for Libya's historical sites are a very reasonable 3LD at most ( some are only 1LD), you will have to be prepared to pay a camera charge if you want to take photos (and you will want to take photos!) - 5LD for a still camera, 10LD for video. - at nearly all of them. Places such as Leptis Magna will levy the charge for both the site and the museum. This can knock quite a hole in your budget so do ensure that you allow for it when working out your finances.

Public loos are thin on the ground in Libya - the only one I saw apart from those at the main archaeological sites was a very new pair in Gazelle Park in Tripoli. This is not a problem though as it is quite accepted practice to go into a restaurant, hotel or cafe (internet cafes are good too) and ask if you may use their toilet. When we did this at a hotel in Gharyan, we were escorted very politely to an unused hotel room!

I never found a loo that was not acceptably clean and never had to use a squat loo, though this may not be the case in more remote places. Update - June 2009 - I wish I could say the same from my latest visit, but this time round, some of the loos we found were pretty grim! Be prepared!

Water and soap were always available, but you should be sure to carry your own small supply of loo paper - and remember not to flush it away but use the bin, especially in the countryside - not all septic systems can cope with it.

Be sure to have a few 1/4 and 1/2 dinar notes on you - the charge for using the WC at places like Leptis Magna where there is an attendant.

Houses in Ghadames are made out of mud, lime, and palm tree trunks with covered alleyways between them to offer good shelter against summer heath.
Those covered alleyways can be visited in a complete atmosphere of darkness (pic 5) - in fact a danger tip for "claustrofobia" visitors. But if the local guide is a good one, he will warn you

Generaly spoken, the arabics have another view on the hygienic toilets in hotels, restaurants and many touristic places. Stating it short, they are dirty and sometimes boots are a must.
But oké, we as western tourists have to accept those facilities, alltough not to forget.. I just noticed that in NY (US) a first public toilet was installed (jan2008)

*******NEW*******
Wars long since over are still claiming casualties in Libya. Each year 120 people are killed or injured by landmines sown as long ago as WWII. More have been added during conflicts with Egypt and, most recently, Chad. Over one-third of the country's arable land is suspected of being contaminated, leaving just 60%of the country's agricultural land safe enough to plough. With some 93% of the country classified as desert, this is a disastrous situation. Altogether 33% of the country - desert, towns and villages as well as farming land - is sown with mines. As well as the reduction of usable farming land, the presence of mines causes huge problems maintaining infrastructure, demining must be carried out before any survey work for the country's valuable oil industry can be carried out and the Great Man-Made River project has taken far longer and cost far more than estimated as a result of the presence of mines.

Whilst this is not a problem for the average tourist, it is something anyone preparing to set off on an independent driving expedition needs to be aware of. Local advice must be sought and , if you are intending to drive in an area known to be mined, a local guide is essential.

I've been traveling to Libya on business since it opened. All the tips here are true. But Libya is not a dangerous place for the ordinary tourist. Here's my list of don'ts.

Avoid political discussions:Libyans will not venture into political discussion with you, and neither should you.Respect Islamic culture and traditions. The Libyans will not make you feel uncomfortable about being non-Islamic unless you are Jewish. The Libyan govt has an argument with Israel and takes it out on all Jews. They have no argument with other religions.

Respect the law:alcohol is prohibited-don't bring it into the country even for personal consumption. The penalty is a lot worse than confiscation. Prostitution, homosex, drugs:all are available there,but don't even think about it. The upside is minimal,the downside is life-shattering.

No pics of government institutions. If in doubt,just ask the local police man. Gesture that you want to take a pic. He'll nod or shake his head. Don't go against his wishes. But don't be over-paranoid about it either. The sensitive places are police stations, the airport and the leader's compound.

Gadhafi: he's always referred to as the Leader. For some reason, using his name makes Libyans uncomfortable. And he has no official position in the govt, such as president or prime minister. So Leader it is.

But, the best warning I can give you is about being physically careful in Tripoli. The city's infrastructure has suffered through the Sanction Years. That means the sidewalks are a disaster - frequently broken up, holes, uncovered manholes, exposed wires. THere are virtually no traffic lights, and the general traffic rule is that cars have the right of way. You get hit by a car - well, you were asking for it. YOU DO NOT WANT to be exposed to the Libyan health care system. So take care of yourself there, and watch where you're walking.

It seems like Libya is a horror. Compared with NYC,London,Tokyo it probably is. But it has the highest GDP/person in Africa and is considered the Gold Coast of Africa.

Strictly speaking it is illegal to enter or exit libya with libyan dinars. I changed money in tunisia on the road to the libyan border because there may have been a large queue at the official exchange at the frontier and the exchange rate may have been worse (dont take my word for it though).
What is likely to happen if you are caught is that the official may help himself to a few notes in exchange for keeping quiet. Therefore i was advised to split my money up as this is much more likely to be a problem if they find a big wad of notes as opposed to just a few.

4 more images

The sun in the desert is very bright and hot during the day. It's advisable to protect your head. Also an umbrella can be very useful.

If you don't want to damage your eyes during the solar eclipse it's absolutely necessary to use safe eclipse viewing glasses !