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SAND SEA SAFARI

Journey to the core of the world’s largest desert in an overland trip that takes you through more than 3,000km of dramatic scenery: mountains upon mountains of sand, palm-fringed desert lakes, forests of acacias and other trees that thrive in gorges, oasis towns of shimmering mud-bricked low-squat buildings and charming mosques, mountains of broken dark rocks, desert nomads traipsing on camel’s back, and fantastic rock art that depicts ancient rituals and battles. It takes almost two weeks of driving across roadless terrain in jeeps to cross the central part of the Sahara Desert – that’s two weeks of travel in untamed wilderness where the human presence is limited to a few oasis towns that battle against the shifting sands at the frontier of humanity. And in the geographical centre of the Sahara, we enter into a maze of gorges slashed in mountains of black earth, and there is only one way through the mountains – our drivers are among the few people who know the way in and out without getting lost. The otherworldliness of the mountainous landscapes makes the entire trip surreal, and you will experience a sense of disorientation when you return to a city after the travels.

Here are some descriptions of some features we see along the way:

Sand Sea

Although the imagery of the Sahara Desert is of the classical mountains of sand, only a few large patches of the Sahara have heaps of sand – our route passes through one of the largest patches, which is as large as Sicily, and that seems when you are in the thick of it as an undulating landscape of sand that stretches to infinity. It’s aptly called the Sand Sea, and it’s one of the highlights of our journey – our jeep will be squiggling on the sand for two days. The sand forms ridges and valleys, and in the low valleys we encounter groves of date palms and even lakes. The colour of the sand changes throughout the day, becoming a lurid crimson colour at sunset, when the warm weather and deep colours (the crimson of the sand versus the deep blue of the cloudless sky) and the stillness is likely to be the closest experience you will have of being in a place out of this world. 

Desert lakes

Mirages in the desert are everywhere – at midday the mirages are so pervasive that it feels as if you are driving across the surface of a lake – but some mirages turn out to be true: there are plenty of freshwater or brackish lakes in the desert. These lakes are like an irreconcilable contrast in a terrain that is hyper-dry, but the reason for their presence is very simple: there are huge freshwater aquifers underneath the desert, some of them relatively shallow, and the lakes form in places where valleys or depressions are deeper than the water table. These lakes are wetlands that have sustained life in the desert – the nomads and wildlife rely on the lakes for fresh water. Reeds and date palms and tamarisk trees, as well as other plants and orchids, thrive on the banks of the lakes, and the lakes also have endemic fishes. The wetlands make great settings for our campsites.

Forests & Oases

Shallower valleys support oases, where tree’s roots suck underground water from the relatively shallow underground aquifers. At such places, entire groves of trees and small forests form. The dominant trees are acacias, while tamarisks grow in marshy ground. There are also many other species, including hardy bushes and animals such as foxes, gazelles, wild camels, snakes, and many birds, including the ubiquitous white-crowned wheater. Some of the larger valleys have also attracted humans, who live tenuously in a struggle against the sandstorms (the dust storms occur in April and May). Our journey takes us to some of the far-flung settlements in oasis where we will get close to the desert nomads – the Taureg, who now lead a semi-settled existence – and other wanderers who live in the oasis villages whose houses are evocatively built of mud-bricks and which hold ancient and charming mosques.

Waw An Namus

Near the geographic centre of the Sahara Desert we will explore a range of black mountains and plateaus of black soil formed by ancient and now-extinct volacanoes. The most famous of the volcanoes is known as Waw An Namus: the massive caldera or crater of Waw An Namus is so large that it is visible to the naked eye from space. Now the caldera holds a lake of brackish water, fringed by reeds and tamarisks and palms, and infested by mosquitoes (you will certainly need mosquito repellent at nightfall). We will drive through the black mountains and explore some of the more unusual mountains, including Waw An Namus.

Jebel Acacus

In Jebel Acacus, another range of mountains, the terrain is more varied – constituted of shattered black rocks and boulders and pinnacles, towering mountains of brownish cliffs, gorges meandering through plateaus, and hills of orange sand. Add to this a concentration of rock art, and you begin to understand why Jebel Acacus is a World Heritage Site and one of the most dramatic pieces of landscapes of the Sahara Desert.  

Rock Art

Rock art proliferates in the desert. This is usually found in underhangs, and there are two varieties: petroglyphs (the figures are carved on the rock’s surface) and paintings (these paintings were elaborately made with natural dye). The rock art is between 2,000 and 10,000 years old, and some of it was made at a time when the Sahara Desert was green, before rainfall failed about 5,000 years ago. The rock art in fact depicts something of a lost world: hunting scenes, savannah animals (such as elephants, deer, ostriches, and so on), and ritualistic gatherings (such as caravans on camels carrying kings, battles, wedding parties and other events). We will see plenty of rock art during our journey. 

Greek and Roman sites

Libya has the largest concentration of Greek and Roman ruins outside Greece and Italy respectively. These are situated near the population centres on the coast, and since any road journey has to begin and end in Tripoli – which is the capital city and gateway city for flights to Libya – you should also take the opportunity to visit some of these classical ruins.

Tripoli

The capital of Libya – and the city where our desert trip begins and end – is fantastic laid-back city with a way of life that has disappeared elsewhere in north Africa or the wider Middle East. The city deserves two or three days, which gives you enough time to explore the three aspects of Tripoli that are outstanding: the old quarter (the Medina) with its atmospheric alleys, old decaying buildings, historical mosques and varied markets; the so-called Red Fort (Assaraj Al Hamra), whose architecture dates back to its last makeover during the era of rule of the Ottoman Empire and which now doubles as the excellent Tripoli Museum; funky restaurants that do great Libyan dishes (such as Libyan soup and couscous dishes) as well as modern restaurants that specialise in regional specialities (these include Turkish and Moroccan restaurants).

Start & Finish: Tripoli

Recommended duration: 21 days (we do other shorter tours of the Sahara Desert; 21 days is the ultimate and comprehensive desert adventure, and also includes Greek/Roman ruins and Tripoli sightseeing).

Price Range: Full-board land-only prices range between €1500 (US$1500) and €2500 (US$1900) per person for a minimum of two travellers.

Accommodation: Mid-range hotels in town and camping in the desert – we camp on sand, which is very comfortable to sleep on, and for dinner and other stops we set out chairs and tables.

Logistical Details: An expedition that crosses the world’s largest desert requires special logistics – for example, spare vehicle/s and extra driver have to form part of the convoy just in case – and our standard logistics and services do not apply for the Sahara Desert trip. More info will be given to interested travellers.