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LIBYA TOURS: THE GOOD NEWS AND THE BAD NEWS
(AND HOW TO LESSEN THE LATTER)
by Ted Cookson
Published in February 2005
WHY VISIT LIBYA?
After being all-but-closed to international tourism for a number of
years, Libya has now opened its doors again to American and other tourists.
Since the limited number of hotel rooms is currently constricting tourist
arrivals, now is a great time to visit Libya's amazing antiquities before mass
tourism takes hold.
THE GOOD NEWS: LIBYA HAS FASCINATING ROMAN RUINS
Nearby Libya offers "world-class" (1) Roman-era ruins at Leptis Magna and
Sabratha near Tripoli, the capital, and (2) Greek-era ruins at Cyrene near
Benghazi, the second-largest city.
Tripoli itself contains an interesting archeological and historical museum, and
there is an old-style market (souk) in the medina nearby.
Beyond that, Libya's desert oases boast a rich historical and archeological
heritage.
That's the good news.
THE BAD NEWS: A LIBYA TOUR SEEMS EXPENSIVE
The bad news is that, at least at first glance, tour prices for Libya appear
to be expensive. In part, this is because tour prices include so many items
which would not be prepaid normally unless you were, say, going on safari.
This situation arises because no one (except perhaps a diplomat?) is able to
obtain a tourist visa to visit Libya by walking into the Embassy of Libya in
Cairo and simply applying for one. A visa for a non-diplomat is only
issued to a person who has been "invited" by a tour operator in Libya. The
activities of the tourist then become the legal responsibility of the tour
operator while that tourist remains in Libya.
This being the case, tour operators require that tourists reserve and prepay a
complete "land package" consisting of (a) round trip airport transfers, (b) a
full tour program with a private vehicle and driver plus a guide who speaks the
tourist's native language, (c) hotel accommodation, and (d) all meals. Once such
a complete land package is prepaid, the tour operator in Libya then arranges to
"invite" the tourist to Libya.
A few of the more savvy travel agencies shortcut the visa procedure by working
with a tour operator in Tripoli who arranges for tourist visas to be made
available upon arrival at Tripoli International Airport. Prior to departure a
fax is provided to the client. This fax must be shown to the airline as evidence
that a visa will be waiting for him/her upon arrival in Tripoli. Without such
evidence of visa upon arrival, the client will be denied boarding by the airline
in Cairo.
WAYS TO MINIMIZE THE PRICE OF A LIBYA TOUR
LAND PACKAGE:
Tour pricing can be minimized by reducing the number of days spent in Libya.
One can see plenty in only a two-day visit, for instance. The interesting
national museum (with archeological, historical and cultural exhibits) and
nearby market in Tripoli can be seen on the morning of the first day; and the
Roman-era ruins at Sabratha, 60 minutes west of Tripoli, can be visited after
lunch that same day. The second day should be devoted to the extensive Roman-era
ruins at Leptis Magna, 90 minutes east of Tripoli. There are clean tourist
restaurants conveniently situated near Sabratha and Leptis Magna where one can
eat the lunch which will be included in your package.
Tour pricing can also be minimized by staying in lesser quality accommodations
than you might normally prefer. A few of the 3-star hotels in Tripoli are as
clean as the 4-star hotels. Because Tripoli's sole 5-star hotel is so very
expensive, almost all travelers' options for accommodation will be limited to
3-star and 4-star hotels anyway.
Finding friends who would like to tour Libya with you will reduce pricing
substantially. For example, two people traveling alone can expect to reduce
their tour price by about USD 400 per person by finding just one other
couple with whom to travel.
AIRFARE:
Egypt Air is probably the better of the two airlines flying to Libya; but
Egypt Air flies between Cairo and Tripoli in both directions in the middle of
the night, which is inconvenient. Also, Egypt Air's airfares are related to
one's length of stay. So for a short stay Egypt Air is substantially more
expensive than Libyan Arab Airlines, the other carrier. Egypt Air's round trip
airfares vary from approx. EGP 2,065 for a stay with a minimum of six nights to
approx. EGP 3,400 for a stay with a minimum of two nights or less. Libyan Arab
Airlines, on the other hand, offers a round trip airfare of approx. EGP 1,900 no
matter how long the stay. Ask your travel agent for more information about the
various airfares available.
RECOMMENDATION:
If you enjoy viewing antiquities, don't miss Libya! But, to help reduce the
tour price, consider keeping your visit short, staying in a 3-star hotel, and
traveling with a few friends. Also, if you plan to visit Tripoli, your choice of
airlines will have an impact not only on your sleep, but also on your airfare.
ABOUT TED COOKSON: Egypt's most widely-traveled travel agent, Ted has been
to every country in the world! He has also visited 307 of the 315 destinations
on the list of the Travelers' Century Club (visit
www.eptours.com and refer to World Travel Club). A travel agent in Cairo
since 1986, Ted manages EGYPT PANORAMA TOURS, a full-service travel agency, at 4
Road 79 (between Roads 9 and 10, near the "El Maadi" metro station) in Maadi.
Contact Egypt Panorama Tours (open 7 days a week 9 AM-5 PM) at: Tels. 2359-0200,
2358-5880, 2359-1301. Fax 2359-1199. E-mail:
ept@link.net. Web site:
www.eptours.com.