Libya

With tourism still in its infancy, Libya remains relatively unexplored despite some of the most impressive classical ruins and landscapes in the whole Mediterranean. In the past people have had to travel to Libya with organised group tours due to visa restrictions, but this has now changed to allow individuals on tailormade tours and Original Travel has now visited several times to research the best bits. Tides of empires have ebbed and flowed across this land - Phoenician, Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Islamic and latterly, but briefly, Italian – and they have all left their mark along the length of the fertile coastal region that extends from Tunisia to Egypt.

The most impressive highlight is Leptis Magna, one of the finest Roman coastal cities, but it is by no means the only attraction. In Tripoli (ancient Oea) there is the triumphal arch of Marcus Aurelius, an excellent museum and vibrant souq. West of Tripoli is Sabratha, whose Roman theatre retains its magnificence, despite the ravages of earthquakes and big ‘V’ Vandalism. There is plenty to experience in the desert, from the ancient caravan town of Ghadames to Ghat, the basalt mountains of the Jebel Acacus and remote sand seas.