North Africa Round Trip Liberation of Libya

[Matt&JoyBongling]

Could people suggest itinerary for this trip or legs of it .... with options for 2, 3 month and possibly longer trips? I haven't been to any of the countries between Tunisia and Turkey and would love to get some ideas of things to see apart from the obvious Pyramids and Jerusalem ....

We will do the trip as soon as we win the lottery and jack our jobs in

[Glenda]

When I started this post I did not envisage Civil War breaking out in Libya and for it to turn as bloody as it has. I was premature in North Africa opening up to tourists and my heart is with the people of Libya. I would be happy to never go there in my life as long as they oust Gaddafi with as few deaths as possible. Unlikely though.

[fatcatlawyer]

For when peace does break out in Libya I went on Google earth and followed the coast road along the med travelling east - definitely "do able" !

Ian G

[Glenda]

If the coast of North Africa opens up to Tourists over the next few years surely we want Bongos to get there before the French white camper brigades.

However, if you travel past the Costa Del Sol or even Folkestone it is quite important to be aware of political and religous situations in the countries you will visit. So when I was in Morocco in the Bongo I did not head further south than Sidi Ifni as Al Qaeda had killed French tourists in Mali leading to the cancellation of the Paris Dakar Rally. Crete in the Bongo during the anti Gov rallies was disturbing as well.

The involvement of our government in other countries,either Labour or lib/con coalition, also has to be discussed. Their actions have an effect on how the citizens of those countries would welcome us or not.

This is highlighted by the bungling helicopter SAS with Diplomat mission. The Libyan rebels detained them and kicked them out. I was surprised as I thought they would be welcomed.


Politics and religion HAS to be discussed for such a journey. Up the revolution for Libyans and Bongo members freedom of speech.

[fatcatlawyer]

Going abroad by its very nature involves planning. It involves hopes and ultimately the realisation of the plans and the hopes being converted from dreams to memories.It is an accepted fact that sometimes the hopes and dreams have to simply remain that. Political changes and turmoils and wars can be a dampener on those aspirations.

Such events or situations should in my view never stop the hopes and the dreams!

Just because at this or that particular moment in time it would seem that the necessary pieces of a jigsaw are missing should not curtail those aspirations, but should I would suggest be a spur to plan for the day that the "missing pieces" fall into place.

If we are not to be able to dream or have hopes then those who would seek to stiffle those aims need to appreciate that it is only as a result of the actions of those dreamers and optimists that manage to effect the changes that we all later come to enjoy, appreciate. accept as the norm. and I suppose ultimately take for granted. When a German engineer (I think he name was Diesel) had the motivation and innovation to design, and manufacture a special sort of internal combustion engine that did not need spark plugs, I don't suppose for a minute he considered that some 120 years later we would be planning trips abroad in our Diesel engined vehicles that the majority of us take for granted will provide the motive power to take us "out of our selves" and give us the freedom to put into effect those plans and contemplated trips abroad - even through potentially politically inhospital places.

To those who would seek to limit the dreamers and optimists I would say Luckily I live in a land that had its own civil war 300 plus years ago and after that turmoil I enjoy the benefit and freedoms that all too many others in this world unfortunately have yet to secure.

Having through that good fortune I have secured the rights to dream of travel and the right to plan to travel and the rights to convert those dreams and plans to actuallity is a real blessing that no body should seek to deny me. Or for that matter the right to express an opinion on a forum such as this.
Ian G

[francophile1947]

Don't worry about the possibilities of war. Just mount a machine gun on the roof and go as mercenaries - you might even make enough money to pay for the trip

[Glenda]

Not for the sake of my trip but Libya itself.........

'Go Libya, you're nearly there'