From one end to the other, there isn't a single road entering the Murzuq and Oubari great sand dune deserts. However, Bariloche Moto Tours is ready to take you there! South-western Libya offers you a sublime and solitary ocean of sand dunes and basalt rocks stretching out to both Nigeria and Algeria. The silence on these unbroken and virgin lands is overwhelming ...
This exceptional circuit can either be done on a bike or on a Quad. It's a lifetime experience that will change you forever, just as it changed us!
Day 1: Departure flight - Flight between Europe and Sabha, in Libya, Northern-Africa. Accommodation in bungalows.
Day 2: Sabha - Murzuq - The first hundred and thirty kilometres are covered rapidly. Almost a mirage, the village of Murzuq, where the desert encroaches on the town, is our last oasis before the big crossing. The worn-out gas station, where dozens of thirsty vehicles wait in line, is just at the edge of an immense territory of sand dunes. From now on, the pick-up trucks are our only suppliers. In the evening, when the engines are shut off, we step one last time onto the warm sand, before setting up our camp.
Day 3: Off we go again! Sand walls rise all around us. We drive through a maze of silky walls and unending hills. The shapes are infinite. As we advance, the horizon tends to move backwards. As we reach the top of a sandy dune, we brace ourselves for the exhilarating ride down before climbing up the next slope. A natural roller-coaster at our entire disposal!
Day 4: The next village is 500 km away ... and yet, the distance seems even greater. In this ocean of sand, space is boundless. The Toyotas confront dune after dune with stoicism. They carry our gas, water and supplies like rescue dogs. The end of Murzuq is close and we are each waiting for it like the promised land...
Day 5: After an ultimate delicate passage, the sand of the last dune turns into rough soil, sprinkled with colored stones. Beyond the sand, only a few tracks lead into the desert. As we come close to the border with Algeria, the track we are on winds through the reg. On the horizon, the flat mountains seem to navigate the ocean of sand. This is Tilemsin's pass, a gangway between the Akakus Mountains.
Day 6: Our machines now devour the yellowish void of the surrounding flatlands, before reaching the red sand dunes and hills which glow in the sun and make up the almost impenetrable Erg Ouane Casa. The change in the landscape is dramatic, as we navigate through black basalt rock formations. We are now in the Akasus mountains, and our track twists and turns through these stone statues and caves, covered in prehistoric petroglyphs.
Day 7: The track now zigzags across the high plains and leads us into a village made up of four or five huts and a worn out enclosure long deserted by goats and hens. As the men work the land, the women busy themselves around the water pond and the children play with whatever they can find... Further up, the track slides into a dry fossilized river bed. The first vegetation announces our first stop after having driven 850 kilometres across the desert. We can guess that the village is near and soon we come to El Awanat. After so many days in the desert, we are all delighted to enjoy a 4-hour-stopover in this dusty village.
Day 8: After another 80 kilometres, we rejoin the Erg Oubari, and can observe the sand ocean's huge pyramid-shaped dunes bathed in warm light. We set up our camp and enjoy the magic of this unique place
Day 9: Return and layover in Tripoli - The last dunes fade out as we reach the plains. Thanks to abundant irrigation, the first gardens show us the path to Sabha. The domestic flight to Tripoli is scheduled in the evening. The next few hours allow us to rest and to get used to normal life again. Some might choose to nap and others to have a quick dip in the pool, whilst we load the luggage and the bikes. Our bags are taken to the airport whilst we dine. Once we reach Tripoli, the ubiquitous portraits of Muammar-al-Ghaddafi cannot go unnoticed. The hotel is new, and features marble staircases and smooth elevators. Our last night in Africa will undoubtedly be short.
Day 10: Fly out to Europe
For the price of this road trip, please consult our TARIFFS PAGE
For the departure dates, please see our CALENDAR
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