Hi,

Thanks Budrinna and CH for your update and advice.

I shall continue to watch this space.

Insha Allah hope to meet you one day Budrinna, on my way through.

Best regards

H A

Thank You H.A. for Your good wishes and like You hope all to be soon out of this dirty war.

For C.S. Don’t know on “what source ” your foresight on future Libyan tourism’s is based but at your place and, if may suggest before attempting in drawing reliable predictions and good ideas from the newsmen’s report ( & newswomen too ) would first learn a little bit more about Libya’s history starting from 1911 . If not convicted this is a the good time to come down since at least no need of visa. That ‘s the only thing sure as the heaps of ruins!


Budrinna

For C.S. Don’t know on “what source ” your foresight on future Libyan tourism’s is based

I offer no foresight on the future Libyan tourism. Perhaps it was not clear, but the section in italics and colour and speech marks was a quote from the news guy reporting on talking to TNC people, and he said:

"... It is impossible to make predictions for the future, especially in this place, but for what it is worth the Transitional National Council say western tourists will be welcome in the "new Libya" and they see tourism as a viable future revenue stream."

Sounds reasonable to me.

And because overland access from the east now sounds easy (according to his information), some over-adventuresome travellers might think, 'oh, a good way to get south into the desert' as there are 'no reports' of fighting down there.
Based on my enquiries, I discourage this and I am sure you would agree.

Ch

…It is impossible to make prediction ….. but intention(s) Yes
..(according to his information) .. who pay him ? big problem !
.. no reports' of fighting down there…. read more also Arabic press!

but Over all ….and after all
…some over-adventuresome travellers might think, 'oh, a good way to get south…

Really dear Mr C.S. could not be able even to imagine that are existing peoples in Ue so “adventurer” to brave the nowadays situation in Libya and travel in it unless they are ….newsmen , special peoples or little bit of bad like spies , smugglers and so on . That why suggested to cheek our story in order to not have surprise after all is ended. Travelling a country doesn’t matter
If many times by bike or 4x4 for week or years is not enough .It is like a picture it just proof the instant when shutted , and if it is true and not arranged .
Even we already change activity we will always plaid for Sahara’s culture and it trough culture because Sahara is our culture our land , our life and future .

Cheers with Mirinda ( still have plenty)
Budrinna

.. could not be able even to imagine that are existing peoples in Ue so “adventurer” to brave the nowadays situation in Libya and travel in it unless they are...

Unless they are this guy:
Hi Budrinna,
Do you think it would be possible to travel through Libya in Mid -July, entering from Tunisia and exiting into Egypt...

So never mind reading the Arabic press, sometimes it is necessary to state the obvious for the many who read this forum but do not comment.

As you also say: "may be for July 2012. Inchall'ah"

Amen to that!

Ch

We drove from Cairo to Benghazi as "tourists" about two weeks ago: Gentleman Adventurer : LuxuryRogue

I went to Eastern-Libya in March as a traveler, or tourist, as you like. Entered from Egypt, Salloum border. May be it wasn't the best idea, but I was lying the Egyptian officials to be a journalist because I was supposed to be refused as a private traveler. That time the Egyptian border terminal looked like a refugee camp because a few hundred/thousand African and Asian people who had worked before in Libya were waiting there for documents or transportation back to their homeland and even the passport controller's cabins were full of refugees, women, men and children from Chad, Sudan, Philippines, Bangladesh. They were lying on the floor or gathering outside among the fence of the terminal or dropping stones to each-other. The immigration officier first sent me to the mukhabarat (state intelligence) office because they register the journalists. At this point I was sure to be failed, but surprisingly no press ID was asked from me, just took my passport for 2 minutes, after returned to immigration where they belived me without any document that I finished with mukhabarat and got Egyptian exit stamp which had a key importance in Libya because it was the only evidence of entering legally into the country because of the lack of Libyan entry stamp.

There is a gate between the two countries where they checked my exit stamp and asked me to make a photo together with Egyptian policeman and Libyan rebel soldier who were guarding this gate together. Just right to this there was a room where Libyan rebel authorities were registering the people entering the country. It was full of local Egyptian smugglers and a few foreign journalists and aid workers. There was hurly-burly chaos inside. Also lied the same for Libyan rebels, that I was a journalist, but they were more suspicious than their Egyptian collegues so asked my press ID and my recommendation letter from my embassy what I did not have and they were not interested in my compliments that I was freelancer and refused my entry and sent me back to Egypt, but I was too determined to see the revolution, so I turned right after leaving the room, to Libya, and not left back to Egypt. At the first few seconds I was sure to be arrested and questioned as a spy, but nobody was following me. The rebels in the room did not see where I was turning outside and the soldiers outside did not hear the conversation in the room. They just registered the people in a book, but no entry stamp was given to anybody there, so in Libya I just showed my Egyptian exit to the officials when they questioned me in almost every town. Within a minute I hitch-hiked a car to Msaad the next town in a few kilometers and spent about a week in Libya.

I returned to Egypt on 16 March when Kaddafi occupied Ajdabiyah because I was afraid of an attack directly against Tobruk through the desert road and at the border recognised that all the westerners were thinking the same way as me, because almost everybody left that day. There I met a German tourist too, he was the only not journalist or aid worker who I saw there. The Egyptians did not give me visa at Salloum when I returned just stamped my passport and remarked that I had to buy a visa when leaving the country.

In Libya it was extremely easy to hitch-hike, people were amazingly friendly but sometimes I was taken to the local medjlis - the council which controlls the communities - to be questioned. On 16 March the rebels were very nervous and scared about Kaddafi's advance so they arrested me in Tobruk and I was questioned by general Suleiman Mahmoud who was a generous and wise man and ordered his soldiers to drop me back to Egyptian border.

Update.
 

Hi All,
Transiting Libya along the northern coast is not yet advisable. A few days ago I was in Tripoli and although the road to Misurata is in use again, it is main users are rebels vehicles and there are dozens of improvised checkpoints along the road.
Also a lot of weapons have fallen into civilian hands and are all over the place. Judging by the way the new owners handle their looted firearms, they have little experience and a lot of excitement. Sirte is the last Gaddafi stronghold between the Misurata & Benghazi. A few weeks ago NATO confirmed that there had been SCUD missiles launched from Sirte in the direction of Misurata and those things make a very loud bang when they detonate.
Having said that, most of the interest shown towards me at the time was concern about my saftey rather than what I was doing there.
There have been reports of fighting in the town of Sabha in the south, so stand by for access there.
Things are rapidly changing in this country, so I would expect that very soon there will be full access to the place and maybe without the need for a guide.
CJ.