LOST CITIES
A VOYAGE FROM CRETE TO LIBYA AND MALTA ABOARD LE LEVANT
18th to 28th October 2006
This year we have seen an unprecedented demand for our trips to Libya with all available places quickly taken. We have been fortunate in obtaining an extra charter of one of the loveliest small ships in the world, Le Levant. She is an ideal ship for the journey along Libya’s vast Mediterranean coastline and with accommodation for just 100 passengers, is just the right size.
Few places around the Mediterranean can inspire the traveller as much as Libya. Its Greek and Roman sites are simply breathtaking and beautifully illustrate the brilliance of their empires. Perhaps the greatest site, Leptis Magna, transports you to another world and time and here it is easy to imagine daily life in Roman times. As we take our passage through history, our guest speaker and local guides will enhance our knowledge of this epic land.
LE LEVANT
Built in 1998 in a French yard, Le Levant’s 45 staterooms are positioned midship and all have picture windows, double or twin beds, mini-bar, safe, hi-fi, radio, satellite television, video, telephone, marble & teak bathroom fitted with a shower, hairdryer and bathrobes. Breakfast and lunch are served in the Panoramic dining room and dinner in the gourmet room. Other facilities include a main lounge, library, swimming pool and bar, hairdresser, boutique, sports room and lift. importance, Cyrene is the best preserved of the Greek cities of Cyrenaica. See its tombs, temples, agora, gymnasium and theatre and take in the majestic view high above the sea.
Day 6 Benghazi. Drive along the coast road to Tukrah, one of the five cities of the Pentapolis. We will see the ruins, including a Byzantine church, and also visit the museum. Day 7 Misratah & Zliten. Just before lunch, land in the oasis port of Misratah, famous for its carpets, and drive along the coast road to Zliten, another oasis town. See the tombs (Zawiyyas), and the imposing Sidi Abdusalam Mosque, a work of beauty by Moroccan artisans. Day 8 Khoms/Leptis Magna. Landing at Khoms, we will take a short drive to Leptis Magna, certainly one of the most impressive Roman sites anywhere. Explore the site, including the amphitheatre and the old harbour.
Day 9 Tripoli. We will spend the morning in the Libyan capital, which was founded by the Phoenicians in approximately 500 BC. The old walled section, the Medina, is one of the finest in the Mediterranean. On Martyr’s Square, visit Tripoli Castle which houses a fine national museum. After lunch drive out of the city to the magnificent site of Sabratha.
Day 10 Gozo. Morning at sea. After exploring the island of Gozo, we will sail over to Valletta in the late afternoon for an overnight mooring. Day 11 Valletta to London.
Disembark after breakfast and return to London by scheduled flight (indirect).
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