4x4 expedition to Libya

The meeting point of the participants is on Saturday at the ferry port in Genoa. In the afternoon, the Tanit ferry departs towards Tunis.

Together we continue to Djerba to Lofi's workshop, which the OVERCROSS team has been supporting since 2001. Here in Djerba, we do a final check-up on the off-road vehicles before crossing the border to Ras Ajdir. Fethi has been organizing all permits for restricted areas and the border crossing to Libya since 2014 – which can occasionally be very tedious.

Through connection stages, we reach the Hammada, from where we offroad into the depths of the Sahara. We leave the Al-Assad region, the highest region of Libya, and make our way along the eastern smuggler route towards the south.

From the Hammada al Hamrah and the Erg Ubari to the Mandara Lakes - finally water again! We cross the Hammada al Hamrah on rugged gravel and rocky tracks. Far from civilization, man and machine cover kilometers in a southeast direction until we reach the northern dune outskirts of Idhan Awbari. Pure offroad and a view from horizon to horizon shape the off-road dynamics and scenery of the last days. The off-road vehicle expedition team travels through the Erg Ubari in the following travel days. Along gigantic dunes, we search for our offroad track in the sea of sand. This 4x4 stage is the hardest but also one of the most beautiful and varied travel stages. After two to three days, we reach the Mandara Lakes, where we then treat ourselves to a rest day if time allows for the rest of the journey.

From the depths of the Libyan Sahara, we now head north. Offroad, we rush over a fast connection stage through the Hammada with a rough direction towards Tripoli. Before the gates of Tripoli, we switch to an asphalt stage and head towards the Tunisian border. Through Ghomrassen, we return to Hammamet. Here, the travel group enjoys the last night in a stylish hotel with an infinity pool before the off-road vehicle convoy rolls into La Goulette (Tunis) to take the ferry back to Europe. 24 hours later: Europe! Cold, civilized – but with the hot heartbeat of the 4x4 offroad expedition “Desert Challenge” in our luggage.

Another highlight of this Sahara adventure in Libya is crossing a sensational plain that stretches for hundreds of kilometers. In the areas around Sebha, it will then be a challenge for everyone to pull the vehicles out of the sand day by day. Our shovels will no longer just be needed for the morning toilet visit. The golden rule is: 'Yalla, Yalla - Gas, GAS, GAS!' … but with a feel for the right amount of momentum needed to overcome the dune crests.

Through the varied 'Garden of Allah', we drive towards the Akkakus Mountains. We take two to three days for the Akkakus National Park to absorb the impressive rock paintings and the overwhelming landscape, inspect our off-road vehicles, or simply let our souls dangle.

Over Ghadames and Sidi Bouzid back to Tunis. Dusty tracks along the Algerian border shape the pictures of this stage. We leave the last dunes behind us and exit the seemingly endless expanse of the Sahara on fast tracks to the north. We reach our destination Ghadames - a former 'hub of caravan trade'. Our guided 4x4 journey through Libya is slowly but surely reaching its end. From Ghadames, we head north, back to Tunisia. Our friend Rouf is already waiting for us in Sidi Bouzid with a tasty dinner. Before we set off back to Tunis.

In Tunis, we still have a little time to stroll through the souks before we reflect on our adventure over a water pipe. On the ferry, we leave Africa behind and, apart from dirty laundry, we have a lot of beautiful pictures and vivid memories in our luggage.

On this expedition, we consciously forgo luxury and expensive supply trucks. The focus of this offroad adventure trip is on experiencing and the real adventure. We are flexible, taking new paths that do not necessarily guarantee a smooth process. On this expedition, we will be confronted with certain uncertainties time and again. Despite the sometimes chaotic conditions and circumstances that await us on site, which are typical for the North African country, we have always successfully carried out the trip in the past for film and television. Our tour guides know North Africa very well; the first trip to Libya was carried out by the tour operator OVERCROSS in the year 2000. The godfather of Luke (son of the boss of OVERCROSS) 'Franky' is Libyan and, as we are in the travel industry, is now a professional as an incoming partner!