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Duty Free - Prohibited items include alcohol, obscene literature and any kind of food. Permitted 200 cigarettes or 250g of tobacco or 250g cigars, 250ml of perfume.
Banking Hours – Winter: 0800-1200 Sat-Wed (Winter). Summer: 0800-1200 Sat-Thu & 1600-1700 Sat & Wed.
Currency - Libyan Dinar(LD) = 1000 Dirhams.
Credit Cards - Limited acceptance of Diners Club and Visa. Travellers cheques not generally accepted. Preferred currency US $ notes (good condition). Best exchange rates at banks.
Phone and Post - IDD service is available. Mobile phones may not always work – check with your local service provider. Postal services outside main towns are in general, poor and erratic. No English newspapers.
Tipping - A tip of 10-20% is usually included in hotel and restaurant bills. If not, you should leave a tip of around 10%.
Climate - Summers are very hot and dry. Winters are mild with cooler evenings. The desert has hot days and cold nights. Along the coast the climate is temperate, and most of the country’s rain falls here.
Voltage and plugs - 150/220v. 50Hz. Blackouts not uncommon.
Dress – Dress standards vary enormously. Young Libyans in Tripoli and Benghazi wear modern, western dress. In the desert, you will meet Tuareg tribesman wearing traditional robes and the distinctive blue headdress. Older people dress more conservatively and visitors should ‘cover their limbs’.
Safety - Libyans, despite the reputation of their government, are for the most part genuinely friendly people who enjoy meeting foreigners. Many have been educated overseas. Visitors should have no problem moving around the country, however tourism is in its infancy and we recommend you book with a reliable tour operator.
International Transport – Emirates Airlines offers connections from Australia via Dubai. An alternative is British Airways via London.
Domestic Transport - Bus and mini bus services operate to all major towns and cities. Services are irregular and overcrowded. Major highways and roads sealed. Libyan Arab Airlines offers a domestic flight service between Tripoli, Benghazi and Sebha.
Accommodation - Tripoli & Benghazi have several comfortable modern hotels. In other major cities, clean 3 star standard hotels are available.
Major Attractions – Libya has three distinct regions to explore: the west coast, known as Tripolitania (Tripoli, Leptis Magna, Sabratha and the old Berber town of Ghadames in the south); the east coast, known as Cyrenaica (Benghazi, Cyrene, Apollonia and Tobruk) and the Fezzan, or desert area in the deep south (Sebha, Ghat).
Food and Drink - Couscous is widely available, with chicken, lamb or vegetables. In Tripoli and Benghazi there is still some Italian influence in the food. Throughout the country you will find espresso and capuccino machines but the quality varies enormously and often condensed milk is used. Alcohol is forbidden but good alcohol-free beer and soft drinks are widely available, along with bottled water.
Entertainment - Limited to restaurants, cinemas and shopping. There are no arabic-style nightclubs
Photography – Not a problem but avoid taking photos of police, military personnel or military installations.
Public Holidays –
| 19 Jan |
Ashoura |
| 2 Mar |
Jamahiriya Day |
| 20 Mar |
Mouloud (Prophet’s Birthday) |
| 28 Mar |
British Evacuation Day |
| 23 Jul |
Revolution Day |
| 30 Jul |
Ascension of the Prophet |
| 1 Sep |
National Day |
| 7 Oct |
Italian Evacuation Day |
| 20 Oct |
Eid al-Fitr (end of Ramadan) |
| 9 Dec |
Eid al-Adha (Feast of Sacrifice) |
| 29 Dec |
Islamic New Year |
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