MIDDLEEASTYEMEN 70 " A great tour - an excellent guide, good mix of destinations and a well thought out route. Good transport and accommodation facilities and good visa advice and support." Caroline Keane middle east Yemen Discovery Imaginative Facts Tour code: ETYE • Activities: Hiking, walking, opportunities to swim • Accommodation: 10 nights in tourist class hotels and 4 nights in local funduqs ( simple Yemen guest house) • Transport: 4WD vehicles, plane • Flight: Sana'a to Seyun • Fully Escorted: By Imaginative Traveller tour leader and guide DAY 1: SANA'A- You will be met upon arrival and transferred to the hotel in Sana'a. DAY 2: SANA'A- A day spent exploring this incredible city, including the old walled city and the museum. Overnight in Sana'a. ( BD) DAY 3: WADI HADRAMAUT- Transfer to the airport for a short flight to Seyun in the heart of Wadi Hadramaut. Drive to Tarim, the spiritual capital of South Yemen, with over 300 mosques, before returning to Seyun for the night. ( BD) DAY 4: SHIBAM- Yemen is renowned for its striking architecture and today we visit a superb example - the magnificent Sultan's Palace in Seyun. We continue driving to explore the walled city of Shibam, renowned for its mud brick skyscrapers rising as high as seven storeys. Return to Seyun for the night. ( BL) DAY 5: AL HAJJARAIN - AL MOKULLA-Leaving Seyun we visit the spectacular cliffside village of Al Hajjarain before continuing through the scenic Wadi Do'an to the coastal town of Al Mokulla, where we spend the night. ( BL) DAY 6: BIR ALI - ADEN- Today we follow the Indian Ocean coast to Aden, stopping along the way at the fishing hamlet of Bir Ali where there's a chance to swim in the clear waters of the Indian Ocean. ( BL) DAY 7: ADEN- Our day in Aden takes us to the amazing Tanks of Tawila and the Sahareej Museum. ( BD) Day 8: TAIZ- Drive to Taiz, which was once the capital of North Yemen and is known for its beautiful mosques and bustling markets. ( BD) DAY 9: IBB - JIBLAH- Today we visit the beautiful mountain villages of Ibb and Jiblah before returning to Taiz for the night. ( BL) DAY 10: AL MOKHA - AL KOKHA- Leaving Taiz we travel to the Red Sea port of Al Mokha, once one of the world's leading coffee ports. We follow the coast to Al Kokha where we spend the night. ( BLD) DAY 11: ZABID - BAYT AL FAKIH - AL HAJJARAH- Today's route takes us through Zabid, once the location of a famous Islamic university and traditional seat of power in the coastal region known as the Tihama. We continue to the fortified village of Al Hajjarah, 2,300 metres above sea level, where we stay the night in a local funduq. ( BD) DAY 12: AL HAJJARAH - AL MANAKHA-Yemen is a country where traditional methods of agriculture and enterprise are still widely practised. We spend today walking along village paths amid mountain farmlands where we can see farmers at work on the terraced hillsides. We spend tonight in Al Hajjarah. ( BD) DAY 13: MAHWEET - THULA - KAWKABAN- Thula is renowned for its architecture and has some of the finest stonework in Yemen. The fortified town of Kawkaban is on a grand plateau with commanding views of the plains below. Overnight Kawkaban. ( BD) DAY 14: WADI DHAR - SANA'A- Our return journey to Sana'a takes us to one of Yemen's most iconic sites, the Imam's palace at Wadi Dhar. We'll have plenty of time to explore this intriguing building before making our way back to Sana'a. ( B) DAY 15: SANA'A- Tour ends. ( B) A land of timeless splendour waiting to be discovered • Visit fortified mountain fortresses and remote desert communities • Visit the Sultan's Palace at Seyun and the Imam's Palace at Wadi Dhar • Walk mountain trailsto stone- built villages and city alleys to bustling souqs • See the incredible mud- built towersat Shibam • Swim in the crystal clear Indian Ocean Yemen Yemen Discovery Kawkaban Al HajjarahSana' a Zabid Al Kokha Ibb Al MokhaTaiz Aden Bir Ali Al Mokulla Seyun Shibam Tarim Al Hajjarain Jiblah Tunisia Tunisian Adventure Tunis Sidi Bou Said Tozeur Dougga Kairouan Douz Ksar Ghilane Chenini El Jem Carthage Matmata Libya Libya Revealed Tripoli Leptis Magna Nalut Ghadames Germa Ubari Sand Sea Wadi al Hayat Akakus Mountains Ghariyan Sabratha Single Supplement £ 200 ( optional) Voluntary Carbon Offset £ 12.75 * Price includes tour price of £ 1299and local payment of US$ 450All prices are subject to currency fluctuations £ 1535pp Land Only * traveller Tour duration 15 days © Imaginative Traveller © Imaginative Traveller © Imaginative Traveller Starts SatEnds Sat Sana'aSana'a 2009 07- Feb- 0921- Feb- 09 03- Oct- 0917- Oct- 09 05- Dec- 0919- Dec- 09 Starts SatEnds Sat Sana'aSana'a 2010 06- Feb- 1020- Feb- 10 02- Oct- 1016- Oct- 10 04- Dec- 1018- Dec- 10 We can also offer Extra Accommodation, Adventure Travel Insurance& Flights Save up to 15% on your tour - see page 243

TUNISIA  LIBYA 71 MIDDLEEAST Libya Revealed Imaginative Facts Tour code: ETLR • Activities: Extensive walking at sites • Accommodation: 7 nights tourist class hotels, 7 nights camping • Transport: Buses, 4WD jeeps • Fully Escorted: By Imaginative Traveller tour leader and Libyan local guide DAY 1: TRIPOLI- Arrival day. DAY 2: LEPTIS MAGNA- Tour the magnificent site of Leptis Magna, an amazingly preserved Roman city picturesquely located on the Mediterranean coast. ( B) DAY 3: SABRATHA - GHARIYAN- Visit the ancient city of Sabratha then continue to Ghariyan, renowned for its traditional underground houses. ( BD) DAY 4: GHARIYAN - GERMA- Drive through the heart of the country to the southern region of Sabha. ( BD) DAY 5: GARAMA - AKAKUS MOUNTAINS-Tour the ruins of Garama, the ancient trading capital. We also visit Germa Museum - a great introduction to the wonders of the Akakus Mountains. Journey into the remote Akakus to camp in the desert. ( BD) DAYS 6 & 7: AKAKUS MOUNTAINS- The Akakus form some of Libya's most spectacular scenery. We spend two full days here exploring eerie rock formations, immense sand dunes and caves decorated with incredibly well preserved rock art, some of which is 10,000 years old. ( BLD) DAY 8: AWAYNAT - GERMA- Emerge at the oasis of Awaynat to freshen up before heading through Wadi al Hayat (' The Valley of Life') back to Germa. ( BLD) DAYS 9 & 10: UBARI ' SAND SEA' & SALT LAKES- We embark on an exhilarating two day jeep safari across the dunes of the Ubari ' Sand Sea'. The desert here is punctuated with lush oases and beautiful salt- water lakes where we stop for buoyant ' swims'. Camp on top of the dunes with breathtaking views of the ' sea of sand'. ( BLD) DAYS 11 & 12: GHADAMES- Our journey sweeps westward to Ghadames - known as ' The Jewel of the Desert' - a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Free time to explore this intriguing ancient city, one of the oldest pre- Saharan settlements. ( Day 11 - BLD, Day 12 - BD) DAY 13: NALUT - TRIPOLI- Traverse the Nafusa Mountains stopping en route to visit the old citadel and granaries of Nalut. ( B) DAY 14: TRIPOLI- A full day tour of Tripoli takes us to Saray al Hamra ( the Red Castle), the National Museum, and the labyrinth of winding streets and ancient souqs ( market places) of the medina. ( B) DAY 15: TRIPOLI- Tour ends. ( B) Discover the ancient sites and deserts in this ' hidden' country • Visit the famous Roman citiesof Leptis Magna and Sabratha • Explore the eerie formations and rock art of the remote Akakus Mountains • Take an exhilarating jeep safarithrough the dunes of the Ubari ' Sand Sea' • Relax at desert oases and ' swim' in the salt lakes • Wander the ancient streets of Ghadames - the ' Jewel of the Desert' Imaginative Facts Tour code: EATD • Activities: Extensive walking at sites • Accommodation: 6 nights simple hotels, 1 night camping • Transport: Buses, 4WD jeeps • Fully Escorted: By Imaginative Traveller tour leader and Tunisian local guide DAY 1: TUNIS- Arrival day. DAY 2: CARTHAGE - SIDI BOU SAID-Explore the ruins of the first South Mediterranean capital, Carthage to see the Antonin baths and the Museum. Then visit the picturesque village of Sidi Bou Saïd built on the hillside overlooking the Bay of Tunis. ( B) DAY 3: DOUGGA - KAIROUAN- Drive to Dougga, the most impressive of Tunisia's Roman archaeological sites, set in the foothills of the Atlas Mountains. Continue to Kairouan, the holiest town in North Africa ( B) DAY 4: KAIROUAN - TOZEUR- Visit some of the town's famous monuments including the Great Mosque and the Mausoleum of Sidi Sahbi, one of the prophet Mohammed's companions. Continue to the ancient water reservoirs, the Aghlabid pools before driving to Tozeur, where in the evening there is the chance to experience a traditional Berber folklore show. ( B) DAY 5: CHOTT EL JERID - SAHARA - KSAR GHILANE- Cross the massive Chott El Jerid salt lake en route to Douz, on the edge of the Sahara. Continue to Ksar Ghilane, in the heart of the Sahara, where we spend the night in tents and have the chance to ride a camel into the desert.( BD) DAY 6: CHENINI - MATMATA - Travel to Matmata via the dramatic Berber village of Chenini. Matmata, a village famous for its troglodyte houses and bizarre lunar landscape is where Star Wars was filmed. ( B) Day 7: EL JEM - TUNIS- Continuing north we visit El Jem, the magnificent Roman amphitheatre that once held gladiatorial contests, which is now one of Tunisia's most magnificent sights. We then continue to Tunis. ( B) Day 8, TUNIS- Tour ends. ( B) Roman ruins, Berber villages and the remote Sahara - all in a week! • Explore the impressive Roman sitesof Carthage, Dougga and El Jem • Cross the Chott El Jerid salt lake and ride a camel into the Sahara • Explore ancient Kairouan, the holiest town in North Africa • Visit a traditional Berber villageand experience a folklore show • Wander the lunar landscapes of the ' Star Wars' village of Matmata Tunisian Adventure Single Supplement £ 65 ( optional) Voluntary Carbon Offset £ 3.37 * Price includes tour price of £ 560and local payment of US$ 150All prices are subject to currency fluctuations £ 635pp Land Only * Single Supplement £ 680 ( optional) Voluntary Carbon Offset £ 4.28 * Price includes tour price of £ 1249and local payment of US$ 400All prices are subject to currency fluctuations £ 1460pp Land Only * adventurertraveller Tour duration 8 daysTour duration 15 days Starts SunEnds Sun TunisTunis 2009 08- Mar- 0915- Mar- 09 12- Apr- 0919- Apr- 09 17- May- 0924- May- 09 20- Sep- 0927- Sep- 09 25- Oct- 0901- Nov- 09 Starts SunEnds Sun TunisTunis 2010 07- Mar- 1014- Mar- 10 11- Apr- 1018- Apr- 10 16- May- 1023- May- 10 19- Sep- 1026- Sep- 10 24- Oct- 1031- Oct- 10 Starts SunEnds Sun TripoliTripoli 2009 01- Nov- 0915- Nov- 09 Starts SunEnds Mon AmmanAmman 2010 28- Mar- 1011- Apr- 10 31- Oct- 1014- Nov- 10 new tour for 2009 Save up to 15% on your tour - see page 243 Save up to 15% on your tour - see page 243