Gaberoun

About this place

Gaberoun is an oasis with a large lake in the Ubari sand sea of the Libyan Sahara, in the south-west of the country. Palm trees and tall golden dunes surround the water, making one of the finest scenes in the Sahara. Its view from the top of the dunes takes you by surprise after hours of driving on sand, and looks almost unreal. A small tribe once lived in the oasis, and the ruins of their settlement lie scattered among the palms on the north-western shore. They are said to have lived in part on tiny worm-like crustaceans fished from the salty lake. In the 1980s the people were moved to a new location outside the dunes, in Wadi Bashir, to apartments built for them. You see very salty, dark water, reeds and palms around the shore, and behind them tall dunes you can climb for a view of the whole scene. A simple tourist camp used to stand on the north-eastern shore, so check its current state. Insects are common, above all in summer, so bring protection. It is about 92 km in a straight line from Sabha and about 55 km from Germa. You can reach it only by four-wheel drive with a tour operator who knows the desert. The best time is October to May, when the climate is milder. Sources say foreigners need a tour operator or local sponsor to visit Libya. The UK Foreign Office currently advises against all travel to this area, so check official guidance before making any plans.