It is not often that an entirely new country suddenly becomes available to travelers. But that is more or less what has recently happened with Libya. Earlier thiis year the US lifted its ban on travel to the North African country. Like China up to the 1970s, Libya has remained a mystery to most travelers, due to those 20 years of sanctions against traveling there. And yet the country, made up of vast desert, is the site of several marvels of the ancient world including the 2,000-year-old ruins of Sabratha and Leptis Magna, which had been part of the Roman Empire. Also, there is Tripoli, the country's capital city, the site of much action during the second world war.

Then don't forget 1,250 miles of Mediterranean coastline. As part of our "new relationship" with Libya, the country has opened it's borders to travelers, including those from the US. But apparently it is still quite hard to get in, according to this article. If you're thinking about going because the place remains "untouched", then you better hustle, because already about 300,000 visitors went last year, most of them Europeans. But also keep in mind that it's not that easy to do, and it can end up being expensive, as this story from Slate attests.

Filed under: Arts and Culture, Business, Libya