UMM AL-MAA IN LIBYAN

These shimmering waters appear where logic says none should exist. Umm-al-Maa is hidden amongst the towering dunes of the Ubari Sand Sea deep within the Libyan Sahara. This mirage of staggering beauty is formed not by the delirious effects of long distance desert travel, but simply because here the desert sands dip below the level of the local water table to form this perennial oasis. This topographic trick creates one of the most beautiful places on Earth.

Scattered in the surrounding dunes are another 16 lakes and sebkhas; where the water table rises close to the surface. The waters of the ephemeral Sebkhas Beni Ateyi and Mandara appear and disappear like mirages. Only a few such as Gebraoun, Mafo and Umm-al-Maa are a constant presence in the desert.

Umm al-Maa LakeLake,Ubari Libya. The water is salted like the dead sea, but swimming into it is rather not a good idea as it is very dirty... There is few tourists around , we just saw italian bikers, and one car...

The off road 4x4 journey across the Ubari Sand Sea to these lakes is as exhilarating as the destinations themselves.