Leptis Magna in Libya

Leptis Magna is reputed to have the best preserved Greek and Roman architecture of the world. It is supposed to contain the most complete Roman ruins in the whole of North Africa.

Leptis Magna is an ancient city standing on the Mediterranean coast. It's just one hour's drive from the Libyan capital, Tripoli. Tripoli means "three cities" and derives that name from the three small communities founded by the Phoenicians, which were subsequently urbanized by the Romans, and what we know now as north-western Libya. The three comprise of: Sabratha, to the west of Tripoli, Oea, on the site of the present capital, and the third one being Leptis Magna to the east.

This city, established in 1100 BC by the Phoenicians, attained the heights of its affluence towards the end of the second century AD, with Lucius Septimus Severus, a native son of the soil, becoming the 21st Roman emperor.

The port came as a gift from Septimius Severus. Born in Leptis in 145AD, this local boy made so good that he became an emperor, the only African to have reached that level. (While on the subject, he died in York.) Leptis, by now rich from olive oil, greatly prospered further from his benefaction, a relationship celebrated in the triumphal arch.

The arch is still there, almost intact. You can see its obsequious marble fresco in the National Museum. Like many other colossal buildings, it has been rendered to its present state initially by the desert and much later by the Italians. Shattered by earthquakes, Leptis lay buried in sand till the 1920s, when the Italians excavated and meticulously restored it during their colonization of Libya.

As of date, just about 35 per cent of Leptis Magna has been excavated, and one can still see much of the city remains fairly intact. Highlights comprise the expansive forum, the Hadrianic baths and the imposing harbor, which to some extent is now sunken in the sea. Hadrianic baths are still stirring, with one of the pools of the size of 28X15 meters, remaining in one piece. This was one of the largest bath houses to be ever built outside of Rome.

The biggest attraction is the splendid amphitheatre, constructed on the outer edge of the city to facilitate the crowds travelling from different parts of the town for watching a spectacle. It had the capacity to accommodate 16 ' 000 spectators. Here, you can still witness the wild animal traps intact, while the acoustics of the stadium amplify the roar of the sea.

Christmas Travel Deals

The hardest time of the year to find a deal on a flight, or to find any flight at all, is around the Christmas holiday. Though the weekend of Thanksgiving is considered the heaviest traveled, more people are searching for flights and other accommodations in the month of December. What you can find and the price you will pay depends a lot on when you are looking for flights, where you are going, and even on what day you want to travel. Booking early and waiting until the last minute can mean a huge increase in price for Christmas travel deals.

The very best time to search for Christmas travel deals is early in the year. This is hard when you have no idea what you are going to be doing in eleven months, but if you do, this is the time to shop for the best deals out there. Most airlines only take reservations eleven months in advance, so if you want the best deals and the best seats for any flights to anywhere, book in late January. This is great for those that always visit family each year and know when they will be going. However, most people can not do this. That does not mean you can not find deals.

Book as early as you can if January is out. The prices might not be quite as good in July, Aug, or Sept, but they are going to be better than what they would be on the first of December. It is hard to think about what you are going to be doing in December while still sitting on the beach enjoying the summer weather, but if you want to save money on Christmas travel deals, this is another good time to do it. Many have no idea what they are doing or where they are going in December just yet, but if you do, you can still find some great prices on the flights that you want.

As you can imagine, as you get closer to the holidays, finding the Christmas travel deals that you want is much harder. This is when you have to decide a few things. You can save money if you take a few layovers rather than a straight flight. You can also save money by flying into a smaller airport and then driving a few hours. Sometimes, you can get last minute deals if flights do not fill up, but that is not the norm. That does not mean you can not look though. Try looking on weekdays rather than weekend days for more options. See what you can find through online travel discount sites.

You don't have to fly to get home for the holidays. It is ideal to fly if you are going a long distance, but you can find Christmas travel deals by choosing other ways to get there. If you can find a train or bus that goes through, you can save a lot of money by going this way. It will take longer, but it will be much cheaper. You can also rent a car if you don't have one. December is a tough time to travel due to everyone wanting to go home for the holidays and the bad weather that can occur, but with a little time and foresight, you can get home for less.