Libya - Libya's not all date palms and deserts, but if shifting sands and camel trains are your thing, Libya's got desert for days, and a quick jaunt down into the Fezzan will take you boldly where nomad has gone before. And despite its scary reputation, most people have a grand old time.

For a country that's been all but swallowed by the Sahara, you'll be surprised to see how pleasantly Mediterranean it can be along its northern coast. Tripoli is as urbane as any place in Africa, while the Jebel Akhdar region to the east is reminiscent of verdant Crete.