Nestling among the huge sand dunes of the Libyan Sahara is one of the most striking natural wonders on Earth, the Mandara Lakes.

Some of the eleven lakes have dried out but each one is surrounded by a green belt in which reed and date palms create a magnificent oasis.

People once settled around the lakes and the desert tribes referred to them as the Ramla Douadah, worm eaters, as they were said to eat worms which were actually a tiny variety of salt water crayfish that was highly nutritious.

Gabaroun Lake lies peacefully amid the wonderful desert landscape and appears like a mirage, an enigma of the senses. The surface of the water acts like a mirror that reflects the sand dunes.

Today the Mandara Lakes are an almost extraterrestrial looking scene of paradise and a fascinating wonder of nature within the Sahara Desert.