In an oil-rich North African country surrounded by a vast Mediterranean coastline, sweeping desert sands and ancient ruins that rival Greece and Italy, Libya has a lot to offer travelers looking for an unusual destination.

Following U.N. sanctions (lifted in 2003) that kept tourists from visiting this North African country for more than a decade, Moammar Gadhafi's Libya (former pariah state) is slowly opening its borders to tourists. Plans to promote ecotourism in the pine and olive-tree filled Green Mountains in northeastern Libya are on the works for this oil-dominated country in a bid to diversify its economy.

A Guidebook: Lonely Planet's "Libya" by Anthony Ham presents six must-sees in Libya:

1. The Roman ruins of Leptis Magna, northwestern Libya: Ham calls these well-preserved limestone ruins "simply the finest and most extravagant Roman city in the southern Mediterranean."

2. The ancient Greek city of Cyrene, northeastern Libya: Vast ruins that date back more than 2,500 years in the Green Mountains, many on cliffs overlooking the Mediterranean Sea.

3. The Sahara Desert town of Ghadames, western Libya: Ham calls this the "most extraordinary and extensive oasis town left in the Sahara" because of its labyrinth of covered lanes and traditional architecture.

4. The Sahara Desert's Ubari Lakes, in west-central Libya: Palm-fringed lakes hidden amid the desert's dunes in a sand sea the size of Switzerland.

5. Jebel Acacus, southwestern Libya: A mountain range that features prehistoric rock paintings and carvings.

6. The Libyan capital of Tripoli: Ham describes the city of 1.7 million as one "North Africa's most agreeable cities with a world-class museum, marvelous medina and cosmopolitan air."

Futher, on the northwestern coast, about 75 miles east of Tripoli, is Leptis Magna, among the most significant cities of the Roman Empire and one of five UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Libya. The well-preserved ancient limestone city features towering columns and arches, temples, a theater and bathhouses. A UNESCO's World Heritage Site - Cyrene, an ancient Greek city founded in 631 B.C. lies on the northwestern coast. Vast ruins including temples, forums and theaters sit on cliffs here overlooking the virtually untouched Mediterranean coast.

Then there is the great Sahara Desert, which covers more than 90 percent of the country. Among its many features is the small oasis city of Ghadames, which was one of the most notable stops on the ancient Sahara trade routes. Farther south is the mountain range of Jebel Acacus, home to the indigenous Tuareg people and prehistoric rock art that dates back 12,000 years.

However, proof that Libya has a long way to go is in the numbers. According to the U.N. tourism agency, less than 1 percent of Libya's GDP came from tourism with only 149,000 tourists visiting in 2004, the last year the country provided statistics. Compare that to neighboring Egypt, which hosted about 9 million tourists last year.

Well, if you are planning a trip to North Africa to perhaps see the pyramids of Egypt or the Marrakesh of Morrocco, why not visit the World Heritage Sites in Libya. Just make sure you don't get lost in the deserts:-)