Do take care of the environment and make sure you leave the campsite as you find it.
Don’t take away anything that damages or reduces the landscape in anyway.
Do feel free to tell drivers and tour guides to take away rubbish rather than burn it.
Do take two or more vehicles. When making a long trip into the desertwhich means any trip where you will be more than 25km from a road it is advised that you take two vehicles.
Don’t bother with forcing three vehicles on a trip when you only have two. For a trip to the Gilf Kebir the old advice was to take three vehicles, but this was in the days of less reliable cars. Two will suffice as long as they are not overloaded.
Do check out the guide. When hiring a guide with vehicles see how he loads the car- does he store fuel next to food? Is the vehicle itself dirty and in need of attention? Are the tyres worn and inappropriate?
Thankfully poor guides are rare. The desert is recognized by all as a serious place to have a breakdownand almost all guides go well prepared.
Do ask to see the camels first on a camel journey. Do they look reasonably healthy? Do they have humps or are they skinny and emaciated? For a long trip you want a healthy camel. Next ask to mount a camel (if it is your intention to ever ride- many camel travelers never ride- they simply walk alongside their beasts)
and see if the guide holds down the neck until you have mounted properly.
Most accidents with camels when mounting or dismounting when the camel suddenly bucks and throws its load- you- off. If a guide is attentive at these moments he knows.
Do plan on drinking between 1 and 3 litres of water a day in winter in addition to any tea, coffee or soup.
Do drink in long bursts when you are cool- early morning and early evening and lunch being best.
Don’t wear trainers for walking – the sand will get inside the lining and make the show too tight. They also let too much sand in going down dunes. Sandals and boots are better.
Showing posts with label oasis. Show all posts
Showing posts with label oasis. Show all posts
Do’s & Don’ts in oasis
The desert is a benign environment – until you make a mistake- then it can be lethal. In summer you can expect to last less than three days without water. In winter, much longer, probably a week. It is the very
lack of water that makes the desert a dangerous place to make a mistake. Also its remoteness. I would not include dangers from snakes and scorpions because they are rarer here than in more built up areas of the Mediterranean. I have seen more scorpions in the South of France than in the Sahara!
lack of water that makes the desert a dangerous place to make a mistake. Also its remoteness. I would not include dangers from snakes and scorpions because they are rarer here than in more built up areas of the Mediterranean. I have seen more scorpions in the South of France than in the Sahara!
Practical Info Shelter
Tents are usually offered but you bring your own sleeping bag. Get a three or even four season bag as it can get chilly at night in winter. I started off always sleeping in tents- now I rarely do- the flapping sound made by even a small breeze can be rather distracting- and you don’t get to see the incredible night sky! Mattresses are always provided but again if you wriggle down in some sand you will be plenty comfortable with just your sleeping bag.
Practical Info Food
Desert food is simple food. Traditionally it is dates, bread and tea. A little meat and rice if you are lucky. Fortunately there are some great desert chefs out there- some of the best food in Egypt
is cooked upon the desert in my experience.
Expect pasta and rice and bread as the carbohydrate and then meat and vegetable sauces and lentil soup which can be terrific. Also barbecued lamb and chicken on the camp fire. For breakfast- bread,
honey and eggs- most guides know how to make bread under the fire in the Bedouin style and that’s always a fun thing to do.
is cooked upon the desert in my experience.
Expect pasta and rice and bread as the carbohydrate and then meat and vegetable sauces and lentil soup which can be terrific. Also barbecued lamb and chicken on the camp fire. For breakfast- bread,
honey and eggs- most guides know how to make bread under the fire in the Bedouin style and that’s always a fun thing to do.
Practical Info Water
In summer you may need 5 litres a day. If you drink anymore then you are doing too much exercise. You may well feel sick too. In winter and spring 1-3litres should suffice in addition to any drinks and soup you may consume.
Water is usually carried in bottles and boxes. This is not very eco-friendlymake sure the guide collapses the bottles and brings them back to the Oasis. Jerry cans of water are better but clumsier and potentially dirtier. On a camel trip you might carry a few boxes for just drinking and the rest in jerries for cooking.
Water is usually carried in bottles and boxes. This is not very eco-friendlymake sure the guide collapses the bottles and brings them back to the Oasis. Jerry cans of water are better but clumsier and potentially dirtier. On a camel trip you might carry a few boxes for just drinking and the rest in jerries for cooking.
Practical Info Maps
Having a map makes it more fun. You can get maps off the net or from the Egyptian Map Office in Giza. It is best to ask the guide or a tour company representative to make the purchase as it can get complicated.
Practical Info Transport
The best way to the see the desert is on foot. Now you can either walk unaccompanied all the way or you can drive to a nice part of the desert and then walk, or you can walk alongside a camel carrying all your victuals and supplies. The choice is yours. Many take the car option- and in Egypt there are numerous guides and guiding companies who will set up everything you need for a good desert trip. If you stipulate you want to walk at least two hours a day, or one, they will be happy to oblige. Usually you start walking in the morning as they pack up the camp and then you can also get dropped off some way from camp at night and walk along the tracks they leave. Any guide who won’t allow you to walk and enjoy the utter freedom of the desert is not worth going with.
All guides will carry sandplates for getting out of soft sand, a jack, spare tyre if not two, and a few key spares such as fan belt and perhaps waterpump. Many now have sat phonesthough this is not really as great a help as it may seem. Sat phones don’t stop mistakes happening- it is better to go with a good guide in the first place.
All guides will carry sandplates for getting out of soft sand, a jack, spare tyre if not two, and a few key spares such as fan belt and perhaps waterpump. Many now have sat phonesthough this is not really as great a help as it may seem. Sat phones don’t stop mistakes happening- it is better to go with a good guide in the first place.
The new desert association of E.D.K.
E . D . K . CODE OF ETHICS
Safety
Quality Control (ensure a quality product and exceed customer expectations) Sustainable Development
Respect for the environment and local culture
E . D . K . CODE OF CONDUCT
Take nothing and leave nothing.
Don’t touch pre-historic paintings and engravings.
Respect the silence of the desert.
Respect local customs and traditions.
Ask your tour operator for relevant brochures.
Safety
Quality Control (ensure a quality product and exceed customer expectations) Sustainable Development
Respect for the environment and local culture
E . D . K . CODE OF CONDUCT
Take nothing and leave nothing.
Don’t touch pre-historic paintings and engravings.
Respect the silence of the desert.
Respect local customs and traditions.
Ask your tour operator for relevant brochures.
Practical Info Personal Gear
You do not need much. Sunglasses, sun cream and plasters for potential blisters. Your preferred painkiller- a hot dry day can leave you with a headache if you’ve just arrived from the frozen north. A headlamp is very useful- you don’t need the most expensive but don’t be tempted by the ultracheap ones as they always break.
Small binoculars can be useful. Any camera should be kept in a plastic bag most of the time as sand gets everywhere- and will jam motors. Wet wipes are essential for getting clean in a no-washing environment.
Use them before a meal as infections are most easily spread from hand to mouth. Take a toilet roll and when you have finished burn the toilet paper- it will last as long as papyrus otherwise thousands of years. Bury the rest under a good pile of stones.
Small binoculars can be useful. Any camera should be kept in a plastic bag most of the time as sand gets everywhere- and will jam motors. Wet wipes are essential for getting clean in a no-washing environment.
Use them before a meal as infections are most easily spread from hand to mouth. Take a toilet roll and when you have finished burn the toilet paper- it will last as long as papyrus otherwise thousands of years. Bury the rest under a good pile of stones.
How to travel like a Bedouin?
The Bedouin are quite simply the best people in the desert. They are the most at home there and they respect it more than other groups, for example oases dwellers, who may make a living out of the desert
but do not appreciate it in the same way.The Bedouin attitude to the desert is not sentimental. It is more like that of a coastal dwelling sailor or fisherman to the sea. He may even profess ‘to hate the desert’ but this is just talk. The desert is in their bones and they are brought up to enjoy its bounty, its freedom and to respect
greatly its dangers.
Bedouin do not take unnecessary risks. On any journey more than a walk from the highway they will take two vehicles- pick-ups usually. You sometimes get people smugglers using a single vehicle as they cross from Sudan. These are not Bedouin, who would never take such a risk.In camp they are intriguing to watch.
They all work in a kind of coordinated system yet without anyone giving orders. Even the head guide will do food preparation and setting up the camp.
There is never any sense of the big leader reclining while the minions do the hard work. This sense of innate democracy extends even to traveling. Bedouin can dig their heels in and be reluctant to go somewhere. It may be because they are worried about their camels, or it could simply be that they are getting hungry themselves. But the interesting thing is they are always open to a reasoned debate. If you are set on something and can calmly but persuasively put your point acrossthey will change their minds. Anger and ordering eventually backfire- the best method is to sit down and expecta good long session of talking.
Bedouin are naturally well mannered. They keep clean and they neither crack jokes about lavatory habits nor expect you to crack jokes about theirs. They do not make a big deal about toilet arrangements but, they never leave anything in a place you are likely to stumble upon.
Though the left hand is traditionally the one used to wipe the backside you will see they eat with both hands, though favoring the right. There is no need to be paranoid about touching someone or something with your left hand. They are far more sensitive to you putting your feet near their faces or food.
but do not appreciate it in the same way.The Bedouin attitude to the desert is not sentimental. It is more like that of a coastal dwelling sailor or fisherman to the sea. He may even profess ‘to hate the desert’ but this is just talk. The desert is in their bones and they are brought up to enjoy its bounty, its freedom and to respect
greatly its dangers.
Bedouin do not take unnecessary risks. On any journey more than a walk from the highway they will take two vehicles- pick-ups usually. You sometimes get people smugglers using a single vehicle as they cross from Sudan. These are not Bedouin, who would never take such a risk.In camp they are intriguing to watch.
They all work in a kind of coordinated system yet without anyone giving orders. Even the head guide will do food preparation and setting up the camp.
There is never any sense of the big leader reclining while the minions do the hard work. This sense of innate democracy extends even to traveling. Bedouin can dig their heels in and be reluctant to go somewhere. It may be because they are worried about their camels, or it could simply be that they are getting hungry themselves. But the interesting thing is they are always open to a reasoned debate. If you are set on something and can calmly but persuasively put your point acrossthey will change their minds. Anger and ordering eventually backfire- the best method is to sit down and expecta good long session of talking.
Bedouin are naturally well mannered. They keep clean and they neither crack jokes about lavatory habits nor expect you to crack jokes about theirs. They do not make a big deal about toilet arrangements but, they never leave anything in a place you are likely to stumble upon.
Though the left hand is traditionally the one used to wipe the backside you will see they eat with both hands, though favoring the right. There is no need to be paranoid about touching someone or something with your left hand. They are far more sensitive to you putting your feet near their faces or food.
Bedouin cooking
Bedouin can be great cooks. Two favorite dishes are sand baked bread and fried dates. To make the bread you mix a dough of flour, salt, a little sugar and water. This you roll out flat. You then scoop away the embers of the fire and lay the bread in the sand. Then cover with sand and embers. After ten minutes turn the bread over and cook the other side. Adjust the time depending on the thickness of the bread and how many embers you have. Though you may imagine the sand will stick it does not. Carefully brush with your
hand and you will have a marvelous loaf of bread.
Fried dates is very simple- just a little oil in a pan over the fire. Eaten when soft with the bread they are sweet and delicious.
hand and you will have a marvelous loaf of bread.
Fried dates is very simple- just a little oil in a pan over the fire. Eaten when soft with the bread they are sweet and delicious.
Finding direction
Bedouin are reputedly brilliant at finding their way in the desert and they are- but there is no magic to it, just extreme familiarity. They know that the wind is usually from the North West and that dunes align with that prevailing wind. They know that the sun, in winter at midday, is in the south. Finally the landscape in its main features is simple- every oasis has an escarpment along one or more sides. These cliff edges that can run for hundreds of kilometers can be used as handy reference points for traveling, as can the
lengthy north/south Western Desert road.
lengthy north/south Western Desert road.
Bedouin Travel Tips
If you carry water bottle wrap it in a cloth and wet the cloth every so often. Do this in the early morning when the water is still very cold and it will remain cold in the heat of the day.
Instead of tying complex knots simply untwist the strands of the rope and past the end through making a loop. You can add a stop knot if you like. Standyour kettle in front of the fire so that the wind blows the flames all round the kettles sides as well as the bottom.
Wind can be strong at night and a flapping tent can be annoying- or even blow down. The Bedouin use the saddles and jerry cans to build a kind of enclosure about knee height or maybe a little more. When you lie down behind it you are completely out of the wind.Always make some kind of reassuring noise when you are around camels. It doesn’t matter if its humming, clicking or quiet singing or whispering- the reassurance is the thing.
Instead of tying complex knots simply untwist the strands of the rope and past the end through making a loop. You can add a stop knot if you like. Standyour kettle in front of the fire so that the wind blows the flames all round the kettles sides as well as the bottom.
Wind can be strong at night and a flapping tent can be annoying- or even blow down. The Bedouin use the saddles and jerry cans to build a kind of enclosure about knee height or maybe a little more. When you lie down behind it you are completely out of the wind.Always make some kind of reassuring noise when you are around camels. It doesn’t matter if its humming, clicking or quiet singing or whispering- the reassurance is the thing.
Practical Info Clothes
Forget T-shirts and shorts- if you are walking for any length of time you will get badly sun burnt even with the suncream on. Bring a hat with a brim or better get the guide to show you how to wear a Bedouin style scarf- easily bought at any oasis. Long quick-dry type trousers are best, baggy and lightweight. The kind with zip off shorts can be opened to let in the breeze rather than zipped completely off. On a really hot day a baggy man-made fibre shirt is best. On ordinary days a wickaway or conventional vest will keep you cooler longer. Baggy cotton and linen shirts are also fine if they are not too heavyIn the evening it can get really cold by comparison. Bring a fleece and a windproof jacket of some kind, or a sweater and maybe a down jacket. Longjohns are not a bad idea too.
Bring boots or, better, Teva type sandals as long as they comfortable. Trainers are not so good.
Bring boots or, better, Teva type sandals as long as they comfortable. Trainers are not so good.
Bedouin, camels and cars
Bedouin look after their camels and their cars very well. In African countries one is used to cars being in a poor state- not the land cruisers driven by Bedouin. Because they need to be ultra-reliable for desert use the Bedouin keep them in better condition than most Europeans keep their cars. This is a carryover from the care of camels. When you travel with Bedouin don’t expect a cup of coffee or tea when you stop. First they will unload the camels and then they will make them comfortable and feed them.
Only then will they make camp and food for themselves and anyone traveling with them. Likewise in cars if you have had a puncture during the day the Bedouin will fix the tyre before fixing food for anyone. Their quiet ability to keep working and working hard is a sometimes surprising contrast to European notions of
a happy go lucky people.
Only then will they make camp and food for themselves and anyone traveling with them. Likewise in cars if you have had a puncture during the day the Bedouin will fix the tyre before fixing food for anyone. Their quiet ability to keep working and working hard is a sometimes surprising contrast to European notions of
a happy go lucky people.
The Bedouin now
Nowadays the Bedouin of Egypt can be very roughly divided into four groups. There are the Sinai Bedouin
– who are still close to their nomadic roots- even those that are working in Sharm el-Sheikh. They were able to adapt from nomadic travel in the hills to taking tourists along their old routes. Then there are the Red Sea Coast tribes: mainly the Ma’aza and the Ababda. These retain a considerable amount of old practices though they have adopted modern technology and some modern conveniences. Inevitably, the richer families who have made money from selling land for resort development have changed more than the poor.
Thirdly you have the Awlad Ali who dominate on the north coast- these have been assimilating for years into Alexandrian culture. Most recently they have also become wealthy through development of seaside apartments all along the north coast.
Finally there are the Bedouin who live in the Western Desert oases.
They are connected by interest to both the Awlad Ali and the Red Sea Bedouin, though their lineage may be somewhat distant from either, having lived for several centuries or more in the oases. These were the truck drivers of the camel agetransporting produce to the Nile by camel up until the 1980s.
Many then turned to farming and then to the much more lucrative tourist business. They still retain a lot of Bedouin characteristics though- a love of falconry, the desert and campfire music.
– who are still close to their nomadic roots- even those that are working in Sharm el-Sheikh. They were able to adapt from nomadic travel in the hills to taking tourists along their old routes. Then there are the Red Sea Coast tribes: mainly the Ma’aza and the Ababda. These retain a considerable amount of old practices though they have adopted modern technology and some modern conveniences. Inevitably, the richer families who have made money from selling land for resort development have changed more than the poor.
Thirdly you have the Awlad Ali who dominate on the north coast- these have been assimilating for years into Alexandrian culture. Most recently they have also become wealthy through development of seaside apartments all along the north coast.
Finally there are the Bedouin who live in the Western Desert oases.
They are connected by interest to both the Awlad Ali and the Red Sea Bedouin, though their lineage may be somewhat distant from either, having lived for several centuries or more in the oases. These were the truck drivers of the camel agetransporting produce to the Nile by camel up until the 1980s.
Many then turned to farming and then to the much more lucrative tourist business. They still retain a lot of Bedouin characteristics though- a love of falconry, the desert and campfire music.
EDK stands for Egyptian Desert Keepers
Their vision is to make the Egyptian Desert the ultimate destination for responsible travelers while preserving its culture and ecology for generations to come.
The mission statement of EDK is as follows: “We are a professional association of travel agencies that organizes, promotes and sells responsible desert travel in a way that conserves the environment and improves the well being of local people. We are a cohesive body of desert tourism experts that share experiences and knowledge in order to elevate Egypt’s desert tourism to the
highest possible eco standards.
The mission statement of EDK is as follows: “We are a professional association of travel agencies that organizes, promotes and sells responsible desert travel in a way that conserves the environment and improves the well being of local people. We are a cohesive body of desert tourism experts that share experiences and knowledge in order to elevate Egypt’s desert tourism to the
highest possible eco standards.
Bedouin life & lore in the desert
The Bedouin are the traditional nomadic tent dwellers of the Arabian and Egyptian deserts. There is a tribal culture reflected in the saying, “My brother and I against my cousin. My cousin and I against the world.” Groups traditionally formed around a patriarch figure. In times of strife or special need the groups worked
as one tribe. The Bedouin of Arabia were the first converts to Islam and spread it throughout North Africa as far as Spain in the 7th century.
Bedouin people are traditionally an oral culture and their history is kept in stories and poems. It is hard therefore for outsiders to get a completely definitive version of their history. Bedouins derive an identity from a confederation of families that have common interests, rather than a common origin. This means the original Arabian tribes over time found common cause with the indigenous nomadic tribes of Egypt. Though nomads are averse to their daughters marrying settlers they are not too opposed to them marrying other nomads of perhaps different ancestry. This flexibility explains why, despite endemic discrimination by the settled folk of Egypt, the Bedouin continue to thrive.
The main tribe on the northern coast of the Egypt are the Awlad ‘Ali. They date themselves from Bedouin migration in the 11th century AD. On the East coast there are two main tribal groups: the Ma’aza and the Ababda. The Ababda claim descent from the Arab migrant Abad in the 13th century. Culturally they are closer to the hamitic Beja nomads of Sudan and Ethiopia. The Ma’aza are a large tribal group comprising many clans or families that have arrived over the centuries from the Arabian Peninsula. The most recent
clan is the Khushman who came about 150 years ago. Though the Ababda and the Ma’aza have traditionally been somewhat opposed neither side attacks the other on having less authentic origins. Their
disputes are about land and behaviour not about race.
Europeans over the centuries have been fascinated by the Bedouin. Such figures as Jacob Burkhardt, Sir Richard Burton and Wilfred The siger were enamoured of their honour code and tough ways- in sharp contrast they felt to the effete ways of city dwellers. The Bedouin honour code includes such notions as automatic protection of guests, guaranteed hospitality to those who ask and acts of secret charity known only to the giver. These notions exist still but are much undermined by the conditions of modern living.
The traditional justice system of the Bedouin is a court attended by all the elders of the tribe- and other tribes if there is an intertribal dispute. In Egypt, amongst the Red Sea tribes, this would be held in the presence of a small boat hanging from a tree. The boat symbolizes our transitory stature on Earth and how we are duty bound to move on. Perhaps, too, it is an influence from earlier inhabitants of the area who carved boat shapes on the rock walls- the same shaped boats used by the Pharaohs. Until the early 19th century the Bedouin controlled the deserts of Egypt and the Egyptians controlled the fertile Nile Valley and Delta. The Bedouin consider themselves Arabs with their origin being the triangle from Syria to Iraq down to Saudi Arabia. They first arrived as part of the original invasion force of Egypt during the great Islamic conquests.
This first wave of Bedouin married into the Egyptian populace, though some naturally inhabited the desert regions which they shared in an uneasy truce with Berber and Tebu tribal groups.
Further waves of Bedouin repeatedly arrived either through the Sinai or across the Red Sea from Saudi Arabia. The latest migrations were little more than two hundred years ago.
as one tribe. The Bedouin of Arabia were the first converts to Islam and spread it throughout North Africa as far as Spain in the 7th century.
Bedouin people are traditionally an oral culture and their history is kept in stories and poems. It is hard therefore for outsiders to get a completely definitive version of their history. Bedouins derive an identity from a confederation of families that have common interests, rather than a common origin. This means the original Arabian tribes over time found common cause with the indigenous nomadic tribes of Egypt. Though nomads are averse to their daughters marrying settlers they are not too opposed to them marrying other nomads of perhaps different ancestry. This flexibility explains why, despite endemic discrimination by the settled folk of Egypt, the Bedouin continue to thrive.
The main tribe on the northern coast of the Egypt are the Awlad ‘Ali. They date themselves from Bedouin migration in the 11th century AD. On the East coast there are two main tribal groups: the Ma’aza and the Ababda. The Ababda claim descent from the Arab migrant Abad in the 13th century. Culturally they are closer to the hamitic Beja nomads of Sudan and Ethiopia. The Ma’aza are a large tribal group comprising many clans or families that have arrived over the centuries from the Arabian Peninsula. The most recent
clan is the Khushman who came about 150 years ago. Though the Ababda and the Ma’aza have traditionally been somewhat opposed neither side attacks the other on having less authentic origins. Their
disputes are about land and behaviour not about race.
Europeans over the centuries have been fascinated by the Bedouin. Such figures as Jacob Burkhardt, Sir Richard Burton and Wilfred The siger were enamoured of their honour code and tough ways- in sharp contrast they felt to the effete ways of city dwellers. The Bedouin honour code includes such notions as automatic protection of guests, guaranteed hospitality to those who ask and acts of secret charity known only to the giver. These notions exist still but are much undermined by the conditions of modern living.
The traditional justice system of the Bedouin is a court attended by all the elders of the tribe- and other tribes if there is an intertribal dispute. In Egypt, amongst the Red Sea tribes, this would be held in the presence of a small boat hanging from a tree. The boat symbolizes our transitory stature on Earth and how we are duty bound to move on. Perhaps, too, it is an influence from earlier inhabitants of the area who carved boat shapes on the rock walls- the same shaped boats used by the Pharaohs. Until the early 19th century the Bedouin controlled the deserts of Egypt and the Egyptians controlled the fertile Nile Valley and Delta. The Bedouin consider themselves Arabs with their origin being the triangle from Syria to Iraq down to Saudi Arabia. They first arrived as part of the original invasion force of Egypt during the great Islamic conquests.
This first wave of Bedouin married into the Egyptian populace, though some naturally inhabited the desert regions which they shared in an uneasy truce with Berber and Tebu tribal groups.
Further waves of Bedouin repeatedly arrived either through the Sinai or across the Red Sea from Saudi Arabia. The latest migrations were little more than two hundred years ago.
Templates of Desert Tours 1 9 - Day Tour Western Desert Grand Tour
Important Note: These tours are examples and for information purposes only. Broadly similar tours are available but individual operators will amend and tailor them to suit conditions and demand.
For the ardent explorer of deserts the Grand Tour beckons. You will be able to visit the remote rock art sites of Uweinat and the Gilf Kebir, travel up to the mysterious and wonderful zone of silica glass followed by an epic northern crossing of the Great Sand Sea to Siwa- a journey only first completed in 1933.
Driving down from Cairo you first leave the asphalt at the White Desert to get a brief introduction to the wonders of the Egyptian Desert. From here you proceed south until you gain Abu Ballas, the broken pot mountain which guards the entrance to the Gilf Kebir region.
Driving swiftly the several hundred kilometers to the Gilf, you enter the plateau, which rears 350meters above the desert, and cross its southern part through Wadi Wissa. Here you may view the rock art of the Shaw Cave before heading down to Uweinat to see wildlife such as the rare weddan sheep and extensive rock art in many different locations. Back to the Gilf you will take in both the epic Mestikawy cave and the famous Swimmer’s cave as seen in the movie ‘‘The English Patient’’. Both contain amazing rock paintings.
Then it is time to go over the Gilf Plateau by ascending the Aqaba Pass and descending into the 100km long Wadi Hamra, again a site of much fascinating rock art. From here you drive north to the Silica Glass area, a highly localized source of pure natural glass formed when a meteorite hit the desert 29million years ago. Next you follow the first motor explorers of the Western Desert and head north to Siwa past the atmospheric ‘forest’ of petrified palm trees. As you enter Siwa from the south you may glimpse the jackals that still inhabit this region.
From the extraordinarily idyllic Oasis of Siwa you return across the desert to Bahariya and then to Cairo having completed a journey of truly epic proportions.
For the ardent explorer of deserts the Grand Tour beckons. You will be able to visit the remote rock art sites of Uweinat and the Gilf Kebir, travel up to the mysterious and wonderful zone of silica glass followed by an epic northern crossing of the Great Sand Sea to Siwa- a journey only first completed in 1933.
Driving down from Cairo you first leave the asphalt at the White Desert to get a brief introduction to the wonders of the Egyptian Desert. From here you proceed south until you gain Abu Ballas, the broken pot mountain which guards the entrance to the Gilf Kebir region.
Driving swiftly the several hundred kilometers to the Gilf, you enter the plateau, which rears 350meters above the desert, and cross its southern part through Wadi Wissa. Here you may view the rock art of the Shaw Cave before heading down to Uweinat to see wildlife such as the rare weddan sheep and extensive rock art in many different locations. Back to the Gilf you will take in both the epic Mestikawy cave and the famous Swimmer’s cave as seen in the movie ‘‘The English Patient’’. Both contain amazing rock paintings.
Then it is time to go over the Gilf Plateau by ascending the Aqaba Pass and descending into the 100km long Wadi Hamra, again a site of much fascinating rock art. From here you drive north to the Silica Glass area, a highly localized source of pure natural glass formed when a meteorite hit the desert 29million years ago. Next you follow the first motor explorers of the Western Desert and head north to Siwa past the atmospheric ‘forest’ of petrified palm trees. As you enter Siwa from the south you may glimpse the jackals that still inhabit this region.
From the extraordinarily idyllic Oasis of Siwa you return across the desert to Bahariya and then to Cairo having completed a journey of truly epic proportions.
Templates of Desert Tours 1 4 - Day Tour Sailing the Sand Sea
Important Note: These tours are examples and for information purposes only. Broadly similar tours are available but individual operators will amend and tailor them to suit conditions and demand.
The largest Sand Sea in the world is your ocean for a few weeks as you explore this amazing desert of towering dunes, little known oases and prehistoric remains. Leaving Cairo behind you make your way to Bahariya Oasis and then on to the majestic uninhabited lake of Sitra. Driving through the northern end of the Great Sand Sea you alternate visiting the fascinating oases of Bahrein, Nuwamisa and Arag with rolling dunes and canyons of remarkable beauty. As this area was once under the Mediterranean there are ample opportunities to see fossil remains such as shark’s teeth and ‘sand dollars’.
You emerge from the northern leg of the journey at Siwa, the calmest and most mysterious of the Oasis towns. Your stay should take in the collapsing mud town of Shali which looks like a set out of ‘‘Star Wars’’! From here you will be eager to plunge deeper into the Great Sand Sea, driving down the endless dune corridors past fantastic displays of star, barchan and seif dunes. Through this surreal landscape you emerge at the Ammonite scarp, most recently discovered by the German explorer Rohlfs. The top of the scarp is littered with the fossil remains of ammonites.
From here you reverse the journey Rohlfs made in 1873 and arrive at the place he called Regenfeld- ‘rainfield’ in German- a place where it rained and allowed him to refill his water bottles. Past Regenfeld you hit the Abu Ballas trail and view the strange water mountain and its myriad broken pots before leaving the sand at Dakhla and returning to Cairo via the stunning White Desert.
The largest Sand Sea in the world is your ocean for a few weeks as you explore this amazing desert of towering dunes, little known oases and prehistoric remains. Leaving Cairo behind you make your way to Bahariya Oasis and then on to the majestic uninhabited lake of Sitra. Driving through the northern end of the Great Sand Sea you alternate visiting the fascinating oases of Bahrein, Nuwamisa and Arag with rolling dunes and canyons of remarkable beauty. As this area was once under the Mediterranean there are ample opportunities to see fossil remains such as shark’s teeth and ‘sand dollars’.
You emerge from the northern leg of the journey at Siwa, the calmest and most mysterious of the Oasis towns. Your stay should take in the collapsing mud town of Shali which looks like a set out of ‘‘Star Wars’’! From here you will be eager to plunge deeper into the Great Sand Sea, driving down the endless dune corridors past fantastic displays of star, barchan and seif dunes. Through this surreal landscape you emerge at the Ammonite scarp, most recently discovered by the German explorer Rohlfs. The top of the scarp is littered with the fossil remains of ammonites.
From here you reverse the journey Rohlfs made in 1873 and arrive at the place he called Regenfeld- ‘rainfield’ in German- a place where it rained and allowed him to refill his water bottles. Past Regenfeld you hit the Abu Ballas trail and view the strange water mountain and its myriad broken pots before leaving the sand at Dakhla and returning to Cairo via the stunning White Desert.