The Western Desert
The Western Desert is a beautiful, diverse, interesting and mesmerising area of Egypt. Most visitors to Egypt stay in the Nile Valley, visiting the ancient sites and wonders, so a trip out into the Western Desert will not only inspire you, but you will also find that once you leave the valley, you are one of few travellers in this region.
The Western Desert is part of the Sahara and stretches as far as the border with Libya to the West and Sudan to the South. The main settlements are Bahariyyah, Farafrah, Daklah and Khargah, and they are all linked together by a 1000km road which loops from Giza to the Nile Valley at Asyut. Siwa, the most mysterious of them all lies approximately 300 km from Marsa Mutruh, which lies on the Mediterranean coast. Bahariyyah is the closest to Giza, at approximately 330km away. Archaeologists have recently revealed an ancient cemetery, that is thought to be the largest ever uncovered. Farafrah is the furthest from the Nile Valley, and boasts approximately 100 natural springs. It does feel that you are a long way from anywhere, and coupled with being in the desert, gives a sense of disengagement with the rest of Egypt and the Arab world. The road from Bahariyah passes what is known as, the White Desert. Here you will find strangely eroded sand stone, and the most amazing colours. In Daklah you can find some wonderful mud brick villages, whose lanes form a labyrinth. Kharga is the largest and most developed of the oases, and is the administrative seat of the Nile Valley Project. Siwah often stands alone and visited independently of the other four oases. Due to its remoteness, it maintains its own culture and language, related to the Berber languages of North Africa. The most impressive sight in the oasis is the gardens, for Siwa is Egypt’s major producer of dates, and over a million palms.