The Western Desert of Egypt (West of the Nile) has always been an unknown and mysterious land. Perhaps the most exciting aspect in traveling through the Western Desert is the feeling that the great age of the desert and riding in the wind to an ancient fort is one of the few great adventures left in the world. Knowing that the last time someone visited the area was years ago produces a euphoria that is unparalleled.

In Egypt, there are several Oases in the Western Desert. The most significant are Fayoum, Kharga, Dakhla, Farafra, Siwa and Bahariya. The oases are famed for their numerous mineral and sulfur-rich springs, distinguished by their unique chemical composition that places them at the highest level worldwide. In addition, the silt contained in these wells has numerous curative properties for the treatment of bone, stomach, chest, and skin ailments

 Siwa is different. It is not Egyptian, but North African. Most Siwans are Berbers, descendents of Bedouins that roamed the North African coast from Tunisia to Morocco. In appearance, dress, and language the Siwans are unique. Their customs are alien to the other Oasis in the Western Desert, as is their history. Answering to a host of names through the centuries, Siwa has been called Santarieh, the Oasis of Jupiter-Amen, and field of palm trees, and during the Old Kingdom, Tehenu (Olive Land). Some of the Oasis’ most interesting sights:

1- Temple of the Oracle: 
It is believed that Alexander the Great wished to consult the Siwan Oracle to Seek Conformation that he was the son of Suez, the Greek God of Gods.

2- Gabel El Mawta: 
Gabel El Mawta (Mountain of the Dead) guards the northern entrance to the Oasis. Tombs from the twenty-sixth Dynasty, Ptolemaic, and Roman periods are cut into the side of the mountain.

3- Springs: 
The springs of Siwa are famous throughout the Western Desert. Most of them are surrounded by palm groves and some have interesting histories as Cleopatra’s hot spring.

4- Bir Wahid: 
Hidden amongst the sand dunes, camping and bathing in this natural hot spring is one of the delights that visitors should not miss.

5- Siwa Sook: 
Siwa Sook or Siwa Market is Famous for its highly priced jewelry. 

6- Shali: 
The old town of Siwa was built on a hill inside a protective wall originally reached by single gate.

7- Arag, baharein, Setra, Nawamesa Oases: 
These Oases are located amongst the sand dunes on the track between Siwa and Bahariya Oasis. The visitor seeking adventure should not miss this excursion. Mummies and ancient pottery are easily found among the numerous rock tombs.

8- Gabel El Dakrour: 
This mountain is most famous for the treatment developed for rheumatism and arthritis. Sand bathes are taken during the hottest months of the year

• The closest to Cairo yet the most distant Oasis in time. Bahariya had many names through the centuries. Called the Northern Oasis, the Little Oasis, Zezes, and the Oasis of El Banasa.

  1- Valley of the Golden Mummies: 
  Only very recently discovered, this site is considered the most important discovery after king Tut's tomb.

  2- The Black Desert: 
  This prehistoric area contains extinct volcanoes with millions of lava scattered along the plains.

  3- Bir El Ghaba hot spring: 
  Also known as The Well of the Forest is a natural hot water well located in a grove of eucalyptus trees. A real pleasure to bathe in on a cold nigh

 Kharga, whose bold name seems to perfectly sum up the character of its environment, is the most populous Oasis of the Western Desert. It offers a variety of sites of interests to the visitor, including ancient fortresses and villages.

Kharga, whose bold name seems to perfectly sum up the character of its environment, is the most populous Oasis of the Western Desert. It offers a variety of sites of interests to the visitor, including ancient fortresses and villages.

1- Om El Dabadeeb & Qasr El Labeka: 
Two of the most spectacular forts and temples in Kharga.Tucked into a beautiful valley, imbedded in the sand dunes and accessible only by 4wD, the ruins are impressive with two marvelous buildings, a Roman well, several rock tombs, and plenty of shards.

2- El Deir (The Monastery): 
This fortress was built of mud brick. It has twelve round towers with wonderful graffiti in the interior of the fortress.

3- Hibis Temple: 
Dating back to the twenty-sixth Dynasty, is dedicated to the Holy Triad (Amun Ra'- Mut- Khonsu).

4- Cemetery and church of Al Bagawat: 
It is regarded as one of the oldest Christian Cemeteries and Churches in Egypt and the World. Contains 263 tombs in the pattern of domed chambers. In the center is a church dating back to the eleventh century

 Dakhla Oasis has been populated for over 10,000 years. The climate of Dakhla was similar to that of that of the African Savanna. Buffalo, elephants, rhinos, zebras, ostriches, and hartebeests wandered around the shores of a huge lake, on whose southern bank primitive man had settled to herd his goats and cattle. Remains of the evidence to this nourishing life are still found.

1- El muzawaka Tombs: 
Very impressive set of Roman tombs with a lot of colorful inscriptions.

2- Al Qasr Village: 
It is an old covered city, with its oil press, school, courthouse and dwelling chambers, and the mosque dates back to the Ayyubid period. It has a three-story wooden minaret (twenty-one meters high), and wooden lintels decorated with inscriptions from the Koran at the entrances.

3- Bir El Gabal: 
Considered to be one of the most beautiful springs in the Western Desert.

4- Deir El Haggar: 
A pharaonic roman funerary temple most unique for the twelve pillars demonstrating the twelve months of the year which was followed in all the Orthodox churches throughout time (St. Catherine Monastery), this pharaonic roman temple was dedicated to the God Amen Ra and the Goddess Mut

 Open to the harsh desert elements, hard to reach, sparsely populated and poor, Farafra Oasis remained isolated for centuries. Its isolation created a special world of eternal sunshine and incredible beauty that is just beginning to be penetrated by the outside world.

1- The White Desert: 
As the name implies, the White Desert is a large landscape of pure white color. If one did not know better it would seem like snow covering the entire region.

2- Ain El Wadi: 
Also called the Magic Spring, is recognized by a single palm tree sitting atop a knoll. It is the highest point in the area and the only other green spot on the vast plain

swimming under the waterfalls.

2- Wale Cemetery: 
A prehistoric sea once existed in this area, leaving behind evidence in the form of Whale skeleton and other fossils.

3- Karanis: 
The site that was almost completely buried contains foundations of hundreds of houses, several temples, factories, and baths, including a sauna, with hot and cold running water

4-Bacchias: 
Was founded in the third century and abandoned in the forth. Several interesting ruins are still standing.

5- Lake Qarroun (Birket Qarroun): 
Covers approximately 214.5 square kilometers. Several local legends relate to the lake. One tells of a pharaoh who lived during the time of Moses. The pharaoh inhabited a castle called Qarroun and had rooms full of gold and other riches. But the pharaoh was greedy and became mean vicious. With all his possessions, he was cast in the lake. The treasure is still believed hidden in the lake.

6- Temple of king Qarroun (Qasr Qarroun): 
The most interesting aspect of the temple is that is the only temple in the Western Desert with its roof intact, offering us a sense of atmosphere that once prevailed all the temples in the western Desert. The temple is said to have 360 rooms, some of which can be explored using a flashlight

• Land Mines: Because of its geographical position Sinai has always been a place for many armies to pass through. Egypt has one quarter of the world's landmines buried in its deserts, most left over from the Second World War, some from the wars between Egypt and Israel. Despite several efforts, sand is moving the land mines and they couldn't be removed yet. Unfortunately, a lack of money does not support this situation. Before you are to travel in this desert on your own, please inform yourself carefully about the danger and risks.
• Car Break-Down: Sinai is a desert. There is a sand but also massive row of huge mountains. Driving inside the desert with a 4x4 (e.g. Jeep) might cause a breakdown. A wheel might brake, the cooling water might heat up too much or another motor damage might happen. Being away only 5-10 km from the main road can make it already impossible to find the way back. Therefore, it is recommendable to have a good functioning GPS system in the car
• Get Stuck: If sand becomes very voluminous it might happen that even the best 4x4 vehicle gets stuck. The only one exception might be a Hammer, but in most cases this vehicle is far too expensive. To get a car out of this sand again takes lots of effort and time. Nevertheless, there are methods that you can deal with (see further down).
• Water Lack: The sun is strong enough that 8 liters of water is well recommendable per person/day, in certain situations even much more.
• Others: There are plenty more dangers that can be calculated (like snakes etc.), others may not. Make sure that you are prepared. Well known "desert-specialists" have never returned because they did not obey simple rules. However, if you prepare your trip well, obey the preparation rules and if you are careful on your way - then this trip will become a great and save adventure, something you've never seen before and you'll for sure do again

• 4x4vehicles : Without a 4x4 you will probably not reach more that the first 2 km, so the right car is the most important thing. Make sure your car is strong and suitable for the desert. A Jeep (Cherokee or Wrangler) would be perfect, but also a Defender or a Mitsubishi is fine. You get these cars at car rentals in Sharm El Sheikh or Naama Bay. Also, make sure your car has no major problems (cooling etc.). A good idea is to take photographs of the car before you rent them, so you can prove later what kind of damages it has had alreadyBe alert in terms of the insurance: most gold credit cards do not cover 4x4 cars.Once you receive the car, make sure the tires are fine, the profile is deep enough and that the lifting jack works properly (sometimes they are not checked by the renting company - we have seen this already). Ask; if there are any deficiencies that could become a problem in the desert, even small things.
• Water: For a 1-day trip into the desert, you should take 3-5 liters of water per person plus 10 liters extra for emergency cases (e.g. cooling of car).
• Compass/GPS: A compass is a must! Don't go into the desert without a compass and be prepared to work with it. If you have difficulties in working with the compass have a look to our small guide. Here you can see how a compass is working in general.A GPS system is not necessary but very useful. If you happen to have a GPS, you should take it with you. You will then always have a good control over your current situation.
• Wood: Wood may help you to get your car out of difficult sandy situations. Make sure the woods are flat, medium long and strong enough (1m is mostly sufficient). Then, in case you'd like to spend the night in the desert, you might still use some wood for fire reasons. Since Sinai - as a desert - doesn't have lots of trees it is not that easy to get wood (never take woods from alive trees). However, there are some places in Sharm or in Naama Bay, where you can buy some. Make sure you have lighters on you.
• Outfit: This is no doubt - if you are in the desert, you need the right outfit. Make sure you have stable shoes (e.g. sport shoes or hiking shoes), light clothes that do protect you at the same time from sun. Also, make sure you have sun protection with you as well as a protection for the eyes (sunglasses) and your head (e.g. base cap). At nighttimes it becomes sometimes quite cold, especially in the mountain areas. Here it makes sense to be equipped with pullover, long trousers and a jacket.
• Sleeping bags: In case you are going to sleep in the desert sleeping bags are necessary. Since the ground might get quite cold at night, it is advisable to have some blankets. In case of a sudden car break down in the desert, it is also advisable to have sleeping bags, since nights are coming very quickly after sunset
• Mobile phone: Already 3 km away from the main road or larger villages will mostly let the network of your mobile phone get down to zero. However, even if not throughout the entire main road there is network, it might still happen, that you are close to it and don't know it (mountains block the view). In this case it is of good use to have a mobile phone.

Getting stuck in the sand is for most drivers probably the worst imaginable situation while unfamiliar with deserts. But actually, there are many ways to prevent from getting stuck as well as once you are stuck there are other ways again to get out again.

- 4x4: The two wheels in front turn simultaneously as well as the two wheels in the back.
- 4x4 differential: Each wheel turns independently.

Steering Wheel: If your feel that your wheels are about to get less grip in the sand, try to turn your steering wheel quickly to the right and to the left several times until you are out of the sandy situation. While you turn you steering wheel from left to right and right to left, the wheels are going a bit left and right as well. This enables them to get more grips. This sequence must be done quickly, so per 1 second once left + once right.

Deflate Wheels: This is commonly done by most people in the desert: deflating the wheels down to 20-22 PSI (or even lower sometimes). This deflating has the effect that the wheels do have much better grip on the sand. Especially in the midday heat this could be efficient, since the sand at that time of the day is very soft. Make sure you don't let out too much air, since you will have to go on the streets afterwards again! One way to avoid problems is if you carry an inflator (air compressor) for car wheels. They are generally sold in safari shops, mostly in Cairo.

Sand mates or wood: In case you are stuck in the sand and the above mentioned hints were not successful, you should have sand mates, flat woods or Sand mates are normally quite heavy unless you use the aluminum ones. Some people don't use them because they are quite heavy to carry. And then, if you come out of one whole, you might get stuck again after 15 meters. You would first need to get out of the car, get the mates, and carry them for some meters to put them again into the right position in order to get a few meters further. To avoid this, it makes sense to tie up the sand mats to the rear bumper, so it gets pulled behind the car once the wheels are over it.

• Gas Pedal: Avoid suddenly pressing the gas pedal, rather being smooth and soft. In sandy terrains this lets you lose speed and your car will be digging up and might even get stuck.
• 2 Wheel drive: On harder sand you might want to use 2H (2 wheel drive) instead of 4H (4 wheel drive). You will save lots of gasoline, which might be necessary to have if you go for longer distances.
• Security: Always fasten your seatbelt if you are in hilly areas and you intent to climb them up by car. When you plan to drive up a mountain, make sure that you know what expects you. It is always recommendable to first climb it by feet if you don't know the area.
• Downhill: When going down on a sloppy hill, you must use a very low gear. In these situations you should never use brakes, since this will not stop your car but will make you lose control over your steering and over the car. This might even let your car bring into an upside-down position if the hill was very steep.
• Uphill: When you want to climb a mountain by car, make sure you have enough speed to reach the top. Never allow the car to side-face the mountain, always front towards the top and the rear to the bottom of the mountain. Be prepared that once you are up, the way down might be sloppy, so slow down fast