Coming to Egypt, I’d expected the pyramids and temples, the Red Sea and St Katherine’s, even Cairo’s wonderful frenetic buzz. But not the desert! Egypt has an incredibly scenic and varied desert – full of fairy-tale rock formations, scarps and plateaus, petrified forests, dunes, caves, whale bones and sharks teeth, shells and fossils and an abundance of stunning views – even (or especially) at night under silent sweeping starry skies.
But the desert is also home to an astonishing wealth of man-made history. The earliest cultivation in the world is thought to have started not in the Nile Valley, but in what is now Egypt’s Western Desert, where Paleolithic and Neolithic grinding stones, arrows and cutting implements can be found (and left please!). Rock art (and a squinted gaze over lake and river like terrain) attest to earlier periods when the desert was green and watered. There are ancient Pharonic trading routes (some still littered with old pottery water vessels), Roman ruins (irrigation systems, fortresses, temples, tombs and houses) and even WWII memorabilia (a jeep and an aeroplane, as well as more prosaic food and fuel cans!). There are surprising trees and bushes, as well as interesting tracks to decipher in the morning, after desert foxes have checked out the camp overnight. The desert never fails to intrigue. The Bedouin guides, based in the oases, define themselves by their knowledge of the desert. The best of these are well-organised family operations, providing all your camping gear, food and drink, arranging connecting transport – or leading self-drive groups. With their strong traditions of hospitality, the food will be a highlight – local dishes, rustled up using fresh ingredients to great effect – tasting all the better around the campfire. Naturally discrete but quietly charming, they’ll share their stories with you around the fire – giving you privileged glimpses into this very different world. They carry satellite phones for back-up – but rely on their own networks for support when it’s needed. That’s how – a week into one trip – we managed to order, receive and fit a new gear box – with only a 24-hour stop! (Try that with your average break-down service…lucky if you get past “off-road, are we Madame?”). Each trip is individual – put together to accommodate your interests. Allow three days minimum – just a taster – or three months if you get hooked!

Esam Abdul Sayed: Bedouin Desert Guide (Western Desert, Egypt)
esamelsayed1@hotmail.com
+20 12 495 2362
www.desert5oasis.com

I agreeI disagree

1.  
2. Send to friends