My home of the Western Desert at over 680,000 square kilometres covers two-thirds of Egypt and is far from the image of a desert you may have. It is full of variety and made up of a number of very visually different landscapes.
There is the lava-strewn Black Desert with its Crystal Mountain and the brilliant, once sun-starved, now wind-caressed, New White Desert. There are also the enormous, monumental sand dunes of the Great Sand Sea, and the ancient man-made monuments among the palm trees of our desert oases.
Bahiriya, where myself and my team are based, is the gateway to the region, and our city is brimming with green gardens and hot springs, where you must taste the sweet dates and have your first Bedouin mint tea, before exploring the 'English Mountain' to get a perspective on this great settlement, then onto its shimmering salt lake, hugged close by palm trees, before plunging into one of the many hot springs that we are blessed with. Our transfers can whisk you from Cairo and its international airport to this oasis in just four to five hours.
And this is then a natural base from which to explore the deserts, for which you will need a minimum of one night, but better for you, if you are keen to see the most striking and famous White Desert's forest of natural sculptures, two.
If you can spend a further couple of days in our desert, you will be rewarded by reaching the oases of Kharga and Dhaka, for the rich history of the Islamic City, tombs and ruins of our heritage.
Or for the best-preserved desert cityscapes of old along this ancient trading route, Siwa, where you will discover the Shali ruins, Bir Wahed spring and, surrounding the oasis, the largest and most stunning dunes of our Great Sand Sea to journey along and marvel and wonder at.
Some explorers visiting us spend a week or more here, some hiking to really get to know the land, others taking camels, as in days of old. Other explorers continue from Siwa, our most remote and untouched oasis, onto the ancient heritage of Luxor, and the Nile Delta.
Whatever you hope to see and do here, I am always happy to answer any questions you have about your plans to explore our desert, and can respond most quickly, even when travelling, by WhatsApp. If you tell me how many days you can spend with us, and what you hope to achieve, I can create a tailored tour with you.
I look forward to hearing from you and to making your ideas for an adventure here a reality.
My WhatsApp for your questions and ideas is +201222264711.
