
Joanna’s Egyptian Adventure
An unforgettable journey on the Nile
Thought you had a good idea of what Egypt was all about? Siwa Oasis is here to challenge all of it. A mere 50 kilometres from the Libyan border, this a fertile land, 25 metres below sea level, is scattered with olive trees and date palms, tiny, mud-brick hamlets and ruined temples, where crystal-clear springs glitter in the earth. Its physical isolation from the rest of the country has helped protect a unique society, and out here, the people speak a different language and follow customs unknown to the interior. Then, there’s the Great Sand Sea, a seemingly never-ending expanse of restless dunes – some up to 140-kilometres long, the largest in the world - and colossal sand towers. Covering an area the size of Ireland, this is the canvas for some of Egypt’s best desert safaris, and explorations are remote, alien and enthralling.
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The remotest of Egypt's destinations, Siwa is a time capsule for an ancient way of life. Visit local Berber villages, where people live as they have done for centuries in mud-brick hamlets (definitely make a stop at the 6th-century Temple of the Oracle), and then head to the oasis: with its olive and date palm groves, it's an idyllic spot for a picnic or a dip in one of the natural springs. Siwa is surrounded by two expansive deserts, the Great Sand Sea and the White Desert, both of which can be explored on foot or longer 4x4 drives. The former is home to immense dunes (hello, sandboarding) while the latter must be viewed at sunrise or sunset when the spires of crystal and quartz shimmer vividly. In a destination like this, stargazing is beyond imagination...
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