Siwa
Siwa is an oasis lying to the West of the Nile Valley. Siwa has very strong historical and cultural ties to the Nile Valley to the extent that Alexander the Great may have had it as the first thing he visited in Egypt upon conquering it.
Using private car is an easy and enjoyable way. In the 70s, there were gazelles and Ibex jumping around the road from Matrouh to Siwa but no more.
Transportation in Siwa:
1- By bicycle: 2 LE/hour or 10 LE/day. You can rent a bike and do most of the visits in one day.
2- Donkey cart: Written on it Siwa taxi, you can use it for short distance, long distance and even you can make a deal for the complete tour.
3- By truck:
Budget Hotels:
1- Cleopatra Hotel: Located 5 minutes walk away from the main square of Shali, with good location- Has 3 levels of accommodation:
2- Kelany Hotel: Located in the main square, the hotel has a restaurant on the roof with good view of Shali and prepares normal and local food and is reasonably priced.
4- Palm Trees Hotel: Located two blocks away from the main square, 15-25L.E. for bed with external bath (single-double), 35-45 LE for double- triple with a bath, 50 LE for Siwan chalet in the garden of the hotel.
5- Youssef Hotel: Located in the main square 10-16 LE for single-double with external bath, 15-25 LE single-double with internal bath. (not advisable).
The following hotels most have a natural water pool and some have 3 stars rating, prices are around 150 - 300 LE:
1- Kenoz Shali Lodge: Located few minutes’ walk from the main square- Built in Siwan style- Their Restaurant has a very good chief- Prices are moderate (try Romanneya, and vegetable kouskous)
2- Siwa Safari Paradise: 3 stars- Has a natural water pool- Few minutes’ walk to the main square.
3- Reem El-Waha: has a natural water pool- on the way to Aghouramy more than 1 km from the main square- the rooms have TV, fan, water heater and fridge- 90-140 LE for single-double room, 110-160 LE for single-double room with air condition all on B&B.
4- Taghaghein Island: Few KMs from the main square- it is an island in the western lake of Siwa with lodging and day use facilities
6- Penta: Relatively new, it is between the gardens in the eastern side of Siwa. I'm not sure whether the owner is an SS member or is it just similar names.
7- Siwa Inn: Far from the main square, has a natural pool, prices from 160 - 280 LE
1- The Desert Rose Hotel: "Desert rose" is not just a name for the hotel but I find it giving the real meaning, after leaving the "noisy" town and starting the journey after the signs for the hotel, you pass a long distance (by bicycle/donkey cart/car) where there are the gardens on your right side and the borders of the desert for the other side.
It is located about 3 kms away from downtown on the way to Bir Wahed (#1) in an area called "el-Shahayem" (southwest of Siwa), I felt as if I'm on the borders with the great sand sea as the old asphalt ends only about 200 meters after the hotel (my personal conclusion that this asphalt was paved when king Fouad visited the oasis). There are only 8 rooms with external bathroom, prices on B&B are 70, 120, 180 LE for single, double or triple room respectively, but you'll add everyday transportation to move anywhere (about 20 L.E. each time), they can prepare Siwan food. Check the photos in the link at the end of this message.
2- Dream Lodge: Located in the northeast of Siwa in the area of Gebel el-Mawata. It is built and operated by a local Siwan person named "Gamal Youssef" who is originally a builder, the lodge consists of only 6 rooms (planning to build more) each room with internal bathroom, TV, fan and heater. Prices on B&B are 120, 160, 190 L.E. for single, double or triple room respectively. Contact 046-460-1745, 010-762-5862 or 010-099-9255. The lodge is still new, and can prepare Siwan food.
Talking with Gamal (the owner) he told me about the problems that he's facing as a local and not an investor to operate such a place. He is a builder and built every part of it by his own hands, cost him material and finishing about 240,000 LE. Now to get a license from tourism authority he has to pay some fees where the lodge is priced as a value of 2 Million LE! He also stated that some non-Egyptians bought houses in Siwa and operating them as lodging facility, marketing through Internet and accepting the guests officially as friends not tourists, and so they pay nothing for tourism authorities.
Anyway, enjoy the photos :)
3- Adrar Amellal Eco-lodge: (you need to get a permission from "Kenouz lodge" to visit the place, as the two places have the same management)
There are several places for having breakfast and dinner (about 5-6 places, check the photos), and sounds a great idea. Lunch is served in the garden (between palm trees) where there is a natural water pool.
Adrar Amellal Eco-lodge is built using the Siwan material in building, in a normal room price may be $250 - 350 per night and reaches 400 $/night in the royal suit (check the photo of it), as much as I know a desert safari is included.
However, there are some people who disagree with such a lodge, some locals say that a poor man can't build a house anymore as such eco-lodges increased the prices of building material, for example a palm stem which used to cost 1 LE is now for 6 LE. Palm stem is used as ceiling and must be used in a special time of the year otherwise it will need some "treatment" before being used in building.
The eco-lodge is known to be owned by an environmentalist/investor from Cairo, but some people says that on paper it is owned by a local so as to get a lot of funding/aid. Anyway, it is not my subject :)
enjoy the photos on the following link:
http://www.worldisround.com/articles/345595/index.html
One more "resort" I would like to point to is "Royal Cleopatra International Touristic Resort", it is just behind Gebel El-Dakrur (Takrur) and I guess it was targeting the guests of burying in sand, it is the first photo in the previous link :):)
4- Siwa Safari Gardens Hotel:
this resort is a relatively new hotel, it is managed by mr. sami who is a very helpful and nice guy, the rooms are really good, clean, equipped with everything (bathroom, AC, TV, Satellite, heater, minibar, etc..) there is a Wireless internet signal in the lobby free for guests, the hotel's garden style is really authentic and nice, palm trees, bonfire place, arabian a3da, etc... there is a natural water spring in the center of the garden and during certain hours of the day it heats and u could see smoke coming out of it :)
the food is nice, dates cheesecake is a great savory dish to try there, so is milk with she3reya at breakfast. the staff is REALLY helpfull specially mostafa at the restaurant and ihab who is available day and night. its location is 5 minutes walking from downtown and there is a place to park your cars outside the hotel.
if you are a group (more than 10 persons) from saharasafaris you could discuss a discount with mr. sami the manager, just mentioning the fact you are a member of sahara safaris would give you credit with him based on his experience with us :)the rates range around 200 LE per person per night. you should contact reception for price updates
hotel website: http://www.siwagardens.com/aboutSiwaGardensHotel.html
hotel pictures: http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/LocationPhotos-g303857-d1631099-Siwa_Safari_Gardens_Hotel-Siwa.html#28873110
excellent tripadvisor review: http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Hotel_Review-g303857-d1631099-Reviews-Siwa_Safari_Gardens_Hotel-Siwa.html#CHECK_RATES_CONT
Shali was built in 1203 to protect the Siwa from attacks by the desert Bedouins. It is built from "karsheif" which is mainly from the local salty soil in Siwa. It was partially destroyed in 3 days heavy rain in 1926.
Shali used to have one main gate that closes by sunset and was called "Bab Inshal" (as much as I remember it mean the main gate), it was divided between eastern and western Siwans, each living in the east/west half of Shali. The houses sometimes reached 7 & 8 levels (floors) as there was no chance for horizontal extensions.
My aunt who visited Siwa in the 80s three times told me that there were people still living in Shali and didn't leave it, and that you have to be with a local to have the chance to "discover" all the way between its streets.
To compare Siwa before the heavy rains and now please check the link
http://www.worldisround.com/articles/344279/index.html
in the third photo, you'll notice new buildings down Shali; it is a hotel less than 2 years old and is named "Bab Inshal" also made by the same owner of Adrar Amellal.
The Oracle Temple is located on a huge rock called "Aghurmi" about 3 kms to the east of the main square, Aghurmi rock is suffering old age and is almost broken (split to two halves) from the place beneath the oracle, but some restoration work was done to save the temple from collapsing.
Over years people started to build their houses on the top of Aghurmi and around the temple, but they're now ruins. The restoration mission started by restoration of the mosque there to win the respect and cooperation of the locals.
In the rocks of the wall of the temple, there are signs for marine fossils.
(Photos will be in another message)
Temple of "Um Eibeida": Not far from the oracle temple, this temple was completely destroyed in 1898 by an officer to build a house from rocks, that time there was no kind of awareness towards archaeological sites. However, construction of the temple and the drawings on its walls was previously registered by some traveler/explorer.
Gebel El-Dakrur (Takrur Mountain): The mountain is to the east of Siwa, famous for curing rheumatic disease by burying in the sand, usually in the summer (June, July & August). At this mountain an annual celebration takes place; the celebration lasts for three days during the full moon in October after the dates and olives harvest season.
There is more than one opinion about how the mountain gained its name, the one I remember is that the area was a slave trading point, where slaves used to come from Dakar. (sorry can't remember other opinions now).
Gebel el-Mawta (Mountain of the Dead): Located in the northern part of the oasis, it is the first archaeological site you meet on arriving to the oasis (it will be to the left). It contains many tombs from the Pharaonic time, four of them having drawings on their walls. It was used by Siwans and English soldiers as a refugee in the World War II. Several drawings and paintings were destroyed or removed and taken by English soldiers. If you know any who got such paintings you can help to get more info about the tombs' owners. There are some ruins in front of the mountain.
The big mosque is just off the main square on the way to Gebel el- Mawta, it was built by King Fouad, and there is a shrine beside it.
Fatnas Island: Fatnas is is an island in the western salty lake, famous with the magnificent sunset view. The salty lake was created from agricultural sewage water. However, few years ago an agricultural sewage project took place to solve the problem of excessive waste water taking the borders of water away from the island, but tourism to the island wasn't affected. The locals say that the project was just like a "pain killer" and not "curing" the problem. There is a fresh water spring where people can swim.
Please check the photos on the following link
http://www.worldisround.com/articles/345617/index.html
In the entrance of the house there are three 'ladies' wearing three different dresses used to be wore by the bride on the first, third and seventh days after the wedding, on the first day for her friends (ladies of course), on the third day for her aunts, and on the seventh day for mother (yes, the mother doesn't come except on the seventh day). Check the photos (the link in the previous message) for more details.
There is a warm corner in the house where the grandmother used to sit every night and gather the children around her for storytelling, stories about their history, heroes and ethics. The guide said sadly "but now the hero on TV is the one having the gun in his hand not the one with good manners", I heard it couple of years ago, but understood it last October when I attended the celebration, All the kids having the plastic gun in their hand and shooting at each other, Personally I was shot twice before the kind old man tell the kids not to play or bother older guests. I think as a "Siwan kid" after watching TV that "the hero is the one having a gun in his hand not the one having ethics as the grandmother used to say :("
I uploaded more photos for written articles in the house of Siwa; you can download each of them, zoom in and read, the link is