The Oasis of Baharia is the closest to Cairo and largest of all Western Desert oases in Egypt (Arabic: el-Wa7at el-Baharia الواحات البحرية).
Along with Siwa Oasis, elBaharia is the capital of Safari services providers to Western Desert and is considered the last station of Gas and Food and Water rations before most medium-ranged safaris to the Sahara.
As the closest of the oases to the Nile Valley, Al-Kharga used to have the unenviable role as a place of banishment for mischievous Nile Valley citizens. Its remote location, punishing summer heat and destructive winds mean the oasis was synonymous with misery and exile. It may seem strange then that its chief town, Al-Kharga, was chosen as the capital of the New Valley Governorate in the 1950s.
Thurs 24th September: Leave by car (Toyota Corolla) at 1 in the afternoon from Cairo, via 6th of October towards ‘El Wahat’. We finally arrive at around 19:00 in Bahareya Oasis and it looks like the desert, feels like the desert and smells like the desert. At first sight Bahareya looks like a bunch of 2 floor cement houses thrown together close to the main street, but then we take a few alleys and find out that there is much more to do here.
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.Today, Siwa offers for native Egyptians -along with Sinai Mountains and beaches- some of the most interesting visiting places after the Nile Valley countryside. In this collaborative article, Siwa's culture, geography as well as all logistical details will be explained for the most intellectual explorers by the Community of SaharaSafaris.