Have you ever heard of the White Desert of Egypt ? Far from the major tourist attractions of the country, this geological curiosity amazes the rare visitors who venture there.
Imagine an expanse of blond sand, from which strange shapes emerge from an immaculate color. They seem buried in the snow. This spectacle is visible west of the Nile Valley. On a map of Egypt, the white desert is nestled between the oases of Al-Bahariya in the north and Al-Farafra in the south, 400 kilometers from Cairo. Hiking and excursions by camel or 4×4 leave from these two villages. The best period to visit is between October and April, to avoid the big heat.
The white sand desert stretches over a 20 kilometer long strip. It is crossed by the road that connects Al-Bahariya and Al-Farafra. The entrance to this mineral site is marked by a sparkling hill called “the crystal mountain”.
The name of this desert comes from the layer of chalk and limestone which partially covers the landscape. It is the vestige of a time during which this area, today arid, was located under the sea, tens of millions of years ago. You can still find remains of sea urchins, shells and even coral reefs in the Libyan desert.
After the waves were removed, the soil suffered constant erosion, which shaped wonderful rock formations. Mushrooms, arches, iceberg, hen, Sphinx or human figures, the statuary is varied. At sunset, the natural sculptures are adorned with warm nuances. The most fragile seem to defy the laws of gravity and threaten to collapse at any moment. The atmosphere becomes mysterious when these ghostly figures contrast with the night sky.
Spared by mass tourism, this setting will delight travelers looking for breathtaking panoramas. Nearby, a black desert of volcanic origin is also worth a detour. The surroundings of the neighboring village of Bawiti are home to the Valley of the Golden Mummies, a necropolis with several hundred sarcophagi. These two sites complete the white desert tour in Egypt .
Below are photos for our one night camping trip to White desert