Siwa Oasis: Egypt’s Far West

Siwa is the oasis we love to show to people who think they already know Egypt. Close to the Libyan border, ringed by dunes and salt lakes, it has its own Amazigh language, its own crafts and a calm that the rest of the country rarely has time for.

The road west

Getting there takes most of a day. We drive from Cairo to the Mediterranean, stop for a fish lunch at Marsa Matrouh and then head south through open desert, arriving as the palms come into view. Because of the journey, three days is the minimum; four or more lets Siwa work its magic.

What to see

• Shali, the crumbling salt-and-mud fortress in the centre, best at sunset.
• The Oracle Temple of Amun, which Alexander the Great crossed the desert to visit.
• Gebel al-Mawta, the Mountain of the Dead, honeycombed with painted tombs.
• Cleopatra’s Spring, a stone pool of warm spring water for a swim.
• The salt lakes, so dense with salt that you float without trying.
• Fatnas Island for sunset over the water and the palms.

Into the Great Sand Sea

South of the oasis begins one of the biggest dune fields on Earth. Our 4x4 day climbs and slides over the dunes, stops at a hot spring in the sand and finishes with sandboarding and dinner at sunset – this is our desert, and it is the day guests talk about afterwards.

Eclipse 2027

On 2 August 2027 Siwa lies in the path of the total solar eclipse, with about five and a half minutes of darkness – and far fewer people than Luxor.

A conservative community

Siwans are welcoming but traditional. Cover shoulders and knees in town, ask before taking photos of people – women in particular prefer not to be photographed – and keep swimwear for the springs and the desert.