The White Desert: Our Home Ground

The Western Desert is where we feel most at home, and the White Desert is the trip we run more than any other. Chalk rocks shaped by the wind into mushrooms and towers, sand that glows pink at sunset and a sky so full of stars that guests stop talking – it is hard to describe, and impossible to forget.

Getting there

We leave Cairo early and drive four to five hours on a good road to Bahariya Oasis. There you swap the car for one of our 4x4s and a Bedouin driver who knows every track, and head south into the sand.

Stops along the way

• The Black Desert, where volcanic stone covers the hills like soot.
• Crystal Mountain, a ridge of quartz that sparkles in the sun.
• Agabat, a valley of dunes between white cliffs – one of the most photographed views in the desert.
• The Mushroom and the Chicken, the White Desert’s two most famous rocks.
• A hot spring in Bahariya for a soak before or after the desert.

A night at our camp

Our team picks a sheltered spot among the chalk formations, puts up the tents and lights the fire while you watch the sunset. Dinner is grilled chicken, rice and vegetables cooked on the coals, followed by tea, music and the stars. Little fennec foxes – the real desert foxes – often come to visit after dark – leave your shoes inside the tent.

Best months

October to April gives comfortable days. In December and January nights can drop close to freezing, so we provide blankets and you should bring warm layers. Summer trips are possible but hot; we travel early and rest in the shade at midday.

Packing list

• A warm jacket, hat and socks for the night.
• A scarf or buff against wind and sand.
• A head torch and a charged power bank – there is no electricity at camp.
• Sunglasses and sunscreen.