One of the reasons that we thought it might be interesting to turn our holiday albums into a more public-facing blog was reading an article in the Financial Times at the end of last year where travel writers were asked to share their discoveries (and disappointments) in 2023 (Link here. There doesn’t seem to be a paywall).
William Dalrymple’s discovery was Siwa Oasis; he describes it as feeling ‘not quite of this earth, somehow part of a different dimension’. The fact that we travelled to Siwa in 2010, and enjoyed being there so much that we returned in 2012, made us feel a little ahead of the curve on this one. We also seem to have stayed (in great comfort) more economically than we would have in the places that Dalrymple mentions (admittedly, I don’t think these existed in 2010).
Our first trip, of course, started in Cairo. We had been before, and we had been to the pyramids before; this time we approached the pyramids differently. Although they are an incredible sight, it can be a little underwhelming to arrive by taxi or bus. This time we booked a horse ride. What made it a really special experience was that it was a foggy morning. As we set off across the desert we couldn’t see anything ahead of us. When the pyramids eventually emerged out of the mist, it was a really special moment.
As William Dalrymple says, the journey to Siwa is a pretty epic whole-day experience. We’d booked our accommodation in Siwa through ‘Somewhere Different’ (who now operate in a different space) and they had a arranged a car and driver for us. On the way we made a stop at the El Alamein War Cemetery. It was beautifully maintained and a fitting tribute to those who fell.
Our lunch stop was at a hotel in Mersa Matruh before we turned South towards Siwa:
Arrival in Siwa is simply spectacular. The city is dominated by the ruins of ‘Shali’ the ancient fortress built of mud-brick which was destroyed by three days of rain in 1926. ‘Our’ house (which is now only available as a co-working space), was built in the traditional way at the foot of Shali (with the roof terrace in the photo).
View of Shali:
It’s endlessly fascinating walking around Siwa. For short trips we also had the option of the donkey and cart that came with the house, or hiring remarkably heavy Chinese bicycles:
Around Siwa: Cooling off in Cleopatra’s Pool and evening at Fatnas.
The Oracle Temple of Amun, visited by Alexander the Great around 331 BC, is the unmissable sight in Siwa:
We had a trip out into the desert in Nasser’s Landcruiser. Roman Tombs, Flamingoes, a bit of sand boarding and an incredible landscape:
Camping in the desert:
The journey back from Siwa was equally spectacular. Rather than take the same route back, we crossed the desert to Bahariya Oasis and had an overnight stop there.
Helicopter wreck:
In Bahariya we stayed at the delightful International Hot Spring Hotel & Peter’s Bar. I noticed that a recent Trip Advisor review bemoaned the lack of TVs in the rooms, but really, if that’s what you want, you’ve come to the wrong place.
This was a really amazing trip. An adventure, yet not very challenging. We stayed in great comfort in a beautiful house, and ate excellent food in the local restaurants. We felt relaxed, yet somehow on the edge of the world.
You can see the full photo album from our 2010 trip to Siwa here.
Peregrinamur 