Your 2 Days Bahariya Oasis & White Desert Tour begins with a pick up by our tour guide from your hotel in Cairo/Giza by a deluxe 4X4 Jeep to visit:
Bahariya Oasis:
Bahariya Oasis is 200 miles far from Cairo and considered as a jumping off destination for many safari trips into the desert, as it presents direct access to the stunning landscapes of the White Desert. Bahariya Oasis was formed by black volcanic rocks surrounded by mountains and black rocks full of quartz.
Bahariya Oasis is rich with date palms and trees of different types such as guavas, mangos, and olives. The Oasis has 5 villages Mariya, El Qasr, Zabu, Al Heiz, and Bawiti which is the capital of the Oasis. The name Bahariya comes from the word “Bahr” which means the sea in Arabic language because the Mediterranean Sea was covering all the oasis millions of years ago.
Black Desert:
The Black Desert is a configurations of black hills and rocks that stand as a compelling evidence of volcanic activity for the region in ancient geological ages.
The mountains have eroded to coat the desert with a layer of black powder and rocks giving it its name, which refers to the vast expanses of Quartzite and Dolerite, in addition to iron and other igneous rocks, which were thrown with lava when those small volcanoes rebel.
El Heiz Village:
El Heiz Village is situated next to the Black Desert, which takes its name from the stones which adorned the surface like burnt breadcrumbs. This is dark brown, Oligocene iron pyrite and black basalt from the early Miocene Era, and formed the top crusts of the sandstone layers created in earlier ages.
These stones are spread over the sand combined with the nummulites and limestone concretions of other geological periods. The ruins of the Roman fortress of Qasr Masuda at El Heiz which is one of the most northerly of the Roman garrisons in the Western Desert, were constructed, so troops could guard and protect trade routes and control movement in the region.
Enjoy lunch and you will then explore:
Valley of Agabat:
Agabat which is known as the Beautiful Valley is in the Western Desert region of Egypt and generally is the stop off point for travelers on their way to Bahariya Oasis. There are no buildings or houses at all in Agabat as the land is so rough and very high temperatures in the summer months would make living extremely difficult.
Whilst Agabat is smaller and considered a small valley in comparison to the Bahariya area, it is very impressive in its own unique way. With beautiful mountain formations and many white cliffs faces like the White Desert.
The sides of the mountains here are higher and steeper than the route leading to Bahariya and Farafra. Centuries ago, there was a river valley at the lowest point of the Agabat Valley which nature strangely formed it in an unusual position making water to be raised up from it instead of going downwards.
White Desert:
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”. Many millions of years ago the ocean floor was here, and the white rock is the remains of marine microorganisms.
Over the centuries, wind and sand have turned the former seabed into a semblance of the surface of some other planet. The name of this desert comes from the layer of chalk and limestone which partially covers the landscape.
You will spend the night at the campsite, enjoying a delightful chicken B.B.Q along with the Bedouin party at the Bedouin camp.
Meals: Lunch and Dinner
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