Siwa Deluxe luxury all inclusive full service 4x4 Safari:

Geology, Archeology, Ecology & Astronomy

 or

Luxury eco-Hotel (Siwa Shali Resort) on the edge of Dakroor Mountain:

Camp catering team from Adham Compound Hotel 5 star kitchen.

-----------------------------------------------------

• Clients should arrive in Siwa between noon & sunset, they will be met by a member of the Sahara team who will transport them either to the hotel or to camp. From the time you meet with the Sahara rep he/she will have a cooler in the car with unlimited snacks and mineral water, juice and beer for the whole trip whenever you need anything just ask.
•  19:00 meet with Sahara Team for a Welcome drink (Exotic Siwan made palm date spirit aperitif). Then a preview of the areas to be visited with a  quick desert survival orientation. We will also be taking any questions or special requests you may have at this time.

• 20:30  Full Course Dinner including your choice of camel veal or chicken with rice and vegetables, plus salads and dessert. Also available is your choice of premium Egyptian red, white & rose wines.
• 21:30 Enjoy gazing at the limitless stellar constellations by the fire pit hearing our guides tell of ancient desert myths and legends, epic tales of explorers, armies, treasures, demons, ghouls & heroes. Stories of the lost mystic sands of the Sahara.
• 23:00 Lights out!

• -------------------------------------------

Day 2, Siwa South & East:

• 08:00 Hot buffet breakfast includes omelets, sausages, cold cuts, cheeses, cereals, fruits and yoghurts plus fresh white & brown bread plus juice, tea, coffee & hot chocolate.
• 09:00 Jump in the 4x4s head south into the northern quadrant of the Great Sea of Sand. we will Navigate some of the most difficult terrain of the Sahara ascending and descending 100 to 150 meter dunes on our way to some of nature geological wonders. (Clients with fear of heights may choose to walk down the dunes)

• 10:30 Arrive at 1000 meter deep artesian well which has created a entire ecological system in the middle of soft sand dunes the warm water coming out of the ground has formed a natural Jacuzzi the water is at a constant 40degrees C. a dip in the well is possible and great for mosquito and insect bites due to the sulfur in the water. A stroll around the mini oasis will reveal  infinite signs of life from live recent tracks to fossils dating back millions of years. A look to the skies may also provide a view on the beautiful birds that inhabit, frequent or just transit at the well

• 12:00 short ride to the valley in which the sulfuric waters have filtered through 1 kilometer of sand to create a large fresh water lake that is cold all year even in the middle of summer. we will spend a couple of hours here enjoying the fresh water watching the winged visitors of the lake including ducks, falcons & storks that soar up to 500 meters. Lunch Boxes containing 1 tuna, 1 smoked turkey, 1hot dog, 1 cheddar and 1 cream cheese sandwiches; plus 2 bags of chips a fresh salad and 2 fruits of season  will be served at this time. We will also be serving hot tea and coffee after lunch.

• 14:00 Leave the cold lakes heading east through the great sea of sand stopping on top of one of the largest dunes in the Sahara for a magnificent photo vista. Continuing on we will arrive at a large undisturbed fossil bed with numerous starfish and other marine fossils.

• 15:00 arrive at Fallen Rock Mountain on the eastern edge of Siwa a unique environment where the desert and water meet. this area is also teaming with animal tracks from, foxes, hares, gazelles, camels, snakes, jerboas, wolves and even a mountain cat of sorts this one is not verified though we have seen the tracks but never the cat we estimate it is about 25 kilos.

• 16:00 Arrive at Abu Shoruf well this is a amazing place it is a old roman well with archeology on the floor of the pool and unique marine environment making for a epic archeological and ecological snorkeling session  in the desert. The pool has 2 sources and there are 2 species of fish each specific to its water source. When the water of the pool is undisturbed the fish can actually show us how the water is mixing. When we examined the fish of the well we found both species have bulging eyes we assume this is because they have difficulty breathing when swimming in water not their own.

• 17:00 leave Abu Shoruf heading back to camp/hotel through eastern Siwa salt lakes watching the magnificent sun set over Dakroor mountain. we will stop frequently due to the picturesque nature of the area plus the light will be perfect.

• 18:00 arrive at camp/hotel wash up relax get ready for drinks and dinner.
• 20:00 Exotic Siwan made palm date spirit aperitif with Siwan olive appetizer the olive trees were brought to Siwa by the Romans 5000 years ago while the date palms were brought to Siwa by Muslim movement 1600 years ago. Siwan date palms are now said to be the best in north Africa.
• 20:30  Full Course Dinner including your choice of Sweet Siwan lamb (lamb in Siwa is naturally sweet because the local livestock eat lots of sweet dates) or beef with pasta and vegetables, plus salads and dessert. Also available is your choice of premium Egyptian red, white & rose wines

• 21:30 Enjoy gazing at the limitless stellar constellations by the fire pit. Plus our guide will have star maps and will point out all major visible planets, stars & constellations which are visible that night. We will be recounting the legend of the lost Persian army of Cambysis demonstrating the power of Jupiter/Amoun/Zeus  the largest planet of our solar system and how it protected its followers in Siwa 4000 years ago.
• 23:00 Lights out!

• ------------------------------------------------

Day 3, Siwa north & west;

• 05:30 Sunrise photo op with coffee and tea and hot chocolate.
• 08:00 Hot buffet breakfast includes omelets, sausages, cold cuts, cheeses, cereals, fruits and yoghurts plus fresh white & brown bread plus juice, tea, coffee & hot chocolate.

• 09:00 Direction west towards the Libyan border then north where the great sea of sand morphs to extreme rocky terrain that resembles terrain found on mars this is a dreary desolate desert with some locations that look like scenes out of star wars movies. The geological features of the area include time lines in rock formations, fossils and traces of volcanic activity several million years ago.

• 11:00 arrive at lake Shiatta a deep very old and mysterious oasis with varied wild life and many ancient roman tombs, stopping along the way as we circle the oasis for great photo ops.
• 12:00 leave Shiatta for high ground above Baha El-Din oasis stopping at the disputed tomb of Alexander the Great "Discovery channel" we can only view this location from the car due to military restrictions.

• 13:00 visit the mountain of the dead north of Siwa entering the tombs to view some of the rarest unwrapped mummies in Egypt. hundreds of tombs are contained in this mountain some of the tombs are elaborately decorated with Nubian guardians and tributes to Isis and other deities including a well preserved painting of the goddess Nut on Si-Amoun's tomb dating back to the 26th dynasty.

• 14:00 arrive at Cleopatra's spring located below the temple of Jupiter a pristine well supplying hundreds of acres of date and olive farms with fresh water. For the last 3000 years this pool has been visited by the oracle himself, Cleopatra & other Egyptian/ Greco/Roman princesses/royalty as well as Alexander the great & other legendary figures of history. Lunch Boxes containing 1 chicken, 1 smoked veal, 1hot dog, 1 cheddar and 1 cream cheese sandwiches; plus 2 bags of chips a fresh salad and 2 fruits of season  will be served at this time. We will also be serving hot tea and coffee after lunch.

• 16:00 Start heading back to camp/hotel stopping along the way on a large dune west of Siwa for sunset and good light photo session
• 18:00 Arrive at camp/hotel wash up relax get ready for drinks and dinner.

• 20:00 Exotic Siwan made palm date spirit aperitif with Siwan olive appetizer the olive trees were brought to Siwa by the Romans 5000 years ago while the date palms were brought to Siwa by Muslim movement 1600 years ago. Siwan date palms are now said to be the best in north Africa.

• 20:30  Full Course Dinner including your choice of  veal or chicken kebabs with rice and vegetables, plus salads and dessert. Also available is your choice of premium Egyptian red, white & rose wines

• 21:30 Enjoy gazing at the limitless stellar constellations by the fire pit.  Plus we will be recounting the legends of the Oracle the communicator of Jupiter and the story of Alexander the great how the Sahara almost swallowed him, how he came to find his way to Siwa and the prophecies the Oracle foretold  about Alexander and the world as we know it.
• 23:00 Lights out!

• ------------------------------------------------

Day 4, Siwa Town & departure

• 08:00 Hot buffet breakfast includes omelets, sausages, cold cuts, cheeses, cereals, fruits and yoghurts plus fresh white & brown bread plus juice, tea, coffee & hot chocolate.

• 08:30 pack up belongings check out of camp/hotel

• 09:30 tour of the temple of Jupiter where the Oracle ordained gods and welcomed pilgrims from all over the ancient world. Plus a visit to the ruins of the Oracle's home the temple of Umm-Ubayd built for the oracle by king Nactenebo of the 30th dynasty.

• 10:30 Arrive in Siwa town for a photo op at Shali the old settlement of Siwa and visit the local bazaars that have amazing handicrafts from old hand worked antique silver jewelry and hand woven rugs, clothes and colorful baskets. Please note that we do not recommend climbing Shali because there have been too many accidents the ground is unstable and dangerous. As for the local handicraft shops the Siwan traders are still relatively untouched by mass tourism so they don't really bargain a lot. In fact some times they just tell you the base price so if you like a item just buy it.  If you are not sure if you are getting value for money ask your Sahara rep they will always be close by. save your bargaining skills for the souks/markets of Cairo and Alexandria.

• 12:30 Meet at great local restaurant for farewell lunch from extensive local & international menu. Exchange contacts take final photos.

• 14:00 Depart Siwa
• 20:00 Arrive in Alexandria
• 22:00 Arrive in Cairo

• --------------------------------------------

Unlimited mineral water and juice, tea coffee, hot chocolate free. All food snacks and extra sandwiches or meals free. A certified medic with all necessary equipment will be at camp during entire stay of clients. Bird watchers can request the guide to help identify different birds and he/she can also provide the clients with binoculars to see these beautiful winged animals well. If a client would like to try sand boarding a little during the safari that is also possible just ask your guide to bring a board along at any time during the trip. Please talk to your Sahara rep about anything  you need we do this job because we love to work with people so it is our pleasure to help in any way we can. International phone calls, laundry & souvenirs are not included.

--------------------------------------------------

Siwa Shali Resort

Set within the incomparable scenery of the Sahara desert, a rare combination of wilderness and comfort, the resort is arranged as an archipelago of small one-storey constructions delicately placed within the dunes.
The restaurant, reception and spa each occupy one of three independent buildings and the guest rooms, each with its own en-suite, sit in groups of three. Built using local construction techniques and materials, the mud rendering of the walls makes the structures aesthetically similar to the old houses of Siwa while constituting an efficient barrier against the external temperature.
The Resort is blessed with an outstanding 200m sinuous swimming pool unraveling through the length of the village. Built like the ancient reservoirs that collected the abundant water gushing out here at Siwa, the pool follows a more renowned example: Cleopatra’s Bath. This is the reservoir where, according to tradition, the Egyptian Queen would immerse herself during her visits to Siwa.
Likewise our sophisticated pool offers countless variety; while some stretches are deep and excellent for swimming, others are shallow enough to stroll through at ease, allowing one to be pleasantly refreshed and massaged by the waterfalls along the way: come and soak yourself in its pleasures!

Guest rooms have generous space with large (120 cm) twin beds. Suites have a queen size bed in the main area and twin beds in an adjoining room. Each room is fitted with air conditioning, ceiling fan, mini-bar, satellite TV and telephone.
The tasteful décor of all rooms and their amenities is in keeping with the traditional style of Berber dwellings so as not to interfere with the magical atmosphere of the desert by introducing elements foreign to its culture.