While Egypt is mostly known for incredible man-made sites such as the
Sphinx and the many pyramids, the White Desert is offers utterly
breathtaking natural landscape (yes, because there is sooooo much more things to see in this amazing coutry than Giza!!).
The White Desert National Park is located within the Farafra depression in Western Egypt, so, the nearest town is Farafra. It has massive chalk rock formations that are textbook examples of ventifact and which have been created as a result of occasional sandstorm in the area. The quantity of unearthly and beautiful wind-carved rock formations
shaped in the form of giant mushrooms or pebbles is unequalled in any
desert in the world!!
The White Desert is a protected national park stretching out for 300
square kilometers. The sand in the White Desert is filled with a variety
of deep-black iron pyrites and other fossils. Discover the inselbergs,
which are chalk towers emerging from the desert floor into a beautiful
white canyon. Grand boulevards of sand run through those canyons and all
of this is located on the west side of Farafra. One of the main
attractions in the White Desert is the Twin Peaks which are two flat
mountains with a magnificent view from the top. They are one of the most
photographed sights in the desert and a popular destination.
How to visit:
This trip is achievable by Cairo, in a 2-3 days trip (with bedouin overnight camping included). You can also go from other towns. You can also have a trip to the Black desert as well on this journey.
See here some arranged tours:
If you're like me and prefer to go independently:
Buses towards Bahariya leave Cairo every morning from El Turgoman bus station ($6.5 each). Then, on that town you can ask for a local tour in a 4x4 to the desert, it will surely be cheaper than that ones from the internet, and you're near the place already.
Happy journeys in Egypt!!
