Egypt Guide
The Western Desert Oases
Bir Wahed
One of the best excursions on offer is into the outer dunes of the Great Sand Sea, to Bir Wahed, 12km southwest of town. It's a magical spot, a hot pool the size of a large Jacuzzi, into which sulphurous water gushes; the run-off irrigates a garden around the pool. To soak up to your chest, puffing a sheesha, while the sun sets over the dunes and mesas all around, is a fantastic experience. You can climb outcrops or hunt for fossils in the vicinity, and on the way there or back you can plunge into a deep, jade-green cold pool, or sand-surf or roll down the sides of huge knife-edged dunes. The only downside is that mosquitoes are awful from dusk till dawn.
Most tourists visit Bir Wahed on a 4WD excursion organized by local safari operators. Expect to pay £E80–90 per person for a daytime visit, £E120–150 for an overnight stay, including supper and breakfast, blankets and tents – but not the obligatory permit, which costs extra.
Alternatively, you could walk, provided it's not too hot and you carry at least four litres of water. It takes four hours, following the road out past the Olympic complex, fields and palm groves, and then Jeep tracks into the dunes. Don't attempt this if a sandstorm has occurred in the last few days, or is forecast. You can sleep in a tent (£E10) and buy water, fuul and feta cheese at Bir Wahed, but anyone considering staying more than one night should bring supplies from town. If you're walking, it's unlikely anyone will check your permit.