Black & White Desert

Just a few days after the exhausting South Sinai trip, we were already on the way to the next destination on the itinerary: The Black & White Desert. We started our journey early morning from Cairo, and we arrived around noon in the Bahariya Oasis. From there we began our safari with 4x4s in probably the most unusual part of the Sahara Desert.

The Black Desert

Our first stop was The Black Desert, a region of volcano-shaped and widely spaced mounds. The Black Desert of Egypt dunes were at some point regular sand dunes. But millions of years ago they were covered by the remnants of volcanic eruptions that happened in this region. They say it is dating back to the Jurassic period 180 million years ago. Also, after discovering a large dinosaur skeleton on its borders, the Black Desert has been declared a natural reserve. We climbed on the most popular spot, the “English Mountain”, or Gebel El Marsour in Arabic.

Crystal Mountain and the Agabat Valley

Our next stop was the Crystal Mountain at the Agabat Valley. The area was located just a few kilometers away from the Black Desert. Even though it is not far away from the volcanic hills of the Black Desert, Agabat looks completely different. The Crystal Mountain is a small rocky hill built out of colorless crystals. After marveling at it’s beauty and taking a few photos, we went to another impressive spot in the valley. We climbed up a limestone formation so we could see a breath-taking panoramic view over the desert. We left soon after because we had to reach our camping spot in the White Desert before sundown.

Camping in the Black & White Desert

The highlight of travelling to the Black and White Desert is by far camping overnight in the middle of it. As the sun was setting we reached our camping spot. We parked in a flat area surrounded by giant limestone boulders and dunes. Here, our tour guides set up a camp with some rugs to sit on and a fire to keep us warm. The degrees drop significantly and it gets quite cold in the desert at night. We had a traditional Egyptian dinner (chicken, vegetables and rice) cooked right there on the camp fire. Even though sleeping on the ground was quite uncomfortable, the beauty of opening your eyes and marveling a starry sky is simply priceless.

The White Desert

In the morning, after breakfast, we started wandering into the White Desert (by car, obviously). The desert was recognized as a Natural Protectorate, and human development in or near the desert has been banned. This marvel of nature is made up of limestone formations that have been shaped by hundreds of years of sandstorms. Here, it is common to see figures such as a sphinx, a person lying on the sand, a mushroom, a camel, or a chicken. Around lunch we headed back to Cairo to get some rest before our last trip: Pyramids of Giza.