Some Tips

The best alternative to hosteling in the oases is camping. Most fertile land here belongs to farmers who’ll usually permit you to pitch your tent. The ideal spot is just outside the main town of an oasis, where you can usually find a small pool of water and the sound of silence. The desert itself is also a viable option. Generally the area is free of dangerous fauna. Cool temperatures and breezes carry away the mosquitoes to feast on rest house guests, and sand is a comfortable mattress substitute. Each oasis has at least one bearable and cheap hotel or rest house.

Stockpiling water is wise, as only Farafra has a 24-hr, water supply. Local water, since it is groundwater, tastes much better than other Egyptian municipal water and is generally safe to drink. Food is readily available in the main towns of all the oases. In each oasis, you’ll become aware of the local mafia: in Dakhla, Hamdy Abu Muhammad (of restaurant fame) and Nasser (of Hand-Made Hotel fame) are brothers; in Farafra, Sa’ad rules the roost in cahoots with his brothers Hamdy and Nasser.