Practical Information, Accommodations, and Food Three government establishments accommodate guests in Farafra. The Youth House, adjoining the cafe which doubles as the bus station, has some rooms (more like barracks) and an outhouse facility. You can also move a bed or mattress under a vine-covered canopy-the cooler option in summer. (LE2.25, mosquito nets 75pt.) 100m down the road, the government rest house boasts more conventional toilet facilities and rooms that are cleaner by a hair (LE3.45). About lkm further along the road to Bahariya stands the brand-new Tourist Rest House which, with clean rooms and bathrooms, is the most pleasant place to stay (beds LE9-35). Camping in the nearby desert is always an option. You might also take up some of the locals on their offers of hospitality.

Between the hostelries sit the police station and, 30m west, the post office. Saad’s Restaurant by the government rest house, the cafe by the bus station, and Husseini’s Restaurant in between offer omelettes (LEI), macaroni (IJE2), kufta, fuul, soup, jam, and bread (depending on availability) at reasonable prices.

From Dakhla, there is a bus every day except Wednesday (5hrs., LE8). Buses to Dakhla leave at 10am (Mon., Wed., and Sat.), and at roughly 3pm (Sun., Tues., and Fri.). Farafra can also be reached from Cairo by way of Bahariya, with daily buses leaving Cairo at either 10am (LE15.20) or 7am (LEI 9.50). Buses to Cairo leave at 10am (Mon., Thurs., and Sat.), and 6am (Tues., Fri., and Sun.). Some people find hitchhiking to be a viable option; they wait near the military checkpoint outside of Dakhla, Farafra, or Bahariya and they make sure their ride is traveling all the way to their destination.