Orientation and Practical Information Kharga lies closest to the Nile Valley of all the oases in Egypt’s Western Desert-240km from Assytit via a passable road. The greenery begins about 20km north of the town of Kharga, the capital of the New Valley. A newly paved road heads south from Kharga, skirting sand dunes and small oases en route to Bulaq (15km south), Baris (90km south), and numerous smaller settlements in between.

In sprawling Kharga town, the main road is Gamal Abd an-Nasser Street. It becomes the road to Assyut at its northern end and intersects with the road to Dakhla several blocks south near Cinema Hibis. A few blocks farther south, An-Nasser St. intersects with An-Nabawy al-Mohandis Street, which connects New and Old Kharga, 3km to the southeast. Ash-Showla Square, the cynosure of Old Kharga, is linked to An-Nabawy St. by Port Said St. Convenient covered truck-taxis scurry between Showla Sq. and the Hotel Al-Kharga at the northern end of An Nasser St. (lOpt). The layout can be confusing at first, but Rifa’at at the tourist office will draw you a comprehensive map.