Bahariya Oasis & Black Desert

The Bahariya Oasis is located in a large basin that is surrounded by the arid regions of the Western Desert. The difference is quite obvious: there is cultivated area and settlement with a background of mountainous rocks and desert.

The area has been populated throughout history, and thus, its archaeological legacy includes various monuments from different eras of Egyptian history. Tombs, temples and other artifacts are widespread in the region, and the Valley of the Golden Mummies is one of the most famous archaeological sites there.

In addition to its rich history, Bahariya has unique natural features of its own. Springs, cultivated lands, rocky formations, and desert valleys form the landscape that varies significantly depending on the distance from the settlement.

Life in the Oasis

In addition to being a look at the other Egypt, the oasis is an experience of another side of Egypt. The local communities used to live from agriculture and the surrounding desert influences their way of living and traveling. By visiting the Bahariya oasis, travelers will be able to understand how an oasis works in its natural environment.

Taking a short drive away from Bahariya results in an entire contrast in scenery. The Black Desert is known for its dark and hilly mountains that are spread over the golden deserts surrounding it.

The dark coloration is brought about by dark volcanic-like rocks and stones that are present on parts of the landscape. As viewed from afar, the mountains will appear dark due to the lighter sand, thus making the landscape more photographic.

In reality, the Black Desert is not a desert filled with black sands; it is a land filled with dark mountains, rocks, and sandy landscapes. Moving around in a 4x4 vehicle through the desert enables one to move around various viewpoints of the scenery.

What makes the visit to Bahariya interesting is the fact that one can see more than one kind of desert on the same trip.

After the oasis and the black hills of the Black Desert, one may go further to locations such as Crystal Mountain and the White Desert. This time, the scene will be different as it consists of bright white limestone hills compared to the previous dark hills.

It is the difference in the destinations that makes the route interesting. In Bahariya, there is the introduction of the oasis while Black Desert offers dark hills, whereas the White Desert gives a surreal scene of bright white rocks and open sand.

A blend of both Bahariya Oasis and the Black Desert will be more exciting than visiting each individually. Bahariya Oasis offers history, culture, archaeological remains, and the environment itself while the Black Desert offers geology.

This is especially exciting for travellers who would like to tour non-conventional landscapes. Rather than touring ancient sites for the duration of their stay, the tours will go around villages, roads, mountains, valleys, and landscapes.

For tourists who plan to visit Egypt Tours, Bahariya will offer something new about the country as well. They will discover that there are attractions in the country which are not just in Cairo, Luxor, Aswan, and the Red Sea resorts.