Desert Dwellers

Tragedy and Safety

We would like to address the tragedy of the mistaken target that happened over two weeks ago near Baheriya Oasis. The incident killed several tourists from Mexico and their Egyptian guide and drivers. We know them and their family and we grieve for everyone that were killed and injured in this incident.

The people of the Oasis know each other, from Bahariya Oasis, Daklha Oasis to Siwa and other oasis in Egypt especially for the ones working in tourism industry. When we in Siwa have big events, we would invite people from other oasis to join in and benefits and vice versa.

Any incident that hurt people visiting Oasis in Egypt harm our business so we take the idea of safety very seriously. All of our guides and drivers are local of Siwa. We know them and their family.

Everytime we head out to the desert, we register the passport and id of every guest to the authority and pay the national park permit.

We avoid areas in the desert that have been decalared as unsafe zone by the authority. For example we no longer allow visit to the beautiful Shyata Lake because the area is declared unsafe.

Siwawi is rooted in Siwa. Our community is in Siwa. Please be assured that we take your safety and the safety of our people very seriously.

Siwa on a super budget

If you are on a shoe string budget, Siwa is actually the cheapest place in Egypt to travel and enjoy amazing nature.

Here's a guide on how to travel to Siwa in less than 600LE (that's approx less than 90 USD) for a two night/three days trip:

• Take a bus to Siwa from Turgomen Station - 240 LE both ways.
• Stay in Hotel Kelany or Cleopatra Hotel. They offer room for 65 - 95 LE per night.
• Travel around Siwa on a rental bike. This will set you back 25LE per day.
• If you stick to local basics, you can have breakfast, lunch and dinner for 45LE per day.

As you can see, you can really stretch your money in Siwa and still have a great experience.

The only thing you cannot do with this budget is to go deep into the desert. However there are so many amazing places in the Oasis itself that you can really spend many days exploring them all.

Latest pricing for 2015

We have a transparent pricing policy. So here are our pricing for the rest of 2015. There are some trips that require special pricing. Contact us and we will figure out for you. Transportation from Cairo to Siwa and Back

• You can take a daily public bus from Turgomen station (the cheapest option at 120LE each way)

• Private Minibus (seats 14 people) - 2200LE each way

• Private Sedan (seats 4 people) - 1400 LE (pick up at airport) or 1300 (pick up anywhere in Cairo) each way

Travelling around Siwa

A 4 WD vehicle (seats 4 - 6 people) is 600LE per day. This vehicle can take you anywhere in Siwa, Maraqi and Abu Shuruf area.

Alternatively you can bike, use tuk tuk or donkey cart to explore Siwa and surrounding areas. Accommodation in Siwa

Accommodations in Siwa is diverse. There are places starting as low as 75LE per person. Usually people take hotels within the price range of 220 - 350 per double room. Desert Trip

There is a national park fee that needs to be paid for certain areas in the desert (such as Bir Wahid). It costs 145LE per day per person.

All the pricing listed below is per vehicle. So you can have 3 people or 5 people in the 4 WD vehicle and you will pay the same price.

• Half Day to the Desert (seats 4 - 6 people) is 600 LE per day. We leave in the afternoon, return after sunset (approx. 4 hours).
• Full Day Trip to the Desert (seats 4 - 6 people) is 1000 LE per day. We leave 10 in the morning, lunch, get back to town after sunset.
• Whole Day Overnight(seats 4 - 6 people) is 1500 per day. We leave 10 in the morning and it covers breakfast, lunch, dinner, and camping.

Walking Trip

This is a walking trip on the surrounding of Siwa and the desert with Fathi as a guide.

• 2 days to 5 days.
• 250 per person per day for Siwa and surroundings.
• 300 per person in the desert.

Travelling alone

Above pricing is geared towards people travelling in a group. If you are travelling alone, contact us so we can reduce the pricing for you. Usually we can arrange you to join other travellers. Hanging around

If you have time, you do not really have to commit to a specific plan to enjoy Siwa. We will secure your accommodation and you can enjoy Siwa leisurely. You can use our services whenever you feel like it. We have people taking a month or two living in Siwa to write their thesis or take a long Summer/Winter break.

Faces of Egypt - Siwa

Fathi was covered in this beautiful documentary about Egypt

Faces of Egypt ( Siwa ) from Abdelrahman Gabr on Vimeo.

Curfew has been shortened

As the security situation improves, curfew in Cairo and Alexandria have been shortened from 9PM – 6AM. This is a welcome development. If you have visited Egypt before you know that Egyptians night life is amazing, especially in the Summer.

Hopefully things continue to improve so that we can recommend you to come the wonderful Egypt again.