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White Desert in Egypt (White Desert) is one of the numerous national reserves of this country, which is a small area located in the west of Egypt, 500 km from capital, Cairo.White Desert in Egypt – is part of the Sahara desert with is about 300 km 2 . (10 km x 30 km), lying along the road between the oases of Bahariya and Farafra.
In deep antiquity, there was an ocean floor here, but after the gathering of water and drainage there remained karst limestone formations that formed stunningly beautiful and bizarre landscapes. Getting to the White Desert is not easy, but this place will definitely impress you.
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The white sand desert stretches over a 20 kilometer long strip. It is crossed by the road that connects Al-Bahariya and Al-Farafra. The entrance to this mineral site is marked by a sparkling hill called “the crystal mountain”.
Many millions of years ago the ocean floor was here, and the white rock is the remains of marine microorganisms. Over the centuries, wind and sand have turned the former seabed into a semblance of the surface of some other planet.
The name of this desert comes from the layer of chalk and limestone which partially covers the landscape. The white desert is a unique place, nothing like this you will not find anywhere in the world. It actually has a white color due to rock formations that make up a bizarre contrast with the yellow desert sand. At night, especially when the terrain is lit by the full moon, the desert looks like the Arctic with its snow-white landscapes (many scientists also note its similarity to the Dry Valleys located in the Antarctic). The most beautiful views here can be seen at sunrise and sunset or at night.
The White Desert also amazes with its amazing mountain formations, the most amazing of which is the White Rock, balancing on a pole. All of these formations are completely composed of limestone, which formed them for thousands of years. Once these huge stone mushrooms were ordinary mountain formations, but the centuries-old painstaking work of sand and wind erased their foundations. So these stone monuments stand in defiance of all the laws of physics – it seems that they will collapse from minute to minute, but for some reason this does not happen and is unlikely to happen anytime soon. Here you can see formations resembling castles, domes, minarets of mosques, towers.
Better time to travel here – the period from October to March. The white desert itself is flat and even, so you can walk along it on foot or by car. But not every car is suitable for this – the sand is very soft, so it will be possible to drive only on an SUV with all-wheel drive.
Most often, tourists stay here for the night, setting up a tent camp. This is not scary, as there are no snakes, scorpions or other dangerous places in the desert. The only animal that lives here is the little desert fox. She usually comes close to the camp late at night to feast on the remnants of a tourist dinner. At night, and especially closer to the morning, it becomes quite cold in the white desert, so be sure to take warm clothes and a blanket with you.
The road to the White Desert takes you about 4 hours from Cairo along the Black Desert . The latter is a huge hills, composed of dark stones.
Before you enter the national park, you will find yourself in the oasis of Bahariya. He keeps a thousand unsolved mysteries. In the beginning of the 21st century tombs with mummies covered with a layer of gold were found there. The territory around became known as the Valley of Golden Mummies. Researchers often came there, and tourists followed them. Two ancient Egyptian tombs were specially opened for them. It is forbidden to photograph them, but I think you will forever remember the beauty of the internal paintings.
In the oasis you can stay for the night. The service here is excellent, there are plenty of hotels of different price policies.
Next morning you go to the White Desert National Park. Its area is huge, more than 3 thousand square kilometers. The road takes only about an hour.
At the entrance to the park is Crystal Mountain. Awesome beauty of the place! In the sun, the crystals glow, giving the environment some mystery. Minerals are scattered on the ground, tourists collect them. Soon no one will be left!
The next place along the way is a small green islet with a drinking spring, where tourists can get water for further travel. Immediately beyond the oasis there is an amazing view of the White Desert, which actually consists of limestone.
The interest of travelers is caused by “mushrooms”. These are huge limestone blocks of white color, the top of which resembles a hat of the most real boletus There are quite fancy stones. For example, one looks like a bunny, and the other like a chanterelle.
Tourists are surprised by the little black pebbles scattered everywhere. Scientists and researchers suggest that these are petrified corals from the ancient sea.
The best time to travel around the White Desert is winter. In the summer it is insanely hot, up to 60 degrees. By the number of tourists, the White Desert can compete with the beaches of Sharm el-Sheikh. Travelers usually go there on a classic jeep safari or slowly go there by camel.
Independently go to the White desert is very dangerous. You can get lost, or, even worse, a wild animal pounces on you. In Egyptian travel agencies, book a jeep safari for this place. The Egyptian driver knows the route, can prepare a quick lunch on a fire.