| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 65 | 49 | 0.20 |
| Feb | 68 | 50 | 0.20 |
| Mar | 73 | 54 | 0.10 |
| Apr | 82 | 59 | 0.10 |
| May | 89 | 64 | 0.00 |
| Jun | 93 | 70 | 0.00 |
| Jul | 93 | 72 | 0.00 |
| Aug | 92 | 72 | 0.00 |
| Sep | 90 | 69 | 0.00 |
| Oct | 85 | 65 | 0.00 |
| Nov | 75 | 58 | 0.10 |
| Dec | 67 | 51 | 0.20 |
The colors on the rock were vivid and rich, as if the figures had been painted yesterday. We'd trekked thousands of miles to reach the middle of nowhere, and found ourselves in the heart of a civilization long past.
We have travelled for days over the desert in 4X4 vehicles to arrive here. We've brought everything with us: water, food, fuel, supplies, GPS locator and our indispensable guide. We seek out primitive paintings in caves and on rock, as well as the tools, axes, beads and bones of a people who inhabited this area 18,000 years ago. The occasional piece of WWII military debris, untouched in this harsh but stunning desert environment, makes our quest all the more intriguing.
People once thrived here when a branch of the Nile supplied life-sustaining water, and each stop brings new hope of uncovering a pottery shard or some other clue to a culture long departed. This region once pulsed with life; a lake, now vanished, once reflected the crisp blue desert sky. Now it's an uninhabitable expanse of pure white sand punctuated with mushroom-shaped chalk formations and rife with archaeological mysteries. Uninhabitable, but not inaccessible, not to us.
Diaa Shawki Michail has explored the Egyptian desert for 25 years, guiding nearly 5,000 overland expeditions into the White Desert. He has also guided the Egyptian military in search and rescue operations in the desert.
Fly to Cairo where you meet your expedition guide and team members early in the day. Rest at the Four Seasons before heading into the desert.
Four Seasons Hotel First ResidenceVenture south to Baharia Oasis, site of a massive Greco-Roman burial ground and rich in antiquities. This evening, you camp in Egyptian-style tents in Abou Mouhkarik, where the dunes reach heights of more than 200 feet.
Mobile Camp B L DDrive overland to explore Djarra Cave, noting its large stalagmites and stalactites. Continue to your next campsite, driving through the Watermelon Valley (Wadi Bateekh), a flat landscape dotted with naturally smoothed black stones.
Mobile Camp B L DArrive in the White Desert, with its Dali-esque white chalk formations that rise out of the desert sand like huge mushrooms. Explore this striking region for two days, traversing more than 100 miles.
Mobile Camp B L DSet out this morning toward Dakhla Oasis, stopping at the old Islamic village of Al-Qasr, its narrow cobblestone streets and baked brick buildings still hearkening back to the days of the Mamluk Sultanate in the 14th century. Explore the ruins before setting off into the Western Desert and your next campsite. The next day, you can bathe in the natural hot springs of El-Mufid Lake en route toward the White Desert.
Mobile Camping B L DYour last day in the desert includes visits to sites rarely seen by the outside visitor including Baharia Oasis, location of the Hall of the Mummies. This site contains more then 1,000 mummies and was discovered by pure chance in 1997. Later, review artwork from the Greco-Roman period at the tomb called Penantio, discovered in 1946.
Mobile Camping B L DArrive back in Cairo and join your expedition team members for a farewell dinner this evening.
Four Seasons Hotel First Residence B L DTransfer to the airport for flights home.
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