"Sunset over The White Desert, part of The Western Sahara Desert in Egypt. The White Desert of Egypt is located 45 km (28 mi) north of the town of Farafra. The desert has a white, cream color and has massive chalk rock formations that have been created as a result of occasional sandstorm in the area." 175454221 "Horizon Over Land, Africa, Arid Climate, Awe, Beauty In Nature, Chalk, Cloud, Cloudscape, Desert, Dramatic Sky, Dry, Dusk, Egypt, Environment, Extreme Terrain, Geological Feature", Heat, Horizon, Idyllic, Land, Land Feature, Landscape, Landscapes, Large, Light, Majestic, Moody Sky, National Park, Natural Land State, Natural Phenomenon, Nature, Nature, Nature Reserve, Nobody, Non-Urban Scene, Parkland, Remote, Rippled, Rock, Romantic Sky, Sahara Desert, Sand, Sand Dune, Saturated Color, Scenics, Shade, Shadow, Sky, Solitude, Sun, Sunbeam, Sunlight, Sunset, Twilight, Vibrant Color, Western Sahara Desert, White Desert

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Western Desert

Older than the Pyramids, as sublime as any temple, Egypt’s Western Desert is a vast sweep of elemental beauty. The White Desert's shimmering vista of surreal rock formations and the ripple and swell of the Great Sand Sea's mammoth dunes are simply bewitching.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

  • Chalk formation in White desert, Egypt 89650903 hill, hike, park, white, egypt, chalk, hiking, travel, desert, stones, nature, outdoor, natural, hummock, tourism, geology, national, boulders, exploring, formation, landscape

    White Desert National Park

    Western Desert

    Upon first glimpse of the 300-sq-km national park of the White Desert, you’ll feel like Alice through the looking-glass. About 20km northeast of Farafra,…

  • Ancient christian necropolis of Al Bagawat in Egypt.

    Necropolis of Al Bagawat

    Western Desert

    It may not look like much from afar, but this necropolis is one of the earliest surviving and best-preserved Christian cemeteries in the world. About 1km…

  • The Shali Fortress in Siwa Oasis, Egypt.

    Fortress of Shali

    Siwa Oasis

    Central Siwa is dominated by the spectacular organic shapes of the remains of this 13th-century mud-brick fortress. Built from kershef (chunks of salt…

  • The ruins of Qasr Al Labakha in the desert.

    Qasr Al Labakha

    Western Desert

    Set amid a desertscape of duney desolation, Qasr Al Labakha is a micro-oasis some 40km north of Al Kharga. Scattered among sandy swells and rocky shelves…

  • Badr’s Museum

    Badr’s Museum

    Western Desert

    Badr Abdel Moghny is a passionate self-taught artist whose gift to his town has become its only real sight. Badr’s Museum showcases his work, much of…

  • Qarat Al Muzawwaqa

    Qarat Al Muzawwaqa

    Western Desert

    These tombs were rediscovered by the Egyptian archaeologist Ahmed Fakri in 1971 and some have since been restored, including the tomb of Oziri (Petosiris)…

  • Gilf Kebir Plateau in Egypt.

    Gilf Kebir

    Western Desert

    The Gilf Kebir is a spectacular sandstone plateau 150km north of Gebel Uweinat, rising 300m above the desert floor. The setting feels as remote as a place…

  • Dunes in the great sand sea in Egypt.

    Great Sand Sea

    Western Desert

    One of the world’s largest dune fields, the Great Sand Sea straddles Egypt and Libya, stretching more than 800km from its northern edge near the…

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A starry night over a small camp in the Sahara Desert.
Desert of dreams: how and where to experience the Sahara

Apr 1, 2013 • 4 min read

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Western Desert and beyond

Beyond Western Desert
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