Oasis Excursion from Cairo
 

I will be spending a week in Cairo and Luxor in June. Sleeper train back to Cairo Thursday morning and flight home does not leave until 23:45 Friday night. I would love to spend the night in the desert, but I'm having trouble finding information on just a one-night trip to an oasis location. Any ideas?
Also - the old question - is this a good idea for a single woman traveling alone?

Any help is, as always, greatly appreciated!
Terri

Safer than in many places in the US. It's really really hot in the desert in June. My desert guide friend does not organize trips to the desert during June b/c of the heat. Sorry.

I guess living in Florida has given me a different perspective on the "heat". Sure, it doesn't get over 100F here, but it's 82F here today and I've been walking around in a sweatshirt with a t-shirt, jeans and boots. The girls in the office keep it down-right cold in there! It's not until I got out of there today that I finally felt comfortable (even though everybody looks at me in my sweatshirt like I'm insane!)

Maybe I'll just do a day trip to Bahariya or Fayoum one day and a day trip to Alex another day ...

I would go for the day trip to Alex and skip the Baharayia trip if it were me. Baharayia is pretty much a pit and unless you can spend the time and move on out to the desert for a night or two after Baharayia, I'd just give it a miss. The best part about Baharayia is it's proximity to the White Desert. If you aren't going to have the time to do the desert, why bother with the 4 hour drive to sit in a hotel there?

What about a day trip or overnight in Fayyoum?

I used to go to Fayoum years ago fairly frequently for day trips, but then as security got tighter, it became more and more difficult and time consuming to get there because I am American and I would be held at the check points until a policeman could be assigned to escort us into Fayoum and through Fayoum. I don't really know if they are still doing this or not for Americans (and possibly Brits) as I just stopped going out there. I couldn't deal with a smoking, gun carrying, policeman in the same car with us. And, if that wasn't bad enough, he would try to dictate to us what we could and couldn't do once we got to Fayoum. Not my style at all!

If you do give it a try, don't expect it to be the same as Baharayia or Siwa (the only other two Oasis's I've made it to so far). It is more like a village anywhere else in Egypt. Maybe because it never felt so remote as the others did. They do have their own unique basket making (as do most Oasis areas), and the waterwheels out there are intersting to see, but mostly I wouldn't say it is worth an overnight stay.

If you do go, come back and report how easily you were able to drive out there, and what is your nationality? Thanks.

I managed to keep the cops out of my car by telling them I didn't want a man in the car with me.

So it is still happening if they can get away with it, ey? Great. :(

Interesting information ... I am American, and female, and really do not have patience for the hassle. Maybe I'll send an e-mail to the tour company I'm using for part of my trip and see if they will do a day trip.

Or just do an over-night in Alex and not worry about it! Cooler there anyway!

Bump