The 5 Best Things to do in Farafra, New Valley Governorate

Reviewed By juSS05

The White Desert is huge. Hire a driver and explore. It is a long drive from Cairo, so takes 6 hours or so depending on how many stops you make. Make sure you make all the stops along the way (your driver will know them all). Crystal mountain is along the way where there is quartz and it is quite a lovely view along the way. I also managed to see the white desert chalk rock formations the same afternoon before sunset too. These are quite cool and there are some popular shapes such as the chicken and mushroom and the rabbit. The chicken and mushroom have a fencing around them now to avoid people damaging them. At sunset you can get some great photos and views. My 4x4 driver also doubled up as a cook and had equipment for camping overnight in a tent. I know some people have said it is nice to see the stars and sleep without a tent... keep an eye on weather. When I was there, it was very very cold and windy at night and I had a sleeping bag and a heavy blanket on top of me and it was still cold and if I didn’t have the tent to separate me from the wind a little I am not sure I would have been able to cope! It is nice to wake up just before sunrise and walk about. You might see footprints of other birds / animals about. It’s the desert. No toilets! Also be sure to get to the black desert and there is a little hike up to get a great view of the black desert landscape. There are other tourists that go and camp here but not so many that it can be off the beaten track as most people probably cannot be bothered to travel from Cairo and / or pay the price for a driver and 4x4 etc. A small group is better to split the cost / make it more worthwhile.