Ecotourism in Egypt - Desert Attractions

Where the irrigated fertile valley of the Nile changes abruptly into the barren Red Land, called "dashur" in Ancient Egypt, wonderful treasures await the adventurous traveler who dares enters into a spiritual journey of individual contact with nature in magnificent total isolation.

Not many tourists ever venture into the desert to witness the spectacular natural wonders of Egypt. Perhaps this is a blessing, since large scale tourism often carry a negative impact. Jonathan Tourtellot, from National Geographic Traveler magazine, has coined the term "geotourism" to describe a form of "tourism that sustains or enhances the geographical character of a place—its environment, heritage, aesthetics, culture, and the well-being of its residents."

This "traveling without trampling" promotes ways in which locals and tourists can structure tourism activities responsibly. Visitors are encouraged to spend their money not on international hotels and food franchises, but to support the local residents in ways that help protect the environment, preserve the heritage and culture and develop the economy of the places they visit. Geotourism is thus a step beyond the better known "ecotourism".

The White Desert:
Some 500 km (300 miles) south-west of Cairo lies an area that will make you feel you've arrived at a totally different planet. The splendid open vista of golden flat land stretching to the endless horizon is only interrupted here and there by blinding white limestone pinnacles, mounds and ridges that stand out sharply against the pure blue sky. These natural sculptures were carved throughout millennia by the constant blast of the desert wind. The mushroom and sphinx like shapes of some of these impressive formations are a result of the wind eroding the softer layers of rock at the bottom faster than the harder layers at the top. During sunrise and sunset, the White Desert is suffused by shimmering hues as sunlight cast elongated shadows of overwhelming dimensions. At night, the moon and the stars turn the heaven into a celestial orchestra. As you delight in the music of the stars, realization comes that you are experiencing solitude, not loneliness.

The Fayoum:
The green oasis of Fayoum is the largest in Egypt, mostly below sea level, located about 100kms (60 miles) south-west of Cairo. The area was a favorite residence for Romans during the first centuries A.D. and it is from here that the famous Fayoum Portraits of Roman-Egyptian mummies come from. The Fayoum Basin is a World Heritage site designated by UNESCO, with large numbers of migratory birds and rare animals like the white deer, Egyptian deer and sand foxes.

Wadi Hitan:
West of Fayoum there is another UNESCO World Heritage site, a beautiful valley where the fossilized remains of more than 400 primitive whales and other vertebrates have been found. Some skeletons present small hind legs, marking the point in evolution just before these mammals took to the sea for good. Another feature of this valley is a former shoreline delineated by a petrified mangrove forest, evidence that this ancient seabed was close to land.

Wadi Degla:
Only 15 minutes from the Cairo suburb of Maadi, this rugged valley contains a wide variety of animal life including the Dorcas Gazelle and Nubian Ibex, hares, red foxes, reptiles, Egyptian turtles, twelve species of resident and migrant birds and 64 kinds of plants. It is also rich in fossils. Ancient rivers once coursed through this area and when it rains heavily, a rare event, the valley floor blossoms. The Egyptian government has declared this 30 km (18 miles) by 1 km (0.6 miles) area as a Protected Zone.