Siwa Oasis

Siwa is the most isolated of Egypt's oases, set in a depression deep in the Western Desert near the Libyan border, and its remoteness has preserved a distinct Berber culture, with its own language, crafts and customs quite unlike the Nile Valley. At its heart rise the crumbling mud-brick towers of the Shali fortress, the old town abandoned after a rare flood dissolved its walls, and on the edge of the oasis stand the ruins of the Temple of the Oracle of Amun, famous in antiquity and said to have been consulted by Alexander the Great. Around the town spread dense groves of date palms and olives, freshwater springs to bathe in, and beyond them the great salt lakes whose brilliant blue pools are ringed by white crusts, with the dunes of the Great Sand Sea rolling away to the horizon. It is a place to slow down, soak in the springs and drive out into the desert.

What you actually see

• The Shali fortress - the melting mud-brick towers of the old town.
• The Temple of the Oracle - the ruined Amun temple linked to Alexander the Great.
• The salt lakes - vivid blue pools ringed by white salt on the oasis edge.
• The springs and palm groves - freshwater pools among the dates and olives.

When to go

October to April is the comfortable season; summer is extremely hot. Dawn and dusk are best for the fortress and the dunes. The salt lakes are dazzling under high sun. Allow time for the long approach and to settle into the oasis's slow pace.

Honest expectations

Siwa is genuinely far: a long desert drive from the Mediterranean coast, with the last stretch through empty country near a sensitive border region, so check current access and travel guidance before going. Facilities are simple and the pace is slow, which is the appeal. The mud-brick ruins are fragile, and the desert beyond should only be explored with a local guide.

Nearby

The Great Sand Sea stretches west and south; Marsa Matrouh on the coast is the distant gateway.