Day 1 (October 21, 2022): DEPARTURE TO EGYPT
Departure from Brnik and overnight flight via Istanbul to Cairo, where we will arrive in the early hours of the next morning.
Day 2 (October 22, 2022): WATER WEALTH
Upon arrival in Cairo, visa issuance and drive to Bahariya Oasis, where we will first rest in a nearby camp, swim in the hot springs in the afternoon and visit the Pyramid Mountain and the Salt Lake in the evening. Besides the pyramid, we will learn about the geological sights of Bahariya Oasis and get to know the remains of dinosaurs that lived here about 100 million years ago and whose remains were found in this very area. Next to the salt lake, in the setting sun, we will learn the reasons for its formation and find out why this lake is salty, when there are many cold and warm springs with unsalted drinking water in the immediate vicinity. Dinner and overnight at the Bahariya Oasis camp.
Day 3 – 6 (October 23 – 26, 2022): DESERT
In the morning after breakfast, we will set out on a four-day trek through the White and Black Deserts, where we will learn about the diversity of geological, geomorphological, botanical, hydrological, mineralogical and paleontological features. We will get acquainted with the former karst and visit the karst cave, water sources known since ancient times that allowed the settlement of the desert, we will look for fossilized remains of former trees and shells of the former sea. We will see various sculptures and let our imagination run wild among the unusual erosion chalk formations, we will enjoy real desert dunes, try to find the most beautifully formed iron mineral pyrite and find out how fertile the soil under us is when it comes into contact with water. We will spend the night in tents, with food, drink and comfort provided by an experienced team of locals.
Day 7 (October 27, 2022): BAHARIYA
After breakfast we return to Bahariya, where we visit two ancient tombs with typical Egyptian paintings and learn about the Egyptian Pantheon. Afterwards, we will visit the museum where just a few of the thousands of golden mummies discovered in Bahariya are on display, representing one of the richest finds of ancient Egypt. In the afternoon and evening you will have time to stroll through the local stores and stalls, and dinner will be followed by an overnight stay in Bawiti, the main town of the oasis.
Day 8 (October 28, 2022): FAYOUM OASIS
After breakfast, we will drive to Wadi Hitan, where we will see an extremely important paleontological find: the skeleton of the ancestor of today’s whales. In Tunis village we will learn about local pottery and then drive to Cairo airport. Overnight flight home.
Day 9 (October 29, 2022): RETURN HOME
Flight Cairo – Istanbul, Istanbul – Ljubljana. We will arrive at Brnik airport in the morning.
Author of the programme and photos: © Janja Benedik, 2022.
Promoter and organiser of the programme: © naTOURa, Janja Benedik BrE in cooperation with Mostafa Safari Tours, 2022.