Discovering the Enchanting White Desert of Egypt

If you are an adventure traveler and love experiencing the beauty of nature, visiting the White Desert will undoubtedly fill your passion with all of what you can imagine. It is considered one of the wonderful natural wonders in Egypt, where the Chalk Mountains formed a snowy wonder in the middle of the barren sand as a result of an accidental sandstorm that struck the area. So if you are a desert lover, you will be captivated by the beauty of the view there.

The “White Desert” reserve in Egypt is among the best charming and picturesque places which you rarely find elsewhere. It is located 45 km north of Farafra Oasis, New Valley Governorate, Egypt, at a distance of about 500 km from Cairo. The White Desert was declared a nature reserve in 2002. It was called the White Desert because it has a white color that covers most of its parts. Its total area is 3010 square kilometers.

The White Desert is a treasure trove of wonders in the country. People wandering around these western lands often feel they are visiting another planet, even though they are only a 5-hour drive from Cairo. It has a truly magical effect as it’s one of the more recently declared protectorates of Egypt. It is considered one of the most important tourist destinations for Egypt’s Desert Safari adventure. It is without a doubt Egypt’s most well-known desert destination, and for good reason. In every desert on the planet, the number of strange and magnificent wind-carved rock formations shaped like huge mushrooms or a stone is unparalleled. It is, however, the ideal starting place for an overnight trip into the endless whiteness.

The astonishment does not end at the color but extends because of the wonderful rock formations formed by wind and time in the hand of an artist. This is like a crow’s nest, and this is the head of a bird, and this is like a dome. Several reasons have made this place a magnet for all those who seek eco-tourism and safari in Egypt.

A gloomy and, at the same time, extremely attractive landscape seems supernatural. Tourists come to admire it from all over the world. The uninhabited and lifeless desert attracts not only curious tourists but also professional photographers. At certain times of the day, you can create unique images, since the play of shadows forms an even more amazing scenario.

The white sands manifest as piles and rows of white piles scattered across orange sandy base landscapes, as rock spires, and as other unusual white rock formations. The white sand and white rocks are comprised of either white calcium, quartz crystals, or limestone.

Natural Wealth In This Desert

The White Desert protectorate is home to a very large and old specimen of Acacia Nilotica which makes the place very important scientifically. Along with protecting the unique white sands and rock formations of the Sahara Desert, the park also protects an array of wildlife.  Some of the more popular species include barbary sheep, fennec fox, Dorcas gazelle, jackal, red fox, Rhmim gazelle, Ruppell’s fox, and also Sand cats. It’s a very popular area for tourists and residents who come to enjoy the White Desert’s unique scenery. At some point in time, the desert was a habitat for many roaming herds of elephants, giraffes, gazelles, and other animals. At that time, the desert would have been a savannah with lush green areas and lakes full of fish. The place seems to have been an ideal hunting ground for pre-historic men.

The Diversity Of The White Desert

In the White Desert, you can find many unique and spectacular land formations sculpted by the harsh winds. The winds have carved the formations into weird shapes that keep constantly changing over time. Here you can find formations like ‘monoliths’ and ‘mushrooms’, ‘ice cream cones’, ‘tents’ and ‘crickets’; as well as the majestic conical flat-topped ‘inselbergs’, to name just a few of the formations.

There is an area known as “Mushroom”. It is the most attractive area for tourists within the reserve. It has a view of a large limestone carving resembling a “mushroom”; or as if it were a picture of a nuclear explosion next to the various other formations that each person sees with a different look. There are also three main water springs within the scope of the reserve (Ain Hadra – Ain Al-Saro – and Ain Al-Mukfa); surrounded by palm trees and dense plantations, providing water for animals and representing a place for rest Reserve visitors.

There is also Crystal Mountain, located within the White Desert, 120 km from the Farafra Oasis. This is the most iconic rock formation in the national park; and at the same time one of the rarest mountains in the world. It is completely made out of crystal. It has also more than 125 types of different crystal types gathered in a huge mountain mass. Although not as tall as Delicate Arch in Arches National Park, it gives you a similar type of sensation.

The White Desert is like a natural wonder of Egypt. The outer parts nearest the road are known as the Old Desert and can reached in a normal vehicle. A large number of tourists choose an overnight camping safari, which helps them enjoy the contrast of sunset as well as dawn.

It’s often said that a night at the protectorate spent under the stars is an experience never forgotten. As the sky turns pink then the deepest fiery orange, the rock shapes fade, and silence is all around. You can enjoy it while sitting around a small fire and enjoying a simple meal of chicken, rice, and vegetables. If the moon is nearly full, the white chalk rock shapes glow eerily, which is very cool to see.

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