What People Overlook in Egypt: The Sahara

(37 Reviews)
100% Recommended

Gabrielle Estel

Cedar Rapids, IA

International Travel Leisure Specialist

I live to travel. I’ve invested over 4 years of my life living abroad.

I lived in Taiwan and explored Asia. Then, I moved to Egypt and explore the Mediterranean and the Sahara. From living with a host family in Spain as you...

I live to travel. I’ve invested over 4 years of my life living abroad.

I lived in Taiwan and explored Asia. Then, I moved to Egypt and explore the Mediterranean and the Sahara. From living with a host family in Spain as young teenager to honeymooning in Italy, travel has always marked my life milestones. Now I’m back in my Iowan home state to help others plan their own dream experiences across the globe. Travel is my life.

Let me share my life with you. 

ARTS & CULTURE

My husband is my main travel buddy. He’s a history guy; I’m a literature girl. Between the both of us, we have to see every museum, temple, cathedral, statue --- you name it!

Over my years of travel, I’ve learned art and culture is more than the highlight real. It’s also exploring a local Greek market, listening to a Korean grandmother describe her love of fan-painting, trying homemade Italian dishes at a rooftop dinner party, having a quiet moment in a café watching uniformed King’s College students rush through Canterbury to their morning classes, bargaining for a brick of tea in China.

These little moments of life are art and culture. 

FOOD & WINE

Food is the heart of a country. Food tours are journeys to the heart of a place---and the locals. Local food tour guides know every alley, and cooking instructors always welcome travelers into their family. They’re the best to ask for any last minute recommendations and to have a better understanding of culture through the kitchen. Sometimes the kitchen is the desert, like roasting chicken in Egyptian with a side of koshari. My personal favorite are moon cakes to celebrate Mid-Autumn festival and Scottish eggs in Bath.

Nothing is as engrained in a place as food. It an easy way to experience a place’s every day.

EXPLORATION & ADVENTURE

Let’s take the path less traveled.

That path might be a horse ride through the mountains, a dune buggy through the dunes, a hike up an along the spine of a mountain, a gondola ride above the jungle outside Hong Kong, or a peak at North Korea at the DMZ.

Whatever type of heart racing you’re looking for, I can find.

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Gabrielle Estel

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We visited Rabbit Rock for Easter!

From my apartment balcony, I saw the city spread before my eyes. The Nile: a slash of silver through Cairo’s green. 

Beyond the green: the unending gold of the Sahara.

The Sahara was my escape from the hustle and bustle of Cairo, aptly called the “Mother City of the World.” It’s as mysterious and beautiful as Egypt’s well known historic sights. These are my three favorite experiences in the desert.

Exploring the Black and White Desert

The desert dunes are unending, but there are different formations to be found. The best way to experience the diversity of the desert is a trip through the Black and White Desert. So much of Egypt used to be underwater, and it would only take a few hundred feet of sea water to cover most of it up again. It’s time as a sea has left devastating cliffs of white and volcanic outbursts of black. With a trusty tour guide driving a 4X4, we venture out for a 3 day trip into the desert. We tried out sandboarding, explored the native desert plants, and dripped out toes in natural hot springs. Our guide prepared traditional tahini, roasted chicken, and cut vegetables for our meals in the sand on bedouin blankets. I loved waking up each morning to walk around and follow the small animal trails from bush to bush. 

Driving up the Plateaus of Fayoum

Want an authentic Egyptian experience? Try having your drive blare HABIBI Egyptian music while you 4X4 race up the plateaus in the desert around Fayoum. It’s great. At the top, we hopped out of the vehicle to see the pale blue lines of water snake through the golden sands. It’s not a real 4X4 drive unless someone gets stuck! We sailed over the dunes without a moment’s hesitation. At camp that night, I stayed up extra late to see the clear, uninhibited stars in the desert sky.

Riding Horses Around the Pyramids of Saqqara

Horses are an important part of Egyptian culture. Dressage, show jumping, and beauty pageants are common hobbies of the Egyptian elite. And why not? Egypt is the home to many beautiful Arabians. Horse riding is a great way to get up close with the lesser-known Saqqara pyramids or see the famous Giza pyramids in a new way! Riding through the dunes quickly became one of my favorite hobbies. My favorite horse is named Foul, which translates to jasmine in Arabic.