"Paradise Found" a Siwa Travel Page by NinaRira

Anyone who thinks that it must be boring to be surrounded by 1000's of square miles of desert, hasn't been to Siwa oasis. It's a place that has to be seen to be believed. Myself and my two travel companions hired a driver from Alexandria and drove eight hours through the Sahara desert, passing only the odd camel farm along the way. It was a lovely build up to the sudden sight of the beautiful Siwa salt lake and the hundreds of palm trees surrounding it. There is a small mostly untouched village, with a little museum run by a friendly local man and one or two guest houses. The people still live in the same way as they have for centuries and have a quiet, gentle nature, very much in touch with their unique surroundings. Above the village, carved into the rocky hills, are the graves of Siwan ancestors, most of which still contain the bones of these people, preserved in the dry desert conditions. But you can also see some stunning wall paintings in some of the tombs which are worth the trip here alone. But for me Siwa was not about seeing anceint sights as you will find in the rest of Egypt, it was a place where we felt far away from absolutely everything and had time to soak up the wonderful atmosphere of the Sahara. There is no doubt that Siwa is being put firmly on the travel map at this stage, but I am sure that anyone visiting will still find the absolute peace and tranquillity that we did. If ever there was a perfect place to see a sunset - this is it.