Gilf Kebir to be visited in Egypt Holidays 11/08/2017


Egypt Holidays will get you close to an unexplored site that is Gilf Kebir. Plateau of wilderness Gilf Kebir owes much of its fame to the Oscar-winning movie The English Patient (although filmed in Tunisia like in Onk Jemal and Tamerza), this being of the regions for Laszlo Almassy's explorations.Gilf Kebir, meaning something like 'Great Wilderness' in Arabic, is almost 8,000 km², larger than many European countries. Seen from space, it is an almost circular plateau made of limestone and sandstone. The mountainous structures run out into the red desert sand resembling a heap of oak leaves.The area has no settlements but catches some rainfall, and there are some fauna and flora. There is limited animal life, too, but today, desert foxes are the largest creatures around.The Gulf is another Saharan location with rich rock art dating back to prehistory. Practicalities Gilf Kebir is a destination only for organized trips only. As of yet, there is virtually no way of getting out here on your own, even if you are correctly equipped (that is with 4WD vehicle).Since few people venture out here, organizing from your home travel operator is the best. Trying to do it while in Egypt could easily end up in vain, or a long wait. This option is, therefore, best for people living in Egypt.Once you arrange for joining an organized trip out here, you will be given all necessary information on what to bring and such.Travelling is best done in fall or spring when days are not too hot, and nights not too cold. Expect that an expedition takes from 1-2 days and up. Many include the Uwaynat Mountain right at the southwestern corner where Egypt borders to Libya and Sudan. Uwaynat Mountain In the most southwestern corner of Egypt, actually defining the demarcation between Egypt, Sudan and Libya, lies the highest point in the Libyan desert, the Uwaynat Mountain. It rises to 1898 meters, up about 1300 meters from the surrounding desert floor.The mountain catches some rain, and during parts of the year, the valleys beneath the summit become fertile. There are as many as 8 pools or springs that contain water almost throughout the year. People lived here until the 1930's, in what was one of the most isolated places in the world. The local community had next to no contact with the outside world, and in oases like Kufra in Libya, the nearest settlement, nobody knew with certainty of its location or its community until 1923. Once discovered by the outside world, it took only 10 years for the locals to abandon their homes for easier lives in the civilization addition to the attractiveness from history and the extremity of its location, Uwaynat offers its visitors beautiful scenery. The mountain region covers an extensive 1500 km², which is more than what a tour group can cover. There are numerous engravings and rock paintings. The best area for such is the Karkur Talh, which means Acacia Valley, with depictions of lions, giraffes, ostriches, gazelles, cows as well as human beings.Parts of this region is inaccessible traveling with Egyptian traveling companies. Rough Guides report that the largest spring, Ain Doua, which was the fictional Cave of the Swimmers in The English Patient can be reached by traveling from Libya (Fleigel jerzerniczky Expedition). Practicalities Being uninhabited, and completely isolated, and not connected by surfaced roads, this is a destination only for organized trips only. As of yet, there is virtually no way of getting out here by your own, even if you are correctly equipped (that is with 4WD vehicle)Since few people venture out here, organizing from your home travel operator is the best. Trying to do it while in Egypt could easily end up in vain, or a long wait. This option is, therefore, best for people living in Egypt.Once you arrange for joining an organized trip out here, you will be given all necessary information on what to bring and such. Egypt Holidays is best done in fall or spring when days are not too hot, and nights not too cold. Expect that an expedition takes 3-4 days at least, including a stop at Gilf Kebir, 150-200 km northeast.Some tour organizers arrange trips that take up to 3 weeks. The Great Sand SeaThe Great Sand Sea situated in Western Egypt is the third largest sand-accumulation in the world, about the size of Oregon. Spanning the 600km between Siwa in the north and the Gilf Kebir Plateau in the south, the Sand Sea forms a natural barrier between Egypt and Libya. From west to east, this barren but extremely beautiful land is about 250km wide, though it reaches 400km in the south. Nothing lives here but the wind and nothing move here but the sand The Cave of Swimmers is a central place in the movie The English Patient. A cave where prehistoric paintings show swimming people in the middle of the desert. This seems impossible, but there is an easy explanation: this area wasn't a desert some 10.000 years ago during the Ice Ages. So, to make your Egypt Holidays instant success you must visit the Gilf Kebir.