What lies beyond the Black Desert in Egypt

Upon moving onward from Bahariya Oasis, you can see a noticeable change in the colour of the surrounding desert. This change starts approximately 50km south of Bawiti when the desert floor goes from beige to black. To even a newcomer’s eyes, this signals the beginning of the Black Desert and soon the landscape gets overpowered by strange conical and table-top hills powdered with glistening black basalt. The Sahara Souda stretches most of the way to Farafra Oasis and unlike most travellers, I find it as powerfully beautiful as the White Desert.

A vast empty

What strikes me the most about the Black Desert is its incredible emptiness and most visitors pass through the area on their way to the White Desert. This leaves the vast expanse to be nearly soul-less and the entire place resembles a huge sky country. The vivid blue sky overhead seems like an overturned bowl that has entrapped the land for eternity. Strangely, despite the emptiness, one cannot but help feel claustrophobic being caught in the wedge between land and the sky. The only sign of life apart from the sighting of the elusive desert fox comes from the flatbed trucks that rumble along with a ribbon of highway bisecting the desert in two parts.

You may also like: THE INCREDIBLE WHITE DESERT IN EGYPT

What lies beyond

Formed by the erosion of the mountains, which have spread a layer of black powder and stones over the peaks and plateaus, the Black Desert is indeed a preview of the stunning beauty that lies beyond it. My favourite part beyond the Black Desert is the “Agbat “area. From a vantage point, the Agbat resembles something out of a sci-fi movie and the massive obstacles dotting the area once used to be a landmark from Sahara desert caravans. Just ahead of Agbat, there is a field of desert flowers which in reality are scattered basalt stones in various interesting shapes. Other sights include Gebel Gala Siwa, a pyramid-shaped mountain that was formerly a lookout post for caravans coming from Siwa, and Gebel Az Zuqaq, a limestone mountain known for the red, yellow and orange streaks. Another pretty place in the Wahat Bahrya is the Crystal Mountain, which is a hulking monolithic hillock made of real quartz crystals. On clear days in the bright sunlight, the Crystal Mountain glitter like a massive diamond, and the view from the top is absolutely stunning.

Recommended Read: THE BAHARIYA OASIS IN THE WESTERN DESERT

The Black Desert practical tips

The best way to enjoy the Black Desert is by an overnight camping tour. Most people usually combine it with the White Desert and choose a local professional company to have wonderful experiences in this amazing natural area. I chose Tree House Egypt and it is one of my best travel decisions ever. Run by a young environment-conscious team, the Treehouse Egypt provides great accommodations, clean transfers, knowledgable guides, and lots of delicious local food. Their itineraries are made for people who prefer experiential travel and trust Treehouse Egypt for the perfect tour. The best time to go is between September and April. For those who do not like camping, there are many hotels in Bawiti and you can go into the deserts as day trips from Bahariya Oasis. I recommend Safari Camp Bahariya Oasis for a comfortable stay. Desert campers should try to travel light. Pack just two sets of clothes, a warm jacket, swimsuit, hiking shoes, sweat pants, a power bank, a sleeping bag, a book, wet wipes, a sun hat, and sunglasses.

P.S – This blog post is part of the weekly series called the Cairo Chronicles. Every week, Maverickbird will try to focus on a new theme, emotion, and beauty of expat life in the exciting, maddening city of Cairo.

Follow the rest of the offbeat Egypt series here

• THE SINAI PENINSULA IN EGYPT
• DAHAB, THE “GOA OF EGYPT
• DAHAB TRAVEL GUIDE AND TIPS
• SIWA OASIS OF EGYPT
• THE STRANGENESS OF SIWA OASIS OF EGYPT
• A SIWA TRAVEL GUIDE
• THE BAHARIYA OASIS

RESPONSIBLE TRAVELING-BECAUSE I CARE

FAQs

What are the best attractions in the Black Desert?
Beyond the black basalt-topped hills themselves, the writer points to the Agbat area (a sci-fi-looking landscape once used as a caravan landmark), a field of flower-shaped basalt stones nicknamed ‘desert flowers,’ the pyramid-shaped Gebel Gala Siwa (a former lookout for caravans from Siwa), Gebel Az Zuqaq (a limestone mountain streaked with red, yellow and orange), and Crystal Mountain, a hillock made of real quartz crystals.

Is the Black Desert worth visiting?
Yes, according to the writer, who says they find it just as powerfully beautiful as the more famous White Desert — a view they admit most travelers don’t share, since many just pass through it on the way to the White Desert.

How much time should I spend in the Black Desert?
The article recommends experiencing it as part of an overnight camping tour, usually combined with the White Desert, rather than treating it as a quick pass-through. If camping isn’t your style, you can instead do it as a day trip from Bahariya Oasis while staying at a hotel in Bawiti.

What is the Black Desert famous for?
It’s known for its striking landscape of conical and table-top hills dusted in glistening black basalt, formed by erosion depositing black powder and stone over the peaks and plateaus — plus its vast, near-empty stretches, which the writer describes as feeling like a huge, soul-less ‘sky country’ under a vivid blue sky.

Is the Black Desert tourist-friendly?
It’s set up for guided, tour-based visits rather than independent exploration — the article recommends booking with a professional local company (the writer used Treehouse Egypt) for camping trips, or basing yourself at a hotel in Bawiti, like the recommended Safari Camp Bahariya Oasis, for day trips into the desert.

I’m planning a trip to the Black Desert — what should I prioritize seeing and doing there?
Prioritize an overnight camping tour that also covers the White Desert, and ask your guide to include stops at the Agbat area, Gebel Gala Siwa, Gebel Az Zuqaq, and Crystal Mountain — the lesser-known sights just beyond the Black Desert itself that the writer considers highlights.

Can you give me an honest, first-hand take on what the Black Desert is actually like to visit?
The writer’s take is genuinely enthusiastic and a bit contrarian: while most visitors treat the Black Desert as just a pass-through on the way to the White Desert, they call it powerfully beautiful in its own right, and their overnight camping trip with Treehouse Egypt — a small, environment-conscious operator — is described as one of their best travel decisions.

What’s the best time of year to visit the Black Desert, and why?
The article recommends visiting between September and April.

What should a first-time visitor to the Black Desert know before they go?
If camping, travel light — the article suggests packing just two sets of clothes, a warm jacket, a swimsuit, hiking shoes, and a sweater, since desert nights can turn cold. Booking with an experienced local tour company (rather than going independently) is recommended for both logistics and safety.

How does the Black Desert compare to nearby destinations for someone deciding where to go?
The article treats the Black Desert as a companion stop to the White Desert, both usually visited together on an overnight camping tour from Bahariya Oasis. Where the White Desert tends to get the spotlight, the writer argues the Black Desert — and the lesser-known sights just beyond it — deserve just as much attention.