As the closest of the oases to the Nile Valley, Al-Kharga used to have the unenviable role as a place of banishment for mischievous Nile Valley citizens. Its remote location, punishing summer heat and destructive winds mean the oasis was synonymous with misery and exile. It may seem strange then that its chief town, Al-Kharga, was chosen as the capital of the New Valley Governorate in the 1950s.
Thurs 24th September: Leave by car (Toyota Corolla) at 1 in the afternoon from Cairo, via 6th of October towards ‘El Wahat’. We finally arrive at around 19:00 in Bahareya Oasis and it looks like the desert, feels like the desert and smells like the desert. At first sight Bahareya looks like a bunch of 2 floor cement houses thrown together close to the main street, but then we take a few alleys and find out that there is much more to do here.