Bir Wahed Siwa - Well No.1

The main "must see"for Egyptians

Sounds better in Arabic for sure. This is ‘the’ tourist attraction in Siwa. It is assumed everyone who comes to Siwa wants to see it and sooner or later everyone does end up here, normally around 3pm with all the jeeps from the souk. We don’t visit Bir Wahed this way. We either come and see it early in the morning after sleeping out in the desert, or late at night under the stars.

The story goes it was drilled by the Russians or Americans (depending on who you talk to) around 20 years ago. They were looking for oil and struck water instead, leaving a perfectly formed oasis 12 kilometers south of Siwa in the Great Sand Sea. If you’re visiting Siwa in the summer, the large fresh water lake is a great escape from the heat of the day.

Adventurous

The best way to see Bih Wahed is to leave early in the morning with plenty of water, a good GPS and a good pair of boots. Arrive midday and leave before the day trippers arrive and you have the whole desert to yourself. If you’re staying at the Siwa Villa and you would like to do this with us, we need to arrange for desert permissions to walk before you arrive so let us know well in advance.

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