Siwa

Shali is the thirteenth-century fortress at the centre of Siwa town, built from kershef — salt blocks mixed with mud — which is a perfect material in a place with no rain and a catastrophic one when it does rain. Three days of rain in 1926 dissolved most of it, and what is left is a honeycomb of half-melted walls you can climb through at will. Entry is free. Go up at sunset, when the whole oasis, the palm belt and the salt lakes to the west turn orange and the call to prayer comes from the mosque built into the base. Wear proper shoes, because the footing is loose.

Siwa is 550 km from Alexandria and 300 from Marsa Matrouh, with no airport and no railway. The bus from Alexandria takes 9 to 10 hours and costs 250 to 400 EGP; from Marsa Matrouh it is 4 hours and around 150. A private car from Cairo is 6,000 to 9,000 EGP and ten hours of driving. There is one main street, cash is essential because the ATMs exist but fail often, and mobile data is patchy outside town. Siwa is culturally conservative and Amazigh-speaking, so modest dress matters here in a way it does not in Dahab, and it is genuinely appreciated.

October to March is the season, and October is the best of it — the date harvest is in, the palm groves are busy, and the days sit at 25 to 30 C. Nights in December and January drop to 5 C and the desert camps get genuinely cold, so bring the layers you would take hiking. Summer runs 40 to 45 C and most guesthouses simply close. The salt lakes west of town stay swimmable year-round and are dense enough that you float without effort; rinse in fresh water afterwards or the crust will itch all evening. Overnight Great Sand Sea trips run 2,500 to 4,000 EGP with dunes, a hot spring and dinner.