White Desert Protectorate - Frafra

White Desert Protectorate - Frafra 

People who have visited white desert say it’s a truly magical place that’s hard to leave. It’s one of the more recently declared protected areas of Egypt which lies totally within the depression of Farafra. Most people who come to visit the Farafra oasis pay visit to the White desert that lies in the area north to the Qasr el Farafra. The spectacular scenery of the place makes it even more popular among tourists. The white chalk of the depression is dotted with inselbergs embedded with numerous fossil seashells. Also the ground here is scattered with thousands of oxidized iron pyrites concretions. Two small and inhabited oases make up for the protectorate which are Wadi Hennis and Karawein Depression.

Natural wealth

The protectorate is a home to a very large and old specimen of Acacia nilotica which make place very important scientifically. Also in the area you can find animals like The Slender-horned Gazelle, Gazella leptoceros. The place overall is a very popular area for tourists and residents who come to enjoy its unique scenery. At some point of time the desert was a habitat for many roaming herds of elephant, giraffe, gazelle and other animals, the desert would have been a savannah with lush green areas and lakes full of fish. The place seems to be an ideal hunting ground for pre-historic man.

The many formation found here

At White Desert you can find many unique and spectacular formations which have been designated some unique descriptive names and have been sculpted by the harsh winds flowing in the desert which have helped the formations get carved into weird shapes that keep constantly changing over time. Here you can find formations like ‘monoliths’ and ‘mushrooms’, ‘ice cream cones’, ‘tents’ and ‘crickets’, as well as the majestic conical flat-topped ‘inselbergs’, to name but a few of the formations.

More about the protectorate

White desert, now a protectorate, is like a natural wonder of Egypt and is referred as the White desert Park. The outer parts nearest the road are known as the Old Desert and can be reached in a normal vehicle. The place manages to attract a large number of tourists who often choose an overnight camping safari, which helps them in witnessing the contrast of both sunset and dawn. The new tracks here have been laid out to help vehicles which pass this famous landmark see the same. The place is initially a field of giant ‘mushrooms’, followed by an ancient lone Acacia tree.

It’s often said that night at the protectorate spend under the stars is an experience never forgotten. As the sky turns pink then deepest fiery orange, the rock-shapes fade and silence is all around. You can enjoy thoroughly while sitting around a small fire and enjoying the simplest meal of chicken, rice and vegetables. If the moon is near full, the white chalk rock shapes glow eerily.

The White Desert is a place that is very hard to leave. It’s bound to offer you a truly magical experience. The protectorate is justifiably the most well-known desert destination in Egypt - and for a good reason.