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Siwa Oasis


Camille Ainsley has lived in Siwa for 15 years, running health-based retreats from her family's farm. She offers delightful accommodation, in addition to acupuncture and naturopathy treatment sessions. On offer are three-, five- and 10-day retreats to improve your health and discover the oasis. If you call Camille ahead, she will prepare a healthy meal for lunch or dinner.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Siwa Oasis attractions

1. Fatnas Spring

0.45 MILES

This fairly secluded pool is on a small island in the salty Birket Siwa, accessible across a narrow causeway. Nicknamed ‘Fantasy Island’ for its idyllic…

2. House of Siwa Museum

1.9 MILES

This small museum contains an interesting display of traditional clothing, jewellery and crafts typical of the oasis. It’s worth the entry fee just to…

3. Fortress of Shali

1.92 MILES

Central Siwa is dominated by the spectacular organic shapes of the remains of this 13th-century mud-brick fortress. Built from kershef (chunks of salt…

4. Old Mosque

1.97 MILES

Just above the entrance to the Fortress of Shali is the old mosque with its distinctive chimney-shaped minaret. The mosque was recently restored and a…

5. Ain Al Arais

2.24 MILES

The closest spring to central Siwa is Ain Al Arais, a cool, inviting waterhole with a grotto-like bottom, just five minutes’ walk from the main market…

6. Gebel Al Mawta

2.34 MILES

This small hill, at the northern end of Siwa Town, is honeycombed with rock tombs peppered with wall paintings. Its name, Gebel Al Mawta, means 'Mountain…

7. Tomb of Niperpathot

2.35 MILES

In the Tomb of Niperpathot, one of the oldest in the oasis, the inscriptions and crude drawings are made in the same reddish ink you can see on modern…

8. Tomb of the Crocodile

2.36 MILES

This tomb's name comes from its wall painting of a yellow crocodile representing the god Sobek. Many of the paintings inside are badly deteriorating.