The third has oasis handicrafts on display and in the fourth are traditional toys and games. There is also an open air area surrounded by palms where visitors can enjoy tea and shisha in a bedouin atmosphere. Bahriya has enormous potential for tourism. With golden mummies, natural springs, Pharaonic antiquities, Alexander's temple, Bedouin folklore and a delightful museum, it is a destination that visitors will want to return to again, and again. The trip is broken up with a stop at a half-way house and drops you at Bawiti at 4.00pm.
Travellers can reserve their seats one day in advance.
If you have difficulty getting through to any of the hotels, contact the Tourist Information Office in Bahariya, located on the main street in the municipal building garden, just a few steps from the entrance. If you are interested in doing a little historical reading, try Oases in Egypt , by Ahmed Fakhri, and Zahi Hawass's The Valley of Golden Mummie s. Copyright Al-Ahram Weekly.