RIDING HOLIDAY
5 days | 4 nights

All Year Round

FULL BOARD

CHILD FRIENDLY

Overview

Throughout all great civilizations that embraced Egypt, Siwa has been a pilgrim center to the Oracle Temple of Amun, or Zeus-Jupiter, where among many other legendary Pharaonic, Greek, and Roman figures, Alexander The Great, was initiated son of Zeus and saviour of Egypt, following the footsteps of his ancestors, as it was told, prominent Hercules and Perseus.

This very special lodge has been built at the footstep of the famous Red Mountain of Siwa, facing the magnificent White Mountain, overlooking the vast Gary Lake and the timeless dunes of the Great Sand Sea. This eXperience provides a unique return to nature, where one can truly feel the magical energy of Siwa.

The Arabian horse is a dreamlike creature that will always inspire by their beauty, character and strength.
The Stud breeds pure Arabian horses who fit in their perfect habitat of Siwa Oasis, adapted to the desert conditions.
Ride the Arabian horse in the Great Sea of Sand for various durations, passing by the most glorious landscapes during twilight, feeling the serene and rousing breeze on the back of the horse, galloping on “sand snow”.
A true horseback knight eXperience that will remain unforgettable.

Through vernacular architecture, following the ancestral Siwan method of construction, this Ecolodge figures as only an extension of the surrounding natural environment. The lodge, which name means “full-moon” in the Siwan language, brings about the splendor of the sky, for they are only used candles inside the rooms, or oil lamps and torches outside, giving the place a rousing poetic atmosphere.
The construction with “Karshif” (mud bricks, salt and other natural elements) eliminates the need for air-conditioning, while doors and windows are ideally positioned to capture the desert breeze.

The quality of the air, the absence of noise and light pollution, all make the back-to-nature eXperience so immediate. You will find yourself absorbed by the perfectly clear night sky, gazing at the shooting stars, or immersed in a spiritual osmosis.
If you are an early riser, a Mother-Nature lover, or none of the above, waking up before daybreak to watch the sun rising, is a vital eXperience for the soul. You can do that from your room’s window, or from any spot of the ecovillage, even better from a little above, at Siwa's Red Mountain (Adrere Azughagh). An enchanting sunrise reflecting its pink and orange light beams on the surface of the lake is the most blissful moment of the day, and a wishful tribute from the lodge to keep an everlasting memory of the place.

The sun radiation per square meter is the highest in Siwa in the entire region. At the lodge, the sun is the renewable energy of choice. Solar water heating panels are installed over the rooms to produce high temperatures of water in the showers. Photovoltaic is used in some facilities of the Ecolodge, such as the reception and the kitchen to supply power efficient tools, preventing dependence on polluting fossil-fuelled systems. Furthermore, we regard the Ecolodge as a laboratory for green energy technologies, where innovative and reliable green energy solutions are constantly implemented and tested as a model for the oasis of Siwa.
A genuine solid waste management is undertaken in the village. Organic waste is disposed of to animals or used as compost, sewage is treated through an engineered wetland, and inorganic waste is segregated and sent for recycling.

The concept of the Group revolves around the conservation of the historical world heritage. In the Ecovillages Siwa, it is focused on the local Amazigh (Berber) historical culture of Siwa and North Africa, which is linked to all the ancient universal civilizations such as the Egyptian & Mayan. A library, a museum and a stellarium have been built to highlight not only the wonders of the Berber arts, science and literature; but also the universal sciences that pursue and stir sustainable development. A market place with 50 handicraft workshops have been operating to revive the sustainable living knowhow of Siwa’s ancestral natives. In addition, the Group launched an educational initiative to teach and train young women and men of Siwa for different languages, arts and crafts such as: Permaculture, embroidery, pottery, palm leaf, olive wood, salt, etc. The purpose goes beyond the youth capacity building to promote the oasis products everywhere through the Group channels in order to develop sustainable financial resources for the local community.

The Group has partnered with the Khalifa International Award for Date Palm & Agricultural Innovation to organize the Egyptian Date Palm Festival in Siwa, which has seen its 3rd edition this past November 2017, under the patronage of his highness President Abdel Fattah El Sisi and his highness Sheikh Mansour Al Nahyan, ruler of Abu Dhabi. This event has boosted the date sector industry in Egypt and is presenting huge opportunities of growth to small and big farmers, as well as all stakeholders in the industry. This event has promoted the Egyptian palm dates on the international scale, with emphasis on Siwa Oasis through combined efforts between the Ministry of Trade and Industry, the Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation, and key development partners such UNIDO and FAO.

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Itinerary

Activities Edition

Day 1
Welcome to Magical Siwa
Relax and get acquainted to the environment, unwind by the pool or walk around the ecovillage to explore the facilities before savouring your first exquisite Moroccan meal. Your local host will be available around the clock to introduce you to the magical ethnicity of Siwa and Taziry.

Day 2
An Epic Oasis
After a delicious home-grown filling breakfast, observe and learn about the monuments of all great civilizations that passed by this mythical oasis, from the Pharaonic to the Greco-Roman period, with the most knowledgeable and multi-lingual guide in Siwa: Temple of the Oracle of Amun (or temple of Alexander the Great), Temple of Amun, Cleopatra's bath, Mountain of the Dead, Ruins of Shali, and the Island of Fatnas. This tour will not be another monotonous cultural trip, it will enable you to witness Siwa’s richest and deepest roots, to understand and enjoy Siwa from a universal perspective. You will be able to have lunch in a restaurant or snack at a coffee shop in the city centre. You will also be able to go shopping for some of the finest Siwan handicrafts in the central souk.

Day 3
The Great Sand Sea
Get ready for the most unforgettable experience of discovering the various depths of the Great Sand Sea. A 4x4 vehicle will drive you to the desert for a full-day safari. You will appreciate the petrified forests, fossilized sea shells, cruise on top of curved sand dunes, swim in fresh lakes and hot sulphuric springs. You will also be equipped for sand-boarding: easy slopes for the amateurs and the steepest dunes for the advanced! Snacks, juices and mint tea will be served for lunch. After you observe the magnificent sunset from the top of a high dune, you will be back to the Ecolodge for a well-deserved delicious dinner. You can also choose to spend the night at the desert. At your convenience, there could be a large tent or sleeping bags for those who like to sleep in open-air. Overnight camping in the Great Sand Sea is a matchless experience: the sky is nowhere as clear..

Day 4
High bellow
You might well have heard that this mysterious oasis is below sea level, and was once part of the Ocean. If you are “in tune” with Mother-Nature, you will immediately acknowledge this feeling. We would like to give you a strong sense of this energy: In the Salt Lake (as salty as the Dead Sea) you will be able refresh your skin and body and float free while watching the pure blue sky above. After that, your guide will take you to Abou Shrouf's spring, to swim in its fresh warm waters. When you have completely rejuvenated, you will visit the old village of Ain Safi to learn about an authentic hundred years old olive oil press, then you will be taken to watch the sunset from a vantage point.

Day 5
Arabian Fantasy
Are you a skilled horse-back rider? The Stud gives pure breed Arabian horses to be ridden in the Great Sea of Sand for various durations, passing by the most glorious landscapes during twilight, feeling the serene and rousing breeze on the back of the horse, galloping on “sand snow”. A true horseback knight experience that will remain unforgettable.


Special Riding Edition
Currently available for horseXperiences clients only

Additional information

Transfers available from Cairo Airport | Airport Gateway CAI
1 to 3 people | 200 Euro per vehicle
3 to 12 people | 400 Euro per vehicle

Children below 2 years old stay for free in a baby cot
Children below 12 years old get a 25% discount

Extra meals are available at the cost of 25 Euro p.p. per meal

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