Hiya, The main things to do in Siwa are swim in waterholes and salt lakes, explore the ruins of the desert castles, do trips out into the desert, stay at camps in the desert and explore palm groves and fruit farms. There is at least one organic farm that you can work on, if that takes your fancy, and some of the salt lakes are impressively buoyant. There are a lot of options for food, and accommodation options at a range of price points, from places with pools to backpacker type joints through to Adrere Adlelal, one of the world’s top hotels: there’s one desert camp with its own hot springs that’s especially magical at the budget price point… Theodora

I hope your travels are safe.

I wanted to know if you could supply me with even more detailed information about Siwa?

I was considering going there and wanted to know more about the day to day, as well as the night to night, activity of the place.

Yes. It will be interesting to see how the Arab Spring appears in history.

Thanks, Tanya: that’s great to know! Egypt is a HUGE place (hopefully it will be calm again come October), but I reckon you’ll have a fantastic time. I’d really recommend you try and get a bit of time in the Sinai, assuming things are OK there, as well as the monumental stuff, and, of course, a trip down the Nile.

fabulous piece. really inspiring to get myself there. in fact, this post has made me decide to take my 3 kids to egypt for 2 weeks in october. thank you! Glad you are enjoying Jordan – i think your son will LOVE Wadi Rum. I took my kids there when they were much smaller and they still remember it (my youngest was not quite 3). xx

Thanks, Leigh. It really does feel like a place out of a movie. I’m amazed people haven’t filmed stuff in the desert around there, although supplies would be an issue. I’m very, very glad we made it out here, although still itching to see the other oases…

The gay sex is a big taboo thing, so that came through talking to Egyptians and non-Egyptians, although I really did notice that no one was checking me out. (I thought it was because it was conservative, but I think it might also be the gay thing…)

As regards smuggling, one of the guys we were hanging out with was quite open about being a smuggler, and again, the smuggling thing there is an open secret among Egyptians. So… when I asked him whether he was one and what he was carrying he pulled out the pharaonic bronzes from the side panel of his car. To which Z said, “Where’s the guns?” (Travel is educational, let’s put it that way…)

I was seriously contemplating joining a run into Libya, but Z and I both felt that while we’d regret not doing it in a few years it was just too risky to do now… Were I in my teens or my 20s, and travelling without a child, I might be writing this from a Libyan prison 😉

The people I cite have been vaguely anonymised. But it’s pretty much from the horse’s mouths.

It’s a fantastic place, Justin. Not sure how it will be once you’re on the road, but it’s truly extraordinary. Also an amazing place for a desert safari, which we didn’t do in the end because, well, car crash stopped play. I’m sort of kicking myself about it, but rattling around in the back of a 4WD with potential head injuries didn’t seem like a good idea AT ALL…