A Romantic Egyptian Eco-lodge in the Western Desert - Adrere Amellal

Imagine spending a few romantic days in a desert resort that looks like a whimsical sandcastle nestled at the foot of a mystical mountain.

Even for a sole traveller like me, the Adrere Amellal eco-lodge, about seventeen kilometres beyond Siwa oasis, fulfills 'romance' in its broader sense: a fascination that raises commonplace things and events into something beautiful and adventurous, remote from daily life. On the other hand, if you are an environmentalist without a romantic bone in your body, this lodge is a extraordinary model of sustainable development.

Western Hard Drive

For many tourists, visiting Adrere Amellal might be difficult taking into list time constraints and the lodge's length from Cairo (550 kilometres west). However, for those willing to make the trek over the desert by 4-wheel drive or by the Western Delta Bus firm to the lush Berber oasis of Siwa, it is beyond doubt worth the endeavor and cost.

A Romantic Egyptian Eco-lodge in the Western Desert - Adrere Amellal

This lodge of only forty rooms, is the brain child of Mounir Neamatalla who runs a inexpressive firm called Environmental quality International and whose aim in construction the resort was to keep the disappearing Berber crafts and culture. He encouraged the old-time Berber craftsmen to teach the younger generation what they knew before it was too late.

So what makes this complicated so romantic and ecologically sustainable?

It is built in perfect harmony with, and has minimal impact on, the surrounding desert and lakes. Its rooms and suites are built using the local 'kershef' method: a heat unyielding compound of rock salt, clay and palm, and are filled with locally made furniture, fabrics, rugs and decorative elements. The pool, inexpressive in a grove of palms and olive trees, is fed from old Roman springs in the area, and all water is recycled. To verbalize the silence of the desert, there is no telephone and guests are not permitted to use cell phones outside their rooms. There is no electricity. Hundreds of oil-filled Lamps, beeswax candles and the glorious desert stars provide Light, while old-style braziers provide heat. during the day, meals can be taken in any amount of grottoes at the base of White Mountain or inexpressive among the date palms by the pool. Night-time dining is in a maze of alcoves, the walls of which are studded with shards of hard salt that sparkle in the candleLight. Staff are dressed in former Berber garb. The resort has its own organic organery from which fresh herbs and vegetables are picked daily, and the chefs use locally produced yoghurt, eggs, fruit and bread.

While at Adrere Amellal, guests can check out the absorbing features of nearby Siwa and take a thrill-filled adventure out into the Great Sand Sea.

A Romantic Egyptian Eco-lodge in the Western Desert - Adrere Amellal

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