A life-long travel dream turned into a cultural and culinary experience of a lifetime for writer Debi Lander, camel trekking and staying in Bedouin Camps through Egypt. Just imagine her experience of feasting on authentic Egyptian dishes made while in the desert!

The highway, or the only road in the area.

Exploring Egypt and camel trekking on a 3-day journey

I dreamed of going to Egypt since I was a young girl and finally made the journey in January 2020. My wish was to experience the highlights of the country and feed my fascination for mummies, ancient gods and tomb raiders. I wanted to behold the Sphinx and the great pyramids of Giza, indulge in a Nile cruise, and venture inside tombs in the Valley of the Kings. Plus, I wanted some authentic interactions with the locals.

I came across a US tour operator who runs a camel farm in Texas and visits Egypt and other countries in the region several times a year. He even speaks Arabic. So, my tour would include a 3-day camel trek with Bedouins in Egypt’s South Sinai Peninsula. I signed up but then wondered how would I fare with this nomadic lifestyle and what would I eat? Truth be told, I worried most about how sore I would be from straddling a camel.

Once I flew to Cairo, I met up with my small group. We marveled at the wonders of Giza and Cairo, and I climbed inside the Great Pyramid, parts of it on my hands and knees. We stayed with a Muslim family, took that Nile cruise, and then flew from the capital city to Sharm El Sheikh on the Sinai Peninsula. Traveling light, we brought just sleeping bags and a duffle with necessities. A van and driver picked us up and transported us along the only road in the area, stopping at one security checkpoint.

Looking out the window, I could barely view the tops of rust-colored, jagged peaks, so steep and arid few would ever want to climb. We passed giant boulders, bigger than trucks, and undulating dunes, but very little in the way of vegetation or life. The driver dropped us at Wadi Ghazela in the late afternoon, an area of sun-baked sand seemingly in the middle of nowhere.

Our starting point, in what felt like the middle of nowhere.

But, far from being a lawless frontier, the deserts of South Sinai are regulated by longstanding traditions enforced by the local Bedouin leaders. Our hosts were the males of the Muzeina tribe. This extended family of Bedouins greeted us with a picnic-style lunch. We sat on rugs spread over the sand. They brought us thick slabs of warm bread, the type of bread Bedouins bake directly on hot coals from the bottom of a fire. We dipped ours into a bowl of baba ghanoush and another in tzatziki. Our choices also included cut up tomatoes (they have the freshest and most delicious vegetables in Egypt, even in January) and a cucumber salad. Yet another container held a tuna mixture with tomatoes and onions. (The Bedouin buy canned tuna for treks.) Hot tea is served with every meal, always sweetened with sugar.

Soon afterward, we heard the camels groan as our backpacks and gear were cinched onto their colorful saddles. It was time to mount one, a process that involves a series of awkward positions, the opposite of what you’d expect, and one that forced me to hold on tight. Whoa – I was riding high, about 10 feet off the ground, my head even with the rim of a basketball net.

Me, on my camel.

Camel Trekking in Egypt: Day 1

Off we rode as a group, the Bedouins clutching the leads to each camel and reassuringly walking alongside. I’m no equestrian, but the sway of the camel and the way their feet seem to spread and absorb the forward movement proved pleasant.

We crossed through a stunning valley as the sun began to descend behind distance rocky cliffs. From camelback, the view and experience felt otherworldly, not one you can get from riding in a car and becomes one of the main reasons for taking such a trek. I basked in the remoteness of the location and the surrounding quiet, opposite the crowded city of Cairo. An hour later, we reached our rustic Bedouin camp for the evening.

When I say rustic, I mean bare bones. Goat hair rugs draped a small enclosure, constructed from tree branches, acting as a roof. More rugs covered the ground where we unrolled our sleeping bags. The sand was not squishy like at the beach, but firm, and already quite cool. Another rug was swung over poles to enclose one side of the space, like a wall. A small firepit rested nearby, lined with hot coals and quite smoky. Better adjust my mindset and accept no toilets or running water.

While waiting for dinner, I enjoyed a cup of tea and explored the area. I found an enclosure for pigeons and a couple of similarly constructed buildings for the few Bedouins who make this a base camp. Otherwise, imagine desolate sandy ground with an acacia tree here or there and a heap of rocks.

When called, the group gathered near the firepit and sat crossed legged around a low table. A scrumptious chicken and rice meal arrived, sort of an overturned concoction spread onto a platter. (I did not see the preparation of this meal.)  We used our fingers to eat the moist chicken and spoons for the rice. Bread sopped up the yummy juices. The glow of the firepit radiated around like a campfire circle, and we ended with more tea.

A platter of rice, chicken, and salad is an example of traditional Egyptian food served by the Bedouins.

During dinner, I didn’t notice, but the sky had magically exploded with tiny, crystal clear, twinkling lights. For the first time in my life, I could pick out the constellations. No, I hadn’t been drinking wine, but I’d swear there were dotted lines between the stars indicating the designs, like those constellation picture books. I could identify the dippers, the bear, and Gemini, the twins.

I toyed with the idea of sleeping under the stars but preferred the group enclosure. Why change clothes, I reckoned, the air had considerably cooled, so I went to bed fully dressed. To this Floridian, the cold sand seemed to penetrate through my sleeping bag, and I felt uncomfortable, but it gradually warmed, and I fell asleep.

Sometime during the night, I awoke, needing to pee from all that tea. I almost walked into a camel hobbled (tethered) down in the stretch I though was wide open. I nearly jumped out of my skin, but the camel barely groaned.

Morning came early, the sun’s rays peeking over the horizon, a golden orb illuminating an acacia tree and “that camel” nearby. Yes, I was really in the desert. I roamed around with my camera, coming upon Emira, a Bedouin widow making bread. Preparing bread in the desert or mountains is one of the Bedouin’s most time-honored traditions. They make two main types of Bedouin bread, fatir and libba. Fatir is baked on a metal sheet or dome while libba bakes inside the hot ashes.

Emira was sitting on the sand and rolling out balls of dough she had made earlier. She threw the dough in the air like a pizza, and then tossed it onto the hot dome over the firepit. She would watch each round bake and fold them over to avoid burning. She repeated the folding like you would a big cloth napkin. When done, she’d place the folded pieces in a basket. At breakfast, we ate soft boiled eggs, Emira’s delicious bread, jams, and I believe a salad…and tea.

Emira made bread early in the day.

Feasting with the Bedouin people: Day 2

We mounted and rode off on our camels, always having a water bottle nearby, until we came to a rugged passage. We needed to dismount and hike through an opening in the rocky landscape. The Bedouins followed behind, guiding the animals along this trail. Like the dromedaries, I had to watch where I placed my feet, but the climb wasn’t too tricky.

When we got to the top (surprise), we saw the other side of the mountain. Here lay a glorious canyon shinning in the noontime sun. This astonishing panoramic view looked like an ideal location for a western movie set. In time, we worked our way down to the base, and then sipped tea and rested, along with the camels. The Bedouins, however, started in on lunch preparations. Each man had a job, and they worked together under the careful supervision of the elder.

One man kneaded the dough on a flour sack.

One man began mixing flour, salt, and water for the dough. He kneaded the dough into one thick slab on a plastic flour bag. When ready for baking, he placed the mixture directly on the ground near the fire and covered it with hot embers and ashes. The bread was turned once and covered again with ashes. The libba is then hit against a boulder a couple of times and cleaned with a knife.

Removing some of the ash from baking by knocking the bread against a rock.

While one man was working on the bread, another built a fire from twigs and brush collected nearby. Still, another placed several eggplants directly in the fire, roasting them until soft. He then removed the charred skins and mashed the pulp for baba ghanoush, finally adding onion, garlic, and tomatoes to complete the dip.

A Bedouin man roasts eggplant over the open fire to make Baba Ganoush.

Beans were cooked in a pot and mashed for another stew-like dish. The remaining onion, garlic, and tomatoes were all simmered together. We dipped our bread into the various dishes and enjoyed a juice box, a nice change from water and tea.

For dessert, we ate oranges that burst with deliciousness. Why is it that everyday foods taste extra special on hiking or camping trips? As requested, we saved the peels for the camels who ate them with great gusto! Who knew?

Onward again, this time, we rode for about an hour and a half through sun-dazzled sands, took another water break, then continued to an oasis, our stop for the night. I first glimpsed faint tips of greenery in the distance, like a mirage and very out of place. Honestly, the oasis appeared like a miracle in this wasteland. Coming closer, I caught site of fronds from a cluster of date palm trees and squinting through the sun’s glare, low lying shrubs. The permanent, fenced-in camp included a thatched roof building where we could place our sleeping bags – this time on top of cushions. The arrangement proved a little more comfortable, but far from a regular bed.

An oasis appears in the desert.

Another area of the oasis offered a built-in enclosure for campfires where some Bedouin men gathered to smoke a hookah. Near the bottom of a hill sat an outhouse, yet another step up from the previous night. The floor contained a squat toilet fixture, but no flushable water, just a hole in the cement. However, I was thrilled with the privacy it provided, especially at night. Funny how these little upgrades seemed huge.

Later, the men began cooking, this time in a no-frills kitchen, the last building at the oasis. The camp maintained a generator, enough power to fire up a pot of boiling water to make pasta. We ate soup, then a mixture of pasta and vegetables – plus bread and tea. In my opinion, the meal tasted rather bland, not like saffron-flavored chicken and rice served the night before.

A nomad tent of fabric shelter three of the Bedouin guides while they enjoyed the hukkah.

Sleep came early, although the stars once again put on a show.

Before departing in the morning, we were provided with various jams and Nutella to put on Bedouin bread, and of course, plenty of tea. Sadly, no eggs for breakfast.

The Desert Trek: Day 3

We rode our camels approximately 45 minutes, passing through a valley sided by foothills of red metamorphic rock. The hills gradually increased in size until we came to a steep, treacherous looking mountain blocking the way. This obstacle was far taller than yesterday’s passage, with no cut-through. (Game of Thrones fans, think of The Wall, just not quite that high!) Upon closer inspection, I could see a zig-zagged trail of twists and turns up the towering embankment. The path, known as Nagb Shee, has been maintained by the Bedouins since Nabatean days (how cool is that?). I summoned my strength for a tough climb, convincing myself it would become an experience long remembered.

The massive wall ahead of the group made us wonder how we were going to get over it.

We dismounted and hiked (huffing and puffing) about halfway up, my shoes raising dust and grit with each step. I’d stop to catch my breath and then continue along before nestling into a rock ledge. From here, I prepared to photograph the procession of Bedouin and camels as they climbed the trail. The camels carefully placed their feet, and the guides encouraged their uphill ascent. I was madly shooting their progress, hoping my photos of this classic (think Lawrence of Arabia) moment would turn out. After they passed me, I turned to continue taking pics and then slowly but surely maneuvered my way up to the top. After we gathered our gear, we walked on finding ancient hieroglyphics nearby. The camels received water.

Too rugged to ride, the Bedouin guides led the camels.

Everyone continued somewhat surprised to come across another small group on camelback, the first strangers we had encountered. In the distance, we spied strange, small rock mounds scattered over a rise. Our guide explained that these ancient stone huts, called Nawamis, were prehistoric tombs as old as the pyramids. We wanted to investigate, so once again we dismounted while the Bedouins rode the animals over the next hill.

Investigating the ancient tombs.

One last time we mounted and rode to our final camp for lunch. Here, we enjoyed a fresh salad encircled by delicious rice and some dates. This campsite sat near a road, and I think the truck brought our lunch from the first base camp. After eating, another van arrived carrying our belongings, and we hopped in. I was a bit sore and ready to be off my camel but had relished the experience more than I anticipated. No, not the no toilet part, but camel trekking in the remote scenic desert became a thrilling adventure. I felt alive like I’d sunk my teeth into authentic Egypt, and it tasted good. Honestly, I’d do it again.

My trip to Egypt was self-funded. For information about my private tour guide email me: debilander@gmail.com.

— Story and photos by Debi Lander

Hungry for more? To learn more about traveling to Egypt, visit this TripAdvisor affiliate link. And check out some of Debi Lander’s other articles including her guide to eating like a local in Aruba, her guide to making Greek dolmades at home, and her adventures in Alaska on an UnCruise.

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