As the landscape of the valley unfolds, you spot the entrance made up of lined non-uniform rectangular amber bricks that are shaped like a skeleton of a large mammal; complete with its skull and vertebra. When the location was announced as a World Heritage site in 2005 for its “outstanding universal value’’, the designed architectural facilities succumbed to the predominance of the unique natural setting and just echoed its surroundings.
Having gone through the trouble of driving for 85 kilometers, 35 of which are spent on a rugged road, the scenery of the spacious desert valley rewards you with a perennial feeling of unconfined comfort. Diverse natural rocks in different shapes, sizes and composition dominate the landscape. Only the position of the sun in the sky defines which shade of yellow will match the view. The surrounding rocks, fine sands, and picturesque dunes could be beige, golden yellow, light brown, caramel, or simply dusky by sunset.
my son beside a Dorudon skeleton
We were on a tour organized by the Spouses Association of my husband’s oil company and we learned how to reach the Valley of the whales the hard way. Experience has always been the best teacher! Their travel agent provided a Coaster mini-bus for the trip. It was the driver’s first time to drive on this road and he was upset because nobody informed him about the roughness of the unpaved last 35 kms. of the way. He refused to comply with the safety speed limit and decided to make us feel that we were going on a ride in a “roller coaster”, which was not funny at the time!! 4×4 cars would have been the best vehicles for this road.
My personal tip. This could be done as a day trip from Cairo, especially if you start early. There are travel agents who specialize in desert safaris and provide a professional service for this kind of tourism. I wish we had known about them earlier! The distance is only 170 kilometers. It would take about 2 hours to reach the Valley of the Whales. It is recommended to use the main highway and not drive through the desert tracks. Allow two and a half hours for your walking tour over there. The location provides facilities such as a cafeteria, rest rooms, and even a camping site. On your way back, you could also visit Wadi al Rayan with its spring oases, picturesque waterfall and Mudawara Mountain that gives a beautiful view of the of the synthesis between the blue lake water and the yellow all-embracing desert.
