ADRÈRE AMELLAL
Activities and Tours

Siwa Adrere Ecolodge ... have a drink by the sea !! Sea of sand that is !!

This program gives you an idea of the daily flow of activities in Adrere Amellal:

Breakfast is served on a shaded terrace overlooking the lake. If you do not know where to
head for breakfast, just listen for the sound of the cutlery and plates and they will lead
you to the right place.

Around 10:00 am: Head towards the car park for a trip around the town of Siwa in 4x4 vehicles
with a guide: you will visit Shali fortress, the tombs of Jabal el Mawta, Oracle
Temple, Jabal Dakrour & Cleopatra’s bath.

Around 2:00 pm: Lunch will be served under the palm trees by the pool. It is a vegetarian
meal, which is tradition.

Around 4:00 pm (in winter) and 5:00 pm (in summer): 4x4 vehicles will take you into the Great
Sand Sea, this depends of course on the mood of the desert and the duration of your stay. You will visit Lake Shiata, Bir Wahed and the Petrified Forest. Just as the sun is going down you will be served mint
tea.

Remember to take a jacket with you, because the temperature drops rapidly in the desert
once the sun goes down.

Around 8:00 pm: Return to Adrere Amellal and have a well deserved cocktail in one of
the bars of the lodge.

Dinner will be served – in a different dinner room every night – at whatever time suites
you. All you need to do is just let the staff know when you would like to have your meal.

Dinner in the desert is also an option, but at an extra charge of $50 per person. It depends
on the mood of the desert of course and the number of people, as well as other factors.
Additional options are swimming in the Lake by the lodge, visiting our library, climbing
up the White Mountain, having a mud bath, having a massage with Siwan olive oil by a
Siwi or even a masseuse from Cairo or abroad (not included in the price).

There is also the option of riding horses in the desert at an additional cost of EURO 40
per hour per person. Please note that the horses are not in Siwa from mid-May till mid-
October.

If you do ever get lost or don’t know where to go, ask any of our personnel who are
dressed in white; they would be more than happy to assist you.

Summary of activities NOT included in the room price:
1. Dinner in the desert: $50 per person
2. Horse riding: EURO 40 per person per hour
3. Massage: Payment is settled with the masseuse that will come especially from Cairo or abroad.

When you book with us , please clarify what you would like to do from the above
mentioned activities in order for us to arrange it for you.

The Adrere Amellal lodge ( 40 rooms and suites) , this is a boutique oases of luxury in the Egyptian desert that was built with Siwan labour and care so that it would fit entirely into the architectural styles of the oasis. Siwa and the Adrere border the largest ocean of sands in the world . Built out of indigenous material using traditional Siwan building techniques and styles so as to have a minimal impact on the land . The Adrere Amellal Ecolodge sets an example for being environmentally friendly hospitality establishment . Situated at the base of a majestic white mountain and overlooking palm groves and Siwa lake,
Adrere Amellal consists of a series of traditional Siwan houses that have been restored and re-designed into guests suites and rooms, all of which offer genuine desert-style comfort. Furnishing is simple, but of the highest quality, drawing exclusively on local material and design to reflect Siwa's rugged spirit. The Siwan homes are built using a a mixture of sun dried salt rock mixed with straw for wall building. Furniture and fixtures are made of palm trunks and ceilings are beamed with palm logs , the carpentry and accessories display the rich and colorful variety of Siwa's indigenous handicraft. Oil lamps and candles are used for lighting. On cold winter nights, coal-filled braziers are used for heating.

( A brazier is a container for fire, generally taking the form of an upright standing or hanging metal bowl or box. Used for holding burning coal as well as fires .Braziers are mentioned in the Bible. The Hebrew word rendered “brazier” (´ach) is of Egyptian origin, suggesting that the brazier itself was an innovation from Egypt. ) . Please do not expect that you 'll be able to access e.mail tonight !

Sample Adventure tour to Siwa and Adrere Amellal Ecolodge in Siwa :

DAY 1 - Marsa Matrouh - SIWA, ORACLE OF AMON - Tuesday- Weekly Year Round (LD)
It's back to ancient days as we follow the pilgrimage route of Alexander the Great to the Oracle of Amon. He marched westward along the Mediterranean coast, then inland (south) to the great oasis of Siwa . His aim was to visit the great temple of Amun which, tradition says, his legendary "ancestors" Heracles and Perseus had visited. He entered the temple and was hailed by the priests as pharaoh, the son of Amun. He then had a private audience with the High Priestess of the oracle, who proclaimed him to be a god, the son of Zeus. She predicted that he would conquer vast territories. He did. Leaving Egypt, he marched into Persia conquering all who came before him, all the way to what is now Lahore in Pakistan.
On his return trip, however, he fell ill and died at the ripe age of 33 in Babylon.

According to ancient inscriptions, Alexander's body was returned to Egypt and buried , but where? Both Siwa and Alexandria are possibilities. His tomb has not yet been identified for sure. In Siwa expect nothing but the best : Adrere Amellal Ecolodge ( must book in advance ) . Imagine a hotel without electricity, let alone internet access, a true dream come true , no faxes , no   e.mail !!

The Adrere Amellal lodge ( 40 rooms and suites) , this is a boutique oases of luxury in the Egyptian desert that was built with Siwan labour and care so that it would fit entirely into the architectural styles of the oasis. Siwa and the Adrere border the largest ocean of sands in the world . Built out of indigenous material using traditional Siwan building techniques and styles so as to have a minimal impact on the land . The Adrere Amellal Ecolodge sets an example for being environmentally friendly hospitality establishment . Situated at the base of a majestic white mountain and overlooking palm groves and Siwa lake,
Adrere Amellal consists of a series of traditional Siwan houses that have been restored and re-designed into guests suites and rooms, all of which offer genuine desert-style comfort. Furnishing is simple, but of the highest quality, drawing exclusively on local material and design to reflect Siwa's rugged spirit. The Siwan homes are built using a a mixture of sun dried salt rock mixed with straw for wall building. Furniture and fixtures are made of palm trunks and ceilings are beamed with palm logs , the carpentry and accessories display the rich and colorful variety of Siwa's indigenous handicraft. Oil lamps and candles are used for lighting. On cold winter nights, coal-filled braziers are used for heating.

( A brazier is a container for fire, generally taking the form of an upright standing or hanging metal bowl or box. Used for holding burning coal as well as fires .Braziers are mentioned in the Bible. The Hebrew word rendered “brazier” (´ach) is of Egyptian origin, suggesting that the brazier itself was an innovation from Egypt. ) . Please do not expect that you 'll be able to access e.mail tonight !

Siwa Adrere Ecolodge ... have a drink by the sea !! Sea of sand that is !!

DAY 2 - Siwa, Oracle of Amon - Wednesday (BLD)
All meals are included today :
Today's tour includes : At Gebel Mawta, we'll see tombs of the Greco-Roman era, including one that's reputed to be Alexander's own tomb. At Siwa, we'll see an ancient fortress with winding alleyways, and the Temple of Amon, where Alexander's divinity and legitimacy were proclaimed. Within a short distance, we'll traverse centuries as we visit Cleopatra's Pool, a Roman outpost, and a Ptolemaic temple. Our lunch break will be at the springs of Ain Sharouf, where we might get to take a dip.

At your Adrere Ecolodge , your meals are a true culinary delight using a mix of Egyptian , and Siwan cuisine always fresh, the nearest thing you get to organic in an oases ; fresh yogurt, thick date syrup, eggs, local bread, fruit and rich coffee make up breakfast which is served in natural rocky grottos at the base of the mountain, lunch in village style by the swimming pool, hidden within a palm and olive grove and fed by one of the 230 springs in the area, while dinner is by candle light and served in the maze of dining rooms, alcoves and bars, their mud walls studded with salt mini slabs (from nearby salt lakes) that make dining under candlelight like eating in a " Star War " movie set . The lodge is telephone and electricity free. Candles and torches are used for lighting.

DAY 3 - SIWA, ALEXANDRIA - Thursday (BLD)
Today is a very full and long day as we head back north , we break for lunch at Marsa Matrouh , then off to Al-Alamein for a brief stop at Al-Alamein Charm hotel . Day use rooms will be available for one hour to take showers , freshen up, enjoy supper / light dinner then we'll retrace the desert route to Alexandria the ancient capital of Cleopatra and your hotel: Helnan Palestine or the Four Seasons ( superior room ) based on your choice of hotel category ( rate listed below )

Combine a stay in Siwa with a Dahabiya cruise on the Nile on Sonesta Dahabiya or similar .

• The 9 Day version : Cairo and the Deluxe Dahabiya cruise . Add Abu Simbel