Our Team
Our Tour Experts
Heroes and Heroines
Where to Stay
Every captivating tailor-made itinerary needs a perfect base. Our team has handpicked this collection of properties to give you luxury options in styles to suit any adventure.
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![Amy Waters snow biking]()
Our Team
Steppes Travel is made by the people who work here. Incredible holidays are made possible because of their vast travel experience and the great enthusiasm they bring to their work.
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![William Dalrymple]()
Our Tour Experts
We carefully select our experts based on their knowledge, companionship and influence, ensuring that you can travel with the most knowledgeable leaders in the field.
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![Liz Bonnin]()
Heroes and Heroines
The people who lead the way when it comes to those things which matter to us: exploration, the environment, women’s empowerment and education.
The Western Desert
The Western Desert is a beautiful, diverse, interesting and mesmerising area of Egypt.
Most visitors to Egypt stay in the Nile Valley, visiting the ancient sites and wonders, so a trip out into the Western Desert will not only inspire you, but you will also find that once you leave the valley, you are one of few travellers in this region.
The Western Desert is part of the Sahara and stretches as far as the border with Libya to the West and Sudan to the South. The main settlements are Bahariyyah, Farafrah, Daklah and Khargah, and they are all linked together by a 1,000km road which loops from Giza to the Nile Valley at Asyut.
Siwa
Siwa, the most mysterious of them all lies approximately 300km from Marsa Matruh, which lies on the Mediterranean coast. Siwah often stands alone and is visited independently of the other four oases. Due to its remoteness, it maintains its own culture and language, related to the Berber languages of North Africa. The most impressive sight in the oasis is the gardens. Siwa is Egypt’s major producer of dates and over a million palms.
Bahariyyah
Bahariyyah is the closest to Giza, at approximately 330km away. Archaeologists have recently revealed an ancient cemetery that is thought to be the largest ever uncovered. Farafrah is the furthest from the Nile Valley and boasts approximately 100 natural springs. Out in the desert, you really feel that you are a long way from anywhere, giving a sense of disengagement with the rest of Egypt and the Arab world.
The road from Bahariyah passes what is known as, the White Desert. Here you will find strangely eroded sandstone and the most amazing colours. In Daklah you can find some wonderful mud-brick villages, whose lanes form a labyrinth. Kharga is the largest and most developed of the oases and is the administrative seat of the Nile Valley Project.
Experiences
Tell us what you love doing and we’ll curate a journey that’s perfect for you.
Egypt
Shali Lodge
Located just a few minutes’ walk from the main square of Siwa town, Shali Lodge is reached along a charming palm-covered dirt road. The lodge has been built using rock salt, to create a truly traditional…
Egypt
Al Tarfa
Al Tarfa is an eco-friendly lodge with the comforts and facilities one would expect from a luxury hotel. Situated in Dakhla Oasis, in Egypt’s western desert and set in 200,000 square metres the lodge has been…
Suggested Itinerary
Highlights of Egypt including a Nile Cruise
Egypt is arguably one of the most interesting countries in the world both historically and culturally, with antiquities of such scale and beauty to leave you speechless.
This holiday is the perfect introduction to Egypt and not only offers some very welcome winter sun but more than that, it is the atmosphere of Egypt that is so intoxicating.
Meet our experts
A passion for travel runs right through every one of our experts - meaning they're always ready with first-hand insight about their specialist countries.
Clare Higginson
It was my passion for languages that first encouraged me to leave the UK behind and grab my rucksack. Since then, it’s been a mixture of intriguing cultures, jaw-dropping landscapes and the wonder of seeing animals in their natural habitat that sees me continuously extending my travel wish list.
Talk with our experts
- 01285 880 980
Explore other regions
Aswan
Aswan is as far south as you can go before entering the desert, Nubia and Sudan.
Cairo
Cairo is a bustling metropolis, a cosmopolitan city, and not only home to the Great Pyramid of Giza it is the largest…
Luxor
Home to some of Egypt's most visited and famous sites.
Alexandria
The second-largest city in Egypt, Alexandria, known as "The Pearl of the Mediterranean", has an atmosphere that is more Mediterranean than Middle…
Why Choose Steppes?
Our knowledge and expertise set us apart. So too our curiosity. It is this that drives us to create a journey that is really bespoke to you, all the while ensuring we travel and operate sustainably.
Are you ready to discover extraordinary once again?
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