[A] spectacular desert eco-lodge wrapped up in silence 5 miles out of town, with a pool in the palm groves and a night sky to amaze you
This hotel is like no other. It appears in biblical fashion, a mythical town marooned in the desert, its mud bricks built into the side of a sandstone mountain, its windows opening onto a shimmering lake. At its heart it is an eco-lodge; there is no electricity, no TV, no sockets in which to charge your mobile phone. By day the sun beats down, by night hundreds of candles illuminate the land. It is a place of wild beauty, the mighty desert tamed for us mere mortals to enjoy.

Nothing here is done by halves. Each evening you eat in a different place, one night on a roof terrace with a crown of stars above your head, another in an open courtyard with flames leaping from a fire. The 40 rooms – all different – are equally remarkable. One is so big you could lose yourself in it, another has doors onto a balcony where a second bed awaits in case you wish to sleep outside at night. Elsewhere, breakfast is served overlooking the lake, while lunch is taken in the shade of palm trees. There’s a large pool, too, and daily excursions into the desert are unmissable. Out of this world.

[T]he 40 rooms are very private. They are scattered about in a number of different buildings, all of which use mud brick and palm wood as their main ingredients. There are no different categories of room. Instead, rooms are assigned depending on how many other guests are staying at the hotel, with an emphasis on protecting your privacy. Only one has a bath, put in for Prince Charles when he came to stay a couple of years ago.

Some rooms are enormous, the size of a couple of squash courts. Others are smaller altogether. One twin we saw comprised two small rooms with a shaded terrace in between. Many have walls made from blocks of salt, hexagonal chunks cut from the beds of Siwa’s saline lakes. There is no electricity whatsoever. At night, candles provide your light (you might want to bring a torch). They are lit when you are at dinner and you return to find them flickering from alcoves cut into your bedroom wall.

[A]ll meals are included in the price, as are all drinks, including alcohol. Much of the food comes from the hotel’s organic farm, which you can visit. Everything else is homemade: the breads, the jams, even some of the cheeses. There’s a no-choice menu for lunch and dinner, though dislikes are taken into consideration, and the food itself is delicious. There is, apparently, enough variety to go for 21 days without repeating the same dish.

Breakfast is served by the lake. You get a mix of Egyptian and western dishes, perhaps scrambled eggs, bean soup, freshly baked bread and homemade olive jam. There’s tea and coffee, fruit and yoghurt, fresh juices.

Lunch is served in the palm trees down by the swimming pool. It is usually a vegetarian meal, as is traditional in the oasis. You might have imam bayaldi (baked aubergine with vegetables) or macaroni with salad. Everything is brought to your table. You get baskets of warm bread and there’s a bar from which you can help yourself.

Activities

• Climb the mountain after which the hotel is named: white mountain. A path leads up to the top and takes about 20 minutes to climb. The views are predictably magnificent
• The hotel organises 2 excursions a day, both included in the price. In the morning there’s a trip into Siwa. You might visit the shali, (the ruined citadel in the middle of town); the Temple of the Oracle (following in the footsteps of Alexander the Great); Gebel al-Mawta (the Mountain of the Dead), where you’ll find 2,000-year-old tombs. It’s also possible to visit the hotel’s organic farmEvery afternoon there’s a trip into the desert. You’ll come across Roman tombs cut into the sandstone hills; ancient fossil beds; vast sand dunes that mark the start of the Great Sand Sea; hot springs where you can bathe. At sunset, you’ll drink mint tea in the dunes and watch the sky turn red. Unmissable

Facilities

• Dining: All meals are included, and served at different places each evening. Drinks are included too; the winter bar has an open fire, great art and sofas galore
• Communal areas: Open courtyards all over the hotel come with cushioned sofas and open fireplaces. There are also cushioned sitting areas throughout the hotel, built into the side of the mountain. You’ll find deck chairs and sun loungers on communal roof terraces, good by day for a little sun, better by night for a million stars. There’s also a small library down by the lake, which is stocked with good books; a great place to escape the sun
• Internet Access: None
• Swimming Pool: A large swimming pool in the middle of a palm grove has cushioned loungers and vast views of the mountain
• Spa Treatments: In-room massages available
• Weddings and Celebrations: Adrere Amellal would make a fabulous destination for a wedding or small celebration
• Max. Wedding Guests: 100
• Meetings/Functions: Not suitable
• Disabled Access: Not suitable
• Pets: Not suitable
• Languages Spoken: English, Arabic

Also…

• No cell-phone use outside the bedrooms; this place is at one with its natural surroundings
• Laundry service is available

Environmental Policy

The lodge was built from local materials (palm wood, mud- and salt bricks) as part of a local sustainable-development plan. There’s no electricity whatsoever, the swimming pool is fed by a natural spring, and all food is homegrown / homemade or local.

Press Reviews

MSN Travel, April 2013
“Blending imperceptibly into the mountains of the Siwa Desert, Adrere Amellal could at first be mistaken for a mirage. Its carbon footprint is almost as faint: with no electricity (read: nowhere to charge your phone), its traditional mud buildings are naturally ventilated and at night the resort is lit with oil lamps and hundreds of beeswax candles. The food is locally sourced or grown organically, and you can lunch in the shade of palms beside the natural spring-fed pool.”

Conde Nast Traveller (UK), Gold Standard Hotels, February 2013
“Unless you have a private jet, it takes a day to reach Siwa Oasis, by road from Cairo via the Mediterranean coast or across desert tracks. Sixteen kilometres beyond Siwa town, Adrere Amellal sits beneath a white, flat-topped hill facing a salt lake and the rolling dunes of the Great Sand Sea. The buildings are in traditional Siwan style, made of salt-rich mud; the furniture is made from dried palm fronds or solid blocks of salt; and the candles that light the rooms at night are pure beeswax. One of the biggest pleasure is the staff, who serve lunchtime hibiscus risottos under the palms, sunset tea in the dunes and date soufflés on the roof or in a private chamber. Siwan time is slow, a seductive tempo in which you drift in the spring-fed pool, or are driven to the ancient ruins.”

Location
Adrere Amellal is located 16km outside the oasis town of Siwa, which is on the edge of the Great Sand Sea in Egypt. It’s 800km from Cairo (7-10 hours west depending on how fast your driver goes) or 300km south of Mersa Matruh on the Mediterranean coast.

By Air:
Mersa Matruh is the closest airport, but only has occasional charter flights, so most people fly into Cairo International and then travel overland (rather dauntingly 800km away!) Click on the links below for a list of airlines serving this airport.

From the Airport
This might sound profligate, but a private transfer from Cairo airport probably makes sense – as it’s a pretty good rate for such a long journey. They’ll meet you off your flight, you can stop at El Alamein, you won’t have to pay for a hotel in Cairo. Enquire when booking. Another option is to hire an air-conditioned luxury minibus with a driver (enquire at your Cairo hotel; if there are more than 5 of you it may be more economical than getting the bus, and obviously more convenient). The final option is to take the overnight bus – this is what expats living in Siwa do. Someone from the hotel will meet you in Siwa.

• Single Room  287  GBP

  • 1 single bed | 1 guest plus
  • Description: Single room with salt-rock walls; ensuite bathroom with shower
  • Number of Room Type: 10
  • Max occupancy: 1 adult + 1 child
  • Room Features: fireplace.

• Double Room 378  GBP

  • 1 kingsize bed or 2 single beds | 2 guests plus
  • Description: Kingsize double or twin room with salt-rock walls; ensuite bathroom with shower
  • Number of Room Type: 22
  • Max occupancy: 2 adults + 1 child
  • Room Features: fireplace.