Summary
Introduction to Siwa Oasis
In Egypt’s Western Desert, the ancient oasis of Siwa is home to one of the world’s most extraordinary hotels.
From the plane, I looked down on a patchwork of emerald palm groves, rows of silver olive trees, and vast salt-ringed lakes that seemed to glow in psychedelic shades of cerulean and aquamarine. Surrounding these pockets of lushness was an ocean of sand, and the combination filled me with a sense of isolation that was almost overwhelming.
My journey had been more than 20 years in the making, sparked by a conversation with Peter Beard, the legendary photographer, artist, and writer. He had told me that one of his favorite hotels was a place called Adrère Amellal, which resembled a fortress made of sand in Egypt’s Western Desert.
Adrère Amellal Hotel Overview
The hotel is in Siwa, a place that, he explained, was part of Egypt but had the feeling of an independent state: for millennia, generations of Berber tribes had lived there under their own laws. The heart of ancient Siwa was Shali (now also known as the Old Town), a fortified village built in the 13th century to protect the community from attacks by neighboring tribes.
In 1926, a series of massive rainstorms destroyed many of Shali’s buildings, which were made of kershef, a mixture of salt and clay. And while some of those structures still stand, the residents of modern Siwa — the majority of whom are descendants of the Berbers — live nearby in homes made of stone. The streets buzz with motorbikes and vendors selling falafel and fresh aish baladi, the ubiquitous traditional flatbread.
From a distance, the buildings appeared to emerge organically from the sand, and then later to disappear into the nearby cliffs of the giant, table-topped White Mountain, which towers over the hotel.
The Old Town resembles an archaeological relic, although it is slowly being restored by private citizens. One of them is Adrère Amellal’s creator, Mounir Neamatalla. A Cairo native who holds a Ph.D. from Columbia University, he founded Environmental Quality International (EQI), a consulting company that is the driving force behind some of the country’s most significant preservation projects. Neamatalla and I shared a common friend in Louis Barthélemy, a French artist, who lives part-time in Cairo. He caught wind of my fascination with Siwa last year and offered an introduction— and the impetus to finally make a trip.
A quick phone call was all it took to garner an invitation from Neamatalla to join him at Adrère Amellal over Easter weekend. There are no regularly scheduled commercial flights to Siwa, so I joined a charter, which brought us from Cairo International to Siwa’s tiny military airport in 90 minutes. (Going by car from the capital takes 12 hours along the coast on bumpy, mostly empty roads. Drivers often break up the long journey with a stop in the resort town of Matruh, which sits on the Mediterranean Sea. Aside from the glorious white-sand beaches, history buffs can examine several World War II shipwrecks along the coast.)
Activities and Excursions
After more than two decades of anticipation, arriving at Adrère Amellal felt almost surreal. My room overlooked a lake and a grid of organic vegetable beds, simply furnished with a packed-earth floor covered in handwoven rugs, a comfortable king-size bed, and a fireplace. Most of the furniture was made with palm fronds, and thoughtfully placed windows allowed the circulation of even the faintest breeze—an important detail in a place where daytime temperatures in the summer can reach 100 degrees. There is no air-conditioning or electricity; at night, guests make their way by the light of candles and lanterns.
Over mint tea in one of the hotel’s lounges, Neamatalla, casually but impeccably dressed in a linen shirt and pants, with a safari hat to shield himself from the Egyptian glare, explained how he came to Siwa.
In 1996, Neamatalla was 50 years old and at a crossroads in his career. EQI was up and running, and he had been working for decades with the government to create a more sustainable waste system for Cairo. When an anthropologist colleague suggested he visit Siwa and explore its ruins, Neamatalla readily agreed.
During my stay, I enjoyed a variety of activities including horseback riding, hikes up White Mountain, 4 x 4 desert drives, dips in salt lakes, and excursions to extraordinary historic sites like the Temple of the Oracle of Amun, where Alexander the Great paid homage in 331 B.C. Surprisingly, I found that I didn’t miss electricity or Wi-Fi at all; in the evenings, their absence not only heightened my senses but also allowed for a profound sense of tranquility amid the expansive and serene desert landscape.
The hotel offers delicious dinners, which often change location and are served under the stars. Dishes feature local ingredients, and my favorites included hibiscus risotto and zahret koussa—zucchini flowers stuffed with vegetables and fragrant herbs—along with a delicate date soufflé.
Cultural Preservation and Sustainability
Part of the hotel’s mission involves creative collaboration. For two decades, Neamatalla; his sister, Laila Neamatalla, a jewelry designer who champions Egyptian craft; and architect India Mahdavi have commissioned work from locals. Their work is sold both at the hotel and in Cairo’s top design showrooms, bringing recognition to local artisans.
On my final morning, I drove the half-hour from Adrère Amellal to Old Town to see the fruits of EQI’s long-standing project, the Siwa Sustainable Development Initiative. This program includes several building renovations, where locals are trained in kershef techniques. I was met by crumbling façades resembling jagged teeth, along with fully restored buildings, including two ancient mosques and a health clinic.
Neamatalla has also partnered with Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism & Antiquities to create a pioneering museum. The Siwa Fine Art Museum will exhibit a collection of artifacts from Siwa in a labyrinth of former dwellings, with each room dedicated to a single object. It is set to open in 2025.
“An oasis like Siwa is a design laboratory where we learn, on a micro scale, the results of sensitive interventions,” Neamatalla reflected. In a place that’s defined by the ancient, it felt as if Siwa was a harbinger of what thoughtful stewardship could mean for the future.
Where to Stay
Adrère Amellal: The vision of Mounir Neamatalla, this 39-room hotel is a compound of nine structures, all built by hand, with a spring-fed swimming pool. There is no electricity or Wi-Fi, allowing guests to fully connect with the desert surroundings.
What to Do
Shali Fortress: This historic village, founded by Berbers in the 13th century, offers a glimpse of Siwa’s ancient life.
Temple of the Oracle of Amun: The ruins of this religious structure dedicated to Amun—one of the most widely worshipped deities in the ancient world—was a pilgrimage site of Alexander the Great.
