Al Nyhaya is Making Our ‘Glamping’ Dreams Come True in the Siwa Oasis

Located at the end of the universe, the aptly named Al Nyhaya (which literally means "The End") desert resort ushers in a new wave of travel experiences into the Siwa Oasis. In tune with the soul of the desert, the barrier separating the traveller from the land has been removed entirely.

The story of Al Nyhaya started in 2018, when Dutch-Egyptian Sylvester El Sayed - a long-time visitor of Siwa - wanted to buy himself a remote vacation home in the area. “The idea got a bit out of hand when I realised that I actually purchased 100 fedans in the middle of nowhere,” El Sayed told CairoScene. One 4x4 car and 125 metres into the ground later, he was able to serendipitously find a fresh water well underneath the very ground he purchased. “Fast-forward to today, where we’ve built a beautiful swimming pool sitting on a high rock, protected by a castle-like wall overlooking the Great Sand Sea.”

The ‘glamping’ resort has developed a floor heating system for the Los Angeles-based Lotus Belle tents that will make up the housing units, a botanical garden, yoga and meditation workshops, stargazing activities, desert activities and the natural water pool.

Originally scheduled for completion before Ramadan, the opening has been set back to late summer due to the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic.