Nestled deep within the Wadi al-Rayaan Protectorate is a gem of a place called Magic Lake. You may have heard of it before and thought “one day I’ll check it out.” Well, the day has come for you to move from thinking about it to taking action. Read on and you’ll see why.
(Dunes for days at Magic Lake)
Some years ago I started an informal “scout” troop for my daughters and their local friends. We bought a 20-man, traditional-style tent and commenced camping wherever and whenever we could. Eventually I learned about the Wadi al-Rayaan Protectorate – located in the oasis of al-Fayoum – and just knew we had to hold a camp there. A major obstacle, however, immediately presented itself; all the information sources we found insisted that camping at the protectorate requires a 4X4 vehicle. All we had at our disposal was a rickety old minibus. Yes, the kind of minibus that you see on the streets shuttling commuters around Cairo. Could such a minibus get us all the way to the famed Magic Lake, deep within the protectorate? We did not know, but we were determined to find out.
(Magic Lake – truly an oasis)
Early one morning we packed three days’ worth of wood, food, water, and camping gear on top of the rusty old minibus. Crammed inside, brimming with excitement, were eleven kids and three parents. We set off for Magic Lake full of anticipation.
(Our trusty driver and his minibus…)
I am happy to tell you that the camp was a wild success. Did our minibus get stuck in the sand? Yes! Did we almost run out of water by the end of the camp? Yes. But what a memorable three days. Hiking through the desert, climbing rock formations, leaping wildly down sand dunes, sandboarding, boating on the lake, cooking over the fire, stargazing…the list could go on. We loved it so much that we repeated the trip several years in a row.
(…that got stuck in the sand!)
You must go to Magic Lake. You needn’t camp if that seems daunting. You can make it a day trip if you rent or take your own vehicle and set off from Cairo early in the morning. A 4X4 could be useful and fun but not absolutely required. There is an off-road approach to the lake that is passable by a regular, two-wheel drive vehicle. If you’d rather not chance it, then just park somewhere on the side of the main road and walk the 500 meters to the lake.
(Go bold and camp at Magic Lake!)
You may want to sandboard at Magic Lake. You can rent boards in Cairo, but you also can rent them from any camp operator in the Magic Lake area. While we usually have the area to ourselves at night, during the day we have always run into at least one such operator setting up a camp or preparing to meet up with clients. These operators have sandboards and love to share them with us.
(There is no age limit for fun at Magic Lake)
Know before you go: Like any government-run site in Egypt, there is a local and foreigner rate. At the time of writing, the overnight rate for a local was 50LE and 250LE for a foreigner. Bring sunscreen, layered clothing, plenty of water, food, firewood and tinder for at least one fire (even if daytripping), and your sense of adventure. You could also bring me because you might like to have an experienced guide. There will be absolutely no need to twist my arm.
No pressure. Either way, you’ll see me there!
