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The Western Desert of Egypt is all west of the Nile valley, in other words two thirds of the country. The size of the Western Desert, all in all 680 thousand square kilometres (262 thousand square miles) of desert in all it's different forms
AThe Egyptian Western Desert includes areas which differ considerably one from the other. Rock desert, flat plateau, fertile depressions, chains of dunes, and down at the "triple" point between Egypt, Libya and Sudan, large mountains create different types of desert landscape each with its own inhabitants. The only area where life is virtually absent is the so-called Great Sand Sea, the largest and most dangerous dune field of the world, able to swallow and cancel anything which crosses its path.!
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There is five main oases in the western desert plus a sixth which was manmade during pharaonic times. Close to Libya, north of the "Great Sand Sea" is the Siwa Oasis and in what late President Nasser named "the New Valley" you find (from north to south); Baharia, Farafra, Dakhla and Kharga Oasis. Fayoum is south of Cairo and is a very good option for at least visiting one oasis while in Egypt.
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