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Adrere Amellal Eco-Lodge
- Where:
- Why:My friend’s 30th birthday
- When:April 2022
- Who:50 friends
"Solitude in the Sahara"
On the edge of the glimmering Lake Siwa is Adrere Amellal Eco-Lodge in Egypt. The 40-room hotel is completely sustainable with no plastic, no electricity, water supplied from a natural spring, and buildings made from mud and other natural materials. Though admittedly not an easy place to reach, the destination is worth every ounce of effort — the hotel rises like a sand castle with a striking backdrop of the dunes, the endless desert, the palm-lined Siwa oasis, and the starriest sky. With unique but comfortable rooms, and amazing locally-sourced food, Adrere Amellal is a perfect desert hideaway, best suited for a romantic trip or with a group of friends.
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The entrance to my room
Adrere Amellal blending into the landscape
The pool — our oasis
Our daily lunch spot under the palms
Being a pharaoh...
In my element
Pretending to be Lawrence of Arabia
The Siwa salt pools
Desert trips
Attempting to sand board down the dunes
One of the evening drinks spots
The hotel's bar, one among many, looking decadent in the candlelight
Various rooms in the hotel, made of sand bricks and salt
Another cosy spot — everything made of natural materials
Aerial view of Adrere Amellal from the White Mountain
Breaking their fast as we were there during the holy month of Ramadan
A desert excursion
The candlelit bedroom at night
Climbing to the top of the White Mountain
Candlelit tables — everything is made from salt
Adrere Amellal by night
Highs & Lows
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No electricity. The whole hotel is lit with candles.
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The stars at night!!!
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The landscape and views are spectacular.
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All the rooms are unique and very comfortable.
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Amazing food that's produced at the hotel or locally sourced.
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Go completely off-grid with no wifi and spotty 3G.
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We arrived on the last day of an unusual 40 degrees C heatwave which brought biting flies to the pool. Usually the temperate is much milder, and even cold at night.
Important Bits
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Type
Desert Hideaway
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Vibe
Lawrence of Arabia meets Alexander the Great
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Location
A serene palm-lined oasis surrounded by sand dunes
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Rooms
40
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Pre-Arrival & Arrival Experience
It was all organized by our friend so I can't speak to the booking process but the manager was extremely kind and always around to help with anything
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Future Forward
Despite taking you back in time, Adrere Amellal is sustainably future forward. No plastic, no electrics, and the hotel relies on water from the springs. The buildings are made out of mud bricks and the bed frames from rock salt — basic but incredibly comfortable
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Music
Only the Berbers singing and dancing around the fire at night. As we were celebrating a birthday, our group decided to bring a large portable speaker for a boogie under the stars
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Year Opened
2000
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Designed By
Mounir Neamatalla, the owner
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Health & Wellness
A serene fresh water pool amongst the palm trees
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Food
Thanks to the abundant fresh water springs, Siwa is very green and the hotel grows most of its own produce. The food is great, especially their vegetarian lunches and home-made date jam with local cheese for breakfast. Lunch is by the pool, dinner is somewhere different every night
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Bar, Events & Nightlife
There are a number of bars around the hotel to try a different location every night
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Minibar & Retail
The hotel has a great boutique store that sells cotton and silk kaftans, shirts for men, bed linens and homewares
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Accessibility
No
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Pet Friendly
No
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Children
Yes — but probably better as a romantic trip or with a large group of friends
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Price
Great value
- Tel.
- Website
Adrere Amellal Eco-Lodge
Adrere Amellal, Siwa, Egypt
Siwa Salt Lakes
Salt Lakes, Siwa, Egypt
Desert Sand Dunes
Siwa Desert, Egypt
Culture!
Shali Fortress, Siwa, Egypt
In the Area
Hotel Location Adrere Amellal, Siwa, Egypt
Siwa is not an easy place to reach. Brave the 9-hour drive into the desert or charter a 1-hour plane to a military base near Siwa. The road disappears into a desert land of rock and sand, and the mud and salt-brick buildings blend into the white mountain behind. As if stumbling upon a mirage, the hotel is a giant sand castle surrounded by palms on the edge of the glimmering Lake Siwa.
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