2026 - Linda and Friends Visit Wadi el-Rayan, Home to Egypt's Only Waterfall

After their  overnight stay in the desert south of Wadi al-Hitan (Valley of the Whales) the group moved on to Egypt's only waterfall at Wadi el-Rayan.

 

Now a popular tourist attraction near the town and oasis of Fayoum, this stunning pair of man-made lakes, joined by a waterfall was created in 1968 - 1973 to provide drainage and solve a flooding issue in the Lake Qarun area.

Linda and I first visited Wadi el-Rayan in 2009.  A friend drove us out to see the waterfall in the midst of a mild sandstorm proving that it can be reached from the oasis in the comparative comfort of a sedan.

  

Today the classic photo of the falls looks like this and is a popular site for photography.

 

But, let's begin back on the route from the overnight campsite.  Approaching the Wadi el-Rayan area from the desert, there is plenty of opportunity for 4x4 drivers to demonstrate their skills among and atop the sand dunes.  For those of us preferring a more sedate tour, the highlight is going to be a stop at the edge of the cliff overlooking the lake.

 

Descending from the overlook, a stop at the water's edge is also rewarding.

 

A small tourist industry has grown up at the parking area near the falls offering snacks, drinks, and of course, souvenirs of various sorts. 

 

For tourists that haven't yet taken their obligatory Egyptian camel ride, a caravan of fresh animals was arriving for their morning's work.

 

Rejoining the road to Fayoum before heading back to Cairo, the commercial areas of this agricultural community could be seen along the road.

  

 

For those willing to spend more time in the area, the nearby pyramids of Maidum and Hawara, small museums and bird-watching tours are available.  Two or three days in Fayoum might be an interesting detour into a separate and more leisurely culture for those with the time and inclination.  (The photos below of the Maidum and Hawara pyramids were taken in 2014 and 2009, respectively

  

 

Links to other posts on this blog:

A visit to the pyramid at Maidum.

A visit to the Hawara pyramid.

A visit to the waterfall in 2009.

More details about the Wadi el-Ryan waterfall from 2014. 

And the link to the Flickr Album with all of these photos and more. 

 

Stones in the Desert

Linda noticed them two years ago when we toured the north shore of lake Qurun, opposite the city of Fayoum - stones with an unusual appearance.  Well, it was hard not to notice them - many were literally larger than life.  Linda posed by this one in 2023 to give us a sense of scale.

 

Even if a person didn't have a childhood rock collection or take an "Introduction to Geology" course in college to satisfy a nagging science requirement, the watermelon sized shapes inspire great curiosity as they show up sitting on the Sahara sand.  Proof that this vast desert was once an ocean?

  

 

Fossilized shells the size of a quarter or half dollar cover wide swaths of another area.

 

Basalt stones formed the base of an ancient highway lined by petrified wood.

  

 

Unusual shapes present themselves at every turn near the Climate Change Museum.

  

  

 

Linda and I disagree on this one.  Linda describes it as gourd-shaped. I claim it was the inspiration for Al Capp's Schmoos in the 1950s. 

 

More stones photos from both this trip and our 2023 visit to the the North Shore of Lake Qurun can be found on Flickr at this link. 

 

The Tour Continues - Camping in the Desert, then on to the Wadi El Rayan Waterfall

After the stop for lunch not far beyond the Climate Museum and whale fossils, the tour continued rambling through the desert for another twenty miles  to reach Wadi Rayan and its famous waterfall.  While the waterfall is reachable from Fayoum on paved roads, the back route through the desert offers much interesting scenery.

Our group stopped to overnight at a desert campsite before reaching the falls the next morning.  Camping in the Egyptian desert bears little resemblance to camping in a U.S. national park or KOA facility.  Drivers find an appropriate sand dune or rock formation offering shelter from the prevailing winds, and there is no shower building just down the road!

Once a suitable location was found, the drivers began breaking out the camp gear carried atop the 4x4s.

  

 

Soon a three-sided enclosure was established for meals.

 

Nearby, sleeping accommodations were set up, offering two options, a large communal tent or a one person tent.

  

 

On previous camping trips, Linda as opted to sleep outside under the stars - the desert air can offer breathtaking views of the Milky Way, star constellations and planets on moonless nights.  At this time of the year, the nights are a bit brisk for sleeping under the stars and besides the clouds blocked the view this night.  Lori opted for the smaller tent. 

Quite a bit farther out into the Sahara at the White Desert National Park, some years back, we watched a fox browse through our campsite as noted on this blog post.  The best anyone could do on this trip was to see a desert mouse passing by and no one got a picture.

Highlight of the evening, of course was the dinner, primarily roast chicken and potatoes in tomato sauce - a staple of Egyptian home cooking - served over rice.          

 

 

Following a pleasant night's sleep, the ladies arose to breakfast with tea or coffee before breaking camp and moving on.

 

 

The next stops will be the Magic Lake, the famed Wadi El Rayan waterfall and tourist center. 

 

 

The Tour Continues with a Visit to The Valley of the Whales (and a night camping in the desert)

The ladies tour continues with a visit to the "Valley of the Whales", about ninety miles southwest of Cairo.

 

This was a rather obscure location in the Western Desert when we first visited it in 2014. Since that time Wadi al-Hitan has become the home of the Climate Change Museum, received protection under under the United Nations and has become a regular stop for many tourists in Egypt.

The group got an early 9:00 AM start in the touring van, stopping to pick up Linda at our apartment before heading out toward Fayoum. 

 

At Fayoum, the route passes beside the south shore of Lake Qarun.  The lake itself is well below sea level with the surrounding area a verdant agricultural area.  The city of Fayoum is home to an estimated million residents with another two million or more in the surrounding villages.

 

Two years ago, we spent time on the north shore of the lake where there are significant archeological as well as natural treasures worth a separate visit. 

As in previous visits, our group changed from minivan to desert 4x4 vehicles just beyond Fayoum as they entered the golden sands of the Sahara.

 

  

 

The buildings at the valley of the whales, including the Climate Museum, have an eerie futuristic look to them and blend well with the surrounding desert. 

 

After an orientation in the museum, touring groups set out for a hike among the well preserved and identified fossils of large "sea cows" and other fish and mammals that once inhabited this sea and shore miles from any water today.

 

Paths offer a variety of walking tours, short and long, through the fossil area. 

  

 

For Linda, the scene in the parking lot offered a stark contrast to our first visit when only our 4x4 and one other were found in the area during a long afternoon's visit. 

 

Shortly after leaving the whale bones behind, it was time for lunch.  The two-car caravan pulled in behind the shelter or a large rock outcropping and the drivers set up a luncheon table.  A picnic lunch appeared from the 4x4s and, of course, was accompanied by freshly brewed tea.

  

 

This was to be a two-day outing with the first stop being this visit to the whale bones, followed by an afternoon meal in the desert and ending at a remote campsite for dinner and tenting overnight.  (to be continued)

For more photos, follow this link to our Flickr Album.

For earlier visits to the Valley of the Whales, follow these links.

For our visit to the north shore of Lake Quran, follow this link.