Bawitti
Is the largest village in the oasis; its picturesque hillside quarter overlooks lush palm groves irrigated by the Ad al-Beshmo, a natural spring hewn from the rock in Roman times which gushes water at 30%Z. The neighboring village of al-Qasr was built on the remains of a 26th dynasty temple - nearby, at Qarat Hilwah, you can still see tombs with paintings dating from the same period. Famous for its mineral and sulphur springs, including Bir Mathar and Bir al-Ghaba, Bahariya is also known amongst local Bedouin for informal music and poetry recitals. Go on desert excursions by day and spend your evenings relaxing in the cafés, smoking shisha, playing backgarnmon and listening to authentic Bedouin music. Travelers can now go on either to Siwa, via a new road, or to Farafra, taking in a night in White Desert en route

Dakhla
Oasis is a collection of fourteen different settlements, dominated on its northern horizon by a wall of rose-Colored rock. Fertile cultivated areas growing rice, peanuts and fruit are dotted
between sand dunes along the roads from Farafra and Kharga in this area of outstanding natural beauty.
The capital, Mut, named after the ancient goddess of the Theban Triad, houses the Museum of the Inheritance, a traditional house, with an intricate wooden combination lock. Rooms, with sculpted clay figures, are arranged to show different aspects of Dakhlan culture and family life. Al-Kasr, about 35 km. from Mut, was originally a Roman settlement which later became the medieval capital of Dakhla. The old town is a labyrinth of mud-walled alleys narrowly separating houses with elaborately- carved wooden lintels; there is also an Ayyubid mosque. Climb to the rooftop of the 10th century madrassa (school) for wonderful views of the surrounding area. Bir al-Gabel, a palm-fringed salt lake where you can camp and picnic, is on the road back to Mut.

Other day trips from Mut could include the 1st-century al-Muzawaka tombs and Deir al Hagar, a temple which was originally dedicated to the Theban Triad and later rebuilt by the Romans. After exploring the temple, bathe in the hot sulphur spring nearby. Visit Bashendi to see Roman tombs and a factory where carpets are still woven with scenes of Dakhlan life. At nearby Balaat village, a trading post with ancient Nubia, archeologàts are still uncovering dozens of 6th dynasty mastabas.

Kharga
Used to be the last but one stop on The Forty Days Road, the infamous slave-trade route between North Africa and the tropical south. Today, it is the biggest New Valley oasis and its modern city houses 60,000 people, including 1,000 Nubians who moved here after the creation of Lake Nasser. Outside the main center is the Temple of Hibis, built on the site of an 18th dynasty settlement of Saites, Persians and Ptolemies. One of the few Persian monuments in Egypt, the 6th century BC temple is well-preserved with painted vultures and huge relieves of Darius greeting
Egyptian gods on the outer walls. Ten kilometers away, the Necropolis of al-Bagawat contains 263 mud-brick chapels with Coptic murals, including the Chapel of Peace with images of Adam and Eve and the Ark on its dome and the Chapel of the Exodus with frescoes of pharaonic troops pursuing the Jews, led by Moses, out of Egypt. Pharaonic monuments include the al-Ghuwaytah Temple which dates from 522 BC and the Temple of Amenebis.

The thermal springs at Bulaq and Nasser villages, to the south, are famous for water temperatures of up to 43° C and reputed to be suitable for the treatment of rheumatism and allergies. Camping facilities are available near both villages. Further south is Paris Oasis, the second largest settlement in Kharga. Houses designed in traditional Nubian style by Hassan Fathy remain uninhabited – local people refused to live in them because of their similarity to tombs and building stopped in the late
1960s. Ancient monuments include the Temple of Dush, dedicated to Isis and Serapis. Its name derives from Kush, the ancient Sudanese capital that traded with Egypt along the Nile.
Archeologists are still unearthing the ancient city of Kysis with which the temple is associated; an elaborate system of clay pipes and an abandoned Christian church suggest that Kysis was abandoned when its underground springs dried up but the exact date remains a mystery.