Did you know that desert covers 98% of Egypt's Land? Travels With Sheila first experience in Egypt's vast desert expanse was in 1984, as a neophyte camper and explorer who didn't have a clue what "desert" (or camping) involved. Why would she, growing up in Chicago? Five days was spent touring the deserted Sinai Peninsula. The Sinai had been returned to Egypt two years prior and there wasn't a tourist, hotel or even rudimentary facilities to be seen anywhere for thousands of miles. She climbed Mount Sinai at dawn, and slept in the sand with Bedouin drivers and a large group of adventurous tourists. It was exciting. Fast forward to 2012. Sheila and husband, Steve (often known as the ex-Marine even through there is no thing as an ex-Marine) have now traveled extensively through the Western Desert and Eastern Desert visiting amazing sights. In other words? Been there...done it. This Guide will give information about Siwa, Bahariya, Dakhla and Kharga Oases; other desert excursions easily accomplished from Cairo; and still relevant "must-dos" in the Sinai Peninsula omitting beach and diving facts easily found on the Internet. Navigating Cairo International Airport, desert hotels, camping, and what to miss (not everything is perfect) will also be found inside this Guide. Let Travels With Sheila teach you how to Travel the World on a Budget, share exotic locations known only to locals, and most importantly, ease your fears about languages, currencies, personal safety and staying healthy. Follow her advice to avoid making mistakes she learned the hard way. HERE'S SOME OF THE INFORMATION YOU'LL FIND INSIDE... - Important Tips for Traveling in Egypt. - The Dos and Don'ts of Planning A Trip into Egypt's Desert Regions. - Moneysaving Tips for Desert Travel. - See the Best of Egypt's Deserts. Now, Travels With Sheila tells it like it is with personalized, up-to-date information, and photographs to make the most of your trip into a desert that stretches from Libya, to Sudan, to the Mediterranean, to the Red Sea. There is endless sand, mountains, stark grandeur, desert people, fossils and ancient ruins visited by no more than a few thousand tourists a year. Wouldn't you like to be one of them?
About the Author: Sheila Simkin, a native Chicagoan, has been traveling the world since 1960. The travel bug first hit on her honeymoon in Miami. Fidel Castro had just taken over Cuba and lured by rock-bottom prices, Sheila sweet-talked her ex-husband into abandoning Miami for Cuba. That marked the beginning of her lifetime travel passion and addiction. There are very few countries that are not on her to-see list no matter how remote and/or difficult they may be with many, "What was I thinking of" moments in hindsight. The U.S. State Department recognizes 193 independent countries and she has visited over 150 in over 40 years of travel (but...who's counting). Touring, hiking, trekking, rafting, snowshoeing, skiing, volunteering on archaeological digs, family trips and, she must admit, occasionally sitting on a beach and compulsively shopping. Her goal is to encourage you to take the big step and travel to more exotic, remote destinations with tips, anecdotes and reassurance that, yes, you will come back alive. Visit her "travelswithsheila" channel on YouTube to watch over 1,400 videos filmed around the world and covering the gamut from taking a cruise to camping in Egypt's desert, food (fried tarantulas, anyone?), sights and even instructions on how to navigate subways in Paris and Beijing. All Travels With Sheila Guides will tell you the truth, and only the whole truth, about each country and whether sights are a hit, or a miss. Follow Sheila's advice to avoid making mistakes she learned the hard way. For example, not knowing that an important piece of equipment when camping or trekking is...an AIR MATTRESS? A never to be forgotten experience spent in a sleeping bag on the cold, hard ground of Nepal. And what kind of crazy idiot goes trekking in Siberia and gets lost? Really...lost in Siberia? Only Sheila. Happy traveling!