If you’re planning to go to Siwa Oasis, then our first piece of local advice is – leave all your previous accommodation experiences back at home, because Siwa is completely different than anywhere else you’ve ever been. There are no cookie-cutter hotels, no modern & techy apartments, no IKEA-furnished B&Bs… and that’s a good thing!
Siwa is the place you go to get away from it all, and considering it’s literally in the middle of the Great Sand Sea of the Sahara, expecting to find the easy amenities of a Four Seasons (or even a Holiday Inn lol) probably won’t happen.
Siwa is all about disconnecting from your daily grind and reconnecting with nature, about preserving local tradition and heritage, and about slow and laidback living.
Most accommodation options in Siwa won’t have regular electricity, the rooms won’t be modern, and lots might not even have hot water. Buuuuut they WILL probably give you an unforgettable stay (in a good way!).
So without further ado, here are our favorite places to stay in Siwa Oasis. We divided them into budget categories for you to make an easier choice.
Cheap: less than $30 a night
Affordable: less than $60 a night
Moderate to expensive: $60 - $200 a night
Very expensive: $300+ a night
Cheap
Mountain Camp Ali Khaled
Underneath Dakrour Mountain is Mountain Camp Ali Khaled, a good budget option if you don’t want to spend too much on accommodation but still want an overall enjoyable experience. Here you have the option of staying in a ‘tent’, which is more of a canvas hut of sorts with two twin mattresses and communal bathrooms, or a bare bones room with its own bathroom. Needless to say, the rooms aren’t fancy in the slightest, but they do have ACs.
The cool part about Mountain Camp Ali Khaled is that they have both a natural hot spring and cold spring on the property that you can swim in, and at night they hold bonfires with music, singing and dancing.
Local tip: bring insect repellent because the flies can get wild there.
Affordable
Taghaghien Island Resort
Located on an island in Siwa Lake, Taghaghien Island Resort is the place for amazing sunsets and overall outstanding 360 degree views. It’s connected to the shores of Siwa Lake by a 2km road, and is about 13 km from what’s considered downtown Siwa, so it’s pretty secluded.
The resort has 30 basic style bungalows (heads up: no ACs), a restaurant & bar and a rooftop to watch the sunsets from above. There’s also a natural cold spring.
Local tip: the resort only has electricity from sunset to sunrise, so make sure to charge everything you need while sleeping!
Albabenshal Lodge
A heritage hotel amidst the ruins of the 13th century Shali Fortress, Albabenshal renovated ancient Siwan homes to create 14 guest rooms connected by fortress alleyways, staying true to the traditional Siwan methods of building. Their main terrace and restaurant have a view of central Shali and the sea of palm trees beyond.
Double and triple rooms are available (with private bathrooms), and the rooms are created and designed in authentic Siwan style.
Local tip: Because it’s next to the market, it can be noisy during the day, so it’s a good option if you plan to spend most of the day exploring Siwa, but not the best option if you want to disconnect at the lodge during daytime hours. No ACs available for the hotter months.
Moderate to Expensive
Taziry
Taziry, which means ‘full moon’ in Siwan, is a 30 room ecovillage on the shores of Siwa Lake, underneath the Red Mountain. There’s no electricity at night, so they light up the space with candles and oil lamps. There’s a natural swimming pool and a terrace overlooking the lake and mountain. Solar panels are used to provide hot water for the bathrooms, but bear in mind they’re not always consistent.
Their restaurant serves Siwan/Amazigh/North African cuisine as prepared by their Moroccan chef.
Local tip: because there’s no electricity at night and it gets very dark, a flashlight might be a good idea if you like to walk around.
Talist
A family-owned ecolodge and farm, Talist is where to go if you want somewhere quiet and away from the bustle of central Siwa. Because they run on solar energy, electricity isn’t always available and there are no power outlets (except for USB sockets) in the rooms; you can charge your phones and other devices at the restaurant. The owners make their meals sourced from their own farm and other local ingredients, so it’s a great place to eat.
Talist has 11 bungalows of various sizes, ranging from doubles to family-sized, and a natural pool and terrace overlooking the mountain and lake.
Local tip: there are no ACs or heaters.
Al Nyhaya
Love camping but not the hassle of it? Well then, glamping might just be for you (ICYMI: glamping means ‘glamorous camping’). Al Nyhaya (meaning ‘the end’ in Arabic) is a glamp site in the Great Sand Sea 30 minutes outside of Siwa Oasis. Because it’s in the desert, it’s extremely private and you’ll feel like you're at the ends of the earth (thus the name).
The tents are Bell tents which can fit two people easily. They have comfortable mattresses, mosquito netting and double layers to keep you warm during the desert nights and cool during the warm days. There’s also the option of a traditional Bedouin tent. You might think that because it’s glamping, the nightly price tag would be cheap, but nope - this is one of the pricier options on the list!
Local tip: this is the place to stay if you want to experience sleeping in the Great Sand Sea but with more amenities, but not a good choice if you care about reaching the rest of Siwa easily.
Very Expensive
Adrère Amellal
This is the place to go if you want a high-end experience in Siwa, but still with that rustic, at-one-with-nature vibe.
This hidden-away, primitive and yet still luxurious boutique hotel underneath the White Mountain is an ecolodge with traditional kershif buildings that blend into the landscape. There’s no electricity, so Adrère Amellal comes alive at night with candles and lanterns.
Visited by celebrities and royalty, Adrère Amellal is not by any means cheap, but its 5 star service and dining will still have you feeling the luxury even in the most primitive of settings.