Bir Wahed is Hot spring out at the dunes of the Great Sand Sea. Bir Wahed is one of the new tourist traps of Siwa, and one of the best excursions on offer is into the outer dunes of the Great Sand Sea, it situated about 12km southwest of Siwa. Spend a night on a desert safari in a 4x4. Experience enormous rolling sand dunes.

Sand boarding can be done at a small additional cost, ask before departing. Swim in the hot and cold springs in the desert - excellent, although the hot spring is filled with (possibly rusted) minerals which will leave orange stains on clothing and towels. This may or may not be due to the pipe which supplies the pool.

The cold spring is in fact lake-sized with very cold and clean water. Visit the fossilized sea remains in the desert. Sleep overnight at a touristy Bedouin camp, dinner provided. More than likely, the driver will leave and return at 8:00 AM to drive back to Siwa town - although the Bedouin caretakers will look after you.

It's a magical spot, a hot pool the size of a large Jacuzzi, into which sulphurous water gushes; the run-off irrigates a garden around the pool.

The best way to see Bir Wahed is to leave real early in the morning, with plenty of water, a good GPS and a good pair of boots. Arrive mid day and leave before the day trippers arrive and you have the whole desert to yourself.

Bir Wahed is visited as part of a 4WD excursion, and is considered to be the best place for women to bathe, as there are no locals here.