North Coast Beyond the Beach: A Bedouin Desert Dinner Experience

When most people think of Egypt’s North Coast, they think of its burgeoning nightlife, its constant parties, and the live performances that take place there ranging from local talents to international superstars like John Legend. With one foot in the Mediterranean and the other within its many lifestyle destinations and resorts, the North Coast - or Sahel as it’s known amongst its Egyptian visitors - has become the play to dance, to eat, and to indulge.

Yet even here between the clubs and the parties there is a growing need for a different kind of indulgence, one that takes in the sea’s natural sense of calm and turns it into inner serenity. It’s not wellness in the sense of yoga and alternative healing; it’s about appreciating nature as you hike through it. Egyptian adventure group Wild Guanabana is an ardent advocate for this form of wellness, one that’s best represented through their Sinai Trail trips. And this summer they’re looking to recreate that same sense of wonder on the other end of Egypt, all the way at the North Coast.

Wild Guanbana’s ‘Sinai Goes Sahel’ trip will take travellers to a remote location at Sahel’s South Sidi Heneish for one evening with dinner. It’s a self-described ‘pop-up evening’ which we suspect is designed to entice travellers to join up for further, more involved treks across Egypt with Wild Guanabana. For now, however, ‘Sinai Goes Sahel’ will give you the option to hike up a mountain to enjoy a beautiful view of the North Coast that is often missed by the party-goers on the beach, and will serve you a Bedouin-style dinner of either mandi or chicken. The outing runs from 5 PM until midnight. There’s no accommodation, so you’ll have to return to reality - and consequently your Sahel stay - by the end of the evening.

‘Sinai Goes Sahel’ is available every Thursday, Friday and Saturday until the end of August. The Mandi Package costs EGP 600, while the Chicken Package goes for EGP 400. These prices exclude the optional printed photos, soft drinks and marshmallows. To reserve, DM them on their Instagram account at @wildguanabana