Qualified personnel are the key to successful and enjoyable deep desert travel. Experienced guides will ensure that your trip is safe, enjoyable and stimulating. Capable crewmembers will ensure your safety, comfort and ease of movement from one campsite to the other. You will have all the time in the world to relax and contemplate the surroundings; it's environment and history.

Each member of our crew is desert hardened with years of experience under his belt. They come from desert related backgrounds such as exploration, scientific surveying, military patrolling, rally race reconnaissance and oil companies exploration. They know the desert well and know what it takes to make desert travel both safe comfortable and enjoyable.

Ahmed Al-Mestekawi is the senior guide of Zarzora Expedition. His long career and outstanding achievements in military desert patrolling makes him the obvious choice as our senior guide. His expertise was called upon during the peak years of the recognized Pharaohs Rally where he was recruited as the Rescue Manager from 1991 to 1994.

Al-Mestekawi is a partner in Zarzora Expedition and leads the deep desert expeditions to Gilf Kebir, Uweinat and the Great Sand Sea.

Our vast experience and professionalism led the Egyptian government to ask Zarzora Expeditions to lead the 1996-1997 Environmental Affairs Agency (EEAA) Survey Expeditions. A series of expeditions have been launched in 1996 and 1997 to evaluate the Egyptian deserts ecological system. The objectives of the expeditions were to determine the priority, importance and benefits of protecting selected desert regions under the Egyptian National Parks program.

In 1997 Zarzora Expedition was contracted to survey and define a desert track through the sand dunes of the Great Sand Sea to the oil exploration site at Santa Fe's "Bir Kuthayb". This was the first ever oil exploration concession in the Great Sand Sea and Zarzora Expedition made sure that the desert track construction had the minimum impact on the environment and that the construction process was environmentally sound.

In 1998 The Tourism Development Authority (TDA) chose Zarzora Expedition to represent the Egyptian eco-tourism community in the World Congress on Adventure Travel and Eco-Tourism held in Quito, Ecuador.

1998 Also saw the release of Zarzora Expedition first book on the Egyptian Sahara "The Other Egypt: Travel In No-Man's Land" by Wael Abed. The Ministry of Tourism and the Environmental Quality International (EQI) case studied the book in the World Bank's Eco-Tourism Development in North Africa and the Middle East seminar.

In 1999 the Association for Economic Information published the Toshka Mega Project brochure. Zarzora Expedition provided input about the potential of adventure travel and sound eco-tourism activities.

The Vehicles

Zarzora Expedition uses the proven, reliable and comfortable Toyota Land Cruiser VX, FJ59 and FJ61 vehicles. The vehicles are specially equipment for comfortable deep desert travel including forward facing seats. Each vehicle is equipped with 400-liter fuel tanks, extraction equipment, sand mats, roof racks and spare tires. Each expedition is secured with, complete set of spare parts and tools. A certified Toyota mechanic accompanies all the expeditions.

The Camping Equipments

You will find that our Sand Club (campsite) is well equipped and remarkably comfortable. Igloo tents, manufactured to our specifications, can be provided. These easy to assemble and roomy two person tents (2m x 2m x 1.6m) are water proof and wind resistant. They can easily accommodate two adults with their luggage. They come complete with mattresses and pillows.

Navigation and Communication

Hi-tech as well as conventional navigation equipment is used throughout the expeditions. These include GPS receivers, military maps, satellite images and compasses. The guides are also expert navigators using conventional navigation methods in case these skills are called upon. All the vehicles are connected using Motorola 25w VHF radios. A satellite telephone is used to contact and report to our base.

 The elusive lost oasis. Zarzora is coin phrased to describe anything yet to be discovered in a faraway place. Some might say there's little to be discovered. That's not the case with Zarzora. We design our exploring expeditions aiming for that Wish-Oasis, a symbol of a mystery yet to be discovered. The name is the destination.