If fossils are your fancy, take a 4WD to Gebel Dist at the north end of the oasis, which is chock-full of them. Even dinosaur bones have been found here, including the remains of a huge herbivore dating back 94 million years. Unfortunately, they were stored in Germany and destroyed during the Second World War by Allied bombs.

Fossils are not the only surprises to be found in the Western Desert. Cairo’s travel agencies organize tours to Qarat El-Hilwa for a peek at the much-hyped cache of “golden” mummies of the Ptolemaic era, as Zahi Hawass defined them upon their discovery in the 1990s — though despite their rich exteriors, their embalming was actually much sloppier than in previous eras. You might also be able to wrangle a permit to visit on your own. A ticket can be purchased at the local antiquities inspectorate for LE 30.

Bawiti, the oasis’ capital, is a dusty stretch of boredom. It does, however, offer some pleasant walks to the local springs. Start at Ain Bishmu, a craggy fissure that gushes hot water into a popular spring basin, then descend into the shady palm groves and orchards. Follow the raised-earth trails across fields to an encroaching dune field for some great panoramic views. Wander more and you may end up at Bir ar-Ramla, a hot spring two kilometers north of town. You might want to hold out on the swimming until Bir El-Ghaba, seven kilometers northeast of Bawiti, a hot-water tank in a eucalyptus grove accessible only by 4WD: The water is rich in minerals and can stain clothing, but wearing a baggy t-shirt over an old swimming suit, women can feel comfortable.

Between Bahariyya and Farafra the desert turns from beige to black, as a result of wind erosion of local mountains over the centuries. Proceeding further south to Farafra, it turns white. The White Desert (Sahra El-Beida) is a confectionery stand of geological wonders. Its landscape resembles a plate of giant truffles coated in icing sugar. Book a jeep and guide or go by camel to see the Magical Mushroom and hundreds of other surreal rock outcroppings with descriptive names like The Camel, The Ice Cream Cone and The Sphinx.

Snowy white during the day, the rock formations turn pink and violet in the twilight. Camp beneath the stars here, but be sure to bring a sleeping bag in the winter when nighttime temperatures plummet to zero. At dawn you may catch a glimpse of grazing gazelles and the mischievous desert fox. About 24 kilometers north of Naqb Al-Sillim (Pass of the Stairs) — which marks the end of the White Desert and leads into the Farafra depression — is the Crystal Mountain, a rock made of quartz crystal.

The Farafra Oasis is the most traditional of the four. Its capital, Qasr El-Farafra, is a quiet, insular community of just a few thousand farmers who produce olive oil, dates, figs, apricots, guavas, oranges, apples and sunflower seeds. The crumbling mud-brick fort and covered streets are worth checking out, as is local artist Badr Abd El-Moghny’s somewhat odd museum, which does not have regular hours but is free to visit. The grotesque portraits, sculptures made of palm tree trunks or sandstone, stuffed wildlife and buxom figures bring life and humor to this otherwise dull town.

When you’re ready, make the journey to Dakhla Oasis, southeast of Farafra. It is arguably the best of the bunch. Golden sand pours endlessly off the northern escarpment into the lush green oasis where farmers tend rice and wheat fields, fruit orchards and tiny fish ponds. Archaeologists are trying to prove that some of the first inhabitants of the Nile Valley came from Dakhla, after a huge prehistoric lake dried up. The capital, Mut, is a schizophrenic entity. The new city is drab and miserable, but hidden behind a mound of Islamic graves is a charming old medieval town where several hundred families dwell among crumbling mud-brick buildings.

Better still is Al-Qasr, 32 kilometers north. Framed like a postcard with a small lake in the foreground and towering rose-hued cliffs behind, the town’s medieval quarter is a living museum. Some of the empty houses are so well-preserved it seems like families just picked up and left in the middle of dinner centuries ago. Several houses are still marked by carved acacia lintels dating back to the fifteenth century, with the name of the carpenter, the family owning the house and a verse from the Qur’an.

Wander through the covered alleys and visit the Sheikh Nasr El-Din Tomb in the local mosque, a mud-brick structure with a 21-meter-high twelfth-century minaret rebuilt in the 1800s. Nearby, an old house has been transformed into a box-sized ethnographic museum featuring local crafts, textiles and woodwork. There’s also a 1,000-year-old madrassa (Islamic school).

The other villages in the oasis also feature great architecture and atmosphere. Check out the funky mud-brick grave markers in Budkhulu, colorful Hajj scenes painted on houses in Bashendi and the prehistoric rock paintings 55 kilometers southeast of Mut with pictures of giraffes, antelopes and fish once populating the area.

Farther east is Kharga Oasis, whose capital, El-Kharga, lies 233 kilometers from Assiut. The museum of antiquities is worth a stop: it houses prehistoric artifacts as well as Pharaonic, Greek and Roman exhibits brought here from other oases. A taxi can take you three kilometers north of town to Al-Bagawat Necropolis, a sprawling early Christian cemetery cascading down a dusty hill. Each of the 263 domed mausoleums is unique, some with crude frescoes and Greek graffiti. A short walk through palm groves leads to the Temple of Hibis, one of only a few Persian monuments left in Egypt. It was dedicated to Amun by Darius I. With a little ‘persuasion,’ the slumbering guard will unlock an underground tomb with, oddly enough, reliefs of dolphins.

The best time to visit the oases is in the fall and spring to avoid extreme day or night temperatures. For both accommodation and tours, check out Badawiya Safari Company (tel. (092) 751 0060 or (02) 575-8076), owned by three Bedouins, the brothers Sa’ad, Hamdi and Atef Ali. Born and raised in Farafra, they own the cozy and ethnic Badawiya Hotel (doubles go for $29 for foreigners and $24 for Egyptians and foreign residents), which also has a restaurant serving fruit and vegetables grown in the brothers’ farm. The company’s 120 camels are used for tours of the desert, though 4WDs are also available. Trips (including guide, tent, mattresses, food and drinks, and only excluding sleeping bags) go for $120 per day for foreigners and $90 for Egyptians and foreign residents. The prices go down for groups. Check out www.badawiya.com for excursions ranging from three to 30 days.

With 30 years experience in desert safaris, Pan Arab Tours (tel: (02) 418-4409/19), used by archaeologists as well as tourists, is also very reliable. Check out their programs at www.panarabtours.com. Khalifa Expeditions (tel: (012) 321-5445) is also worth checking out. They offer a wide variety of camel treks and jeep safaris (a two-week safari in the White Desert costs approximately 1,500 at www.khalifaexp.com). Depending on the trip, some excursions need to be booked well in advance, sometimes up to three months before departure.

If you’re not going with a tour and really need a five-star hotel, try Sol y Mar Pioneers Resort (tel: (092) 792-7982). It has the cleanest A/C rooms in Kharga and a good kitchen to boot. In Bawiti, stay at the Oasis Panorama (tel: (02) 847-3354). Their Dakhla sister hotel (Sol y Mar Dakhla, tel: (092) 782-1530) is a four-star option in Mut with fans in the summer and heaters in the winter. There are campsites where toilets and showers are provided, but beware of the giant mosquitoes.

Upper Egypt Bus Co. (tel: (02) 576-0261) runs daily buses from Turgoman station to Bahariyya, Kharga, Dakhla and Farafra. Microbuses to Bawiti (LE 15) leave from Al-Waha Café near the Ibn Tulun Mosque whenever they fill up. All oases are connected by regular bus service as well as service taxis. EgyptAir is currently not running flights to the oases.  et