the Ecolodge of the dunes
Š Ludovic MAISANT / hemis.fr
Reportage
Egypte :
Located at 360 km South-West of Cairo and linked by a tarmac road to the Capital since the Seventies only, Bahareya (150.000 inhabitants) is worth the trip for its history and its beautiful landscapes made of orchards, dunes, black volcanic mountains…Following the discovery of dinosaurs and turtles skeletons… The site may soon, besides, be listed as Natural Reserve by the government. Inhabited since the Paleolithic, the haven was already famous for its wine during the Paraohs period. Morover, a sepulcher was recently discovered with more than ten thousands mummies covered with golden breastplate where the name the Valley of the golden mummies comes from. Not far, the fairy, not to say enigmatic White Desert, this historical stop for the meharees might have had Alexander the Great as a guest. This is where – since this year – nestled on four hectares at the edge of the palm grove and not far from the salty lake, the “Lazuli Lodge”. Built in the respect of ancestral local traditions, the Ecolodge is conceived like a village with its mosque, its restaurant, its main street and around twenty rammed earth houses with acacia beams and palm leaf roofs. Its aeration system and natural ventilation allow the lodge to avoid air-conditioning. In the same spirit, the decorative elements are locals: blow glass, local furnitures, sheets in Egyptian cotton…The idea man, Wally Aziz, is a real precursor in the region regarding environmental issues. The most remarkable example: the absence of electricity. At nigh fall, the place lights up thanks to 1001 lanterns and candles. A magical moment!
HEMIS_315678 : Egypt, Lower Egypt, Libyan Desert, Bahareyya Oasis, Lazuli Lodge, Ecolodge, the main lane without electricity at dusk, the mosque in the background
HEMIS_315695 Egypt, Lower Egypt, Libyan Desert, Bahareyya Oasis, Lazuli Lodge, Ecolodge, serving tea in a suite, the rammed clay mosque in the background
HEMIS_185141 Egypt, Libyan Desert, dunes towards Bahariya (Bahareyya) Oasis
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Egypt, Lower Egypt, Libyan Desert, Bahareyya Oasis, Lazuli Lodge, Ecolodge, lounge
Egypt, Lower Egypt, Libyan Desert, Bahareyya Oasis, Lazuli Lodge, Ecolodge, lounge
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Egypt, Lower Egypt, Libyan Desert, Bahareyya Oasis, Lazuli Lodge, Ecolodge, reception hall in rammed clay
Egypt, Lower Egypt, Libyan Desert, Bahareyya Oasis, Lazuli Lodge, Ecolodge, reception hall in rammed clay
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Egypt, Lower Egypt, Libyan Desert, Bahareyya Oasis, Lazuli Lodge, Ecolodge, the main lane without electricity at dusk, the mosque in the background
Egypt, Lower Egypt, Libyan Desert, Bahareyya Oasis, Lazuli Lodge, Ecolodge, the main lane without electricity at dusk, the mosque in the background
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Egypt, Lower Egypt, Libyan Desert, Bahareyya Oasis, Lazuli Lodge, Ecolodge, entry only lit up with candles and lanterns
Egypt, Lower Egypt, Libyan Desert, Bahareyya Oasis, Lazuli Lodge, Ecolodge, setting the table in the restaurant
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Egypt, Lower Egypt, Libyan Desert, Bahareyya Oasis, Lazuli Lodge, Ecolodge, resting area in the restaurant
Egypt, Lower Egypt, Libyan Desert, Bahareyya Oasis, Lazuli Lodge, Ecolodge, blow glass carafe of local handicraft
HEMIS_315714 : Egypt, Lower Egypt, Libyan Desert, Bahareyya Oasis, Lazuli Lodge, Ecolodge, dromedaries in front a room in a tent
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Egypt, Lower Egypt, Libyan Desert, Bahareyya Oasis, Lazuli Lodge, Ecolodge, tourist on balcony, the moon in the background
Egypt, Lower Egypt, Libyan Desert, Bahareyya Oasis, Lazuli Lodge, Ecolodge, tourist on balcony
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Egypt, Lower Egypt, Libyan Desert, Bahareyya Oasis, Lazuli Lodge, Ecolodge, reception hall in rammed clay, preparation of the logs for the brazier
Egypt, Lower Egypt, Libyan Desert, Bahareyya Oasis, Lazuli Lodge, Ecolodge, reception hall in rammed clay
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Egypt, Lower Egypt, Libyan Desert, Bahareyya Oasis, Lazuli Lodge, Ecolodge, reception hall in rammed clay, preparation of the logs for the brazier
Egypt, Lower Egypt, Libyan Desert, Bahareyya Oasis, Lazuli Lodge, Ecolodge, tourist on balcony
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Egypt, Lower Egypt, Libyan Desert, Bahareyya Oasis, Lazuli Lodge, Ecolodge, serving tea in a suite
Egypt, Lower Egypt, Libyan Desert, Bahareyya Oasis, Lazuli Lodge, Ecolodge, man on donkey back in front of the reception hall
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Egypt, Lower Egypt, Libyan Desert, Bahareyya Oasis, Lazuli Lodge, Ecolodge, portrait of an old man
Egypt, Lower Egypt, Libyan Desert, Bahareyya Oasis, Lazuli Lodge, Ecolodge, man on donkey back in front of the reception hall
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Egypt, Lower Egypt, Libyan Desert, Bahareyya Oasis, Lazuli Lodge, Ecolodge, mosque in rammed clay in the main lane
Egypt, Lower Egypt, Libyan Desert, Bahareyya Oasis, Lazuli Lodge, Ecolodge, day bed at the edge of the swimming-pool
HEMIS_166323 : Egypt, Oasis of Bahariya, hot Spring
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Egypt, Lower Egypt, Libyan Desert, Bahareyya Oasis, Lazuli Lodge, Ecolodge, entry in rammed clay
Egypt, Lower Egypt, Libyan Desert, Bahareyya Oasis, Lazuli Lodge, Ecolodge, day bed at the edge of the swimming-pool
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Egypt, Lower Egypt, Libyan Desert, Bahareyya Oasis, Lazuli Lodge, Ecolodge, day bed at the edge of the swimming-pool
Egypt, Lower Egypt, Libyan Desert, Bahareyya Oasis, Lazuli Lodge, Ecolodge, day bed at the edge of the swimming-pool
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Egypt, Lower Egypt, Libyan Desert, Bahareyya Oasis, Lazuli Lodge, Ecolodge, rest by the fireside at dusk
Egypt, Lower Egypt, Libyan Desert, Bahareyya Oasis, Lazuli Lodge, Ecolodge, day bed at the edge of the swimming-pool at dusk
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Egypt, Lower Egypt, Libyan Desert, Bahareyya Oasis, Lazuli Lodge, Ecolodge, day bed at the edge of the swimming-pool at dusk
Egypt, Lower Egypt, Libyan Desert, Bahareyya Oasis, Lazuli Lodge, Ecolodge, resting area in the main lane
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Egypt, Lower Egypt, Libyan Desert, Bahareyya Oasis, Lazuli Lodge, Ecolodge, resting area
Egypt, Lower Egypt, Libyan Desert, Bahareyya Oasis, Lazuli Lodge, Ecolodge, resting area
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Egypt, Lower Egypt, Libyan Desert, Bahareyya Oasis, Lazuli Lodge, Ecolodge, room in rammed clay
Egypt, Lower Egypt, Libyan Desert, Bahareyya Oasis, Lazuli Lodge, Ecolodge, room in rammed clay
HEMIS_315682 : Egypt, Lower Egypt, Libyan Desert, Bahareyya Oasis, Lazuli Lodge, Ecolodge, reception hall in rammed clay
HEMIS_315713 Egypt, Lower Egypt, Libyan Desert, Bahareyya Oasis, Lazuli Lodge, Ecolodge, room in a tent
HEMIS_143438 Egypt, Libyc desert, Bahariya oasis, a bunch of dates
HEMIS_166322 Egypt, Oasis of Bahariya, peasant at work on a water irrigation canal
HEMIS_136087 Egypt, libyque desert, the oasis of Bahariya
HEMIS_143464 Egypt, Libyc desert, Bahariya oasis, hot spring
HEMIS_166321 Egypt, Oasis of Bahariya, Moroccan camels breeding
HEMIS_184999 Egypt, Libyan Desert, Bahariya (Bahareyya) Oasis, hot water spring
HEMIS_166326 Egypt, Oasis of Bahariya, Friday prayer at a small local mosque
HEMIS_185064 Egypt, Libyan Desert, Farafra
HEMIS_166348 Egypt, Oasis of Bahariya
HEMIS_239013 Egypt, Lower Egypt, Libyan Desert, Bahareyya Oasis, Qaret Qasr Salim, Bannentiu's tomb, embalming of the defunt
HEMIS_185062 Egypt, Libyan Desert, Abu Mungar Oasis in North Farafra, back from school on a donkey
HEMIS_185076 : Egypt, Libyan Desert, tourists couple cycling on the Cairo road towards Bahariya (Bahareyya)
HEMIS_185063 Egypt, Libyan Desert, Abu Mungar Oasis in North Farafra
HEMIS_185077 Egypt, Libyan Desert, the only train connecting Bahariya (Bahareyya) iron mine to Cairo in the Western desert
HEMIS_185078 Egypt, Libyan Desert, palm grove in Bahariya (Bahareyya) Oasis
HEMIS_185000 Egypt, Libyan Desert, bivouac in the new white desert in North Farafra
HEMIS_143462 Egypt, libyc desert, the oasis of Bahariya
HEMIS_185066 Egypt, Libyan Desert, old white desert in North Farafra
HEMIS_000328 Egypt, White Desert on the borders of Libya
HEMIS_238990 Egypt, Upper Egypt, Libyan Desert, the new white desert
HEMIS_238991 Egypt, Upper Egypt, Libyan Desert, the new white desert
HEMIS_306290 Egypt, Libyan Desert, Farafra, White Desert National Park
HEMIS_249435 Egypt, Upper Egypt, Libyan Desert, the new white desert
HEMIS_314731 Egypt, Farafra, White Desert national park, West side (aerial view)
HEMIS_185069 : Egypt, Libyan Desert, campfire in the new white desert in North Farafra
HEMIS_314732 Egypt, Farafra, White Desert national park, Rajah area (aerial view)
HEMIS_238996 Egypt, Upper Egypt, Libyan Desert, the new white desert
HEMIS_238994 Egypt, Upper Egypt, Libyan Desert, the new white desert
HEMIS_238983 Egypt, Upper Egypt, Libyan Desert, the new white desert
HEMIS_185072 Egypt, Libyan Desert, hikers in the white desert in North Farafra
HEMIS_166329 Egypt, camp in the White Desert
HEMIS_185079 Egypt, Libyan Desert, the black desert towards Bahariya (Bahareyya) Oasis
HEMIS_185080 Egypt, Libyan Desert, Bahariya (Bahareyya) Oasis, dromedary breeding
HEMIS_314733 : Egypt, Farafra, White Desert national park (aerial view)
HEMIS_238997 Egypt, Upper Egypt, Libyan Desert, the new white desert
HEMIS_314734 Egypt, Bahariya, the Black Desert
HEMIS_166362 : Egypt, near Farafra oasis, the White desert