Taziry Ecolodge (Taziry Ecovillages Siwa)

A village at the foot of the Red Mountain

Taziry means "full moon" in Siwi, the oasis's Berber language. The eco-lodge is built at the foot of the Red Mountain, facing the White Mountain, above Ghâry Lake and a palm grove, with the dunes of the Great Sand Sea on the horizon. It lies 16 km west of the centre of Siwa. In Siwi, the Red Mountain is Adrère Azugagh and the White Mountain Adrère Amellal, which gave its name to the neighbouring eco-lodge.

It follows Siwa's ancestral building method. The walls are karshif (the oasis's kershef: earth bricks, salt and other natural materials), the ceilings palm wood; doors and windows are placed to catch the desert breeze, which, according to the lodge, makes air conditioning unnecessary. The furniture comes from its own carpentry and craft workshops, and the decor draws on Berber interiors.

Rooms are lit by candles, paths by oil lamps and torches. The sun provides the rest: solar panels above the rooms heat the shower water, and photovoltaic panels power the reception and the kitchen, where devices can be charged. Organic waste goes to the animals or to compost, wastewater is treated through a constructed wetland, and the rest is sorted for recycling.

The pool is a natural basin fed with fresh water by a spring. Drinking water also comes from a nearby spring, filtered and served in clay jars that keep it cool.

More than a hotel

The project goes beyond accommodation. Taziry has built a library, a museum and a "stellarium" devoted to the Amazigh (Berber) culture of Siwa and to astronomy; some fifty craft workshops operate on site, and the lodge trains young people from the oasis in languages and trades: permaculture, embroidery, pottery, palm-leaf, olive-wood and salt work. It co-organised the Egyptian Date Palm Festival in Siwa with the Khalifa International Award for Date Palm, and in 2016 received a Sustainable Cities and Human Settlements Award at the Global Forum on Human Settlements, held alongside the United Nations Habitat III conference in Quito.

On horseback and by 4x4

Taziry Stud, the lodge's stud farm, breeds pure Arabian horses. They are ridden in the desert, on treks that can last up to three days. This is what most sets Taziry apart from Siwa's other addresses.

The lodge also offers three guided outings:

• The ancient oasis: the Temple of the Oracle of Amun, the Temple of Umm Ubayda, Cleopatra's Bath, Gebel al-Mawta, the ruins of Shali and Fatnas Island, with a stop in the centre for Siwan crafts.
• The Great Sand Sea, a full or half day by 4x4: petrified forests, fossil shells, crossing the dunes, swimming in freshwater lakes and hot sulphur springs, sandboarding, and sunset from a high dune. A night in a desert camp can be added. The permits required for the desert are charged extra.
• Salt and springs: floating on a salt lake, swimming in the Abu Shrouf spring, visiting the old village of Ain Safi and its olive press, and ending at sunset on a viewpoint.

Camels can replace the 4x4, and the lodge hosts yoga retreats.

Which room

The 30 rooms are all different, each with a large bathroom and a private veranda. Some are carved into the mountain, others face the pool.

Our advice: for a couple, choose between a room carved into the rock, for the shelter of the mountain, and one facing the pool, for the view; a family books a two-room chalet, for up to five, rather than two separate rooms. The suites add a lounge, and the Royal Suite is upstairs.

Sabaro's view

Who it's for: couples, families and riders who want desert silence and starry skies, without the compulsory full board of Adrère Amellal.

Strengths: Arabian horses from the lodge's own stud and treks of up to three days; earth-and-salt architecture; Siwan and Moroccan cooking based on produce from its farms; a 4.7/5 rating on Tripadvisor from 116 reviews.

Good to know: no air conditioning or electricity in the rooms, devices are charged at reception; the rate includes breakfast, other meals and outings are extra; 16 km from town, you need a car to come and go.