Egypt site facilities

The following page is designed to give you an insight into the types of environment you will working in whilst you are with Operation Wallacea. This should help you choose what you need to bring, and may also assist you in deciding which projects to participate in.  We will be using one or more of a number sites for accommodation during the period of the expeditions, depending on availability and suitability.

Facilities at the Egypt sites

Fox Bedouin Camp, St Katherine
The Fox Bedouin Camp is the main base for the survey of the mountains of the southern Sinai. The Camp is situated on the edge of the town of St Katherine in the heart of the World Heritage part of the Protectorate and consists of a mixture of Bedouin tents and stone built accommodation. Volunteers staying at this camp will sleep either in twin bed rooms or in a communal sleeping area under a mosquito net.  There are shared bathroom facilities. There is running water with toilets and a shower system on site. There is a large colourful tented areas with cushions and carpets where the teams gather round and chat in the evenings. Meals prepared by a team of Bedouin cooks are taken in the covered dining area. A lab for the DNA extraction course and research has been built at the camp.

Nuweiba Marine Camp, Sinai

The camp in Nuweiba is the base for the marine projects and is located right on the coast. Volunteers will stay in basic huts or tents which sleep either 2 or 3 people..  There are shared bathroom facilities, a shower block, and a large eating area where meals prepared by the Bedouin are taken.  It is hotter and more humid here than in Fox Camp but the occasional breeze from the sea enables you to stay reasonably comfortable.

Mobile Survey Camps, Sinai Mountains
It will be hot and dry in the wadis, and you will need to think about your comfort and safety. To be cool, you could consider wearing Bedouin dress, which consists of a long floor-length shirt (the galabiya) and a cloth wrapped around their head (the sha’al). It is essential to have protection from the sun, since summer is hot, especially as you move down the wadi to lower elevations, so the sha’al or a conventional hat is very important. Bedouin clothing will be available for purchase at Nuweiba Camp should you wish to use them.

For 9 days the teams will be trekking in the desert and will be staying in temporary camps set up the Bedouin support teams. Volunteers at these camps will be sleeping out under the stars in sleeping bags and there are field toilet and washing facilities. The Bedouin prepare all the meals including fresh bread cooked each day. There are 4 x 4 vehicles and/or camels supporting the teams and a Medical Officer working with each team.

Each camping place consists of a flat area of sand cleared of stones, and with a place for a fire, near a water source.  You will sleep either in the open or under a large Bedouin in a sleeping bag on the sand.  Conditions are primitive, and earth closets will be the usual toilet facilities. Water is precious and you will need to minimise use: there will not be any opportunity for showers. Drinking water will usually consist of bottles of mineral water, but it may be necessary to use filtered spring water. Breakfast and lunch will be self-service and consist of fresh bread (prepared by your Bedouin guide), cheese, tuna, jam, etc., together with coffee, tea or water. After breakfast you will collect your lunch (if remaining in the field over luch) and water to carry with you. Dinner will be prepared by the Bedouin cooks, and will tend to include rice, vegetables, meat, etc.

Moving between camps 
Transfers between sites are done using minibuses. The journey from Sharm to either Nuweiba or St Katherine, which is about 3 hours allowing for stops, takes you through of the most spectacular mountain scenery in Egypt. From Fox camp teams working on the atlas surveys will be using 4 wheel drive vehicles and/or camels and the journey time varies depending on the square being surveyed. The journey from Fox camp to the Nuweiba takes around 2 hours and from the Nuweiba to Sharm is around 2.5 hours.

General facilities and conditions
The weather in the desert is likely to be hot and sunny during the day (around 35 - 45 degrees Celsius) but it will be cool at night (10 - 15 Celsius) and it is likely to feel cold in the early mornings and evenings. There is unlikely to be any rain.  At Nuweiba the temperature tends to be slightly warmer during the day  (38 - 48 degrees Celsius) and only marginally cooler at night.

There is limited 230V electricity available at Fox Camp and Nuweiba Camp.  You will need a plug adaptor since they use round 2 pin plugs.

If you need to contact home or friends when on expeditions you should be able to use your normal mobile phone when you are in the camps (even in some of the desert camps).  There is good internet access at Fox Camp but none available in Nuweiba.  Alternatively you can use a Vodaphone modem to plug into your laptop and can get internet connections at most sites, and even on some of the desert trek camps.