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Wadi Al-Hitan (Whale Valley) Fayoum oasis
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Wadi Al Hitan (Whale Valley)
Wadi Al-Hitan, Whale Valley, in the Western Desert of Egypt, contains
invaluable fossil remains of the earliest, and now extinct, suborder of
whales, Archaeoceti. These fossils represent one of the major stories of
evolution: the emergence of the whale as an ocean-going mammal from a
previous life as a land-based animal. This is the most important site in
the world for the demonstration of this stage of evolution. It portrays
vividly the form and life of these whales during their transition. The
number, concentration and quality of such fossils here is unique, as is
their accessibility and setting in an attractive and protected
landscape. The fossils of Al-Hitan show the youngest archaeocetes, in
the last stages of losing their hind limbs. Other fossil material in the
site makes it possible to reconstruct the surrounding environmental and
ecological conditions of the time.
Whale Valley (Wadi Al
Hitan) 1 night / 2 days
|
Days |
Destination
|
Accommodation
|
Program
Itinerary |
|
1st Day |
Cairo
- Fayoum
Whale Valley |
Whale Valley
Desert Safari
Camp |
From Cairo we drive by jeep south
towards
Fayoum,
the largest oasis in the Western Desert. We stop at Lake Qaroun tour
by felucca (half an hour) and then
kaser
Qaroun
, At
Wadi Rayan we visit the
spring and waterfall having lunch then continue to into the desert.
We reach Wadi Al Hitan (otherwise known as the Valley of Whales), a
surreal region where huge boulders seem to be capped with an
imaginary icing of thick caramelised syrup, which appears to ooze
down their sides. Within this extraordinary landscape the fossil
remains of Zeuglodon have been found – whales that existed in
the Fayoum over 40 million years ago. We spend the night camping out
under a canopy of stars. Overnight Camping.
|
|
2nd Day |
Whale Valley
-Cairo |
|
Breakfast and departure to Cairo. End
of our services. |
.
|
No of guests |
Our Special Rates |
|
1 Guest |
190
US
dollars per person |
|
2 Guests |
120
US dollars per
person |
|
3 Guests |
90
US dollars per
person |
|
4 Guests |
80
US dollars per person |
|
5 Guests |
65
US dollars per person |
Our Package includes the following
• 1 night Camping Accommodation in the
Whale Valley on a full board treatment
• BBQ dinner in the desert
• Per person in the desert 3 bottles Mineral water 1.5 liters + 2 soft
drinks
• Safari in the Whale Valley by
private
jeep 4x4 (not sharing with other
guests)
• American tents, sleeping bags, safari equipment
• Entrance fees
Whale Valley
Wadi Al-Hitan
is the most important site in the world to demonstrate one of the iconic
changes that make up the record of life on Earth: the evolution of the
whales. It portrays vividly their form and mode of life during their
transition from land animals to a marine existence. It exceeds the
values of other comparable sites in terms of the number, concentration
and quality of its fossils, and their accessibility and setting in an
attractive and protected landscape. It accords with key principles of
the IUCN study on fossil World Heritage Sites, and represents
significant values that are currently absent from the World Heritage
List.
in the way to Whales Valley
Camping in the whale valley
Walk in Fayoum desert
Fayoum Lake
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