‹ Back to all articles

Sand gets everywhere on a quad. A short, specific packing list from people who run these trips daily.

A quad ride kicks up a continuous plume of fine sand, and you are usually riding in a line, which means you are riding through the plume of the machine in front. Everything below follows from that.

What to wear on a desert safari (and what to leave behind)

The four things that matter

Sunglasses are not enough — you want goggles that seal, sold at the base for a few euros. A scarf for your nose and mouth, likewise. Closed shoes: sandals fill with sand within minutes and the exhaust runs hot near your ankle. Long sleeves and long trousers, however warm it feels at the start, because the sun at desert altitude and the sand-blast together do real damage to bare arms.

What to leave in the room

Anything white, anything you care about, contact lenses if you have glasses as an alternative, and loose jewellery. Phones survive fine in a zipped pocket but not in an open one. Cameras without a bag will end the day with sand in the lens barrel.

What to wear on a desert safari (and what to leave behind)What to wear on a desert safari (and what to leave behind)

A quad ride kicks up a continuous plume of fine sand, and you are usually riding in a line, which means you are riding through the plume of the machine in front.

It gets genuinely cold after sunset in the desert between November and March — the temperature can drop fifteen degrees in an hour. If your trip includes a Bedouin dinner under the stars, take a jumper even if you leave the hotel in shorts.

What to wear on a desert safari (and what to leave behind)
Share:
Good to know

Frequently asked questions

We really have some of the lowest prices that can be offered while keeping the quality of service high. We are an online booking company working directly with large organizers in Egypt, so we can offer very favorable prices thanks to the large flow of tourists. Buying from us, you get quality service and don't overpay intermediaries.
The organizers' fleet has plenty of vehicles - cars, minivans and large comfortable buses. Vehicles for short, medium and long distances are equipped with air conditioning and safety systems, and buses with toilets are provided on long routes. All vehicles are regularly serviced and sanitized, hold the necessary tourist permits, and drivers are inspected before every trip.
We work without prepayment. Group excursions are paid on the bus or during the trip. The exceptions are individual excursions where plane tickets or documents are involved. The organizer comes to you - there is no need to look for anyone to pay. You can pay in cash in dollars or euros, and an alternative payment method can be arranged.
Egypt is heavily regulated when it comes to tourism. For a car or yacht to run a tour, daily permission from the police and military is required, and organizers without a license don't get permits. That is why on some tours we may ask for voucher and passport details (this applies to marine excursions, individual tours and some group tours that leave the city). For other excursions only the number of people is needed.
Some hotel guides wrongly claim insurance does not apply to third-party excursion organizers. That is not true. Your travel insurance is valid throughout Egypt, and once you are on the organizer's ship, bus or transport they carry full insurance responsibility for passengers - otherwise they could not obtain a tour permit at all.
Please check your belongings when you leave the bus or boat at the end of the tour. If something is lost it is hard to recover, as vehicles leave immediately to be cleaned. We will always help you look, but we cannot guarantee a 100% return - so please be careful!
We have a large daily flow of bookings, so most excursions run every day (or on set weekdays per the program's schedule). After booking we send the exact hotel pickup time. Many trips are shared with small hotel groups who bought the same tour from operators - the only difference is that our price is 40–60% lower.
Tour photographers are independent and do not work for the company, so any arrangement with them is your responsibility. We do not recommend paying in advance unless you are sure the photos will be delivered. If you do not want photos, tell the photographers early to avoid any pushiness.