You don't have to stay here in order to reach
Siwa Oasis - actually, there's more call to do so on the way back, if only to break the nine-hour journey from Siwa to Alex. Another possible reason is if you plan to visit remoter oases such as Qara, which still require permission from Military Intelligence.
In any event, there are three buses a day from Matrouh to Siwa: a non-A/C rattletrap leaving at 7am (ĢE7), and two through-buses from Alex, which cram in extra passengers here. The one leaving Matrouh around 1.30pm (ĢE7) is equally decrepit, while the one going at around 4pm (ĢE10) is nominally A/C. Try buying tickets the night before, but don't be surprised if they're only sold on the bus, accompanied by a no-holds-barred struggle for seats. There may also be the odd service taxi (ĢE10 per person for a full load), but this should be used only as a last resort, and not in preference to the bus. Bring plenty of food and water for the six-hour journey.
Motorists should avoid travelling in the midday heat and fill up before leaving Matrouh, as there are no petrol stations along the 300km route. The Siwa road is reached by following the Corniche west out of town, turning inland and passing the airport turn-off, and then heading south at the next junction, 20km from Matrouh. There's a police checkpoint, so you can't miss it. Don't stray far from the road if you stop for a leak; there are minefields on either side for miles into the desert.
Permission to visit Qara, Girba, Sitra and Areg oases is obtainable from Military Intelligence (daily 8am-2pm & 8-11pm). Knock on the steel gates and you should get taken into the guardhouse to explain yourself. You'll need a photocopy of your passport and Egyptian visa, which can be made on Sharia Iskandariya. The permit should be issued free of charge.
Remember to change money before you set out, as Siwa has no bank.
West of Matrouh: The road to Libya
The
road to Libya reflects relations between the Arab Republic of Egypt and the Libyan
Jamahiriyah (State of the Masses). During the 1960s, when Gaddafi regarded Nasser's Egypt as the vanguard of revolutionary Arab nationalism, people and goods flowed both ways, encouraging the Libyan leader to propose that the two countries unite in 1973 - an ambition that came to nought as President Sadat cultivated the Western powers and finally signed a peace treaty with Israel. In response, Libya severed relations, closed the border and began agitating for the overthrow of the Egyptian government; a cold war ensued, with sporadic incursions by Libyan war planes and saboteurs during the 1980s.
It wasn't until the end of the decade that relations were restored and the border was reopened. Despite an upturn in civilian traffic, there's still an overwhelming military presence along the 120km to Sidi Barrani - a small port named after the Senussi missionary Sidi Mohammed el-Barrani, which was bitterly contested during the Western Desert campaign, but is now just a gas-stop on the road to Sollum (60km). SOLLUM is more arresting, overlooking the sea from a 180-metre cliff with a harbour at the bottom. A small Allied War Cemetery at the eastern entrance to town recalls the toll exacted at "Hell Fire Pass", where five waves of British tanks were destroyed by German guns dug into the ridge.
Between Sollum and the border (10km) is a Palestinian refugee camp whose inmates have languished in limbo since their expulsion from Libya in 1994, lacking visas or funds to move on. The local authorities leave their provisioning to Sollum's merchants, who overcharge for everything. If you happen to be driving this way, even a few crates of bottled water would be welcome; basic medicines, too.
The border is officially open 24 hours, but its lethargic customs officials and sweltering queues of vehicles suggest otherwise. While Egyptians and Libyans cross over regularly, foreign tourists are only just beginning to visit Libya, which hardly encourages impulse visits. Libyan visas must be obtained beforehand in Cairo, and from there a service taxi (LD1) can take you to Al-Burdi for buses on to Tobruk and Benghazi. If you're planning to drive your own vehicle along the coast and into Libya, be sure to have your passport and car papers ready to show at the innumerable checkpoints along the way.
