What is the ultimate way to spend Valentine's Day: lying in the desert under a starry sky or soaking in a bath of rose petals? Aline Kazandjian samples both in search of the perfect partners' paradise Let us first establish this: romance is a controversial issue. Women complain that men are incapable of enjoying a romantic experience. Men complain that women do not understand them even when they are putting their best foot forward in the romantic department. If they fail to get the message across, they may need to attend a few mood classes. Catching a mood is like catching a cold: how you do it is different, but the symptoms are similar. For some couples, a romantic experience might be "romancing the stone" under a starry sky in a faraway corner of a desert. For others it might be drifting under the spell cast by a candle- lit dinner or lying beside a private swimming pool in a luxury hotel suite. But anyone who wants to follow Cupid's bow should keep in mind that whether you are from Venus or from Mars, a romantic destination is all about frame of mind. First, the rules: before embarking on a romantic journey there are two stipulations that must be adhered to. One: no children. Two: don't pack any problems: they need a rest too. THE MOON: The White Desert, a vast, sculpted slab of chalk lying between Bahariya and Farafra oases in the Western Desert, has gained huge popularity with campers who come from all over the world to see the magic landscape. The little town of Bawiti in Bahariya Oasis has no shortage of safari guides who, either directly or through your hotel, will accommodate you with a four-wheel-drive vehicle, camping gear, food and beverages. The drive from Cairo to Bawiti takes about four hours, and from there to the heart of the White Desert is another hour and a half. The exhaustion and aches of the journey are wiped away there and then by the welcoming peace that settles round you as you climb out of your vehicle and set foot on the cool sand, with the breeze skimming your face and the day's remaining sunrays lengthening their shadows (this is February, remember -- not too hot, not too cold). Just as the population boom has forced the Egyptian government to create a ring of "satellite cities" around Cairo, so the increasing onslaught of visitors has led safari guides to discover what they call the "New White Desert" adjacent to the "old" one. The New White Desert has much larger rock formations and the whiteness of its chalk is much brighter against the blue sky, as though it has been kept under dustsheets before being revealed to the public. Another extraordinary place here in the White Desert is Agabat, which means "wonders". This is a vast ring fenced in, as it were, by a chain of high cliffs. Agabat is gradually becoming a more popular campsite than the White Desert itself because the cliffs provide excellent shelter from the wind. On some of the slopes the sand covering the ground is as soft as baby powder -- sorry, let's say Chanel dusting powder. The challenge is to find a secluded place to pitch camp. Rather than the usual desert exercise of turning over stones to clear the campsite of deadly scorpions, here you need to look behind every rock to make sure a curious camper isn't lurking there to intrude on your privacy. In New Year's Week this part of the Western Desert was not unlike Cairo's Tahrir Square, with cars racing round and motorcycles climbing rocks and guides trying to race each other to the tiny springs where they could offer their groups a rest in the limited shade -- all a far cry from a romancing atmosphere. But on a romantic trip it is not the day that counts, but the night. Of such stuff are memories made. Imagine this: you are sitting beside the crackling campfire on a cold February night, snuggled under blankets and snow jackets and ski caps. The bleached-white rock formations take on a silvery shine under the star-studded sky dominated by a full moon. Umm Kulthoum sings Enta Umri, "You are my life". You suddenly notice a falling star and your hearts beat with one wish. Now, if you are not moonstruck there then you need professional help. THE EXOTIC: If sleeping under the stars isn't up your alley, there are people who make it their business to sell you the romantic mood. The ultimate in promise must be the Oberoi at Sahl Hasheesh. This resort 16km south of Hurghada airport, its 102 Arabian Nights-style suites scattered over 48 acres of undulating landscape, is the epitome of luxury. The suites are furnished with Oriental and Moorish touches and are supplied with all the amenities of a five-star hotel. Tall windows invite sunlight into all corners of the suite, even the bathroom -- which boasts a snazzy "bathroom courtyard", as labelled by the management. You shower and bathe in a sunken marble bathtub, enjoying a clear view of the open sky and with the sun pouring through the window. Some of the suites even have private, heated swimming pools. The suites cascade down to a remarkable coral shore where the abundance of exotic fish shows that they feel more at home on the reef than the few humans who dive in to take a peek at them through a snorkelling mask. Yet what could be more breathtakingly exotic than chasing a parrotfish through shallow, warm patches of clear turquoise, at the point where the corals give way to a sandy bottom and the deeper water ahead glows a vivid blue? Back on land, you will be pampered to the point of getting used to it. The management, while at times keeping itself invisible, concocts the most wonderful surprises. At the spa, which is managed by the world-renowned Banyan Tree Hotel and Spa of Thailand, one is lifted to new levels of well being. A massage and aromatic body treatment leaves the body tingling and the psyche begging for more. And who could ask for more than an evening stroll in the meandering gardens? The landscape is dimly lit by lanterns hung from the ceilings of the colonnades which make up the façades of the suites. The highlighted date palms sway in the breeze, silhouetted against the starry night sky. Of such stuff are memories made: walking into your suite in the evening to find it lit by tens of candles floating in bowls of red rose petals. Light music is playing, a candle-lit dinner is set out on your private terrace and, the pièce de résistance, a bath has been drawn (and amazingly the water is hot, as though an invisible hand knew just when you would be coming in) while sprinkled on the water are more red rose petals. Candles are everywhere. No wonder then, with such honeymooners' treats, that the Sahl Hasheesh Oberoi -- which opened in 2001 -- is fast becoming Egypt's favourite honeymoon destination. The ladies will leave the resort with a Mona Lisa smile on their faces. The gentlemen, on the other hand, may experience a harsh fall to earth when they receive the bill at checkout. But who cares about money when love is in the air? Practical Information For White Desert camping: Ahmed Safari Camp and Hotel Bawiti, Bahariya. Tent and assorted camping gear, four-wheel-drive vehicle with guide from Bawiti: $100 per day. Tel: (02) 847 3399/847 2770 Tel/Fax: (02) 847 2090 E-mail: [email protected] Ahmed Abdel-Rahim 0124925563 The Oberoi, Sahl Hasheesh Sahl Hasheesh, Red Sea, Egypt. Grande Suite with private swimming pool: LE 900-1,000 per night, for foreigners $425-$575, depending on weekends and holidays; all prices until the end of September 2003. Tel: (065) 440 777 Fax: (065) 440 788 E-mail: [email protected]
