If you are ever in Cairo and feel the need to escape from the hectic city life, then hop into a 4x4 and head 20 minutes east from Maadi into Wadi Digla — Digla Valley.
A group of friends and I decided to do exactly that on a lazy Friday. Together we gathered blankets, floor mats, a small supply of food, cards, board games, and Spicy, the family dog. Since it was winter, we all made sure to layer ourselves with enough T-shirts, sweaters and jackets. Laila, my close friend, also made sure I was wearing appropriate shoes and not my usual 4-inch high heeled “walking shoes.” Smart move on her part I must say.
By 11 o’clock that morning, we began our journey.
We were filled with excitement at the idea of spending the day away from the regularly visited Cairo coffee shops, restaurants and lounges. Our hopes were high at the idea of enjoying a peaceful picnic in a somewhat secluded dessert area. Being creatures of the current computer generation, my friends and I felt that we needed to spend a day with Mother Nature. That also meant bringing along two laptop computers, our i-pods and my portable i-pod speakers. As I said, we are true creatures of the computer generations.
Wadi Digla was the perfect spot to get reacquainted with Mother Nature as the valley is an environmental preserve that originally was a waterbed carrying floodwaters from the Nile toward the Gulf of Suez. Once at Wadi Digla’s Gate, we were stopped by a very cheery and friendly Egyptian gatekeeper and ticket-man. He asked if we were all Egyptians and I have to admit, we lied to the kind man. My friends were all Egyptians and as a Saudi, I was the only non-Egyptian in the car. I am not sure if being a non-Egyptian would have had an effect on my ticket price but I suspect it would have. Nevertheless, the man believed us and admitted us after we paid the modest fee of three pounds.
Visitors entering Wadi Digla have the option of doing so in a car or on foot. We decided to use our car. I would suggest other visitors do the same since it is a long walk into the heart of the 30-kilometer long valley. Plus, if you truly want to leave city life behind and are trying to immerse yourself in the natural beauty of the valley, then you will need to go a few kilometers into the valley as buildings are still visible when you first go in.
Don’t worry about having to park your car since the valley is large and rather wide with plenty of space for parking your car without obstructing people’s paths.
As we entered the valley, the sheer height and shapes of the rocks amazed me. One feels quite small walking between the valley walls. After taking a moment to examine our beautiful surroundings, my friends and I decided to climb a small mountain and camp there.
This seemed like a good idea until we realized that carrying our things up the mountain would not be easy. That wouldn’t have been a problem had we realized this before making our first trip up the mountain to leave the first pile of our belongings and then coming down and doing the same thing over again. I advise future visitors to put all their belongings in a secure and portable bag. Otherwise, you will end up making multiple trips from your car to your mountaintop camp site and that, is no fun at all.
Also, if you are taking a dog with you, make sure it is a well-behaved one. Spicy, our dog, has a lively spirit that quickly got on all our nerves. The valley is a great space for dogs to run around and play in — that is, until other visitors to get annoyed and start shouting “Control your dog!” Just make sure your dog’s leash is handy.
After setting up camp, my friends and I sat down to enjoy a light lunch. Luckily for us it wasn’t a very windy day so our food had a low sand content. While eating, we had a bird’s view into the valley and were able to take a look at the number of people coming in. People come to the valley for many reasons. Some are nature lovers, looking for the odd marine fossil in the rock formations.
Others come for long quiet walks. Some are extreme bikers or joggers looking for rugged terrain. Finally, there are those coming to the valley for day trips or for a night under the stars.
The rest of our day in the valley was quiet and relaxing. We chatted, laughed hard, played some music, went for a walk, played with the dog, and ate some more. The sun was setting slowly and its golden rays made everything and everyone look slightly golden. By late afternoon the temperature was falling rapidly and we were getting cold and tired. We quickly collected our things and began heading back before the sun vanished and the moon took its place.
Overall, the visit was exactly what my friends and I wanted. This trip was a chance to do something different from our daily city routine. I don’t know if I would visit Wadi Digla every day, since I do enjoy the hectic city life. Though if I ever had the urge to escape from the urban world again, then the valley would definitely be at the top of my list of choices.