Khudra means “green” in Arabic, and after a morning in the canyons you understand why. In the middle of bare sandstone, a line of palm trees, a Bedouin family and a pool of fresh water. Around it: four canyons, each with its own character. This is the world of our Canyoning Oasis day.
The short version
- Meet in Dahab: 7:45 AM (we leave 15 minutes later)
- Difficulty: easy to moderate; children and older walkers do it too
- Group size: up to 8 people
- Price: €25 per person in a full group (smaller groups pay a little more)
- Included: 4×4 transport from Dahab, guides and permits
- Not included: lunch at the oasis
The White Canyon
The name says it all: walls of pale, almost white sandstone. It is the longest of the canyons, about 45 minutes to an hour of walking, and mostly wide and open, with only a few tight spots. At one end there is a fixed rope to go down (or up). It is the hardest obstacle of the day, and still very doable: we have seen children and grandparents do it with a smile.
The Closed Canyon
Our favourite. It is called “closed” because it has no exit: you go in and come back out the same way. It is the narrowest canyon of the day, the one where you squeeze, climb and laugh the most, and after rain small pools appear inside it.
Hamata and Salama
Hamata Canyon is named after its lone fig tree, which grows out of the rock and feeds itself. Salama is the small coloured canyon, with stripes of red, yellow and orange. We tell their full stories in our guide to the Colored Canyons.
Khudra Oasis
Khudra (also written Ain Khudra, “the green spring”) is often identified with Hazeroth, a camp of the Israelites in the Book of Numbers. The Bible places one of its most human stories there: Miriam and Aaron criticised their brother Moses, Miriam was struck with a skin disease, and the whole camp waited seven days for her to heal before moving on.
The question every guest asks: where does the water come from? From under the ground. Inside a small cave there is a spring only a few centimetres deep. Take the water out, and new water rises to replace it, again and again. That little cave is what the whole oasis lives on: the palms, the gardens and the family who look after them.
We stop here to eat. Lunch at the oasis is simple and delicious, and there is a fresh-water pool to jump into before or after. Many guests call it their best moment of the day.
Mushroom Rock
A sandstone rock carved by wind and sand into the shape of a giant mushroom. The photo everyone takes, and nobody regrets.
What to bring
- Your passport (there are checkpoints on the road)
- At least 2 litres of water
- Shoes with good grip (no flip-flops in the canyons)
- Clothes you can climb in
- Sun protection: hat, sunglasses, sunscreen
- Swimwear for the pool at the oasis, and cash for lunch
Join the trip
Canyoning Oasis runs as a small-group day trip from Dahab on set Saturdays. See the next date and book on the Canyoning Oasis trip page, or message us on WhatsApp.