I only know of 2 people dying in the Egyptian portion of the Sahara in recent history. One of them was a KTM rally driver who had an unfortunate accident while training. We don’t have bandit problems here.

However, I must say that the death toll should not be the only indication on how safe or enjoyable desert travel is. In fact it seldom is. There has been a lot of close calls almost all of which could have been avoided.

Usually the people who have problems in the Sahara, and sometimes die, fall into one of the following categories:

Reckless travelers:
This either means people who drive their bike/4wd as if they’re in Paris-Dakar or people who venture into the desert without the proper preparations, precautions, driving skills or stuck vehicle extraction know-how.

Wrong choice of guide:
I’ve heard of a case where some tourist got lost and eventually died because their guide had very little experience and had no idea what to do. This situation can be avoided by simply making sure that you hire a qualified guide.

The Sahara is a serene and wonderful place. It doesn’t have to be a harsh trip if equipped properly, knows what to expect and respect nature as well as your capabilities.

I don’t want to lecture here since I hate lectures myself but you have to take Sahara travel seriously in order for your trip to be enjoyable and safe. There are a lot of very good resources on the web to learn about the subject. But if anybody wants to learn more, just let me know. I have a long history of safe desert travel and would love to answer your questions.

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A.B.
www.ShortWheelbase.com

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A.B.
OasisPhoto.com – Images from the Magical Sahara.