BADU Camp Hurghada: the quiet, alcohol-free Bedouin evening

BADU Camp in Hurghada is the camp to book for a desert evening about food, tea, camels and the people of the hills behind the coast, not a quad convoy and a cabaret. It is neither the cheapest evening nor a quad trip, but its main listing rates 4.8 from 270 reviews and its programme is published in unusual detail.

Who BADU Camp is

BADU Experiences is the trading name; the camp is BADU Camp. Since "badu" is also simply Arabic for Bedouin, a listing that says "Bedouin camp" without the brand is not BADU: look for "BADU" in the title.

BADU says it was developed and supported by Green Planet for Sustainable Tourism Development & Impact Investment, an Egyptian company, and names the TUI Care Foundation as a strategic partner. It also says its village tour was developed under TUI's Colourful Cultures Egypt programme. TUI's own announcement of that programme, built with Green Planet for the Maaza Bedouin community, does not name BADU (https://www.tuigroup.com/en/newsroom/news/new-perspectives-on-hurghada-tui-care-foundation-empowers-egypts-maaza-bedouin-community-through-cultural-tourism). So: a partner programme, not a TUI business.

The hosts are Maaza (Ma'aza), the Bedouin tribe of the northern Eastern Desert, whose territory covers the mountains and wadis behind Hurghada. BADU says it won a Silver award at the WTM Africa Responsible Tourism Awards, and that all host revenue stays in the local community, with mandatory rest periods and vet checks for its animals. These are BADU's own statements; we have not verified them. Its founding date is not published, and its online presence is recent.

Where BADU Camp is

The camp is a set of traditional tents in the Makadi Bay desert, "about 15–20 minutes from Makadi Bay resorts and 30–35 minutes from central Hurghada", in BADU's words, with no street address. It is not in Safari Land, the zone of quad stations on the Safaga road where most evening safaris start.

Pick-up areas for the dinner are Hurghada, El Gouna, El Ahyaa, Safaga, Makadi Bay and Sahl Hasheesh; Soma Bay is not on the list, so Soma Bay guests should ask before booking. The exact pick-up time comes by WhatsApp the evening before. A partner directory lists opening hours of 07:00 to midnight, closed on Saturdays, for groups of 2 to 50, with guides in Arabic, English, German, French and Russian.

What BADU sells

Direct prices as listed on baduexperiences.com when we checked. The first four GetYourGuide listings carry "BADU" in their titles. The jeep village tour and the Kharaz Malki trip match BADU's own titles and wording but do not carry the brand; GetYourGuide shows the operator's name on the listing page, so check it. A third listing, the quad, jeep and "Maaza Hub" sunset trip, uses the same village name and wording.

Eveningfrom$51

GetYourGuide4 hMakadi Bay

Makadi Bay: BADU Luxury Bedouin Dinner Experience & Stargaze

4.8 (270)

per personCheck dates

Morningfrom$48

GetYourGuide3 hMakadi Bay

Makadi Bay: BADU Camp Sunrise Camel Ride & Bedouin Breakfast

4.9 (16)

per personCheck dates

Eveningfrom$56

GetYourGuide4 h

Hurghada: BADU Camel or Horse Ride, Dinner, & Stargazing

5.0 (14)

per personCheck dates

Morningfrom$59

GetYourGuide5 h

Hurghada: Jeep, Bedouin Village, Breakfast or Dinner & Stars

5.0 (13)

per personCheck dates

Sunsetfrom$40

GetYourGuide4 hMakadi Bay

Makadi Bay: BADU Lunch, Camel & Horse, Sungaze & BADU Party

5.0 (8)

per personCheck dates

Sunsetfrom$52

GetYourGuide4 h

Hurghada: Quad adventure, Jeep safari, Sungaze & Maaza Hub

4.8 (7)

per personCheck dates

BADU Experiences (BADU Camp) on GetYourGuide →Prices checked on 20 October 2026

The Bedouin dinner, step by step

The BADU Luxury Bedouin Dinner and Stargaze is the reason most people come. No alcohol is served (none in the vehicles either), and outside food and drink are not allowed. Bring a warm layer: desert nights from December to February often fall to 10 °C or below. Tips and personal expenses are excluded.

The sunrise camel ride and Bedouin breakfast is the other highlight: a 30-minute camel ride at walking pace, then fresh Bedouin bread, ful (fava beans), cheese and vegetable canapés with tahini, zalabia with date syrup, tea and coffee, with live music. BADU says weight limits are observed but gives no figure, and the ride is not suitable for pregnant women, people with back problems or animal allergies.

The village tour goes by 4x4, about an hour from pick-up plus a 45-minute off-road and photo section, to Al Rada, which BADU calls "a living Maaza Bedouin community". Hosts welcome you with a free headscarf, walk you through navigation by sun and stars and desert plants, and share bread, herbal tea and coffee before breakfast. The name of the village comes from BADU; we found no independent source for it.

BADU vs the big show camps

Most evening safaris from Hurghada end at a Bedouin-style camp beyond the Safari Land stations: a stop built for the programme, with a buffet and a show of belly dance, tanoura (the Egyptian whirling-skirt dance) and fire. Those evenings are cheaper, louder and come with a quad ride. BADU is quieter and alcohol-free, with the camel or horse as the ride.

Neither is a village people live in: BADU's tents are a visitor camp too. The difference is who hosts it and how the evening is run. Want a quad as well? Take BADU's 1-hour quad add-on or book a separate quad trip. Our Bedouin village guide compares both styles, and the desert safari guide explains the big-camp evening.

BADU Camp prices: direct vs GetYourGuide

The dinner is €45 direct and from about $51 on GetYourGuide; the sunrise camel €45 direct and from about $48; the Kharaz Malki jeep trip €103 direct and from about $63 on the platform. The platform is not always the dearer channel.

Booking direct gets you 25 % off the optional HD photo and video package. GetYourGuide's standard rule is a full refund if you cancel more than 24 hours before, with reserve now, pay later on some listings; BADU's own dinner page also cancels free up to 24 hours. Payment methods for direct bookings are not published; BADU replies to enquiries within 24 hours with payment details.

BADU Camp Hurghada reviews: what travellers say

On GetYourGuide the Bedouin dinner rates 4.8 from 270 reviews and the sunrise camel 4.9 from 16; three smaller listings score 5.0 on 8–14 reviews each, too few to mean much. A third-party roundup of the lunch programme mentions warm hospitality, generous fresh food and good value, and notes it suits people who cope with desert heat. What to check yourself:

• Your day. The camp is closed on Saturdays.
• Your pick-up. Soma Bay is not on the dinner pick-up list.
• Your diet. No vegetarian menu is published; ask before booking.
• Your weight. Camel and horse weight limits exist but are not published; ask.
• The animals. One rider per animal, no thin or lame animals, shade and water at the camp. Our camel ride guide has the checklist.

How to book BADU Camp

On GetYourGuide, choose a listing with "BADU" in the title; your contract is with the operator named on the listing. Direct, use the enquiry form or WhatsApp on baduexperiences.com. Either way, the pick-up time arrives by WhatsApp the evening before.

Alternatives to BADU

For a beach horse ride, see Sea Horse Sahl Hasheesh and the horse riding guide; for a telescope, the sunset and stargazing guide; for a quad-and-buggy evening, the Scorpion Safari review. For a longer Maaza-led trip, the Red Sea Mountain Trail opened in 2019 and is run by Maaza guides; check its current programme before planning. The operators hub lists every review.

BADU Camp Hurghada: common questions