The Sinai
Explorations ~ by David Lavoie
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| Egypt is one of the
most popular tourist destinations in the world, but most visitors see very
little of what this fabulous country has to offer. Everyone wants to join
the hoards visiting the Pyramids, The Valley Of the Kings and Abu Simbel.
Everyone dreams of a Nile Cruise, all things that you should do at least
once, but what of the rest of the country? Unhappily Egypt has one of the
lowest rates of return visit in the world, perhaps because it has not sufficiently
promoted the rest of its many attractions.
The Sinai, for instance offers a
wealth of destinations and activities for the visitor. Its busiest tourist
spot is Sharm El Sheikh, a holiday town of five star hotels, seafood restaurants,
beaches and luxury. A frequent destination for tour groups from Italy,
Russia and the UK, Sharm is the Fort Lauderdale of Egypt. Using it as a
base, you can either enjoy many day trips, or simply laze about on the
beach drinking something pink with a little umbrella in it. The charming
Bedouin village of Dahab is about an hour away and a common day trip for
shopping. In Dahab the selection of souvenirs such as papyrus prints, camel
saddles, brass lamps, jewelry, perfumes, leathers and inlaid boxes is bigger
and cheaper than in Sharm. I have visited Dahab many times in my five years
in Egypt and it remains one of my favorite places even if it’s been developing
some of Sharm’s razzle-dazzle recently. |
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If you prefer a much quieter venue,
look into nearby Nuweba, particularly the colorful section known as The
Tarabin. From Nuweba you can catch the ferry for a visit to Jordan and
the ancient, red stone city of Petra. Visits to Israel are also easy to
do from the Sinai, but not advisable if you are planning to travel elsewhere
in the Near East. Arab Countries may deny you entry if your passport shows
that you have visited Israel.
For the more adventurous, a night-time
climb up nearby Mt. Sinai to see the dawn is great fun. It’s not steep
except for five hundred or so steps at the very summit, and it’s easy to
rent a camel for most of the ascent. Legend has it that you will
be retracing the footsteps of Moses who climbed Mt. Sinai to receive the
Ten Commandments. In either Dahab or Sharm El Sheikh, it’s also easy to
arrange a hike in the Sinai Mountains through the fabulous Colored Canyon
and the equally beautiful White Canyon. A warning, however, If you are
in reasonable physical condition, you will not find these hikes overly-taxing,
but neither is for the faint-of-heart. The tour organizer will try mightily
to talk you into doing both in one day and that’s quite possible but be
prepared to be tired when you finish and bring lots of water for the hikes.
Another Sinai adventure is a camel
trek with Bedouin guides. Usually these last three days and you camp under
the desert stars and eat Bedouin-style. You might even enjoy a relaxing
shisha (waterpipe) in the evening. You too can be Lawrence of Arabia! Or
is that Larry of the Sinai?
It’s possible to enjoy both snorkeling
and scuba diving in many, many places in the Sinai. In fact the Red Sea
is so amazingly clear, snorkelers often see just as much as scuba divers
do. A prime destination is Ras Mohamed National Park on the extreme southern
tip of the Sinai. It has dozens of superb dive sites and it is also possible
to camp at designated spots in the park for a small fee. Boat trips for
diving and snorkeling are easy to arrange at any hotel in Sharm, or in
any dive shop. Diving in Dahab is also superb; the infamous Blue Hole is
a must for divers. There are dozens of other excellent dive sites in Dahab
as well, so be prepared to spend a few days.
Best of all is that the Sinai is
extremely affordable. Even the five star hotels of Sharm El Sheikh and
Taba are considerably less expensive than they would be elsewhere. For
a back-packer or those traveling on a budget, The Sinai is heaven. Give
this place some serious thought the next time you are looking for an interesting
place to visit.
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The following are the previous articles
David wrote for the magazine:
 Lebanon
Beyond Beirut - Four
Must-Do Day Trips
Beautiful
Sipadan ~ In
Malaysia
Notes
From The Egyptian Desert ~ Adventure
In The Desert
Kuala
Lumpur’s Chinatown ~
Malaysia
To contact David Click
Here
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