egypt’s Sham el Sheikh
Sharm el Sheikh is the best known of Egypt’s increasing number of sea and sand destinations
Dahab, meaning gold in Arabic, is a former Bedouin fishing village 95 km (60 miles) north of Sharm and was a favourite hangout for young travellers on the hippy trail in the Seventies. Today tourism has become more mainstream, but it has retained a laid- back atmosphere and is the destination of choice for those who want to chill out, take yoga classes or stretch out on the beach. The bay overlooking the Gulf of Aqaba is lined with Bedouin-style cafes, complete with floor cushions and sheesha ‘hubbly bubbly’ pipes along with a smattering of affordable small hotels and luxury accommodation such as Le Meridien and the Swiss Inn Resort. For experienced divers it’s also the home to the Blue Hole, a reef pool that drops into the deepest part of the Red Sea.
Octpuses and pipehorses Taba Heights is located at the top of the Gulf of Aqaba and is a purpose- built resort occupying a stunning five km (three mile) beach sheltered by the mountain ranges of the Sinai Peninsula and uniquely positioned overlooking four countries – Egypt, Jordan, Israel and Saudi Arabia. With a focus on luxury it has attracted hotels such as Hyatt Regency, Marriott, Hilton and the newly- opened Club Med Sinai Bay and the Taba Heights Golf Resort has been voted top course in Egypt and among the best in the world.
Also popular with divers, the resort’s coral reefs have been offering increased sightings of mimic octopuses and pygmy pipehorses. The mimic octopus, more widely found in the seas of South East Asia, is the most entertaining underwater creature with its impersonations ranging from moray eels to lion fish. The pygmy pipehorse, although more common, is rarely seen in
the wild due to its tiny size and ability to camouflage itself. Taba’s location at the crossroads between Africa and Asia at the tip of the Gulf of Aqaba made it a stopover on the caravan trade route from the 14th century onwards. Today it has a laid-back vibe with a good selection of bars, restaurants, cafes and shops along with access to diving reefs and good snorkelling straight from the beach. In addition to trips to Mount Sinai and St Catherine’s Monastery, popular
excursions include desert safaris in jeeps and quad bikes and trips to the intriguing rock formations of Sinai’s Coloured Canyon, where sandstone rocks are tinged in hues of yellow, purple, red and magenta.
The monastery is on the site where God spoke to Moses from a burning bush and has been a pilgrimage site since it was built in the 6th century
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Nestling in the sea off Taba is one of the coastline’s best-kept secrets. Pharaoh’s Island, also known as Coral Island, is reached by a short boat ride; its crowning glory is the UNESCO listed citadel, built by Crusaders and later captured and rebuilt by Saladin in the 12th century. Visitors can explore the fortress or head underwater to the superb dive sites surrounding the island. They include Picasso Reef, an underwater mountain that’s home to a vast number of bright-coloured fish, including the distinctive Picasso Triggerfish.
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