egypt’s Golf / Diving / Spas


Warm clear waters are a paradise for divers while back on land, golf and spa treatments are readlly available


waters make it ideal for beginners and experienced divers alike.


Divers can enjoy the whole gamut of exciting geological features such as lagoons, sink holes and islands, as well as a whole range of shipwrecks from down the ages.


Diving packages are offered year-round in resorts including Sharm el Sheikh, Hurghada, Marsa Alam and El Gouna offering a range of styles.


Dahab is very relaxed, with its famous Blue Hole, while Sharm el Sheikh is more glitzy and close to the reef and huge Ras Mohammed National Marine Park nearby. The Savoy Hotel’s dive centre in Sharks Bay allows first practice dives on the reef, just 20 metres offshore. Visitors can pre-book a range of diving experiences from introductory days to four- day courses leading to the internationally- recognised PADI qualification. Many hotels, such as the Hilton Dahab and Sensatori Sharm el Sheikh, have their own in-house diving schools.


Spa


Cleopatra famously bathed in asses’ milk to preserve her legendary beauty, while ancient Egyptian women rubbed fragrant oils into their skin to protect against the dry desert air.


Modern spa-goers can indulge in a health and wellness tradition dating back thousands of years and this, coupled with a huge investment by hotels, means spa tourism has emerged as another major draw. Today traditional treatments using natural local ingredients such as sea salt, rose oil and honey are offered alongside therapies featuring international spa brands. Egypt also offers a number of thalassotherapy centres, which use the therapeutic effect of seawater, seaweed,


algae, hydromassage, body wraps and mud baths to treat circulation and respiratory problems. Most spas are based in four- and five-star hotels and offer fantastic value by UK standards. Recent openings include Egypt’s first Six Senses Spa in Port Ghalib and the Club Med Sinai Bay and spa in Taba Heights. The Sonesta Kiroseiz Beach Resort Dahab, which will have a luxurious health club and spa, is due to open during 2012.


Rated as one of the world’s top diving destinations the narrow strip of water between Africa and the Asian Peninsula is home to 1,100 species of fi sh


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