Red Sea & Sinai
Why go?
This land has long been the cause of disagreement between Egypt and
Israel. In Biblical times, God appeared to Moses in the
burning bush at Mount Sinai, then parted the Red Sea so Moses could
lead the Israelites to freedom after years of oppression suffered
at the hands of the Pharaoh. Fast forward to 1967 and the Six-Day
War, when Israeli invaded and took control of the peninsular (along
with The West Bank, The Gaza Strip, The Golan Heights and East
Jerusalem). Then in 1980 they returned the peninsular to Egypt. For
the moment peace has returned.
It is highly ironic that such contested land should be given over
to tourism so lightly by the Egyptians. Different rules
apply on The Red Sea coast. Alcohol is freely available, locals
bat no eyelids when confronted by the skimpy attire of sun-seeking
westerners. This has a lot to do with the fact that this land
belongs to the mighty Bedouin, who are Arabs, not Egyptians, and
who sit in their land a little bemused at the strange behaviour of
both parties.
Not that you will notice any of this once you’ve checked into
your hotel. The past is the past, the present is the present. And
the present is a good place to be. With 364 days of
sunshine, business is booming on the Red Sea coast. Army tanks
have been replaced by oxygen tanks, which divers use to explore
some of the best reefs in the world (including a few made from
sunken warships). It attracts an eclectic crowd: Russians, British,
Italians, Arabs, even Egyptians favour the concrete jungles of
Sharm El Sheikh.
100km up the coast, the once-tiny fishing village of Dahab
is no longer the hippy colony of twenty years ago. These days
it’s a divers' resort that is in the process of going
upmarket, with smart hotels rising by the hour. We loved its
laid-back charm.
Then there’s the desert and the Sinai itself, an
almost impenetrable labyrinth of granite buttresses and sandstone
mountains. A couple of hours' drive inland, hidden in the folds of
the rock, sits St Catherine's monastery; above looms Mount Sinai,
which you can climb for a magical sunrise, so bring your hiking
boots.
Any Downsides?
There is very little culture on the coast, a stark contrast to the rest of the country, but most people come for the diving and the sun - and if that's what you want, you’ll be happy. Low season is June through August, when temperatures soar uncomfortably.