Travel guide – the sinai peninsula and the red sea
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Overview
Sinai is about contrasts. A desert interior full of history, where Moses received the Ten Commandments en route to the Promised Land, the Pharaohs found gold and searched for their gods, and where the Bedouins camp beside ruins of Crusader Forts. Christianity, Judaism and Islam know Sinai as a holy land and over the years prophets, saints, pilgrims and warriors have crossed this vast nothingness. Mount Sinai and St Catherine’s Monastery at its foot are frequently visited.
The desert comes to an abrupt end at the Red Sea, where exquisite coral reefs provide a fine underwater playground for divers and snorkellers from around the world. The coral reefs along the Sinai coastline are among the best in the world and ‘diving tourism’ is the most recent catchphrase on the peninsula. The Red Sea has one of the highest amounts of marine life variety in all the tropical seas.
Visitors come to experience the simplicity of sun, sea and sand, surrounded by rugged mountains, history and modern Bedouin culture.
With more of a Bohemian feel, golden beaches and a laid back atmosphere, Dahab has both budget accommodation and excellent hotels catering for the more luxury-seeking guest. It has a fiercely competitive array of seafront restaurants for open-air dining and many souvenir shopping opportunities. Lying alongside the deepest section of the Great Rift Valley that extends down through Africa, the underwater scenery is dramatic with steep drops, valleys and canyons. Most of the diving is shore diving, and is easily accessed by taking a pick-up truck to the beaches stretching in either direction. Some of the superb dive and snorkelling sites nearby include the Blue Hole, one of the best in the Sinai region, and the Canyon, but only TEC-divers are allowed to dive the deeper sections of such formations.
A world-acclaimed dive centre and the most developed of the Red Sea resorts, Sharm el-Sheikh has many activities, luxury accommodation and restaurants available. Most hotels and diving centres are situated four miles (7km) from the city at Naama Bay and it has become a busy holiday resort with plenty of shopping opportunities, late night entertainment and an attractive resort atmosphere. Numerous dive sites are within reach of Sharm el-Sheikh, including the huge drop-offs at Ras Mohammed in the extreme southern part of the peninsula, the Straits of Tiran, wrecks and 28 sites located along the coast that are reached by boat. Naama Bay has a gently sloping sandy bottom, is ideal for dive classes, and provides diving and snorkelling opportunities for all levels without having to use a boat or car to get there. Besides excellent diving and snorkelling, which are the main activities, there are plenty of watersports available if one feels like doing more than just soaking up the sun. Add a vibrant nightlife with casinos, discos and nightclubs and one cannot complain of boredom.
Climate
Except for the Mediterranean coast the country experiences a desert climate, which is hot and dry most of the year, especially in the summer months (June to August). Winter is from December to February with average temperatures of 68 to 79°F (20 to 26°C).
Health
There are a number of health risks associated with travel to Egypt and travellers should check that their inoculations are up-to-date before leaving. Typhoid, Hepatitis A and polio immunisation is recommended. Come prepared to beat the heat with a high factor sunblock, and drink plenty of water to combat dehydration. Drinking water in the main cities and towns is normally chlorinated but it is advisable to only drink bottled water. Traveller's diarrhoea is the most common form of illness for travellers; visitors should only eat thoroughly cooked food and fruits they have peeled themselves. The waters of the Nile are contaminated and should not be consumed or bathed in. A yellow fever vaccination certificate is required from travellers over one year of age coming from infected areas. Medical treatment can be expensive and standards vary so insurance is strongly advised, including evacuation. Medical facilities outside of Cairo can be very basic. Cases of bird flu have been reported, and although the risk is low for travellers, all close contact with caged, domestic and wild birds should be avoided, and all poultry and egg dishes well cooked as a precaution.
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