The Red Sea

The Red Sea’s eastern shore stretches some 1000 miles from Suez to the Sudanese border, bounded for much of its length by beautiful mountain ranges, hidden coves and sandy beaches lapped by azure waters. The one-time small fishing village of Hurghada has grown into the largest of the resorts along this coast and, whilst somewhat commercial, has a wide choice of hotels. To the north lies the exclusive resort of Al-Gouna, which has attractive traditional Nubian and Mediterranean-inspired architecture skillfully landscaped into its surroundings, whilst some 20km to the south of Hurghada is the prestigious new resort of Sahl Hasheesh. Lying on a 12km-long bay with sandy beaches, the resort has a number of luxury hotels with excellent facilities.

To the north-east, Egypt’s Sinai coastline juts into the sea between the Gulfs of Suez and Aqaba, its coastal plain fringed with sandy beaches lapped by turquoise waters against a backdrop of majestic multi-coloured mountains. On the south-eastern tip lies Sharm el Sheikh. Originally a simple haunt of the diving cognoscenti, Sharm has grown into a major resort with a wide variety of hotels, including numerous luxury ones lying in extensive grounds along the coast from the town itself.

Apart from the wide-ranging facilities offered by the various resorts themselves, there is much else to see and do further afield, whether it be exploring the ancient monasteries and stunning landscapes of the Sinai and the Eastern Desert, following ancient caravan routes across the desert, or a day visiting the Nile Valley. However, a highlight must be the sea itself. The shallow shelves fringing the Red Sea are home to spectacular, colourful coral reefs teeming with marine life. With over 1000 species of fish and some 200 different hard and soft corals, these waters offer some of the best diving in the world.