The vast majority of first time tourists to Egypt will go for the leading resorts of Sharm el Sheikh and Hurghada but Dahab possesses a charm of its own that many of us going back to Egypt discovered. Right along side the main bay are several small cafes and restaurants, some have their own little bit of beach. Visitors visit to Dahab to sit back with a drink in hand and look out over the clear, blue waters of the Gulf of Aqaba.

Dahab is also a popular area for divers who make their way here to dive the legendary ‘Blue Hole’. The dive organisations in Sharm el Sheikh and Nuweiba regularly bring divers here for a day trip and this gives a sign of the interest of the dive site. Of the many fantastic dive sites in Egypt, the Blue Hole in Dahab is widely seen as one place every scuba diver must experience. It isn’t the only dive site in the Dahab region and the water is teeming with vibrant fish and beautiful coral formations.

For anyone wanting a little retail therapy, you will find the regular souvenirs available alongside places to buy jewellery, perfumes and other fragrances. It will always be possible to negotiate with the market stall owners to try to get yourself a good deal and negotiating is also an element of the shopping experience in many of the normal outlets no matter what they may be selling.

Dahab is really a great starting point to head out there and discover the Sinai. Snorkelling excursions are common as are quad bikes out in the desert. Day trips to St Catherine’s Monastery high in the mountains are worthwhile, even if you choose the very early start time to see the sun rise from Mount Sinai. For anyone looking for a relaxing destination which has a bit of character, Dahab is definitely worth thinking about. 

The snorkelling excursion is run on a fantastic boat with masts and plenty of deck space allowing you to relax in the sunshine. The setting in the northern area of the Gulf of Aqaba is wonderful with the mountain tops of the Sinai on one side and spectacular views across to Jordan on the other. Nonetheless, the exceptional sights are found in the clear, welcoming waters.

Before you don your mask and go into the water, the snorkelling leader will brief you about a small number of things about the snorkelling area. Dive boats also visit Pharoah’s Island so despite the fact that it’s very easy to only look down and watch the range of marine life, you need to be conscious of various other boats, divers and where you are.

After the formalities are complete, your own snorkelling crowd goes into the sea and you are an observer on a breathtaking underwater world filled with life and colour. Many of us believe that diving is the ideal way to observe the awesome marine life on the coral reefs yet snorkelling has one particular big advantage. Normal scuba equipment is what is termed open circuit. In Layman’s terms, it means that when you breathe out using scuba gear, you to produce flow of bubbles into the water. This has a tendency to annoy the little fish hence it’s harder to get close to them. However, there aren’t any bubbles when snorkelling and you’ll float along in your own quiet world and you’ll be very impressed at just how close you are able to the little fish without frightening them away.

The array of fish and things to spot while snorkelling at Farun Island is quite simply mind blowing. In a perfect world you should aim to get closer to the coral as many of the creatures stay near to it but don’t forget not to touch since there are lots of things such as Fire Coral and Lion Fish that can give you a nasty sting. It is quite likely you will come across the tiny Clown Fish which we all love. If you are very fortunate, you may also see a Frog Fish which is seen in this area of Egypt. Outings to Pharoah’s Island are common and operate on a daily basis.

With more than three miles of natural beaches there are lots of quiet spots offering superb snorkelling opportunities. Dive boats operate from the international marina daily and there are a range of outlets and places to eat in the area at the side of the El Wekala called the Uptown. Once a week in Uptown, there is a street festival where guests and locals get together for an evening of entertainment. For all those residing in the hotels along the sea front, free buses operate taking people round the resort.

Many hotels are positioned around the golf course making this a wonderful desert setting. The 5* hotels sit alongside the beach and higher up the slopes at the highest point of Taba Heights is the 4* El Wekala Golf Resort. This is an all-inclusive place which features its own area of beach which has a bar and swimming pool. There’s also a Dine Around Privilege enabling guests to sample the dinner at various restaurants on the other hotels in Taba Heights.

The holiday resort is a superb base to explore the area together with excursions to Eilat and Jerusalem in Israel or the spectacular Petra in Jordan. For those not wanting to travel too far, St Catherines Monastery is a well known excursion which is often put together with a trip to the relaxed resort of Dahab.

For the people eager to look at the coral reefs, one can find choices for scuba divers and snorkellers as well. Farun Island (or Pharoahs Island) is a common spot for boats with both snorkellers and divers. There’s an ancient fort on the island constructed by the Saracen Salahdin during the time of the Crusades. The trips all depart from the harbour and for divers, there are lots of excellent sites well suited for all levels of diver giving a wonderful assortment of marinelife. For the moment, Taba Heights remains a rather unknown jewel in the Sinai however with so much to offer you tourists it’s becoming more and more sought after.

In contrast to the busy dive sites of Sharm el Sheikh, you will often find that yours is the only dive boat at a site in Taba. This is one of the attractions of the area and is an excellent alternative to the popular reefs of Jackson or Shark & Yolanda at the other end of the Sinai.

The dive sites around Taba Heights don’t take long to get to which means there is usually the option of a 3rd dive of the day…never a bad thing ! ! The site that attracts most boats is Farun Island (aka Pharoah’s Island). There is an old fort and lookout post on the island built during the times of the crusades by the Saracen Saladin who was the great rival of Richard the Lionheart. As well as being a popular dive site, it is also the destination for snorkelling trips. Nonetheless, it’s a lovely setting and an easy site to dive.

Taba Heights is the perfect destination for underwater photographers. It’s shallow dive sites are home to countless species of colourful marine life including the hideous looking Frogfish. It is a type of Anglerfish that ambushes it’s prey and the speed of attack happens faster than the eye can see.

All sorts of other creatures such as Moray eel, colourful nudibranchs, clownfish, lionfish, sea stars and shrimp can all be found in abundance around Taba. Unfortunately, night diving is not permitted due to restrictions as the borders with Israel, Jordan and Saudi Arabia are all so close. Its a pity as night dives would surely be as impressive as diving during the day in Taba.

HEPCA scientists and divers along with volunteer divers from Hurghada carried out a survey and collection dive at Carless Reef, north of Hurghada. This mission came about as a result of recent reports of a Crown of Thorns outbreak at the reef. After initial surveys at and around the reef, it was discovered that a spot outbreak (i. e. limited to a specific location) was in-progress at the reef.

A HEPCA statement was sent out and volunteers gathered at HEPCA premises on Wednesday the 16^th for a cleanup and collection training session given by HEPCA scientists.

The survey and cleanup discovered that the Crown of Thorns were not actively feeding and had not spread from the North side of Carless Reef. More than one hundred creatures were gathered by the volunteers. It was discovered that they were all close to maturity which means that the outbreak would have spread dramatically in the coming months and years had they not been collected.

HEPCA scientists warned that the situation needs continued monitoring and further cleanup of the reef is required.

For anyone diving in the Red Sea, click here to download a Crown of Thorns sighting report sheet or visit the HEPCA website for additional information.

Tourists visiting Cairo’s Egyptian Museum, which houses Tutankhamun’s golden death mask, were welcomed by staff with roses.

The museum stands on Tahrir Square, the focus of the unrest, and some artefacts were stolen or damaged.

The upheaval is said to have cost the tourism industry $800m (£500m).

The usually busy galleries of the Egyptian Museum were virtually deserted when doors opened on Sunday, Reuters news agency reports.

“It was very important for us to open the museum to stop the rumours like ‘the mask of King Tutankhamun was stolen’ or there had been an orgy of looting,” said museum director Tarek El Awady.

“This is a chance for visitors to see for themselves.”

One tourist, Dutch supermarket worker Sandra de Rooij, said she and others had ventured out after assurances from tour operators.

“We gambled, we didn’t know the museum would be open,” she added.

Canadian tourist Barbara Bonkowsky said she had been “determined to come and see the museum in a new Egypt”, after the downfall of President Hosni Mubarak.

Source: BBC (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-12521034)

The time of year can be really crucial. This can both be important due to the actual weather and climate as well as the amount of money that you have to shell out on the trip that you embark on. In the course of the high season rates are a lot higher, but you also need to take into consideration the climate and temperature.

The duration of the trip is one more critical element for you to take into account too. If you’re only going to Egypt for the purpose of taking a Nile cruise then something up to between 7 to 10 days might be appropriate. If, however, the cruise is going to be part of a general vacation then a longer trip may be a better plan.

Consider how much you are happy to spend on the entire trip. Needless to say this will vary according to the time of year, the length of the getaway, and the star quality of the cruise that you embark upon. If you’re travelling from a Western nation, however, 5 star Nile cruises are certainly affordable. Take some time checking prices and you should manage to find a few good choices.

Whenever you visit a place like Egypt it is very important to get yourself adequate travel insurance. There are various risks that you might encounter including the threat of terrorism or medical issues. A full travel insurance policy, therefore, will be vital. You’ll find a selection of crucial things that you need to remember when you are packing as well. There can be particular medications you’ll want to bring along with, and suntan cream will certainly be a necessity. All through your journey also ensure that you drink water frequently so that you remain hydrated.

But despite upgrading its advice, the Foreign Office (FCO) is not currently organising a formal evacuation.

Foreign Secretary William Hague said he was concerned by the number of Britons trying to leave at Cairo airport.

While flights were coming in and out, a lack of staff meant it was not functioning properly, he said.

Meanwhile PM David Cameron and US President Barack Obama called for an “orderly transition” of government.

After discussing the crisis on Sunday, the two leaders said the north African country needed a comprehensive process of political reform, a Downing Street spokeswoman said.

They urged the Egyptian government to respond peacefully to protests and condemned the violence of recent days.

Mr Cameron also spoke to King Abdullah of Jordan about the ongoing violence, amid fears that extremists could try to exploit the situation.

The British Ambassador to Egypt, Dominic Asquith, said there were “lots of challenges” at Cairo airport.

FCO helpline
020 7008 0000 in the UK
(02) 2791 6000 in Egypt

Holidaymakers are also advised to keep in touch with their airline or tour operator
“That’s why we’ve got the team up there trying to help,” he sad. “There are flights going in and out but it is not orderly.”

Several flights to Britain have been cancelled, people are unable to use the internet to book, and schedules have been affected by the curfew imposed in the city.

The curfew in Cairo, Alexandria and Suez was extended by an hour on Sunday night to run from 1500 to 0800 local time rather than 1600 to 0800, Egyptian state television reported.

Most of the 20,000 UK tourists in Egypt are in Red Sea resorts, which the FCO considers to be safe.

The UK Foreign Office is warning against all non-essential travel to Cairo, Alexandria, Suez and Luxor, and say that anyone “without a pressing need” to be the first three of those cities should leave if it wass safe for them to do so.

Foreign Office minister Alistair Burt told the BBC: “We do want people to take the opportunity if they are able to leave… but as yet the situation has not reached the stage where we would necessarily be considering chartering planes and getting larger numbers out.”

Passengers arriving at Heathrow from Cairo speak of “frightening” experiences in Egypt

The FO says arrangements are being made for the spouses and children of British embassy staff in Cairo to leave the country on ordinary commercial flights.

Mr Hague said the welfare of British nationals was his top priority and he had sent extra consular staff to Cairo airport.

The foreign secretary also warned that Egypt could fall into the hands of extremists unless there were peaceful reforms.

He told the BBC: “It’s to avert those risks and meet the legitimate grievances and aspirations of the Egyptian people that we are urging the Egyptian authorities… to create a more broadly-based government.”

He said reforms should be “real and visible” and elections “free and fair”.

The US embassy in Cairo is telling Americans to consider leaving the country as soon as possible and will begin evacuation flights on Monday.

In Cairo, demonstrators are back on the streets for a sixth day, demanding the resignation of President Hosni Mubarak.

Alex Belfield, a presenter with BBC Leeds who is on holiday in Sharm El Sheikh, said tourists at his hotel had been told they could not leave the building for at least 24 hours.

Angry protesters gathered at Tahrir Square in Cairo amid increasing lawlessness
“This whole thing seemed a million miles away yesterday, but last night… when we got back [from dinner] the whole atmosphere had changed.

“The barricades had gone up at the front of the hotel… and there are 14 security guards in total, making it very clear we were not able to leave.”

Sean Tipton, from travel body Abta, said UK tourists required to travel to Luxor, which is a popular start and end point for Nile cruises, were “being taken to the cruise very quickly and got out of the place very quickly”.

The FO says it has had no reports of any trouble in Sharm El Sheikh.

In other travel news:

• British Midland International (BMI) said it would operate flights between Heathrow and Cairo on Monday but would change the times to operate outside the curfew. Its flights to Cairo were cancelled on Sunday
• Easyjet said it was operating a normal schedule to Egypt but offering passengers the chance to either rebook, or cancel and receive a voucher valid for future travel for up to a year
• Tui, the parent company of Thompson and First Choice, cancelled a flight to Aswan on Monday and one to Luxor on Tuesday. All excursions to Cairo and Luxor were also scrapped, but flights to Sharm El Sheikh, Hurghada and Marsa Alam were not affected.
• Other travel companies have cancelled excursions from Red Sea resorts to Cairo and ancient Egyptian sites in Giza and Luxor
• British Airways and Egyptair have altered their schedules
• The Independent’s travel editor, Simon Calder, said package holidays from the UK to Red Sea resorts were going ahead as normal, and tour operators had no liability to anybody who decided not to go.

Source: BBC News (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-12318528)

As with every shark attack anywhere worldwide, there is mass hysteria. The government bodies sealed seashores and diving operations although a number of people still ventured into the sea. It was not very long before two sharks were caught and shown the globe as the ones at fault. However, the Oceanic White Tip to blame for one attack was photographed by scuba divers and had different markings compared to the one which was captured.

Just as suddenly as the attacks started, they stopped. Shark gurus had travelled to Sharm from just about all over the entire world in an attempt to clarify what happened. The behaviour certainly wasn’t normal which means the only real explanation was that some type of man-made intervention were to blame.

In more remote parts of the Southern Red Sea, shark feeding will occur although it is against the law. A much more probable conclusion was that the vessel taking live sheep to Saudi Arabia threw dead livestock into the water. The busy shipping channels near the Straits of Tiran aren’t far from the spot in which the shark attacks occurred.

In reality, the reasons may never be known but things must be kept in perspective. Even though shark attacks are shocking, they’re astonishingly infrequent. In contrast, 3 tourist coach accidents in October, November and December claimed an overall total of 22 lives yet was given very little publicity. Happily, tourism in Egypt is rather tough and it has bounced back powerfully in the aftermath of a number of tragedies. Sharm is Egypt’s most well liked holiday location and will definitely be going strong in 2011.

The 4,600-year-old pyramid of Djoser almost collapsed in 1992 after being hit by an earthquake.

But in a bid to preserve the ancient structure, a firm from South Wales has been called in to keep the pyramid standing.

A team from Cintec in Newport has been contracted by the High Council of Egyptian Antiques to rescue the landmark, which is also known as the Step Pyramid.

The firm worked on Windsor Castle after the fire of 1992 and was also called upon by the Indian government to strengthen a major Delhi bridge ahead of last year’s Commonwealth Games.

And after building a reputation for preserving landmark structures, Cintec has won an £1.8million contract to save the Pyramid of Djoser.

The engineers will use self-inflating water-filled bags to bolster against the collapse of a damaged ceiling inside the pyramid.
Stainless steel structural reinforcement anchors will also be implement in a bid to secure the strength of the building’s central chamber.

Peter James, managing director of Cintec, said: ‘We are extremely pleased to have been appointed for this project and are always looking for new methods to support and maintain historical landmarks across the globe.

‘We recognise the importance of both historical and religious structures to their cultures and hope to continue to develop advanced reinforcement systems that will preserve archeological structures for future generations.

‘The Step Pyramid project is of particular importance to us as the entire structure could be destroyed at any point due to the damage on the ceiling and roof caused by the earthquake.

‘We aim to work as efficiently as possible on this project without comprising the design or strength of the structure.’
Built in around 2650BC as a burial place for Pharoah Djoser, the Step Pyramid can be found in Saqqara, around 19 miles south of Cairo.

Source: (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1344204/British-firm-called-save-Egypts-oldest-pyramid.html)