Egypt offers a lot of non-commercial destinations that can do wonders for your mind and body. Skip the late night partying, waking up after sunset and eating-packed holidays for a relaxing and fit vacation instead
El Gouna
El Gouna is a self-contained resort town on the Red Sea with sandy beaches and ideal temperatures. Internationally recognized as an environmentally friendly destination, it is unique because it is home to a multi-cultural, international community.
As a fully developed town, it offers all the services required for a hassle-free vacation or permanent living. In addition to 14 hotels, the various sports and fitness activities, restaurants and exciting nightlife, it is worth visiting as one of the most sought-after destinations.
Visitors will enjoy a large variety of sports in El Gouna that include water sports such as windsurfing, kite-boarding, parasailing, fishing safaris, wakeboarding, waterskiing, snorkeling, deep sea diving and fun tubes.
Moreover, El Gouna is a famous destination for avid golf players. Golf is known to burn 266 calories per hour in general (average body weight of 70 kg). El Gouna Golf Club offers an 18-hole championship course with driving range, chipping and pitching area and putting greens. Rental services are available for clubs, trolleys and golf carts.
However, sports in El Gouna include so much more; from tennis, squash, biking, beach buggies, to horseback riding and beach volleyball.
Be sure to check the events taking place in El Gouna as various festivals, like the yoga festival, take place throughout the year.
Marsa Alam
Located some 800 km south of Cairo, Marsa Alam enjoys an amiable sunny weather all year round. With its stunning sea views, tantalizing dive spots, it is without a doubt the future of the Red Sea Riviera. In contrast to fully developed resorts in Sinai, Marsa Alam is still in its infancy with no real downtown and virtually no nightlife outside your hotel premises. However, relaxation and privacy score high when it comes to Marsa Alam.
Due to its tranquil and relaxing nature, Marsa Alam is the perfect destination for outdoor fitness enthusiasts. Most hotels opened there enjoy beautiful landscaping that makes a stroll, jog or even a run a cathartic experience.
The virgin beaches also offer the perfect spot for meditation. In fact, a group of Asian meditation lovers chose Marsa Allam in 2010 to hold a week-long meditating week.
Diving, a sport that burns around 210 calories per hour (average body weight of 70 kg), is of course a popular sport there; board the boat and head to Elphinstone. Grey Reef, Oceanic White Tip and White Tip Reef sharks are just some of the big fish that frequents the world-renowned reef. Elphinstone is split into two sections; the north - due to strong current can be best dived when the weather is favouring, and the south, a striking paradise of hard and soft corals with a plethora of Napoleons and snappers. Head there for an early morning or late afternoon dive, if you are up for Hammerhead sharks. If sharks are not your cup of tea, just head to the sandy beach of Abu Dabbab where a resident Dugong call the place home. Dugong, more commonly known as sea cow, is an endangered marine mammal that can be seen in a handful of locations around the world.
Hamata
Hamata is a tiny fishermen’s village located some one hundred kilometers south of Marsa Alam. Missing on Hurgada’s bustling shopping streets and Sharm El Sheikh’s glamorous nightlife, Hamata scores high when it comes to nature and outdoor activities.
Being part of Wadi El Gemal, Hamata Natural Protectorate has one of the most beautiful mangrove thickets in the whole of the Red Sea coast. Mangrove is essential to the surrounding ecology, not only for the role it plays for migrating and residence birds alike, but also for acting as a natural nursery for small fishes and crustaceans.
From Red Sea endemic White-eyed Gull, to populace Sooty Gull, and from the dusk hunter Sooty Falcon to the pure piscivore Osprey; this is heaven for any bird watcher. Even if you are not a fan of birds, having a stroll on the beach and enjoying the last rays of light as it fades on such spectacular natural scenery is deemed indescribable.
If you are up for a sandy ride, then don’t miss the safari into the Eastern Desert where you will enjoy the ethereal landscape of a different planet. Desert safaris target several destinations, among which is the historically important Sikiet Temple. The temple is part of an ancient site that was dubbed the Ancient World’s largest emerald mine. The precious gem is long gone, but the wrecking edifices that are still in place are witness to a civilization that once flourished.
When compared to Sharm El Sheikh or Hurgada, Hamata’s divers are low in number; the underwater environment is less disturbed. Head for the dive spot of your life—Maksur Reef. Soft, hard or even fan corals paint the scenery in Technicolor bloom, while schools of pelagic, rays and sharks ply the reef. Forget about White-tip sharks and Hammerheads, if you come at the right time of the year, you can be lucky and spot a whale shark. Maksur Reef is a drift dive that requires diving experience for its strong current. Follows suit is the spectacular Claudio Reef with its cave system. Being relatively shallow, the caves enjoy a good amount of light and you can end up with some amazing underwater shots. Free swimming morays will most probably be there to greet you, as well as Napoleons and Leopard Sharks. If you are into wreck diving, there is no wreck as scenic as that of the Tienstin. The Chinese tugboat went down on 26 October 1943, now it is literally encrusted with corals. During low tide, snorkelers can get a glimpse of the wreck while its bow breaks the water surface.
Hamata is becoming a world-renowned kite surfing hotspot. Kitesurfing works mainly the legs, gluteus maximus and abdominals and it burns off around 500 – 1000 calories in a two-hour session. With the kitesurfing zeal skyrocketing in Europe, kitesurfing holiday packages are up for grabs. And those legions of thrill hungry kitesurfers are looking for one thing—the perfect lagoon. Hamata happened to host one. A 2.5 km by 1.8 km knee-deep lagoon is any kite surfer’s dream, especially if the wind conditions are favorable.
Another in-fashion type of outdoor activity is desert sailing. Following the footsteps of water sailing, yet in an avant-garde creative way, sand sailing involves a three-wheel metal cart that moves across the flat desert terrain catching the wind in its sail.
Dahab
Overshadowed by Sinai’s tourism prima donna—Dahab often misses tourists’ brochures altogether. The laid back town has grown a reputation for being a backpackers’ wonderland, though deep down it has something to offer every taste with its diverse points of attraction. From attention grabbing camel diving safari and adrenaline pumping rock climbing to 365 days sunbathing prime time and a mouthwatering culinary scene.
Dahab comes in with a wide array of outdoor activities on offer. Tops the list is the Red Sea most popular sport—diving. Eel Garden is Dahab’s most famous diving site. As the name might imply, the offshore dive spot is a garden of eels. Getting out of town, one has two diving directions to choose from. Head south and enjoy the majestic site of Three Pools or head north to the magnificent Blue Hole. The enormous hole offers a number of amazing diving opportunities with Bells remaining an all time favorite diving spot. Diving Bells, one has to go through a natural funnel-like formation that ends with a vertical tube shooting you down straight to 25m deep.
Dahab is capitalizing on its great diving opportunities and now it is starting to introduce a new version of diving—free-diving. A form of sport where you put your body to the challenge as you descend deep into the water without diving gear, free-diving is the new “it thing” in the realm of adventurous sports. Another thrilling diving experience on offer is camel diving safari. Pack your diving gear on camel backs and head to an offshore diving spot where you would go diving in the morning and camping at night. The two-in-one innovative idea gives you a golden opportunity to enjoy both diving as well as camel safari. Desert Divers have introduced this new excursion. A lot of trip organizers offer a hike to Ras Abu Gallum, an-hour walk from Blue Hole that can burn about 270 calories (average weight of 70 kg). The walk along the beach trail usually takes place by early sunrise or at sunset (if you’re planning to set camp there).
You can also hike the Colored Canyon and enjoy breathtaking views of the desert.
Nuweiba
The town of Nuweiba is the most relaxing and nature-loving area of the Sinai Peninsula. With hardly any concrete establishments, Nuweiba is characterized by sandy clear beaches, warm weather all year round and eco-friendly lodges.
The coastal city, which means “springs” in Arabic, is located around 150 km north of the Red Sea resort Sharm El Sheikh, 70 km south of Taba and 465 km southeast from Cairo..
The most popular activity in Nuweiba is diving and snorkeling. Don’t miss the chance to see an array of incredibly unique marine life. A small reef is located south of Tarabin, otherwise better snorkeling and diving is found at Ras Shitan. Camel treks are found along the town and can be arranged from the Bedouins at Tarabin. You can just ride along the beach or go into the mountain interior. If you’re looking for a more serene activity, then head to Basata camp where you will find many guests indulging in yoga, pilates or meditation in the “Main Tent.” In fact, these activities are taken very seriously there that absolute silence is required from everyone.
