An unforgettable journey on the Thistlegorm
Category Archives: Travelling to Egypt
Wild Beaches of Dahab
Winter Showers, May Flowers
Insight into the Bedouin community in the Sinai
Click the link below to read our latest article in Egypt Today:
Winter Showers, May Flowers
“Desert guru Eid al Atrash provides an oral history of the spring pasturing traditions of the Bedouin of Sinai”
By Krista Masonis and Eid al Atrash
Photography by Eid Al Atrash
Heavy rains fell on the parched high mountain plateaus of South Sinai this winter, leaving a bountiful crop in their wake. As small green sprouts push through the cracked earth offering promise of nourishment and health, this spring the Bedouin nomads…”
http://egypttoday.com/blog/2014/05/05/winter-showers-may-flowers/
The other side of Petra, Jordan.
Petra is a day trip from Sharm el Sheikh
I think there is no need to describe what Petra is, where it is, why it is special, etc.
It’s one of the top tourist destinations, and I think I’ve never met a person who doesn’t know about it.
Nonetheless, that doesn’t make it less impressive. When I was there, I was pretty much silent all day long. It was like the words were unworthy, unnecessary. I already mentioned in one post how I often associate music with places/buildings. For Petra I couldn’t get Cortez the killer out of my head.
Hate was just a legend
And war was never known
The people worked together
And they lifted many stones.
They carried them
To the flatlands
And they died along the way
But they built up
With their bare hands
What we still can’t do today.
Here are some of my photos. There’s no Treasury and Monastery on them. Not…
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23 Vintage Photos of Egypt’s Golden Years
Egypt in a different light and time…
A woman reading a magazine in the 1950s
By Mohamed Khairat, Founder, EgyptianStreets.com
Egypt in the 1900s was a different place. Egyptian cinema was the third largest in the world, Cairo was a city that foreigners dreamt of spending their holidays exploring, Egyptian music flourished and shook the world, Jews, Muslims and Christians lived together as neighbours, and women had freedoms that were unheard of in many other countries.
Egypt was a place of liberal spirits, unhampered by sectarian and ethnic prejudices. The rights of men, women and children were championed.
Yet, all that has changed, and often may Egyptians forget the Egypt that used to be. Here are 23 photographs of vintage advertisements and other images that will teleport you to Egypt’s ‘golden years’ and show you an Egypt you may have forgotten ever existed.
(These photographs are available thanks to ‘Vintage Egypt. Click here for more)
1. “The Japanese do…
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International Women’s Day: Where is Egypt now?
Egyptian women mark International Women’s Day in 2013 by taking to the streets. Credit: AFP
By Farida Ezzat, Contributor, EgyptianStreets.com (editing by Mohamed Khairat)
Since its start in the socialist movement, International Women’s Day has been a day where female activists all over the world come together under the certainty that women’s equality is not only a sign of societal development, but a human right that cannot be overlooked.
It is a day where thousands of women defy society’s restrictive and discriminating views of women and march for hours chanting their rights of equal pay, voting rights and overall equality.
A day to celebrate women’s freedom and courage, International Women’s Day stands as a reminder of how far we have come and how long we have to go.
With political instabilities and economical downfalls, women have continued to brave discrimination and sexual abuse in order to fight for…
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Introducing Sharm el Sheikh
Sharm el Sheikh is located at the tip of the Sinai Peninsula along the Red Sea Coast. Once a sleepy fishing village, Sharm el Sheikh is now a cosmopolitan resort town boasting some of the best scuba diving in the world. A dry, temperate climate, clear waters, and an abundance of coral and marine life make scuba diving and snorkeling a year-round activity.
Air temperatures average around 30° C (86 F) with summer months (June-Sept) 33° C-37° C (93° F – 97° F) and winter (Dec-Mar) averages around 22° C (72° F). Water temperatures range from 22° C (72° F) in winter to a balmy 28° C (82° F) in summer.
- Enjoy the evening along one of Naama Bay’s pedestrian streets
Naama Bay is the main downtown area with it’s restaurants, clubs, and hotels. Stroll the pedestrian streets in Naama Bay past international chains and numerous local cafes and restaurants featuring traditional Egyptian cuisine and entertainment. Naama Bay comes to life at night when people gather to eat, shop and relax after a day on the beach or snorkeling & diving in the Red Sea.
Dramatic scenery coupled with strict environmental laws have made Sharm a prime spot for water sports like diving, snorkeling, parasailing, and windsurfing. In fact, Sharm was voted the Traveller’s Choice 2012 Destination Winner on TripAdvisor.
- Sharm el Sheikh boasts long stretches of sandy beach and fringing coral reefs. Perfect for snorkeling or swimming right from your hotel.
Sharm el Sheikh is about 30 km long spanning the Red Sea coast from Hadaba to Nabq Bay. Where ever you decide to holiday in Sharm, you will find stunning mountain views, warm waters and friendly locals who desire to make your holiday the best it can be. We want you to enjoy your stay, tell your friends, and come back to Egypt!
Diving is one of the premiere activities in Sharm. Even if you have never dived before you can jump in and experience the Red Sea when you take a Discover Scuba Dive.
Certified Divers can enjoy the sheer variety of diving that Sharm offers. From Ras Mohamed National Park to the Strait of Tiran to the World War II wreck Thistlegorm divers will always find a new and exciting underwater landscape that boasts over 1200 species of coral reef, fish, and marine mammals.
- Ras Mohamed National Park encompasses 480 km², including 135 km² of surface land area and 345 km² area over water.
Long regarded as one of the best dive sites in the world, Shark & Yolanda Reef is the most popular dive site in Ras Mohamed National Park. The Park can also be enjoyed by land and offers hiking, swimming, snorkeling and diving from pristine beaches overlooking some of the most stunning coral reefs in the Red Sea.
Divers can also explore the magnificent Straits of Tiran in the Gulf of Aqaba. The Straits are home to five main reefs with dozens of dive sites: Laguna, Jackson, Woodhouse, Thomas, and Gordon all of which offer exciting and varied diving.
- The Napolean Humphead Wrasse is a common site on Red Sea Reefs. They can grow to over 2 meters!
Did you know? The Red Sea hosts one of the largest mooring projects in the world. Moorings are permanently affixed to dead coral rock in the sea allowing boats to tie up to a dive site without ever dropping an anchor. This protects the reef and preserves the underwater environment for generations to come.
There is a no touch, no take, no break rule when diving the Red Sea. Don’t touch any coral or marine life, do not take anything out of the sea and watch your buoyancy and fin tips so that you do not break any of the coral!
- The Thistlegorm is the most popular wreck in the world. Sunk in WWII she was loaded with cargo that can still be found at the dive site.
Take a step back into history when you dive the Thistlegorm. Since Jacques Cousteau first dived the wreck in the early 1950’s, thousands of visitors have explored the amazing wreckage loaded with Bedford trucks, motorcycles, wellington boots, and other cargo meant for the allied forces in North Africa. The ship was sunk about 40 km from Sharm in the Gulf of Suez. Take a trip to the Thistlegorm and feel the power of history as you swim through the cargo holds and explore the nooks and crannies of this bucket list dive!
- Take a Camel Safari through the spectacular scenery in the Sinai
Surface Intervals are as varied as the diving itself. If you can’t get enough of the sea, there’s swimming,snorkeling, kitesurfing, parasailing and boating.
Desert trips are a popular way to see the rest that Sharm has to offer. Spend an evening at a Bedouin Camp and learn how they navigate through the desert using the stars and constellations.
Take a camel or jeep safari and check out the spectacular mountain ranges, hidden valleys, and colored canyons of the South Sinai. Visit the oldest working monastery in the world and summit the highest point in Egypt, Mount Sinai.
- Hikers start the trip to the top of Mount Sinai at night so they reach the summit for the sunrise.
Mount Sinai is said to be the place where Moses received the 10 Commandments. At the base of the peak is the oldest monastery in the world, St. Catherine’s. You can tour the monastery and see the burning bush and other icons. The monastery can be coupled with a hike to the summit or toured on its own.
- St. Catherine’s Monastery is set in valley between soaring peaks.
There are many other spectacular sites to visit in the Sinai, but if you’ve never been to Cairo or Luxor you may consider a day trip to see the sights in these ancient cities. Your tour representative can easily arrange these tours for you at very reasonable prices. Cairo and Luxor are best experienced with a well organized tour operator to make the most of your vacation time. These tours leave early in the morning and have you back at your hotel in Sharm for a late dinner.
- The Sphinx at the Great Pyramids of Giza in Cairo
No matter what you’d like to do on your holiday, Sharm can star as a fantastic water sport and desert exploring destination and serve as a convenient and relaxing base to explore the ancient wonders of Egypt. We look forward to seeing you soon!
Get Ready for your Next Adventure: Discover Scuba Diving
What is a Discover Scuba Dive?
What better place than in the splendid Red Sea to Discover Scuba Diving! The under water world is like no other and the experience of weightlessness can only be described as floating in outer space. No wonder astronauts are train as scuba divers before going into space!
You can choose to do the dive in two ways:
Shore based: We pick you up in the morning from your hotel, take you to our diving center where you will register and meet your instructor. You’ll watch a video and take a quick quiz, confined water training, and then a dive in the Red Sea.
On the Boat: Jump right in and experience scuba diving in the Red Sea! Get picked up at your hotel in the morning, to the marina and out on the boat to a world class dive site suitable for beginners. Your instructors are there to guide you every step of the way, from briefings to gear fittings to splashing into the sea! They’ll teach you a few skills and then take you on a mission to Find Nemo!
It’s easy to fit a Discover Scuba Dive into your holiday just use the contact form below and we’ll start the adventure!
Sports tourism: a growing trend in Egypt
Adventures Abound in Egypt….and not just underwater!
Mount Catherine makes for an exhilarating and interesting challenge
(photo from Destination 31)
Egypt is known for its Red Sea beaches, awesome Alexandrian seaside for long nightly promenades and most importantly, the Pyramids. We are not exactly known for a land of modern adventures, but this is quickly changing. The young people of Egypt are hip, modern and fit (well, at least most of them) and they are demanding a change in the usual vacation time traditions. The idea of sitting by the beach and reading a novel seems too mundane for those who seek the thrill of excitement. That is why sports tourism is growing.
We consulted one of the hip and happening Egyptian eco-tourism travel companies, Destination 31, about their take on the trend. A relatively new company, founded in 2009 by three friends, they have specialised in adventure tourism and extreme sports. “Adventure travel and sports…
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Egypt Through Time: Photographs From 1800-2013
Take a quick historical photo journey through Egypt from 1800 to present day.
Since the 2011 revolution, old photographs of Egypt and classic films showing an elegant and prosperous Egyptian society have sporadically appeared on social networks. Essentially, many are searching to learn and be inspired by the past in order to build a brighter future. Below, is a collection of photographs of Egypt (mainly from Cairo and Alexandria) taken between the 1800s and present day.
1800s
1900-1939
1940-1999
Present Day
[Photographs sourced from various locations – many without credits. Some sources include Egypt Zaman, The Denver Post, LIFE, and The New York Public Library]
Xpat Dive Guide 