Middle East - Anthony Ham [154]
In Marsa Alam, there are a couple of cafés at the junction in town where you can find ta’amiyya and similar fare, and there’s a small supermarket with a modest selection of basics.
Getting There & Away
Air
Marsa Alam International Airport ( 370 0005) is 67km north of Marsa Alam along the Al-Quseir road. There is no public transport, so you’ll need to arrange a transfer in advance with your hotel. The airport is currently used only by charters.
Bus
There is no bus station in Marsa Alam. For transport to the Nile Valley, wait at the petrol station in Marsa Alam, or at the T-junction about 1km further along on the Edfu road. Buses from Shalatein pass Marsa Alam en route to Aswan (E£25, six hours), via Edfu (E£20, four hours), at around 7am, 9am and 12am daily.
There are four daily buses to Al-Quseir (E£10, two hours) and Hurghada (E£30, five hours), between 5am and 8pm. There’s a direct bus to Cairo (E£80 to E£90, 11 to 12 hours) at 6pm and 8pm.
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SINAI
The breathtaking region of Sinai is one of the most unique in all Egypt. Famed as the place where Moses received the Ten Commandments from the big man in the sky, it’s also here that ancient and modern armies fought and Bedouin tribes established their homes. This striking desertscape rolls straight into the turquoise waters of the Red Sea, offering countless opportunities for exploration of both the mountainous desert and pristine underwater ecology. Visitors can take their pick of places to stay while exploring the peninsula: the glitzy resorts of Sharm el-Sheikh, the chilled-out vibes of Dahab, or the remote and low-key Nuweiba and St Katherine’s Monastery.
In recent years Sinai resorts have been the targets of terrorist bombs. In October 2004 a bomb in Taba, on the border with Israel, killed 34 people; in July 2005 three bombs in Sharm el-Sheikh and Na’ama Bay claimed 64 lives; and bombs in Dahab in 2006 took another 24 lives. Though tourism was relatively unaffected by the Taba and Dahab bombs (the notable exception being tourism from Israel), international arrivals immediately dropped as a result of the Sharm el-Sheikh and Na’ama Bay bombings, taking months to stabilise.
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RAS MOHAMMED NATIONAL PARK
Declared a national marine park (admission per person/vehicle US$5/5; 8am-5pm) in 1988, the headland of Ras Mohammed lies about 20km west of Sharm el-Sheikh. The waters surrounding the peninsula are considered the jewel in the crown of the Red Sea, and the park is inundated with more than 50,000 visitors annually, enticed by the prospect of marvelling at some of the world’s most spectacular coral-reef ecosystems. Camping permits cost US$5 per person per night and are available from the visitors centre inside the park, but camping is allowed only in designated areas. Take your passport with you, and remember that it is not possible to go to Ras Mohammed National Park if you only have a Sinai permit in your passport.
You can hire a taxi from Sharm el-Sheikh to bring you here for around E£150 for the day. If you don’t mind company, the easiest option is to join one of the many day tours by jeep or bus from Sharm el-Sheikh and Na’ama Bay, most of which will drop you at the best beaches and snorkelling sites. Expect to pay from E£150.
To move around the park you’ll need a vehicle. Access is restricted to certain parts of the park and, for conservation reasons, it’s forbidden to leave the official tracks.
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SHARM EL-SHEIKH & NA’AMA BAY
069 / pop 35,000
Sharm is the main jumping-off point for spectacular, world-class diving found just off its turquoise shores. Alas, in recent years a development frenzy has