Sinai News

Located at the Hilton and the Moevenpick hotels in Taba, Aqua Sport is fun in the Red Sea. Pedalo or banana boats, waterskiing or windsurfing just name it. A speed boat is available for hourly hire and the glass bottom boat offers fun for the entire family.
Aqua Sport, which developed in over three decades into one of the world’s most respected diving organizations – it was the fifth PADI training facility in the world to be recognised as such - offers all kind of different dive certificates.
The Introductory Dive is intended for all people of all ages who have never experienced SCUBA before. The purpose for these dives is not to teach how to dive but to share with you the wonders of the aquatic realm. The dive is to a maximum depth of 6 meters (18 feet), with your own personal qualified instructor accompanying you.
Diving courses from PADI Scuba Diver Courses to Dive Master Courses and specialties like TEC dives are in the program. Boat and shore dives and dive packages for the certified diver, there is almost everything a diver longs for.
Aqua Sport pioneered the concept of “Drive and Dive” exploring the Red Sea ’s most isolated and spectacular dive sites. Travelling by air-conditioned four-wheel drive jeeps and camping under a sky set with a million stars, this is an experience of magnificent contrasts - underwater beauty versus the mystique of the desert. Combing the coastlines of Sinai and Jordan, AS Red Sea diving safaris rank as one of the world’s most unique diving holidays.
The company’s ethos has been based on the twin pillars of:
1. Pioneering exploration of the Red Sea’s coral reefs; and
2. Training an increasingly environmentally aware public to scuba dive safely. As a courtesy from Sinai 4 You ask for a 5 % discount.

Eilat is just across the border. The border crossing is easy and depending on traffic it takes about 30 minutes and you are in a different world.
Here are a few things to do while in Eilat:
A must see is the Dolphin Reef which offers the unusual opportunity of meeting and observing dolphins in their natural habitat. The Dolphin Reef is just midway between Taba border and town center.
The Underwater Observatory Marine Park invites for a dry experience to observe fish. The observatory is built so that you stand in the middle and the fish swim around you in a huge circular tank. Other features are a variety of large outdoor pools for sharks and turtle and stingrays.
IMAX is the ultimate amusement park. You can’t miss the blue pyramid in the center of town featuring special live performances, 3D movies, moving cars and other multimedia presentations that take visitors through the natural world of earthquakes, hurricanes, outer space and the human brain.
Finish the day with a stroll along the promenade and some shopping. ‘Mul HaYam’ (as the name suggests, the mall is situated in the town center and opposite the sea) is close by and offers brand names and unusual gifts like the Elath Stone, a gemstone also called King Salomon’s Stone. A mixture of chrysocolla intergrown with turquoise and copperis explain its blue to green color. No two pieces of this stone are alike.
Coffee shops, bars and restaurant are abundant. Try the falafel shops: pitta bread filled with falafel and salads of your choice as much as you want.

It is Ramadan and everything slows down a bit in these days. Ramadan means that Muslims abstain from food and drink during the daylight hours for the next 29 – 30 days. It also means contemplation.
In Sinai there is a place where contemplation is part of life. Alexandria Beach is for the traveler who looks for simplicity and the feeling of oneness with nature and beyond. Accommodation is simple in spacey thatched bungalows with a mattress on the floor. It is not very luxurious, but it is very clean. Nevertheless, nature spoils you with luxuruy. The sunrise over the Gulf of Aqaba, the wide sandy beach with coral riffs in reach, the mystical colors of the sunset make up for an unforgettable holiday retreat.
Alexandria is the perfect place for yoga and meditation.
Meditation seminars are hold frequently. The upcoming events by Michael Ostarek and Bhakti B. Hardy are scheduled for Sep 21 – 24 and Oct 14 – 18 titled Silence In You. Participants are welcome to book: alexandriabeach@hotmail.com
Alexandria Beach is just at the edge of Bir Sweir midway between Taba and Nuweiba and run by Bilal. Of Sudanese origin, he is a perfect host, who knows very well to spoil you with original Sudanese food and drinks while at the same time he respects your privacy.

Alexandria Beach in Bir Sweir
Yoga on the beach at sunset

The 2nd International Yoga Festival brings together very experienced multidimensional and distinguished teachers of the highest order from several continents to share their profound knowledge in an open atmosphere. Festival participants of all levels will explore, enjoy and find interest in topics ranging from philosophical, scientific, creative, physical and ethical cultures. The main physical Hatha Yoga Instructors are HA Wafaa, Jonathon Panks, Heather George, Dr. Stephanie Thankappan, Norbu Oberdorfer, Dr. Yogita Mehta, Guru Dileepji and Lila Leuzzi. Read more…..

Said’s camp in the area of Ras al Shatteen is one of the last places along the coast where the real Sinai - as we all used to know it - is very much alive: simplicity and the natural easy going hospitality, no electricity, but zillion stars, space to breathe. The silent presence of Said and his son make sure that your privacy is not disturbed. On the other side they are happy to share their tremendous knowledge with those who are interested.

Said’s camp consists of goat hair tents. The public showers are basic and clean. The restaurant serves simple and good food and plenty of tea flavored with herbs from the mountains.
This is a place to hang out, charge your battery and just be. Untamed nature and scenery are as powerful as they had always been.
For reservation: 010-5884617

Since ancient times people have been visiting Sinai and discovering the flora and fauna that resides there. In pharonic times, expeditions were made to the Sinai to gather medicinal plants for cultivation in the Temple Gardens of Karnak, Upper Egypt.

Sinai today still stands as a rich bed for plant diversity and for its wealth in medicinal plants. The flora of Sinai is represented by 1262 species of plants of which 520 are endemic to Egypt and 36 species are purely endemic to St. Katherine’s Protectorate.

The Bedouin that live in St. Katherine’s are called the Gebaleya and they have a profound knowledge of the properties of these plants especially the medicinal ones. The Gebalaya have a very special relation to St. Katherine’s; entrusted originally as the keepers and protectors of the Monastery from bandits and other enemies.

In modern times the fine balance between the livelihoods of the Gebaleya and their environment is in jeopardy from various sources. As with many indigenous peoples worldwide they are under threat from losing their traditional ways of living and therefore the inherent knowledge that has been built up over the millennia especially that associated with medicinal plants.

The Medicinal Plants Conservation Project (MPCP) aims to counter the threats to the medicinal plants of St. Katherine’s Protectorate through developing alternative and sustainable livelihoods for the communities of the Gebaleya. One of the outputs of the project is the creation of an NGO in St. Katherine’s called the Medicinal Plants Association (MPA). Their aim is to create alternative and sustainable activities that do not adversely impact on the environment.

There are many success stories to tell from the people of St. Katherine’s in their bid to diversify their income resource. The beehives project is a well established one where Sheikh Said and several families now run beehive farms and the bees are producing a distinctive flavor of honey that has medicinal properties. The high vitamin content of the honey has been said to strengthen the immune system and guard the body against the common cold.

There are now safaris organized by the community that are environmentally friendly in terms of not using the wild wood from tree or shrub species. The resident Hakim (herbal healer) by the name of Ahmed Mansour has his own business in organic medicinal plant products cultivated in the farms of the mountain sides. His brother Mahmoud Mansour has an eco-lodge there where he is trying to encourage eco-tourism. Sheikh Jameel’s eco-lodge is also famed for his hospitality and the quality of his organic meals. Salima is a Bedouin entrepreneur who has created an international textiles business called ‘Fansina’ made up of the Gabeleya styles of fashion. She has managed to allow the women of the community to have jobs crafting the products of the Gabeleya.

By diversifying the methods of livelihood we will reduce the impact of an ever growing population and its affect on the environment. The usual subsistence of grazing is not sustainable for everyone especially when you consider that most Bedouin are no longer nomadic.

The Medicinal Plant Conservation Project (MPCP) is supporting these local initiatives and backing them up through a national strategy to promote the intellectual property rights and the associated benefit sharing of the knowledge related to medicinal plants. This would allow the Bedouin communities to have control of the marketing of their medicinal products without fear of outsiders stealing their secret knowledge.
Desmond McCarthy
MPCP-Egypt
desmond@mpcpegypt.com

For more information about St. Katherine’s and the Medicinal Plants Conservation Project why not visit our website at www.mpcpegypt.com

Why not arrange a tour of the MPA and St. Katherine’s or try out the eco-touristic activities i.e. The Eco-Lodges or Fansina.

contacts:
Khalil Soleiman (MPA-Secretary): +20 69 3470648
kksulem@mpcpegypt.com

Mahmoud Mansour (Hakim) – +20 (0) 12 640 0782
www.Hussein_sinain@yahoo.com

Sheikh Jameel (Al Karm eco-lodge) - +20 (0)10 1324693 www.ecolodges.saharasafaris.org/alkarm/

Salima (Fansina) - fansina@sinainet.com.eg

There is an interesting discussion going on about the actual route of the biblical Exodus. According to Ron Wyatt, an anesthetist and amateur archaeologist who died of cancer in 1999 and his wife Nell the crossing of the Red Sea took part in Nuweiba and therefore the real mount Sinai is to be found on the other side in Saudi Arabia. In 1970 they found a chariot wheel in the Gulf of Aqaba dated back from the 18th Pharaonic dynasty (1400 B.C.E.).
Moller, the author of “The Exodus Case believes there are remnants not only of chariots and wheels, but also human and animal skeletons. Dr. Moller, a Swedish DNA researcher at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm and producer Tim Mahoney made a documentary titled “Exodus“. After a 10-year study in the field they claim to have found evidence that the Exodus really happened. The film features the actual route the Israelites took when they were freed from slavery in Egypt and crossed the Red Sea
Physicist Colin Humphreys says: “The Exodus of the ancient Israelites from Egypt really is one of the greatest true stories ever told.”

Here is our recommendation where to can have a special dining event in Nuweiba.
Located in Nuweiba directly on the beach Habiba Village is the only non-chain camp and restaurant in Sinai at the moment that implements food and health safety issues in its daily operation.

In April Habiba Village has received the ‘Silver Cristal Plaque’ in recognition of achievement in obtaining good standards of hygiene by implementing the policies of the E-Cristal System Programs based on the principles of the HACCP system’.
Cristal is the Middle East branch of the UK based Check Safety First Group.
www.checksafetyfirst.com / www.cristalme.com

Habiba is famous for seafood. The dining event can take place in the indoor restaurant Mataamak or in authentic Sinai atmosphere on the beach overlooking the Gulf of Aqaba or in the evening under the million stars.
www.sinai4you.com/habiba

Congratulation Habiba Team!

Two weeks after the terrible attack in Dahab people are getting back to normality and tourists are enjoying holiday activities again like diving and safari tours. In team work with tourists Dahab residents are repairing their damaged shops, painting them in friendly colors wiping out the traumatic experience burnt into their hearts.

The only place that again seems to suffer a decline in tourism in the aftermaths of the Dahab attack is Nuweiba.
Nuweiba mainly depends on Israeli tourism crossing Taba border. Since the Intifada in the year 2000 tourism in Nuweiba is hit very hard and the lively town went into a deep sleep that was disturbed only once, 4 years later. Israelis, who scared and warned against traveling to any Arab country, started to slowly return to Sinai and to Nuweiba when Taba happened and dramatically ended the revival of Israeli tourism before it even begun.

It is not that Nuweiba is not interested in attracting different nationalities, it just has no alternative. Destinations are dictated by tour operators and tour operators live from mass production and are interested in filling their allotments in chain hotels preferable near the airports in Taba or Sharm el Sheikh.
In terms of renowned hotels Nuweiba has got only the Hilton to offer and a very few other 4 stars in the nearby area. The majority in the hospitality industry are family run camps and small hotels that in no way lack any of the friendly services of a 5 star.

Nuweiba is a perfect gateway for adventure and eco-tourism. Though not the best diving destination in Sinai, one must not fear to bump into another group of fellow divers while exploring the reefs, rich in fish and corals. Nuweiba is also an excellent location to combine a leisure holiday including a tour to Cairo and the Pyramids or even to enjoy historical Petra in Jordan on a one day trip.
As a laid back destination Nuweiba offers good food in local restaurants, shopping opportunities in the bazaars and tranquility. It is about time to break the spell Nuweiba is suffering from for over 6 years - and also hotel guests in the area are invited to spend a day in the little settlement.

A last word about security measures in Sinai. Security is very tight and in comparison to years ago when Sinai was enjoying bliss freedom it has become a prison with many restrictions - invisible to the common tourist though. Terrorists have succeeded to destroy a peaceful paradise and the reputation of the indigenous people of Sinai, the Bedouins. A desert dweller is prone to survival in a harsh and hostile desert environment with little resources. It seems almost impossible that a Bedouin could ever engage in a suicide attack.

- and the most important conclusion: “If we leave, the terrorists have won”.
Let’s hope that we are able to prevent any more attacks - before they happen. And let’s hope that tourists will continue to coming to Sinai. It would be a tragedy for many employed in tourism, if they don’t.

…Most tourists in the Red Sea resort of Dahab refused to end their holidays early yesterday, despite the bombing on Monday night that left 23 dead and scores injured, including two Britons.
As police searched the bomb sites for clues, restaurants just yards away started serving again, internet cafes reopened and tourists returned to the beaches. “If we leave, the terrorists have won,” said Paul Pagalday, 38, from Queensland, Australia.
Jo Millar, 27, from Johannesburg in South Africa, said: “It was awful to see the locals who we have got to know being hurt but we think they will be even worse off if we leave and take our business with us. This place depends on tourism completely.”
“We don’t think we’re going to change our plans. You end up thinking that it could happen anywhere these days,” said Matthias Barlocher, from Switzerland. “It doesn’t feel right to be enjoying a holiday when you can see bloody footprints everywhere.”
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