Sinai Camel & Dive Safari holiday
| country: | Egypt |
| location: | Sinai Desert, Red Sea |
| departures: | This trip can be arranged at any time to suit you, and adapted to your requirements. |
| price: | From £485 (8 days) excluding flights, based on 2 people sharing. We can arrange flights from the UK |
read 3 travellers reviews
the amazing things you'll be doing
Our Egyptian Camel Dive Safari is an opportunity to totally escape from the mainstream commercialised resorts and to experience some of the best diving the Red Sea (gulf of Aqaba) has to offer. The trip combines a few days diving in the relaxed village-style resort of Dahab, with a 3-day camel safari up the coast to Ras Abu Gallum where you can dive some fabulous remote sites and escape the Red Sea crowds in the company of the local Bedouin.
5 nights are spent based in Dahab - a small resort in the Sinai region of Egypt. The resort has a local village-style atmosphere with some great Bedouin style restaurants on the sea front and a fascinating selection of local shops and bazaars. Dahab has some fabulous dive sites on offer including the famous 'Blue Hole'. There is the opportunity to do a PADI accredited Coral Reef Conservation speciality course in Dahab, before heading north on the Camels to dive the pristine reefs further up the coast.
The three day camel safari allows you to fully absorb the blissful experience of the Sinai desert and to dive a stretch of coastline that is virtually untouched. The destination for the safari is Ras Abu Galum, which is considered to be a floristic frontier between tropical and Mediterranean conditions. It offers a high biodiversity of coral reef fish and associated flora and fauna. Although a Managed Resource Protected Area, Ras Abu Galum still supports an active Bedouin subsistence fishery, supplying amongst others Dahab's local restaurants with fish and seafood. The camel safari is organised by a local Bedouin family who will accompany the safari, cook all meals in traditional Bedouin style and provide Bedouin tents for overnight shelter - offering a real experience of the Bedouin desert culture.
5 nights are spent based in Dahab - a small resort in the Sinai region of Egypt. The resort has a local village-style atmosphere with some great Bedouin style restaurants on the sea front and a fascinating selection of local shops and bazaars. Dahab has some fabulous dive sites on offer including the famous 'Blue Hole'. There is the opportunity to do a PADI accredited Coral Reef Conservation speciality course in Dahab, before heading north on the Camels to dive the pristine reefs further up the coast.
The three day camel safari allows you to fully absorb the blissful experience of the Sinai desert and to dive a stretch of coastline that is virtually untouched. The destination for the safari is Ras Abu Galum, which is considered to be a floristic frontier between tropical and Mediterranean conditions. It offers a high biodiversity of coral reef fish and associated flora and fauna. Although a Managed Resource Protected Area, Ras Abu Galum still supports an active Bedouin subsistence fishery, supplying amongst others Dahab's local restaurants with fish and seafood. The camel safari is organised by a local Bedouin family who will accompany the safari, cook all meals in traditional Bedouin style and provide Bedouin tents for overnight shelter - offering a real experience of the Bedouin desert culture.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Arrival at Sharm el-Sheikh airport, where you will be picked up and transferred to Dahab situated approximately 100km north of Sharm. In Dahab, you will check into your hotel on the northern side of Dahab's seafront. The hotel is designed with a Bedouin ambience, offering clean rooms with en-suite bathrooms, balconies and fantastic sea-views (B&B basis). |
| Day 2-4: | On your second day, you will be introduced to the dive centre in the middle of Dahab village. Dive equipment and weights, with buoyancy checks, will be sorted out before setting off on your first dive of the week. While based in Dahab, you will be driven to the various dive sites by jeep or pick-up truck, owned and driven by local Bedouins. Dahab offers a wide range of shore dives, from shallow gentle dives, such as Eel Gardens, to deep technical dives in the Blue Hole. On the programme are dive sites such as the Canyon, Bells to the Blue Hole, the Islands, Coral Gardens, Eel Gardens, the Lighthouse and dependent on weather conditions potentially a boat dive to Napoleon Reef |
| Day 5-7: | Set off early for your camel dive safari adventure. First you will be driven to the Blue Hole area, where your camels and Bedouin hosts are awaiting your arrival. All equipment, food and plenty of bottled water are loaded onto the camels. The trek by foot or on camel to Ras Abu Galum starts from here. The next three days are spent diving the pristine, beautiful reefs of Ras Abu Galum, guided by an experienced dive master. During your desert dwelling days, all the meals are prepared by the Bedouins and served in a traditional manner of eating together and helping yourself. The evenings provide ample opportunity to relax and are probably the most amazing part of this desert adventure. Sunsets over the Sinai Mountains, sitting around the campfire and sleeping under the stars with its breathtaking displays of planets, constellations and shooting stars, will most certainly be a soul recharging experience. Towards the end of day 7, you will make you way back to the Blue Hole area, where you will be picked up and taken back to you hotel in Dahab |
| Day 8: | This last day can be spent in whatever fashion you like. Whether it’s just relaxing in one of Dahab’s many Bedouin style restaurants, shopping in the bazaar or walking along the beach. One thing is for sure, Dahab leaves an everlasting impression on most people. Transfer and return to Sharm el-Sheikh airport. |
travellers' tales
Really, the whole trip was amazing and truly memorable from the great people in Dahab, the fantastic diving, the camel trek, and the stay with the Bedouin people. It was all fantastic, and no one experience stands out as better than the others. (more)
how this holiday makes a difference
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The company who organises the desert trek, is a unique team with almost 20 yrs of safari experience within the Sinai area, combining a complete understanding of Western needs with Eastern knowledge and culture. An integral part of their safaris are the traditions of the Bedouin lifestyle with regards to tented camps, camel handling, food preparation & bread making, herbal medicine, healing and star gazing. Over the years, the safari company has built up special relationships with many local Bedouin families and helped them with issues such as medical care, building of animal water troughs and construction of an eco-lodge run by local Bedouins.
Many Bedouin families choose to live a traditional desert dwelling life-style. However, in the present day they also need an income, which can be provided through tourism. All our Sinai trips help local Bedouins by giving them regular work, either as jeep driver or camel guide, and paying them a fair daily wage. The hotel is Bedouin owned and employs a nearly all Bedouin and Egyptian staff. |
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