Red Sea Travelers Recommend

It’s a little Las Vegas in style, but the Red Sea resort port of Hurghada is brilliantly positioned for snorkel adventures and desert encounters. Glass-bottom boat cruises are fun, and the corals and sea creatures you’ll see are just the beginning if you join a Red Sea snorkeling cruise to Giftun Island. Jeep safaris visit oases and Bedouin villages for camel riding, folklore and a spectacular desert sunset, followed by a traditional Bedouin barbecue dinner under the stars. The Red Sea is just one side of Egypt, and you can’t say you’ve seen the real Egypt without taking in the monuments and mummies of Luxor. Explore the pharaohs’ underground tombs in the Valley of the Kings, across the River Nile from Luxor, known in ancient times as Thebes. On the Nile’s east bank, Luxor Temple features the gigantic seated statue of Rameses, soaring obelisks and towering corridors of columns. Nearby Karnak is another maze of ancient statues and colossal columns.

Okay, first things first - camel safari! When in Egypt...! Take an unforgettable journey through the desert on camel-back, finishing off with some authentic Bedouin tea. It you want to sample the best of Sharm el Sheikh but you're schedule's looking tight, a private tour might be the way to go. Neatly structured over one day, you'll take a jeep safari, snorkel the Blue Hole, ride a camel, have a Bedouin lunch and go bargain shopping in Dahab. That's right, it's not all desert out there. If you want to sign up for some sheer glamor, slip on your Jackie Os and take a glass-bottom boat cruise over the coral reefs of the Red Sea at Sharm el Sheikh. Or you could spend the day diving and snorkelling at Ras Mohammed National Park, one of Egypt's most popular dive and snorkeling sites. Or for a mix of island relaxation and lagoon splashing, spend the day at picturesque Tiran Island.