Laura Jean Zito • Magnetic Sinai
the van is full. If you know someone to
call ahead of time, that taxi driver can
arrive for you “privately” and will not
have to wait in the queue and thus you
won’t either.
You can also catch the bus if you time
things properly. The bus can drop you
off at key points on the road and is far,
far, cheaper - about 6 Egyptian pounds
($2.00), although everything is cheap in
Egypt in comparison with western costs.
AT THE SINAI TOWNS
OF NUEBA AND DAHAB
You can ask the bus driver to drop you
off in Nueba, or, depending on the bus,
go on farther to Dahab. Nueba attracts a
more intellectual crowd as far as the other
tourists go - the musicians, artists, writers
- in that it is a sleepy, quiet place without
a lot of activity. A decade ago a disco
opened up there and lasted all of three
weeks! Dahab is for the action/adventure
crowd - lots of diving, partying, general
carrying on. In comparison, Sharm-elSheikh attracts the more sophisticated
who find their identity in being seen
out in fine clothes and dining in fine
restaurants. If you descend from the bus
in Nueba, you still need to know how
to navigate the area as Nueba is very
spread out and offers many different
cultural experiences.
is to descend the road at a camp called
KumKum, run by a Bedouin named
Ashesh. This is before you get to the
Bedouin village of Tarrabin, followed by
the Bedouin Village of Nueba Musseina.
Ashesh will make sure you have a very
pleasant stay and you can count on
his safaris. If you get out near Nueba
Musseina, find a place called the Duna.
If you decide to journey on to Dahab, the
bus drops you near the big expensive
hotels from where you can take any car
(there will be plenty available) waiting to
transport people to the Lighthouse, called
the Masbat in Arabic. That is where you
can find plenty of inexpensive lodging
and it is also where you’ll find all the
action. As the individual pick-up truck/
taxi drivers will invariably try to take you
to the lodge they work with, it is best
to know where you want to go ahead
of time. I would recommend Mirage if
you want to be right on the beach, and
Bedouin Lodge if you want to be looked
after by great staff.
If you want to see Sharem, the most
economical place to stay is a Bedouinowned lodge called Pigeon House. You
can find your way to the Bedouin village
of Wassette, a bit of a hike behind the
hotel. The Bedouin are happy to see
tourists and may well invite you into their
homes. I am sure you will never regret
and always remember your trip to Sinai
no matter which aspect of this magical
My recommendation, especially if you
place you choose to explore!
want to go on safaris inside the desert,
TO STAY AMONG THE
BEDOUIN
March 2015
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