The Blue Hole

There are several famous Blue Holes around the world. This one in South Sinai is a short drive from the laid back town of Dahab and only a few hours drive from Sharm el Sheikh or Nuweiba. It is one of the many excellent diving and snorkeling spots along this stretch of the Red Sea coast and it is worth taking a full day to explore.

There is a cafe with plenty of space so you can relax between Red Sea dips. Don’t miss walking up the camel trail to the higher ground for the view across the Hole and beyond.

Next stop along that camel trail is Ras Abu Gallum, which I will post about tomorrow.

Advertisement

Fringing reefs, Red Sea

The fringing reefs of Sharm offer an extraordinary diversity of marine life for snorkelers and divers to enjoy just meters from the beaches and rock platforms. They also add to the layers of greens and blues that make the views here so entrancing. All of these views are just a few minutes walk from my place. No matter what my day holds, and whether I get the chance to explore underwater or not, I try to spend a little time taking in this beauty.

Sunrise from my window

some days I don’t even have to leave the apartment to watch a perfect sunrise

Red Sea sunrise

I am fortunate to live five minutes walk from one of the most beautiful views of the Red Sea, the clifftop in Sharm.

How a Spontaneous Travel Decision Landed Me in Egypt for Life

How a Spontaneous Travel Decision Landed Me in Egypt for Life.

Siwa Oasis

Alexandria wandering

Walking along the Corniche of Alexandria is one of the great pleasures of this city, especially at sunrise and in the early hours of the day.
Stroll from the Library to the Fort and you may see cats waiting for fishermen to come ashore, friends enjoying their first tea of the day, families drinking in some cool air before the city heats up, and lovers publicly sharing private moments, gazing out to sea.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

People watching

I get great enjoyment from sitting quietly aside from a crowd, watching people who are watching an event or are waiting for something to happen. There is a fascination in the intensity of their combined concentration, and wondering what they are individually thinking about.

This was a group of Bedouin at one of the camel races they run in South Sinai.

The sea should be for everyone

Hotels control much of the coast in Sharm and the other Red Sea towns in South Sinai, with beaches fenced off for the exclusive use of their guests. But in some places the beach is shared by everyone, including the wild dogs and the camels, and even some cats which come to hunt for crabs along the shore.

This camel was enjoying the view in Nuweiba, looking across the Red Sea to the mountains of Saudi Arabia.

Red Sea, Sharm el Sheikh

Another view of the Red Sea. I never tire of looking at the sea, in all its moods, so you can expect many more water, beach and boat photos.

The water is usually clear and the colours intense, especially in full summer sun from June to September. Now the water is like a warm bath by 9am, almost too warm. I search for the cooler currents, for the ultimate enjoyment of contrast against the heat of the air and sand.

There are many fish in the shallows before you even reach the reef, mostly small or the size of a hand, but some up to 40cm, and they will swim to within a few centimeters of me. If I drift with them and don’t splash around, I can watch them feeding and chasing each other, until they swim off into the darker blue depths.