Walking In Egypt

Overnight Standard Hotel (H+)

After a briefing this morning on the coming days itinerary we leave the coast behind and head towards the Sinai’s rocky interior and the spectacular setting of St Catherine’s. Our Bedouin camp is set before the magnificent backdrop of a series of craggy peaks burnished by the late afternoon sun, making for a truly enchanting introduction to the Sinai’s most famous mountain. In the afternoon we make an ascent of the holy mountain (2,285m), following in the footsteps of Moses and following a meandering track up the slopes to witness the magnificent sunset over the rocky desert landscapes of the Sinai, a setting that has probably changed little since Biblical times. Descending the mountain in the growing twilight, we head back to camp.

Overnight Basic Camping (C) Included meals: Breakfast, Dinner

After breakfast this morning we strike camp and pay a visit to the Monastery of St. Catherine, set beneath the imposing shadow of the mountain’s craggy slopes. Built in 342AD to mark the place where Moses reputedly received the Ten Commandments, the monastery today is a repository for the priceless books and manuscripts that have been preserved within its fortress-like ramparts over the centuries. It has the distinction of being the smallest diocese in the world, as well as being the oldest working monastery and we will have an opportunity this morning to view the fabled ‘burning bush’ and perhaps visit the impressive museum (optional), before resuming our journey. Our journey takes us to the entrance of the Nawamis Plateau at Wadi Haggag, where we meet our Bedouin cameleers and camp crew, no doubt enjoying a welcoming glass of ‘chai’ before we depart. Then, after loading up the camels, we strike out on foot into the desert towards our first camp, passing by the Nabatean rock inscriptions in the Pilgrim Valley and the Bronze Age tombs of Nawamis en route. Reputed to date back some 5500 years and named from the Bedouin word for flies, these circular tombs were used by semi-nomadic people from northern Egypt who worked in the mines of the Pharaohs. We then move on towards our first desert camp, following the twists and turns of Wadi Matamir to our encampment at the foot of Mount Matamir. Later there will be the option of a walk to the top of Gebel Matamir, where we can enjoy the views across the desert plateau as the setting sun bathes the landscape in a golden glow, before descending down through rain eroded gullies back to our camp for dinner. Our camps over the coming days will consist of large communal tents that sleep up to 10 people and a separate dining tent. Life in the desert will be simple, but the spectacular setting will more than make up for any lack of modern conveniences. Total Walking approx 2.5 hrs (4.5 hrs if climbing Mt Matamir).

Overnight Basic Camping (C) Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Waking to the desert dawn we break camp once more and set off, following in the footsteps of the Bedouin. The original inhabitants of the Sinai, these nomadic tribesmen descended from the horsemen of Arabia, their characters forged by the harsh environment. These were the true romantic nomads of the desert, travelling in small groups, looking for grazing land for their herds and stopping in places only long enough to cultivate small crops. A solitary people who have always been able to subsist on little food and water, they have long held a reputation for being distrustful of strangers and yet have always been honour bound to extend a hospitable hand towards outsiders. Today’s Bedouin, whilst less reliant on the land than their ancestors, still adhere to much of the code and ethics of desert life. Our course today takes us to Wadi Zaranig, where we will take lunch, before continuing on to the Mountain of Wonder, a sandy plateau over looking Wadi Safra and looking out across to Gebel Sa’ad in the distance. From here it is a relatively short hike down to our campsite in the impressive, high-level Wadi Abu Agiba. Total Walking approx 4.5 hrs.

Overnight Basic Camping (C) Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Our trek today passes through a landscape of sandstone outcrops and rocky plateaus, as we head across the open desert, before turning east, past high granite mountains and impressive, coloured sandstone outcrops, eroded into amazing sculptures by the desert weather. We can look out for the footprints of desert fox, gazelle and even ibex. We may even be lucky enough to come across the largest lizard in the Sinai, the Dabb. In Bedouin tradition every young man should eat one of these lizards in order to provide strength in later life. We continue to follow fossil beds of ancient rivers en route to our lunch stop at Umm Ghekhat, after which we continue on to our camp in the rolling landscapes of Wadi Hammam. Set at the northern end of the Gebel Samman the entrance to this dramatic riverbed is littered with the Palaeolithic remains of countless flint chippings. Total Walking approx 6.5 hrs.

Overnight Basic Camping (C) Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

After crossing Mountains, rocky valleys and plateaus, we today enter the soft sand part of Sinai Desert, called El Barga. The local Bedouins often refer to it as the Lawrence of Arabia Desert because of its similarities with the Jordanian Desert where the famous leader fought with the Turkish Armies. The area is a large amazing expanse of open land and varying formations including dunes, hidden caves and rock formations all sculpted through thousands of years of wind erosion. The desert floor sprinkles with crystallized rock, desert herbs and the footprints of the local wildlife, all creating a great stillness and panoramic views - trekking on foot today is the ideal way to feel the ground literally changing under the feet. Total Walking approx 5 hrs.

Overnight Basic Camping (C) Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breaking camp for the last time this morning we head off to walk into the highest sand dune in the Sinai at Heddoudah, enjoying the pleasure of rolling down the other side into Wadi El Heddoudah, from where we trek back to asphalt road to complete our journey back to Dahab. This afternoon there is an option to enjoy the turquoise waters of the Gulf of Aqaba, snorkelling amidst the spectacularly rich seas off these desert shores. The Red Sea region boasts some 400 varieties of coral and 1500 species of fish, a marine wonderland unequalled anywhere else on the planet, making it ideal for a day amongst the reefs and sands of Dahab’s southern shores. For those who wish to just enjoy the warm sands and relaxing ambience of the golden beaches, then there are plenty of Bedouin restaurants on offer to supply refreshments and shade during the day.

Overnight Standard Hotel (H+) Included meals: Breakfast

Included meals: Breakfast