RED SEA RIVIERA
The Red Sea Riviera Has Something For Everyone
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Darren_Panto]Darren Panto
Famous for its endless sandy beaches, scenic mountains and rich coral reefs, the Red Sea Riviera provides an exquisite destination for an unforgettable holiday.
Located on the Sinai Peninsula of Egypt, Africa, the Red Sea Riviera consists of a number of resort cities lying on the western shore of the Gulf of Aqaba and along the eastern shore of mainland Egypt, south of the Gulf of Suez. Choose from any of the listed popular destinations and enjoy your vacation with Pel Tours this season!
Sharm El-Sheikh
Nestled between the calm shores of the Red Sea and the national park of Ras Mohammed, Sharm el-Sheikh is the jewel of the Sinai Peninsula. For many visitors, the most striking scenery of this region is underwater in the colourful reefs encircling the peninsula. At this most extraordinary diving destination, you can snorkel or dive into an underwater playground of shipwrecks, coral gardens and azure-blue waters.
A multiplicity of hotels, restaurants, shops and bars lend Sharm El-Sheikh a cosmopolitan character. Naama Bay, with its hotels and diving centres, is the main tourist spot, while the resorts of Ras Um Sid, Ras Nasrani, Sharks Bay and Nabq Bay are also popular. Local excursions include diving courses and trips, desert safaris, and trips to Mount Sinai and the St Catherine’s Monastery.
Sharm El-Sheikh also offers great diving trips at the Ras Mohammed National Marine Park, which offers spectacular views of marine life and corals as well as shipwrecks for divers of all standards.
Dahab
Dahab, the Arabic word for gold, truly describes its sun-bathed beaches, which are a combination of soft sand, gorgeous blue water, and a luxuriant strip of palm trees spread all over. Almost 5 miles from town is the famous diving centre - Blue Hole. Towards the Israeli border is the Island of Coral, where the crusaders built a fort and the remains of which can still be seen.
Dahab has grown from a bustling village to an ideal retreat for holidaymakers and divers, wanting to escape from the chaos of everyday life. A 90-minute drive north of Sharm El-Sheikh, this holiday destination is an ideal resort for beginners and advanced divers, providing both shores and boat diving.
Assalah, the most developed part of Dahab, is an assortment of palm trees, campgrounds, shops, hotels, bars, and restaurants that lie along the shore of Ghazala Bay. This Bedouin village has a distinctly bohemian feel, and has some of the most spectacular, unspoiled and pristine dive sites off the Sinai peninsula.
Hurghada
One of Egypt’s foremost resorts, Hurghada has some of the finest underwater corals in the world surrounding the shoreline, making the area a haven for divers and holidaymakers alike. Diving in Hurghada is an excellent experience, and it is an ideal location for advanced divers and those wishing to further their technical diving skills.
From tiny nudibranchs to giant whale sharks, this area has it all for a perfect Red Sea diving holiday: hard and soft coral, turtles and dolphins, mantas and moray eels, napoleons and tuna, and much more, including the wreck graveyard at Sha'ab Abu Nuhas. Other activities include para-sailing, viewing the multi-coloured sea life from glass bottom boats, and deep-sea fishing.
Hurghada offers a wide variety of international cuisine and is famous for its excellent fish restaurants. During the night, this city comes alive with bustling bars, restaurants and clubs, and attracts a younger clientele, although revelers of all ages certainly won't feel out of place.
El Gouna
Built on small islands and surrounded by lagoons and the Red Sea, El Gouna is a complete holiday destination offering all the amenities required for a relaxing holiday. This resort city offers great shopping, health treatments, and an excellent selection of restaurants, bars, clubs, beautiful beaches and uninhabited islands — all within a 30-minute drive north of Hurghada.
In El Gouna, you can enjoy an unparalleled underwater paradise, travel through the desert, or take a hot-air balloon to experience some of the most beautiful scenery Egypt has to offer. It also has beautiful reefs with a good combination of hard and soft corals.
The city has three beautiful Red Sea beaches: Mangroovy, Zeytoona and Marina Beach. Although they do not have much underwater vegetation, these beaches are very beautiful, and swimming in them is a great experience.
El Quseir
To the south of Hurghada lies El Quesir —a remote, un-commercialised coastal resort. Treasured for its peaceful location, it has become popular among holiday makers keen to experience the historical charm of Egypt yet relish in its slow pace. Inhabited since ancient times, this resort was an important commercial port in Roman times and later again as part of the spice route from India to Britain. It was also an important stopover in the pilgrimage from Egypt to Mecca. The ancient port still remains north of the town, and an Ottoman fort has also been recently restored.
Nuweiba
Nuweiba is a perfect destination for people looking for a quiet resort away from the main tourist areas. It is a small, peaceful area, situated on the shores of the Red Sea, giving easy access to the whole length of the Sinai coastline. This resort offers wonderful golden sandy secluded beaches and coves, stunning mountain scenery and a relaxed way of life.
Nuweiba is an ideal place to learn to dive - with beautiful coral reefs and gardens teeming with life. The area is a haven for photographers as the cerulean waters allow them to focus on the smaller species such as multi-coloured nudibranches. If you are lucky, you may encounter one of the several types of seahorse varieties when diving.
Taba and Taba Heights
Overlooking Jordan, Israel and Saudi Arabia, Taba is a paradise for active holidaymakers and outdoor types who enjoy the diving, surfing, sailing and catamarans, as well as walking or motorbike tours in the mountains. Recently, this city has experienced a growth spurt on its coastline and is now home to a number of leading hotel chains that have built luxurious resort hotels around a new luxurious resort called Taba Heights, which is 15km south of the border. Once completed, Taba Heights is expected to have 20 hotels, an 18-hole US Championship level golf course, a casino, a marina, as well as a full range of activities and water sports.
RED SEA DIVING
Seeing Red: Diving Holidays on the Red Sea
Author: Elisha Burberry
The Red Sea's narrow, sheltered shores have extensive shallow shelves which allow marine life to flourish; the region supports over 200 hard and soft species of coral, over 1000 invertebrates and over 110 species of fish - 10 percent of which are not known to be found anywhere else in the world. The rich biodiversity of the area has been officially recognised by the Egyptian government, who set up the 'Ras Mohamed National Park' in 1983 to protect the Red Sea from pollution and over development.
As the world's most northerly tropical sea, it is very popular with European divers and offers hundreds of top diving spots. Not only is it extremely diverse in marine life, but with an average water temperature of around 26C, good visibility and a small tidal range it is also considered a safe place to dive. Though the Red Sea laps the shores of several North African and Middle Eastern countries, including Sudan, Eritrea, Somalia, Saudi Arabia and Yemen, it is Egypt that is best known as the host of diving holidays.
For experienced divers, the Red Sea's many wreck sites offer a fascinating glimpse of marine history and also how nature can take man-made materials and use them as a habitat. Examples of this includes the 'Ghiannis D', a Greek boat that sunk in 1983 after colliding with another wreck. Divers can swim through the deserted hull and see large moray eels, shoals of batfish, and butterfly fish.
'Thistlegorm', a British ship that was sunk by bombers in 1941 is rated as one of the top ten best diving sites in the world. Much of the huge vessel's cargo is very well persevered and can still be seen, such as motorbikes, rifles and even train carriages!
Egypt is well equipped for hosting diving holidays, and divers of all levels - from complete beginners to experienced scuba masters - are well catered for. Live-aboard diving holidays are one of the best ways of maximising your underwater time and offer comfortable accommodation, with double or twin cabins, large air conditioned rooms with en-suite bathrooms available. Most also offer plenty of indoor and on-deck seating and a bar where guests can purchase soft drinks as well as beer and wine. Experienced crew members provide catering as well as guidance to the best diving sites in the area.
With such as wealth of diving opportunities, it's little wonder that the Red Sea, and Egypt in particular continues to be one of the most popular diving spots in the world.
About the Author:
Elisha Burberry is an online, freelance journalist and keen traveller and watersports enthusiast. Originally from Scotland, she now resides in London.