Pyramids & Petra - Family Holiday

Early this morning you set off east towards the Suez Canal, where huge ships appear to sail across the desert, and take the Ahmed Hamdi Tunnel under the canal to enter the Sinai Peninsula. It’s a full day’s journey to St. Catherines’s today (total 7-8 hours) but with a stop at Ein Musa en route. Few descriptions of this remote corner of Egypt do it justice. Sliced through by deep wadis, its mountains of sandstone and granite change colour throughout the day. As the fierce desert sun crosses the sky the views are never less than incredible; the sunsets are particularly spectacular. The mountains are almost entirely devoid of vegetation; indeed this harsh landscape offers little sustenance but is, nevertheless, the traditional land of the Bedouin, who have mastered the art of survival in such extreme conditions. Although many have now settled in the towns that lie scattered along the Sinai coastline, they still cling to their nomadic ways and keep their traditions very much alive.

Turning south from the Suez Canal you continue along the coast. When you’re about 45 minutes away from St Catherine’s – your final destination today – you’ll start to see the walled valley of the Feiran Oasis, home to some 12,000 date palms and the site of Sinai’s earliest Christian community.

The final leg of the drive brings you to St. Catherine’s village. Nestling in a valley at the foot of Mount Sinai (also known as Jebel Musa, or Mount Moses) it’s said to be the oldest continuously inhabited monastery in the world. 

Moon Camp - Bedouin camp (CC) multi-share – 1 night (BD)

Dahab has a long history of luring travellers – and trapping them for days or weeks on end – with its ocean-side camps, golden beaches and rugged mountain backdrop. Meaning gold in Arabic, a reference to the area’s sandy coastline, Dahab also boasts some of Egypt’s most spectacular diving and trekking and remains a tranquil ocean-side refuge from the unrelenting heat of the desert. After your journey through the desert to get here, this will be a welcome rest.

The warm and relatively shallow waters of the Red Sea support a series of coral reefs unsurpassed outside Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. Over the years, successive generations of minute polyps have deposited the calcium they extract from the sea as limestone external skeletons on to the fossilised remains of their predecessors. Enjoy a snorkel safari in the Southern Oasis, a remote and pristine area with a huge variety of colourful marine life and coral and get to know the brightly-coloured tropical fish that populate this wonderful undersea world.

Back in Dahab, you can dine in one of the many small, outdoor Egyptian restaurants lined along the sea-front; soaking up the atmosphere in this relaxed former hippy hangout is a great way to spend the afternoon and/or evening! Alternatively for those feeling more active, why not try an intro dive or explore the Red Sea from above by sea kayak or windsurfing (all additional charge) (B)

It takes about an hour and a half to get from Aqaba to the desert. The Desert Highway offers some incredible scenery on your first journey through Jordan; upon arrival at the entrance to Rum, you’ll transfer to 4WD vehicles and head once more into the desert! You have plenty of time to explore the wadi, which offers some of the most extraordinary desert scenery. From a distance, Wadi Rum's sheer sandstone cliffs appear to hover like a shimmering mirage on the horizon. It's only from close quarters that you can fully appreciate just how large some are, rising to a height of 1800 metres. It's hard to describe the majesty of this setting without sounding too effusive; suffice to say that the beauty that captivated Lawrence of Arabia is just as evident today. To the Howeitat Bedouin, who have taken it as their own, the area is known as the Valley of the Moon. These people are reputedly the remainder of Lawrence's Arab army who marched with him from Azraq in the north, then stayed behind once battle was done.

On your jeep tour, you’ll stop to climb hills and enter narrow siqs where many inscriptions can be seen. Passing Thamud nomads from Saudi Arabia and the Nabataean people have both left their mark on the surrounding rocks. Nature provides a number of rock bridges that offer some stunning views.

During your stay you may see the black ‘beit ash shar’ tents of the hardy Bedouin who still wander throughout the Middle East, as they have for centuries. Moving between the few grazing spots which dot the parched landscape, they survive by breeding goats, sheep and camels. Although the traditional nomadic way of life is starting to disappear as some Bedouin succumb to the lure of fixed accommodation, many adhere stolidly to the old way - albeit with the occasional addition of a 4WD vehicle for transport! Living in such a hostile environment has taught them the importance of a friendly welcome and the ancient code of hospitality to travellers still survives. 

You camp in the Wadi Rum protected area, surrounded by high mountains and sand dunes and in true desert fashion, you can usually sleep in a traditional Bedouin tent or under the stars. As the sun sets on the rocky outcrops, an astonishing transformation takes place; the sandstone changes hue, passing through a spectrum of yellow, gold, orange, red and finally purple, as the shadows lengthen and the stars come out; the skies are clear and stars stand out brightly. The Milky Way, satellites and shooting stars can be clearly seen; the perfect opportunity for star-gazing!

Bedouin-style private camp (CC)- communal sleeping arrangement - 1 night (BD)

Today is a full day to explore the fabled site of Petra, following the same path as Burckhardt, which funnels you through the banded rock walls that tower above. As you walk through the siq, you can see the different strata of the rock changing colour. At the end of the kilometre-long path, you are rewarded by a glimpse of the most beautiful building of all - the Khazneh or Treasury - so-called because the Bedouin believed that the urn crowning the edifice held a cache of gold and jewels. The first sight of this perfectly proportioned tomb, carved from the towering rock is truly unforgettable. Some 2400 years ago the Nabataeans taxed the trade caravans that plied between southern Arabia and the shores of the eastern Mediterranean and, using the proceeds built the first houses and temples here; today the Nabataean legacy includes houses, tombs, temples, a (Roman-built) amphitheatre and much more. Although it is a tiring walk, it is well worth making the hour or so ascent up the rocky path, which leads to the Monastery, a vast structure rivalling even the Treasury. Time should also allow you to climb to one of the High Places, the mountain-top alters where ritual sacrifices were made; from here there are spectacular views of the mountains, valleys and canyons below! (B)

NB - Watch out for donkeys on the walk up to the Monastery, they can be quite pushy so take care.

At the Dead Sea the mineral content of the water is so dense that anybody attempting to swim finds that they float, rather than sink! It's a remarkable feeling and one you'll be able to experience for yourself as you relax during your free day here. (B)