Marsa Alam – Diving with Turtles in the Deep South

I’m officially ruined. It’s going to be difficult to beat the Marsa Alam experience anytime soon. Although it’s the furthest beach I’ve ever been to – 8 hours from Cairo by car- and is just a few hours from the Sudanese border, it’s every bit worth it: there are kilometres of semi-untouched shores, of mangrove beaches unobstructed by construction and crowds, and the bays are full of turquoise blue waters and beautiful reefs. It takes a 600km drive to witness what Egypt’s Red Sea coast once looked like, what beaches look like in their original state before they were eaten up by massive construction projects and overambitious tourist resorts.

We stayed at Deep South, a small, simple camp perched on a desert hill overlooking Tondoba Bay. The camp’s huts are basic, African-style rooms with concrete floors, surprisingly comfortable beds and walls carrying the poetry of Salah Jaheen. Electricity is provided in the hut until midnight, as is clean bedding, but no table or chair or mirror. But who cares about that anyway?

The separate men and women’s  toilets are kept clean, but you need to bring your own towels and toiletries. The huts come with bedding and electricity outlets. Electricity is turned off around 11PM and on again at 7AM. Because we were visiting at a low season during a petrol crisis (the electricity and water are powered by fuel generators) we had to ration the electricity consumption, but we honestly didn’t care.

You don’t come to Deep South for standard definitions of luxury; you come for the clean, dry desert air, the incredible diving spots nearby and the magnificent open skies that you relax under. Food is simple but fresh and tasty and is delivered from a nearby grilled meats restaurant. Drinks are an additional expense and well-supplied in the bar area’s fridge.

Our days in Marsa Alam started with an early breakfast at 8AM, followed by a trip to the dive site of our choice, where we’d spend the whole day in the pleasantly chilled waters or resting between dives. On lazier days, we’d lounge around in the shade of the bar area, watching the dive boats drift across the sea in the distance and debate where we should go diving next. Ah, the sweet luxury.

The top hill is a perfect spot for meditation, star-gazing and bonfires. The camp’s staff would make us their specially brewed coffee, where the beans are slow roasted on the fire then mixed up with ginger and sugar into a shot glass of sweet espresso deliciousness.

Deep South’s dive centre is a five minute walk down from the hill. It’s located on Tondoba bay, which has a good house reef to the North and a sea grass bed to the South where, if you’re lucky, you might spot turtles or -if you’re very, very lucky- a dugong. I was one lucky diver; on my first dive to the sea grass, we spotted a guitarfish, which is from the ray family but looked suspiciously like a shark and led me to hide casually behind our guide. Then we spotted a gigantic male turtle (at least twice my width and about my height) with a small fish attached to his back, we swam after it and our guide imitated his moves; it was like watching a strange but exciting water ballet. THEN we saw two giant stingrays just a few metres away, one of which had a torn stinger. Their graceful movement underwater is incredible to witness first-hand. Did I mention this was all in one dive?

On our second day, we drove out to Golaan in the South, which is part of the Wadi Gemal National Park. There, we had grilled tuna for lunch and parked ourselves under the famous mangrove tree for the day, after playing with starfish and the beautiful sea shells lined next to the tree.

At sunset, the locals made us more of that incredible ginger coffee. It was like a spicy Caffeine dessert, one of our most memorable experiences on the trip.

Other amazing dive sites were Abu Dabbab, where I spotted bluespotted eels, and my very very lucky friends got to see the dugong (which is very rare- some divers spend months in Marsa Alam before they spot it), and the Dolphin House/Samadai reef, where we took a 40-minute boat trip out to the sea to a HEPCA-protected spot. There, the area is divided into three areas, one is completely off-limits to divers and that’s where the dolphins rest, and the other two are open to snorklers then divers. Even though I never got to see the dolphins, I was so taken aback by the beauty of the marine life there that it didn’t matter; massive Napoleonfish, short-nosed unicorn fish, bicolour parrotfish, barracuda and all sorts of colourful, fluid forms were fascinating to watch, even just by snorkeling around the reefs there.

Of course, all this healthy activity worked up a mean appetite; we were eating four to five massive meals a day, and the Italian bistro called Dolce & Salate in Hurghada town was our favourite destination. Seriously, you don’t get authentic Italian food like this in Cairo. Mara made fluffy pizza dough, homemade tiramisu ice cream, pastas and ice coffee that has us humming and cooing with gluttonous pleasure.

Marsa Alam seems to be that place that everyone comes back swooning about, and rightfully so. We were surrounded by friendly, easy-going people who went out of their way to make us comfortable, the diving was incredible, the food was delicious and the weather was pleasantly hot. Seriously, the only thing to complain about was that we couldn’t live there forever and had to go back to Cairo – but only to make money so that we can come back again ASAP.

Flights to Marsa Alam cost around 1200LE for a return ticket. Buses are available but take an incredible 15 hours, so you’re better off stopping in Hurghada or Gouna for the night before continuing your trip. accommodation at Deep South starts at 100LE per night excluding drinks and taxes, and dives start at 140LE for the equipment per day. An open water dive course costs around 2000LE. If you’re spending five days or more in Marsa Alam, budget for 1000LE not including dives and boat trips. For more information, check out Deep South.

Sidi Abdel Rahman – Egypt’s North Coast Nostalgia

Sidi Abdel Rahman is one of my fondest childhood summer memories. The beautiful beachside resort on the North Coast of Egypt was my family’s favourite destination, back in the days when you didn’t have to own a villa on the North Coast to be able to swim on the North Coast, and there were large expanses of undeveloped land where you could drive down to the shore for a swim. Ah the good-old days.

Located between Marina and the Diplomatic Beach, and formerly known as Al Alamein Hotel because of its proximity to the World War II battlefield nearby, the hotel has seen more changes in ownership than Mubarak has seen hair dye. And though I remember the hotel itself as a dusty, rather derelict and rundown building, it never really mattered because it more than compensated with its pristine white beach and a turquoise blue sea. Hands down, Sidi Abdel Rahman has the best swimming spot on the North Coast, apart from Sidi Heneesh and Ras El Hekma.

If you’ve been to Sidi Abdel Rahman as a kid, you’ll probably fondly remember the sand dunes on the left side, where we’d spend afternoons rolling, tumbling and boarding down, and the playground, which once had a roller skating rink and sturdy swings that we’d push ourselves way up into the air.

And then there are the villas with the barbeques on the lawns, and the plastic tubs in front of the terrace that you’d dip your feet into before stepping onto the mud-coloured tiles. Behind the hotel, a large garden full of sky-high palm trees and sweet-perfumed flowers make a perfect backdrop for the picturesque desert sunset. Yes, this hotel is full of nostalgic memories for me, embodying the perfect Egyptian holiday in its simplicity and impeccable natural landscape.

Sadly, like every other stretch of sand on the North Coast, Sidi Abdel Rahman has changed drastically and is currently part of a massive construction project called Marassi, which is transforming the barren land into buildings, villas and manmade lagoons. I’m old-fashioned about this stuff, I’d prefer to keep the hotel as is, but word is that the building will be pulled down soon to be made into several massive hotel chains, including the Ritz Carlton.

Marassi has admittedly done a great job in renovating the hotel; the rooms are now quite plush compared to their former derelict selves, with wicker seats on the balcony, comfortable bedding and clean bathrooms with glazed window paneling. Still, the hotel’s prices are not for the faint-hearted: last summer, a ground floor double room cost around 2350LE per night. That’s arguably the same amount you’d pay for a month’s flat rent in Maadi. Ridiculous, if you ask me, but then again; all hotels along the North Coast have stupendously high prices in the range of thousands per night. The theory is that the North Coast is closer to Cairo and Alexandria, making it an easier and more popular destination, so the Ministry of Tourism decided to exploit the situation and up the prices.

Hopefully, this year, the prices will match the market situation; i.e. we can’t afford to turn away tourists, we need as many people as we can get; so let’s be cheaper. That is, unless Emaar has already started destroying the hotel and replacing it with extravagant chains that we will never ever be able to afford.

But I digress. I love Sidi Abdel Rahman’s bay; I know the rocky end and the best shallow spots to swim in when the sea is choppy (on the left to next to the dunes). I love the tiny beach next to the two presidential villas, which once housed Abdel Nasser and Sadat with their families. And the presidential villas, as I remember them, were gloriously nostalgic remnants of 1950s architecture: two floors with seven rooms and an elevated terrace facing the waves, the kind of villa that needs its own butler and chandeliers to complete its image. By the way, you can totally rent it out for 10,000LE a night. Ha. Ha.

It’s a shame that Sidi Abdel Rahman will eventually be lost to a possibly overdeveloped urbanized resort, and its sea will eventually become polluted by jet skis, motor boats and loud nightclubs. But the child in me remains hopeful that maybe we’ll get a few more lovely years before reality sets in and we can no longer roll down the sand dunes. In the meantime, I look forward every summer to getting my swimsuit full of sand as I act like my four-year-old self on the dunes.

To book at the hotel, call 046 4680140 or visit the hotel’s website. Also, check out my article that I wrote last summer about the hotel.

Sydney – Sunny City On the Other Side of the Planet

The upside of being stuck on a 20-hour flight (15 hrs from Dubai to Sydney, 4 from Cairo to Dubai) is that flying will never be the same to you. Remember how you’d complain about uncomfortable 5-hour flights? The flight to Sydney will break you down and increase your tolerance for pain, so that future, shorter flights seem like a breeze in comparison. I apologise for whining, but being stuck in a tight seat for 15 hours literally drove me mad. On the plus side, I feel like I can handle anything after that psychological torture.

Sydney is quite a beautiful city with its large parks, sweet-smelling trees and flowers, exotic birds, delicious food, expansive beaches and quaint urban architecture. While the art snob in me instantly compared the city to NYC, Paris and London’s art scenes and found it to be lacking, what Sydney definitely has is a melting pot of so many diverse cultures, resulting in some of the best cuisine I’ve tasted in my life.

One of the perks of traveling alone is that you don’t have to make plans; you wake up one day and decide to get on a random bus/train/ ferry boat and see where it takes you. You might end up at an incredible graffiti exhibition on Cockatoo island, or you may find yourself boarding a glider plane for a tour of Sydney’s coastline. Spontaneity is way more fun than a heavily planned, excell-sheet trip.

Sydney is very bike-friendly: for around 30AU$ a day, you can rent a bike (plus helmet plus lock) and take an amazing bike ride from Darling Harbour to Sydney Harbour following a bike route along the harbour, then past the Sydney Opera House and onto Luna Park, which is a perfect picnic spot with a view of the harbour. There’s also a pretty decent hike to Manly Beach, but I sadly never made it there due to poor weather.

As previously mentioned, I loved the food in Sydney, be it the seriously messy, signature Australian pies at Harry’s Cafe De Wheels, or the simple and hearty breakfast at Naggy’s in Glebe ( I still fantasize about the poached egg+smoked salmon+toast+avocado….). The Asian cuisine in Sydney was incredibly authentic, rich and bursting with flavour: I loved the simple Thai restaurant Newton Thai and the Korean grill Madang, which was so popular, a long queue was lined up around the corner. Plus it’s always a good sign of authenticity when you find the place full of Koreans (Be sure to check out the hilarious Asian sex shop around the corner).

Then there was San Churros, a dessert chain in Glebe offering hot, delicious churros  dipped in real chocolate sauce with vanilla ice cream. Just the display window was enough to leave me drooling. Next door is Baja Cantina, a Mexican restaurant offering massive portions of heavenly burritos and tacos. I loved the charming interior and bubbly atmosphere, despite the unimpressed Spanish waiter who rejected my feeble attempts to order in Spanish.

Despite the big shopping malls, high streets and gorgeous boutiques, I found my time best spent in quiet little bookshops, sitting on the floor in front of the Biography section and reading old books I’d never buy with a friendly dog curled up next to me. Yes, I’m a geek.

The beaches of Sydney are wide and the ocean was freezing when I went, but the walk between Coogee Beach and Bondi Beach was filled with surprising art installations and rock pools for those afraid to swim in the ocean. If I’d had more time I’d have signed up for a surfing course.

But in the end, it was just as much fun sunbathing, reading Haruki Murakami and watching the surfers get in and out of their wetsuits (everything they say about surfers in Australia is true). The street art lining the walls of Coogee Beach are amazing, as are the soft ice cream cones and fish and chips on sale there (this is real fish and chips, not the greasy type I fantasize about- the fish was actually too fishy for my taste).

After browsing the Museum of Contemporary Art at the Rocks, a beautiful cobblestone area full of small cafés, shops and outdoor art installations, and checking out the Picasso exhibition at the Art Gallery of NSW (after getting repeatedly lost on the way – I’m an expert at getting lost), I spent time in the Botanical Gardens and St. James Park, watching wedding parties take photos by the fountain and eavesdropping on Chinese tourists arguing. Coming from pseudo-parkless Cairo, any time spent in an open green space is both fascinating and refreshing.

Nights out in Sydney are all about the view, and my favourite views were at Cohibar on Darling Harbor and the 360 Bar and Dining in the Sydney Tower, which has a rotating view of the whole city and is definitely worth the steeply priced drinks. Just walking around Central Sydney in the evening and breaking out into spontaneous dancing in front of street bands is fun enough; in fact, the streets at night say a lot more about the city than the swanky nightclubs and bars of Sydney.

My biggest regret about Sydney was that I underestimated the budget needed; the city is quite expensive especially when considering transportation and food, and the city’s location means trips to the nearby Blue Mountains and even to Fiji or New Zealand are affordable – that is; if you haven’t finished up all your cash on Sydney itself. If I ever go back, I’m definitely trying a surfing class. Or a cheap one-way ticket to Fiji. Maybe I’ll like it there.

The Perks of Traveling Alone in Dubai

When you find yourself alone in a suite on an all-expense-paid trip, there’s a high chance you’re going to degenerate into the unapologetically egotistical mess of a five year old that I became during my three-day stay in Dubai.

Think about it: while traveling alone can be lonely, having such a short stay in such an insanely luxurious city is fun. And fun means jumping on the bed excessively, eating a greasy burger in a bubble bath (the burger arrives in its own heated box, which was so fascinating I almost left it in there to see how long it stayed warm), running around the room naked, leaving trails of soap suds all over the wooden floorboards. Peeing with the door open, taking a phone call while peeing with the door open, playing really cheesy MTV Europe music videos loud while changing your outfit ten times and jumping on the bed again. And I contemplating stealing everything in the room, including the espresso machine, the flat-screen TV and the bathrobes. It’s a family tradition to collect slippers and shampoo bottles. Don’t ask.

For a good hour I was bouncing around everything like a hyper Energizer bunny, a threat to anyone who called or came anywhere near my room. At some point I contemplated streaking across the hotel, but with the Park Hyatt being so massive, it was going to be one hell of a walk of shame. So instead I ran around the hotel grounds barefoot and in my overalls, searching for the swimming pool for a quick dip. The swimming pool was disgustingly hot, like a steaming bubble bath. So I ran around again, got lost, found my hotel room and jumped into the bathtub again.

Three hours in Dubai Mall, a massive, scary construction full of pretty clothes, pretty people and lots of cash being spent, left me claustrophobic and missing the grittiness of Cairo’s streets and dust. But I can understand the allure of city; here you can live the high life, indulge in the sweetest material possessions, and you’re surrounded by pretty people, many of whom probably have suga daddies or mommies. Don’t get me wrong, I like Dubai. In small doses. It has Forever21 and caramel popcorn. It has great food and sweet cocktails. There’s always something going on like the Jazz Festival, tennis championships, and cultural events. And you can go skydiving or race-boating if you have the cash.

Three hours in Dubai Mall, a massive, scary construction full of pretty clothes, pretty people and lots of cash being spent, left me claustrophobic and missing the grittiness of Cairo’s streets and dust. But I can understand the allure of this city; here you can live the high life, indulge in the sweetest material possessions, and you’re surrounded by pretty people, some of whom possibly have suga daddies or mommies. Don’t get me wrong, I like Dubai. It has Forever21 and caramel popcorn. It has great food and sweet cocktails. There’s always something going on like the Jazz Festival, tennis championships, and cultural events. And you can go skydiving or race-boating if you have the cash.

My friend took me to Hakkasan, a sophisticated restaurant in Emirates Towers, where I decided to conquer my fear of jellyfish by eating one. In a salad. And it was so delicious that I literally lapped up the vinaigrette and wouldn’t let the waiter take it away when he tried. As soon as I turned my back, he swooped in and swept it away. Bastard. And we indulged in girly cocktails full of fruit and pink stuff, though he made me promise not to reveal his identity as manly men don’t drink pink stuff. I also got to spot a high-class escort in action, a common sight according to my veteran friends. Coming from Cairo, I had trouble keeping my jaw off the floor.

Little things bothered me, like the fact that all manual labor and menial jobs seemed assigned to certain ethnicities, while the swankier jobs in more sophisticated shops and restaurants are dominated by (ahem) whiter races. The other fact was this spend-now-regret-later mentality; people here seem to work hard and party hard in Dubai, upgrading their cars every year to the latest model and acquiring designer labels as you would accolades of personal victory. There’s nothing with that; but I don’t subscribe to it. Personally, I just wanted to get back to my king sized bed and switch on MTV Europe again.

Edn: Quiet Time in Nuweiba

We arrived to the obscure little camp of Edn at sunrise. Driving along the Nuweiba coast at dawn was a relief after the harrowing ride we’d had getting there; gridlock traffic leaving Cairo, security checkpoints not letting us pass until other cars joined us so that we’d move together through the night and avoid ambushes (???), and a major accident that blocked the road for an hour at 3AM.

Edn at sunrise was a sight for our sore travellers’ eyes; not only because we were exhausted and needed to pee, but also because the sudden calm and quiet of Nuweiba gently descended on us like a blanket.

This camp is one of many great spots in Nuweiba to run away to when you need to escape Cairo madness with its traffic, noise and pollution. The sharp contrast of fresh air, silence and a shallow blue sea in front of you is nothing but healthy and neccessary

Edn (pronounced 3adan in Arabic but clearly typed so in English) is nestled between a whole bunch of camps, including Sondos on one side and Yasmina on the other. It’s a fifteen minute walk (5 by car) from the more famous Basata and Ananda camps, and if you walk ten minutes South, you’ll end up at Bawaki and on the cusp of a beautiful bay, which is a great swimming spot and people from other camps often come here.

The camp itself is pretty basic and definitely for the low-maintenance traveller. I’m talking just two co-ed toilets with no roof and the usual drop-toilet-paper-in-basket-next-to-you routine, and a shower room (also co-ed) that’s a good walk away from the beach. Not fussed? Good, neither were we.

We picked a front-row pimpin hut with a shaded terrace, table and chairs, and a hammock. I can’t go on enough about the hammock. I loved the hammock. It creaked dangerously when I tried to swing on it, but it was nice to play jungle and read while casually shoving the overeager dog away with my ankle. Inside, there’s a sizable double bed with an ok mattress but rock-hard pillows and sheets that seem clean albeit a little dusty. These huts are electricity-free, so you’ll need to ask the camp people for candles, but that makes it all the more romantic at night and stuff.

Edn’s bay is open and shallow, you’ll need to walk for a bit before you get deep, and it’s coral-free but a little pebbly. Is that even a word? Pebbly? It’s much easier to lie around lazily on one of the superfat cushions propped up in the shade, next to hammocks and a pedallo parked by, which the camp staff use to go fishing for your seafood dinner. That’s how fresh your food is.

Speaking of dinner, the menu is basic but in the heat, it’s great to have their grilled chicken for dinner and their fuul and delicious flat bedouin bread for breakfast (if you’re aiming for a fish meal, avoid the Lux; it’s too bony with little meat). I loved their mermerya tea, where they dunk some dried mermerya (sage) grown by the bedouins into some hot water. A very nice digestive after a heavy meal. Also, they make chunky, greasy fries and pizza if you want to pig out. Stick to the vegetable pizza; avoid the tuna.

I’d definitely go back to Edn for a quiet weekend alone or with a group of like-minded friends. As the place was empty save for one other hut, the three of us had Edn to ourselves, to lie about and do nothing, play music and read, meditate, paddle our feet in the water and star-gaze. If you’re big on astrology, Nuweiba’s perfect for staring at the sky and pretending to know which constellations are where. The staff at Edn are easy-going and friendly people who keep to themselves and will accommodate your requests, as long as it’s not ‘I want a bathtub’ or ‘Make me sushi.’

How Much: A night in Edn costs around 60LE per person for the VIP huts on the front line, and 50LE for the less popular huts. This is actually quite expensive for the area, but then again you’re doing your part for the tourism industry. The food really adds up; we ended up paying 750LE each for five days.  As they don’t offer fridge space like Basata does, you can either pay up or bring your own snacks and beverages. Call Adel on 01224939262 or Gomaa. If it’s peak season, you should call a week or two beforehand. Otherwise, you could call as late as one day before and find a place.

How to Get There: all Eastern Delta Buses pass by Edn from Taba to Nuweiba town. Tickets cost around 85LE and the buses leave from Almaza in Nasr City or Torgoman in Ramsis. Just look out for the Crazy Horse sign after the hill sloaps down from Basata, and you’ll see the Edn sign two or three minutes later. You can also hire a mini-bus; Basata usually runs a mini-bus of up to eight people so depending on how many passengers you have, you’ll pay anything between 100LE and 250LE. Call Aly on 01006140057 about the Basata bus. Anywhere in Nuweiba will take you a good six hours from Cairo, the worst part is actually getting out of Cairo and over the Suez Canal, then you have four hours.

Anything Interesting Close-by? There’s Castle Zaman behind Basata, where you can enjoy overpriced cocktails and yummy slow-roasted meals. Or you could drive into Nuweiba town and try out some of their restaurants; there’s a random Chinese joint there that I’ve heard is intriguing. Mega-hotel-complex Taba Heights has a few hotel bars if you’re desperate and a supermarket if you need to stock up.

You’re in Cairo. Now What? Get Out!

As much as I adore this maddening city of Cairo, it is absolutely imperative to get out of the city as often as possible to maintain some degree of sanity, clarity and feel your lungs working again.

As Egyptians, we’re incredibly lucky to live in a country with such a diverse landscape and so many weekend getaways just hours away. The awesome weather in Egypt means you can travel pretty much anywhere every single weekend of the year, and tailor it according to the weather. Too cold to head to the beach? Try Siwa, the White Desert or Fayoum. Even a weekend in Ein Sokhna or Alexandria in the winter is refreshing, picturesque and well worth the commute.

The best thing about living in Cairo is that so many travel destinations are just hours away. You have the beautiful Fayoum and Wadi El Hetan (Valley of the Whales) under an hour away from Cairo. You have Ein Sokhna and Zaafarana just over an hour away on the Red Sea, and windsurfing/kitesurfing spots in Ras Sudr past the Suez Tunnel two hours away. Need i say more?

Fine, i’ll say more. There are the mountains of St. Catherine, the laid-back beach camps of Nuweiba, the excellent diving spots of Dahab, the pristine oases of Siwa and Bahareya. You have the expanse and massive Gilf Kebeer plateau in the Western Desert, the beautiful North Coast (what’s left of it) with its soft white beaches and high waves for the surfers and kitesurfers among you. And then there’s always the sandboarding and camping out in any of the many deserts.

And don’t get me started on the Corniche of Alexandria in the winter when the waves are high or the tranquility of Port Said and the serenity of Luxor and Aswan by the Nile.

I love this country fiercely, and with traveling so cheap these days, and so many local travel agencies and groups organising fun and affordably trips, this is the best time to pack up and take a short weekend trip to any of these destinations.

One day, when I grow up, I’d like to be a travelling food writer, so I apologise in advance for my obsessive photos of food, feet in water, and other nonsensical stuff that makes each trip that much memorable.