The Sinai Peninsula: Nowhere on earth is as quiet as this place

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In the remote and rugged high desert of Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula lies a land with immense historical and spiritual significance to the world’s three great religions. The Jewish, Christian and Muslim traditions all have deep ties to this region. But not only that, the Sinai Peninsula has an extraordinary and enchanting landscape. It is a rather rough area with mountain ranges, sand plains, bizarre rock formations, narrow gorges, wadis and you will encounter many oasis with date palms. The peace and space in this region is overwhelming. Nowhere on earth is as quiet as this place.

The Sinai Peninsula is located in Egypt, and the only part of the country which is located in Asia. It is situated between the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Red Sea to the south, and is a land bridge between Asia and Africa. It is a beautiful and impressive desert area with a very varied landscape. Especially the combination of desert and sea makes it very special. Only 50,000 people live in the Sinai, divided into a dozen tribes. These nomads traditionally go with their camels and goats through the desert and know the desert like no other.



One of the highlights in this area is a desert safari, where you can dream away at the campfire far away from mass tourism. Desert journeys in this region begin and end in the towns of Dahab or Tarabin. You can swim in these coastal towns and there are beautiful snorkelling and diving locations. From Dahab or Tarabin you can continue with a van into the desert to the starting point of the trek where you can get acquainted with the nomads and the camels that will walk along the route.

In the south of Sinai you can also find a high mountain range called mount Sinai. This mountain is revered by the three faiths as the place where God revealed the Ten Commandments to Moses. At the foot of the mountain, the 1,700 year-old Monastery of St. Catherine is the world’s oldest continuously operating Christian monastery. Here you will find a renowned collection of holy manuscripts and iconography. There is also a mosque within the walls of St. Catherine’s and one atop Mount Sinai. The view is spectacular as you can see in the picture below.

Best time to visit

The best time for a desert safari in the Sinai Peninsula is in spring, from March to May. Or the autumn, from September to November. Also in the other months safaris are organized but the winter months can be very cold with temperatures below 10 ° Celsius (50° Fahrenheit) and during summer months the temperature can reach far above 40 ° C (104° F). Click here for more climate information about Dahab.

Where to stay

Very close to Mount Sinai you can stay at the family run Sheikh Mousa Bedouin camp. An amazing place and all the staff was extremely friendly and helpful. We stayed two nights but we felt like we were part of the family.

Picture by booking.com

We also liked that it has a very Bedouin-style accommodation. People can sit, chat by the fire and we made many new friends in just 2 days. 

What to bring

Whenever you go do not forget sun protection (sunscreen, cap or headscarf, neck scarf for protection of neck and shoulders), comfortable thin clothes with long sleeves, pants with long legs and warm clothing for evenings and at night.