Prices for staples are higher in the Sinai than elsewhere in Egypt, but lower than in Israel. If you’re coming from Egypt, change your money before arriving in the Sinai. American cash is accepted by some storekeepers-but don’t depend on it.

Budget accommodations are basic but cheap and abundant. Since sheets aren’t provided you might want to bring your own or a sleep sack. In winter, warm clothes and a sleeping bag are advisable. Toilet paper and tampons are now widely obtainable, but bring your own supply to be on the safe side.

Weather in the Sinai can be as extreme and erratic as the moods of a heroin-addicted rock idol. Cold nights melt into broiling afternoons; snowy winters are forgotten during nnciear summers. The thermometer tops out as high as 50°C (122°F) in summer. Nights are cool in the mountains, but on the coast it’s just plain hot. Drink about a bathtub of bottled water (LE1-2) every day.