Winter is another story- St. Catherine’s sees sub-freezing temps, so bring warm stuff. Spring, and possibly summer, is bug season in the Sinai. Dahab is periodically clouded by mosquitoes and flies, so shop for bug juice in Cairo, Eilat, or Aqaba. Some travelers rig a mosquito net and look pretty darned smug lounging inside it, but it’s hard to know in advance if it’s necessary. Try asking around before you go.

Traveling light is a good idea. In summer you don’t need to wear much and don’t want to carry much. After a couple days most travelers begin to reexamine conventions of hygiene and appearance. “Washing” means nothing except the prefix for a great democracy’s capital city.

The telephone code for the Sinai (including all the towns listed here) is 062.