Western & Northern Sinai

The Sinai Peninsulas west coast doesn’t compare in beauty to the Aqaba Gulf side. The Gulf of Suez is a much shallower body of water with neither reefs nor nigged peaks hugging the beaches. It’s therefore less of a tragedy that the Suez coast is dotted with oil rigs and flame-belching smokestacks. If you sec this area out the window of the CairoSharm ash-Sheikh bus, you’ve seen enough.

There are a few spots in the interior that merit a visit; the problem is transportation—buses don’t go to most of them. The exception is Wadi Feiran, an amazingly lush oasis 50km west of St. Catherine’s monastery, where Islamic tradition holds that Hagar fled in banishment from Abraham and Sarah. A taxi round-trip from St. Catherine’s is LE70 (for the car). This is really the best way to get there; although buses pass by regularly, schedules are unpredictable and you might get stranded.

If you’re looking for a logistical challenge, try to get to Umm Bugma and Sarabit al-Khadim. You’ll need to rent a car or hire a taxi, either in Suez or St. Catherine’s. 100km south of Suez a turn-off leads from the highway up into the mountains, known for their display of colors: they were once mined for manganese and turquoise. Sarabit al-Khadim has it seldom-visited Nabatean ruin, and Umm Bugma is the site of some old mines and . .. well, it just has a nice ring to it. Umm Bugma.

Farther up the coast you can soak your carcass in the Faraun Hot Springs just off the main highway, 80km south of Suez, where you’ll also find a nice beach. For the advanced seeker of obscure phices, Ras al-Gindi is a spot 50km inland from Ras al-Sudr that features the ruins of Salah ad-Din’s 800-year-old fortress. .Moses buffs everywhere will be enthralled by Oyun Mussa, 15km south of Suez. Hop off the bus to take it all in—this is where Moses impressed the heck out of his people by dipping a tree in some bitter water. Presto—sweet as Kool-Aid!