Egypt Diving: a virtual tour
Something fishy in the Gulf of Aqaba
The Gulf of Aqaba, the right finger of the Red Sea's 'V', teems with tropical fish, coral gardens and some of the best dive sites in the world. For Europeans, it is also far closer and cheaper to get to than the Great Barrier Reef. The Virtual Diving Centre's picture gallery illustrates the diversity that lurks beneath the water and includes 'fish facts' so you can put a name to what you're seeing. You'll find reviews of over a hundred dive sites, from the Paradise dive, with its abstract coral sculptures, to the eerie wreck of the Dunraven, a steam freighter thought to have been a spy ship for TE Lawrence(better known as Lawrence of Arabia).
On dry land, the Sinai's big draw is St Catherine's monastery(in reality, more of a religious 'fortress'). Built around the biblical site of the burning bush, it sits at the base of Mount Sinai. Industrious monks have hand-hewn a rocky staircase of 3,750 steps that lead to the summit where Moses was said to have received the Ten Commandments. Modern-day pilgrims should make the climb early for unforgettable sunrises. The monastery houses a unique collection of religious art(including a collection of illuminated manuscripts that is second only in size to the Vatican 's) as well as some gory reliquaries.
www.touregypt.net
