Long distance expeditions, safaris and treks in Sinai
Originally posted on March 3, 2016
The ultimate adventure is a long distance journey across the Sinai desert and through the winding mountain wadis. European expedition groups explored the Sinai for centuries for different reasons, and pilgrims made their way to Mount Sinai and Mecca even prior to that. Trade between ancient Egypt and other early civilizations in the region was also conducted along the routes across the peninsula for thousands of years. But they all had to rely on the people who live in and know this confusing terrain, just as we do today, when a trip to the mountains or desert is usually a leisure activity. This kind of tourism started in the 1900s, even the famed Automobile Club of Egypt was involved in it in the 1950s, then it’s peaked during and after the Israeli occupation. Hiking, trekking and safari activities declined sharply after 2011, but never stopped completely. Groups and individuals, although in much smaller numbers, kept coming, and now it seems the Sinai, very rightly so, is being rediscovered again. The ancient routes are still here, and so are the people, the Bedouin, who know them.
The popular long distance treks the Bedouin used to organise:
These routes are well known by good Bedouin operators, but you should check with them as some routes might be temporarily restricted.
You could say the first long distance trek in Sinai recorded in a book is Moses’s epic journey, although the exact routes are disputed by scholars. Christian monks, settlers and pilgrims followed from the 6th century to the land of the Biblical Mount Horeb. Desert nomads lived in Sinai, such as Jethro’s tribe, but most of the Bedouin – the Arabs – came with Islam. Christians and Muslims coexisted well in the Sinai, and the Bedouin guided later pilgrims, merchants and travellers of all faiths for many centuries.
Tourism in Sinai as such, if we can put a time-stamp on this timeline at all, started with Baedeker’s Egypt Travel Guide published in 1885. In it two land routes are described between Suez and St Catherine, and another two shorter ones from the port city of El Tur to the same place.
The two routes from/to Suez are described as a circuit, which “leads by Wadi Maghara, Wadi Mokatteb, Wadi Firan, and Nakb el-Hawi, to the Monastery of Sinai, and returns by Wadi esh-Shekh, Sarbut el-Khadem, and Wadi el-Homr near the sea, and to the road leading to Suez. In this way the traveller does not retrace his steps, except on a portion of the route.“
The routes from El Tur are mentioned separately – one is introduced as follows: “we make the acquaintance of Tur and the picturesque route through the Wadi es-Sleh, and have an opportunity of ascending the Umm Shomar without making any digression.” The other route the guidebook mentions is from El Tur to Wadi Hebran then joining the route from Wadi Feiran in Wadi Islaf, shortly before reaching the Naqb el Hawa Pass.
The journey to St Catherine and Mt Sinai was captured on beautiful photos around the turn of the century by the American Colony in Jerusalem. Their expedition started in Wadi Feiran via Naqb el Hawa, the ancient pilgrim route, and with their robust camera – you can see it on one of the photos, so they must have had at least two of them – they climbed and explored Mt Sinai and the Safsafa basin.
The first detailed guidebook to Sinai was published in 1951 by Frenchman J. Daumas, created with the support of the Automobile Club of Egypt. Titled “La péninsule du Sinaï”, this book features a lot of detailed maps of the whole South Sinai region, only a few tourist places are missing. This can be excused, as those days tourism on four-wheels, in general, not particuarly in the desert, was a novelty. Daumas describes many routes in Sinai, including in the broader High Mountain region around St Catherine and Mt Sinai, but leaves the fine sandy desert around Ein Khudra out.
Then the road was paved to St Catherine, and reaching the Monastery and Mt Sinai became easy for tourists. At the same time a new type of tourism emerged, as people discovered the beauty of hiking and safaris. It was nothing new for the Bedouin; even after they started owning cars, they were just guiding visitors as in the past, on foot and camels, and now also on motor vehicles. The Bedouin developed the best long distance routes for tourists, such as the weeks-long camel safaris from the Serabit area all the way to the coast on the other side of the peninsula. These safaris are based on traditional routes, but the emphasis is on visiting nice places rather than to make the trip the shortest and easiest possible. Many smaller or bigger variations exist, there is always more than one way from A to B, but the general directions are pretty much confined by geography. Long distance Sinai trails were also developed by adventure companies. Now most big companies stay away from Sinai, but the Bedouin operators are still around – the same skilled and experienced guides who companies rely on. Many now offer their own services, and still welcome you on these longer or shorter trips. you just have to trust those who live in South Sinai and say it is safe to visit.
Related posts: Coast to Coast I. | Coast to Coast II.
The ultimate adventure is a long distance journey across the Sinai desert and through the winding mountain wadis. European expedition groups explored the Sinai for centuries for different reasons, and pilgrims made their way to Mount Sinai and Mecca even prior to that. Trade between ancient Egypt and other early civilizations in the region was also conducted along the routes across the peninsula for thousands of years. But they all had to rely on the people who live in and know this confusing terrain, just as we do today, when a trip to the mountains or desert is usually a leisure activity. This kind of tourism started in the 1900s, even the famed Automobile Club of Egypt was involved in it in the 1950s, then it’s peaked during and after the Israeli occupation. Hiking, trekking and safari activities declined sharply after 2011, but never stopped completely. Groups and individuals, although in much smaller numbers, kept coming, and now it seems the Sinai, very rightly so, is being rediscovered again. The ancient routes are still here, and so are the people, the Bedouin, who know them.
The popular long distance treks the Bedouin used to organise:
- Coast to coast I. – Starting in Ras Sudr or Abu Zenima, via Serabit el Khadem and El Ramla, to:
- the Nuweiba area,
- or the Abu Galum Protectorate near Dahab,
- or the Nabq Protectorate near Sharm el Sheikh.
- Coast to coast II. – Starting in the Ras Shaitan area, via the Ein Khudra-Nawamis area, to:
- the St Catherine area and on to El Tur.
- Beach to beach – Starting in the Ras Shaitan area, via the Ein Khudra-Nawamis area, to:
- the Abu Galum Protectorate near Dahab,
- or the Nabq Protectorate near Sharm el Sheikh.
- The Pilgrims’ routes – Starting in Ras Sudr or Abu Zenima, via Serabit el Khadem and El Ramla, to:
- Wadi Feiran or Sheikh Awad, then St Catherine.
- Mountains to sea – Starting in St Catherine to:
- El Tur,
- or the Nabq Protectorate near Sharm el Sheikh,
- or the Abu Galum Protectorate near Dahab,
- or the Nuweiba area.
These routes are well known by good Bedouin operators, but you should check with them as some routes might be temporarily restricted.
 |
| Main long-distance routes marked over map in Baedeker’s Egypt Travel Guide |
You could say the first long distance trek in Sinai recorded in a book is Moses’s epic journey, although the exact routes are disputed by scholars. Christian monks, settlers and pilgrims followed from the 6th century to the land of the Biblical Mount Horeb. Desert nomads lived in Sinai, such as Jethro’s tribe, but most of the Bedouin – the Arabs – came with Islam. Christians and Muslims coexisted well in the Sinai, and the Bedouin guided later pilgrims, merchants and travellers of all faiths for many centuries.
Tourism in Sinai as such, if we can put a time-stamp on this timeline at all, started with Baedeker’s Egypt Travel Guide published in 1885. In it two land routes are described between Suez and St Catherine, and another two shorter ones from the port city of El Tur to the same place.
The two routes from/to Suez are described as a circuit, which “leads by Wadi Maghara, Wadi Mokatteb, Wadi Firan, and Nakb el-Hawi, to the Monastery of Sinai, and returns by Wadi esh-Shekh, Sarbut el-Khadem, and Wadi el-Homr near the sea, and to the road leading to Suez. In this way the traveller does not retrace his steps, except on a portion of the route.“
The routes from El Tur are mentioned separately – one is introduced as follows: “we make the acquaintance of Tur and the picturesque route through the Wadi es-Sleh, and have an opportunity of ascending the Umm Shomar without making any digression.” The other route the guidebook mentions is from El Tur to Wadi Hebran then joining the route from Wadi Feiran in Wadi Islaf, shortly before reaching the Naqb el Hawa Pass.
The journey to St Catherine and Mt Sinai was captured on beautiful photos around the turn of the century by the American Colony in Jerusalem. Their expedition started in Wadi Feiran via Naqb el Hawa, the ancient pilgrim route, and with their robust camera – you can see it on one of the photos, so they must have had at least two of them – they climbed and explored Mt Sinai and the Safsafa basin.
The first detailed guidebook to Sinai was published in 1951 by Frenchman J. Daumas, created with the support of the Automobile Club of Egypt. Titled “La péninsule du Sinaï”, this book features a lot of detailed maps of the whole South Sinai region, only a few tourist places are missing. This can be excused, as those days tourism on four-wheels, in general, not particuarly in the desert, was a novelty. Daumas describes many routes in Sinai, including in the broader High Mountain region around St Catherine and Mt Sinai, but leaves the fine sandy desert around Ein Khudra out.
Then the road was paved to St Catherine, and reaching the Monastery and Mt Sinai became easy for tourists. At the same time a new type of tourism emerged, as people discovered the beauty of hiking and safaris. It was nothing new for the Bedouin; even after they started owning cars, they were just guiding visitors as in the past, on foot and camels, and now also on motor vehicles. The Bedouin developed the best long distance routes for tourists, such as the weeks-long camel safaris from the Serabit area all the way to the coast on the other side of the peninsula. These safaris are based on traditional routes, but the emphasis is on visiting nice places rather than to make the trip the shortest and easiest possible. Many smaller or bigger variations exist, there is always more than one way from A to B, but the general directions are pretty much confined by geography. Long distance Sinai trails were also developed by adventure companies. Now most big companies stay away from Sinai, but the Bedouin operators are still around – the same skilled and experienced guides who companies rely on. Many now offer their own services, and still welcome you on these longer or shorter trips. you just have to trust those who live in South Sinai and say it is safe to visit.
Related posts: Coast to Coast I. | Coast to Coast II.
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