Marsa Alam (Egypt)

Though to me Marsa Alam is just a small, unremarkable town, it does have two advantages to offer: its proximity to the Eastern Desert, which is part of the Sahara and a good place to go camel trekking, and its coastline. I enjoyed the time I spent camel trekking in the desert and meeting some of the region's nomads, the Ababda. As you round a dune, you may initially be drawn to the presence of their traditional huts, scattered around in a group, by the sound of the tambourines they use in their ancient music.

Fans of active holidays will enjoy the sea trips you can go to explore the coastline (which still remains wild around this part of the Red Sea) and Maras Alam's diving spots, which offer some of the best underwater diving in Egypt according to the experts!

Marsa Alam has not yet been subject to excessive levels of urbanisation; and with its environment friendly 'ecolodges', the town is trying to develop a responsible form of tourism. In fact Marsa Alam actually has some pioneering establishments in this respect.