Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Sporting and Specialist
Holidays in the Holy Land
With terrain that runs from reefs rich in marine
life to sometimes snow-capped peaks, and from
coniferous forests to stony desert, the region offers
a wide assortment of outdoor activities. Added to
this, Israel is very much an “outdoors” society. As a
consequence, the region is criss-crossed with hiking
trails and treks, rivers are busy with rafts and canoes,
parks offer opportunities for horse riding, and deserts
for exploration by camel. All this is primarily for the
locals but visitors can enjoy these facilities too.
Although the entire Red
Sea teems with marine life,
some of the richest dive
sites are undoubtedly those
within the Ras Muhammad
National Park
(see p243)
,
which is close to Sharm el-
Sheikh at the tip of the Sinai
peninsula. Dives in the park
must be organized through
a dive club.
While it is possible to sort
out your own diving arrange-
ments with a local company
once you arrive, there are
also many international
agencies specializing in
Red Sea diving holidays.
In Eilat, reputable diving
centres include
Aqua Sport
,
which organizes daily boat
excursions along the Sinai coast
to less-dived locations,
Divers'
Village
and
Marina Divers
.
In Sinai, some of the better
outfits include
Inmo
and the
Nesima Dive Centre
in Dahab,
and the
Camel Dive Club
,
Emperor Divers
,
Oonas Dive
Centre
and
Sinai Divers
in
Sharm el-Sheikh. You can
visit their websites
(see p297)
for more information.
Windsurfing between Eilat and
Taba in the Gulf of Aqaba
For a different kind of diving
experience,
Caesarea Diving
at the Caesarea National
Park
(see p176)
on Israel's
Mediterranean coast offers
scuba trips that allow you to
explore the submerged ruins
of Herod's ancient harbour.
A clown fish swims by brightly
coloured soft corals
DIVING
SNORKELLING
Experienced divers claim
that the Red Sea offers some
of the world's best diving.
The various scuba diving
centres in Eilat, Aqaba and,
especially, Sinai organize
courses for beginners, as
well as for more experienced
divers who wish to qualify
for the various international
licences. Most centres hire
out all the diving equipment
you need (the daily rate is
about $35-50), including, if
desired, underwater photo-
graphic equipment.
Another way of viewing the
rich marine life and beauty
of the reefs is to snorkel. This
has the advantage of being
cheap and of not requiring
any complicated equipment
or specialised training. Dahab
and Sharm el-Sheikh in Egypt
(see pp242-3)
are the best
locations, and each has plenty
of snorkel-hire shops. It is
also possible to snorkel in
Israel at Eilat
(see p205)
and
in Jordan at Aqaba
(see p235)
.
WATER SPORTS
The windsurfing is good in
the Gulf of Aqaba, particularly
on the coast between Eilat
and the border at Taba; there
are plenty of places to rent
boards, many of them near
the small marina by the Club
Med hotel. The region's centre
for water sports is Eilat
(see
p205)
, with everything from
snorkels to jetskis for hire,
plus a multitude of other
activities, including para-
gliding and glass-bottomed
boats. Israel's Mediterranean
coast is more exposed, with
dangerous currents, but
A diver enters the Red Sea just off Aqaba in Jordan
