Taba, Egypt
Taba, the border town between Egypt and Israel has been an important crossing place for centuries. It sits at a strategic meeting point of Israel, Jordan, Egypt and Saudi Arabia. It is well known for its picturesque bays and coves and diving. For many years the only hotel here was Nelsons Village, right across the border from Israel. Recently, Taba has experienced a growth spurt on its coastline and is now home to many leading hotel chains who have built luxurious resort hotels around a new resort called Taba Heights which is 15km south of the border. Putting these hotels together with the new international airport at Taba means that the area is booming. This is a very upmarket resort indeed.
Although Taba is very much a man made holiday resort it does offer a wonderful vantage point for travelling into the Sinai desert, visiting Bedouin camps and enjoying the still unspoilt coastline. The views across the Gulf of Aquaba to Jordan and Saudi are beautiful especially at sunset when the mountains turn red.
The Sinai desert has amazing topography, a kaleidoscope of colours, beautiful fauna and flora and is a magical place to relax commune with nature. Just 50km south of Taba is the famous Coloured Canyon, just one of the many desert locales. Most tour operators run jeep safari trips out to the canyon and stop off in Nuweiba for some local handicraft shopping.
One of Taba's main attractions, Pharaoh's Island, is simply breathtaking. The island, surrounded by outstanding blue and turquoise water was once a Phoenician port. Later ist was occupied by Crusaders and then taken under control by Sultan Salah El Din. The island and the castle remain intact. The reef around the island is popular with snorkellers and divers alike.
Many activities centre around the luxury resorts. Most hotels have flood lit clay tennis courts. In the winter, you couldn't ask for better temperatures for an afternoon game. The Hyatt and the Marriott hotels situated around the bay are luxurious five star properties with the top of the range facilities. Both hotels have in-house spas equipped with sauna and steam rooms, Jacuzzi and fitness centres. Spending a day at the Spa can rejuvenate the body, mind and the soul. There are a wide variety of beach sports such as waterskiing, wakeboarding, pedaloes, windsurfing and of course snorkelling and diving.
One of the most popular excursions from Taba is to visit St Catherine's Monastery. Located at the foot of Mount Moses, St. Catherine's Monastery, was constructed by order of the Emperor Justinian between 527 and 565. It is built around what is thought to be the site of Moses' Burning Bush, which has a chapel built atop it. It is a spectacular natural setting for priceless works of art, including Arab mosaics, Greek and Russian icons, Western oil paintings, paintings on wax, fine sacerdotal ornaments, marbles, enamels, chalices, reliquaries, including one donated by Czar Alexander II in the 19th century, and another by Empress Catherine of Russia in the 17th century. But of perhaps even greater significance is that it holds the world's second largest collection of illuminated manuscripts (The Vatican has the largest). The collection consists of some 3,500 volumes in Greek, Coptic, Arabic, Armenian, Hebrew, Slavic, Syriac, Georgian and other languages. Around the year 1850, the fourth century Codex Sinaiticus, which is now in the British Museum in London, was discovered here. Tis is a trip not to be missed.
Dive Sites:
Taba offers both boat diving and shore diving from several dive centres. Diving around Taba tends to be shallower than further south but there is plenty to see in this real life aquarium. Taba is an ideal spot for less experienced divers or for photographers.
Three amazing sites are found at Marsa El Mugabilla.
The Canyon is a deep dive at a maximum depth of 40 metres The topography of the site is breathtaking. The shallow part of the dive is full of life with lots of soft coral and fish, the deep part is amazing hard coral formations.
Mugabilla Major is situated to the left of the Canyon with a maximum depth of 18 metres. Again, lots of fish and different types of coral.
Picasso Reef, 200 metres from the shore, is an underwater mountain. The dive leads down to 24 metres to huge table corals some 10 metres across with Eagle Rays and Great Barracuda passing by. On a level of 12 metres, the terrain is full of fish including Picasso Trigger Fish.
At the natural Fjord two sites are found: Fjord the hole. At the depth of 16 metres across a huge coral bed make a 90 degree turn to the left and find a huge hole with a maximum depth of 24 metres. After entering the hole rise to 8 metres and watch at a pinnacle rock how the fish from the open sea come to feed on plenty of tiny Glass Fish and Silver Fish. Fjord Banana is a shallow reef in the shape of a banana with much to see. Maximum depth here is 12 metres.
Coral City has a maximum depth of 20 metres. Under the boat are huge Brain and Mountain corals supporting many Lion Fish, occasionally Stone fish and tiny Silver and Glass Fish. In this area there are often Jacks and Tuna feeding.
Angel Net is another site around 200 meters from the shore to a depth of 26 meters. Beautiful table corals are here, full of life, where huge coral blocks are present.
Sun pool is a Salt water lake next to the sea, but supports no life. A shallow dive, maximum depth of 16 metres to the beautiful shallow reef next to the Sun Pool leads to the many Fire Corals growing here. The reef is rich of fish among them Eagle Rays.
Ben Coral is located in front of the Octopus Dive Center and about 250 metres from the shore. This amazing dive site in 12 metres contains the most beautiful collection of small Red Sea Banner Fish. At the deep side of the reef at only 18 metres virtually all the reef fish of the Red Sea can be seen! In the centre of the reef there are literally thousands and thousands of Glass fish and Silver fish. Inside the corals there are many Lion Fish asleep waiting their turn to feed at night. Other fish include many Two Bar Bream and Batfish and with some luck the biggest Giant Sting Ray in this area.
Midomus Reef - a short surface swim is required - a shallow dive leads down to 12 metres where thousands of Glass and Silver fish exist, attracting all the fish from the open sea to hunt here.
Pharao Island (Coral Island) offers 5 dive sites, 3 from the boat and 2 from the Island itself, all are beautiful with a spectacular wall dive.
House Reef is easily accessible from the shore and offers a nursery slope for diving perfect new divers.
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There's no getting away from it - Taba is very much a man made resort. However, it is surrounded by the most fantastic scenery you can imagine. If you are looking for a relaxing holiday in luxurious surroundings with some enjoyable diving on hand, this is a great place, particularly if you are travelling with the family or looking for a first resort after qualifying. Photographers will be in their element both on land and underwater.
Werner Lau Center - Taba
Taba 2007 - by Darren Astles
The Secret's Out - Head North
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