With its blend of golden beaches and a picturesque coastline, Taba is one of the rare tourist hideaways in Egypt - an area that offers excellent diving facilities, wonderful views and peaceful surroundings. Taba and Taba Heights are comparatively low-key compared to neighbouring resorts though there is exciting nightlife to be enjoyed within the hotels, and during the daytime there is both a golf course and a diving school to keep people active. With the incredible views of the Gulf of Aqaba, Taba also provides the services and amenities to keep the most rounded holidaymaker satisfied. Temperatures in the area range from the late thirties during the summer and regularly stay above 20°C in the winter months. There are charter flights to Taba available throughout the summer and winter from selected airports, with flight times lasting around five hours.
| a pleasant alternative to the tourist-packed areas of Cairo and Luxor.... |
Best for...
A comparatively quiet retreat compared to neighbouring resorts, Taba has a vibrancy that attracts all kinds of holidaymakers...
Taba offers a pleasant alternative to the tourist-packed areas of Cairo and Luxor, along with the partygoers' hotspots of Hurghada and Sharm El Sheikh. It is a much more laid-back resort and as a result is more family orientated with lots of services and amenities to suit travellers of all ages and types. It's a great place for watersports enthusiasts with lots of diving courses on offer. As an up-and-coming resort the number of hotels is increasing and as such the nightlife and shopping facilities are likely to grow in the coming years.
What to do...
The biggest attraction for Taba is its spectacular coastline and the numerous watersports that can be enjoyed within the region. There is a watersports centre that offers PADI diving courses and windsurfing is also popular. For those staying in the Taba Heights area, Marriott Beach offers half a kilometre of private sand filled with waterfalls, a cave, a Jacuzzi and a slide. There are lots of facilities for children on hand including a children's club and a children's pool.
Taba has a reputation for outstanding natural beauty and this is evident with Mount Sinai looming large on the horizon. Translating as the Mountain of Moses, Sinai is a sacred place for Muslims, Jews and Christians alike. Though the mountain is 2,285m high it is relatively easy to reach the top, and the more daring will try a camel caravan, while those with stamina can brave the 3,000 steps.
Indeed Taba is renowned for its sacred areas including the Monastery of St Catherine, which was built in the sixth century, with part of the monastery open to the public. A short trip to Pharaoh's Island and Salah El Din Citadel will introduce you to a 12th Century crusaders' fort that was built to protect the pilgrims. The island is another good spot to explore the reefs.
Taba is a great place to discover some of Egypt's fabulous cuisine with many varied restaurants. In particular the Egyptians thrive on making meat, fish and vegetable soups along with the salads that are known as salata. The Limoncello Mediterranean Café Restaurant serves specialities from many regions while the Breeze Restaurant has snacks and sandwiches, as well as cocktails and soft drinks during the day. By night it is one of the most romantic settings in Taba with a seafood menu. From there, the nightlife mainly revolves around the hotels though there are many coffee shops that stay open late, as these prove particularly popular with the locals.
There are plenty of fun things to do during the day in Taba including visiting the national parks. The National Park of Nabq features varied wildlife including storks, foxes and gazelles while the National Park of Ras Abu Galum has coastal mountains and varied plant and animal life. Day trips are also enjoyable, particularly across to the Dead Sea Petra and Eilat for the duty-free shopping and to Jerusalem to sample the area's religious sights and significance.
