Taba - EGYPT - First Choice Egypt, Tunisia & Morocco May 2011

Taba & Taba Heights Taba & Taba Heights Sat between crimson mountains and the Red Sea is the beach resort of Taba. With its swish hotels stretching for miles along the golden sands, it's a top spot for both sunbathing and watersports. Then there's Taba Heights. It's renowned for its Championship golf course and tiny piazza, while the option of daytrips into Eilat and Petra make it a great base for exploring surrounding areas. Marsa Matruh Mediterranean Sea Alexandria Suez Canal The Pyramids insider's guide ACTIVE Sports lovers If you love golf, your first port of call should be the Championship golf course. Failing that, make your way into the Sinai Desert for a spot of quad biking or head down to the Red Sea for a shedload of watersports, including snorkelling, waterskiiing and windsurfing. Best dive sites As dive sites go, this is an area that takes some beating. Diving among the reefs will really open your eyes to life below the waves we're talking eels, rays, seahorses and all sorts of multicoloured creatures. If you're more experienced, you might want to think about braving the famous Blue Hole near Dahab. Off the beaten track For photo ops at every turn, make your way into the Sinai Mountains. It's out-and-out beautiful - especially in the Colour Canyon which is filled with every shade of red, orange and yellow. After dark It's Egypt, so in truth, the evening entertainment isn't quite Vegas. Instead, you're looking at easy-going nights at the hotels. One thing you can do is join the Taba Heights `dine around' programme which means you can try delicious food in a choice of hotel-based restaurants. RELAX The chill factor Taba and chilling - they go together like beer and nachos. In fact, you'll soon be nodding off on one of the golden-sand beaches or kicking back with views across the Gulf of Aqaba. Food for thought To do it like the locals, eat under the stars in true Bedouin style and try traditional stuff like deep-fried chickpea falafel. Failing that, you'll have a choice of eats at your hotel. CULTURE The tourist trail For sites of biblical proportions, take a walk up the slopes of Mount Sinai. Not only does it play host to amazing sunsets, it's also where Moses received the Ten Commandments. Past and present Think Egypt and images of the pyramids will probably spring to mind. So to experience them first-hand, take an excursion to Cairo. Then there's the opportunity to visit Jordan's ancient `rose-red city' of Petra with its cliffside theatres and tombs. Retail therapy For a good souvenir bargain, nearby Dahab should do the trick. Or there's the chance to soak up the atmosphere of a bustling bazaar in Cairo, as well as duty-free shopping in Eilat. Resort Guide Jordan Petra Cairo Taba Sinai Monastery of St Catherine Aqaba Sharm el-Sheikh Ras Mohammed National Park El Gouna Egypt Valley of the Kings Hurghada Temples of Karnak Luxor Edfu Marsa Alam Re d a Se Aswan High Dam Aswan Lake Nasser Approx scale: 100km Abu Simbel 50 Visit shops nationwide or click firstchoice.co.uk/egypt

EGYPT contd… Taba