Bedouin Smile | St. Catherine - Dahab 07 days
Bedouin Smile | St. Catherine - Dahab 07 days
Location
DAY 01: Arrival at Taba or Sharm international airport, meet and assist then transfer to your hotel in St.Catherine for dinner and overnight.
DAY 02: Breakfast, we start our mini trekking tour by El Melga the Bedouin village of the natives of the region, load up the stuff on backs of camels & set off through Wadi Talaa into the high ranges, only now we head away from the chaos and distraction of urban cities into a moonscape like region, arrive to Wadi Zawateen (a lot of Olive trees can be seen through), camping under the stars.
DAY 03: We wake up on the smell of the Bedouin bread (Liba) being cocked on the open fire and a cup of Bedouin herbal tea, after breakfast Start our walking to Gabal ElAhmar (Red Mountain), stop for lunch, then head off towards to Wadi El Arbaein, associated with the bible as the place where the prophet Moses, stroke the rock & water came forth to sustain the 12 Israeli tribs, water no longer flows from the rock, also associated with the 40 monks been martyred in the same.
Wadi according to accounts of St. Catherine monks, in a very nice place, nearby a Bedouin's house who is very interested in rock hyrax and for that he constructed an enclosure at his "Home" to observe and enjoy these mammals, he occasionally releases the hyrax off spring once they reach maturity. Overnight Chapel and Mosque that built on top assert the spirit of the co-existence of peace between the Djabalia (the Moslem natives of St. Catherine) and the Christian Monks, then we return down the mountain – either by the camel path or by the "Steps of Repentance". Back to our hotel, time for freshen-up and relaxation, in the afternoon we visit the culture centre of St.Catherine protectorate. Dinner and overnight in St.Catherine.
DAY 04: After breakfast we visit St. Catherine Monastery situated at the foot of Mount Sinai. 6th century Monastery that houses one of the most important icons collections on earth. In addition to the biblical site of the Burning Bush and Moses well. After the Monastery, drive to Dahab, visiting the oasis of Ain El-Khodra (associated with biblical Hazerot) a new dimension of splendor and beauty speaks for itself and the inscription rock dating to the Nabataeans period en route. Arrival at our hotel for overnight.
"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 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 is one of the largest and most important collection of illuminated manuscripts in the world (The Vatican has the largest). The collection consists of some 4,500 volumes in Greek, Coptic, Arabic, Armenian, Hebrew, Slavic, Syriac, Georgian and other language."
DAY 05: After breakfast, we ride the camels to Abu Galoum protectorate on the magical coast of Aqaba, chance to snorkeling and swimming among the beautiful colorful fishes of the Red Sea. Safari lunch, then back to Dahab for dinner and overnight
DAY 06: Free at leisure in Dahab.
DAY 07: Transfer to the airport for final departure.
