Lara’s Adventures #1 March 6th: Nuweiba bubbles of happiness
"The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever.” – Jacques-Yves Cousteau
I’m going to change the format of the newsletter slightly. From now on every newsletter will be a story about a place I encountered or an experience I faced on my travels - usually somewhere around the Mediterranean. Each post will include my recommendations for the destination, a reading list or anything else I find interesting.
This week I’m going to tell you about Nuweiba. A beach town in Sinai whose name means “bubbling springs” in Arabic. I first visited four years ago and returned last weekend.
The first time I visited Nuweiba it was 2nd January 2019 and one of the coldest days I’ve ever experienced in Egypt. The sky was grey, the sea lashed against my skin and the red rocky mountains which encircle the town were barely visible. I was here for a yoga retreat and was sleeping in a small beach hut meters from the sea. Inside the hut, the mattress was balanced on a crate and the cold sand sent shivers down my spine as I clutched the dark pink blanket all night.
Five years later I arrived on one of the warmest days of the year so far along with my partner Dan and our two dogs Duffy and Cassie. We piled in a mini van from Dahab and made it to Nuweiba in mid-afternoon. As soon as we reached Sukoon Camp on the far side of Nuweiba, the dogs jumped out of the car and started running in circles around Sukoon’s private beach. I was almost as excited as they were to swim in the sea.
Nuweiba is a coastal town in Sinai set between the Sinai mountains and the Gulf of Aqaba. It’s far less popular among tourists than its neighbour Dahab, despite having far superior beaches, a direct ferry to Jordan and more untouched reefs for diving. The accommodation is primarily beach huts along the beach and many Dahabians have told me Nuweiba’s primitive nature is reminiscent of Dahab several decades ago.
Not long after we arrived last weekend our hosts took us on a hike. We drove into the red mountains and scrambled up a craggy rock to watch the sunset. On top of the rock we could see all the way across the sea to Saudi Arabia to the East and miles and miles of the Sinai mountain chain to the West. Duffy’s spaniel ears blew wildly on top of the rock and the temperature dropped rapidly as the sun sank. As light turned to dark we stumbled down the rock then drove to a protected spot in the desert to set up a fire and toast marshmallows.
Later back at the camp we lay on the beach looking up at the stars. I saw the Canis, the Pleiades, Cassiopeia and many other constellations I’m still learning the names of. My dogs slept by my feet and the sea gently lapped below the moon. I thought in Dahab we lived close to nature, but being in Nuweiba allowed me to completely unwind in the still calmness of the peaceful natural world.
Nuweiba also has a stronger Bedouin emphasis than Dahab, perhaps due to the lack of tourists. It’s definitely their town and tourism hasn’t yet made a strong impact on the spirit of Nuweiba. The Tarabin tribe live towards the North of Nuweiba and the Muzeina live towards the South. It’s only 70km from the border with Israel and the lack of tourists could partially be explained by the recent exodus of Israelis from Sinai.
I would return to Nuweiba again and again if I were remaining in Dahab. There is something about the pure blue waters set against the dramatic mountains combined with the silence of untouched nature that I find incredibly calming.
Where to stay:
Sukoon Camp is a stylish beach camp with a beautiful beach. The hosts are incredibly friendly, organise fun activities and breakfast and dinner is included in the room price.
Basata Eco-Lodge became the first ever eco-lodge in Egypt back in the 1980s and retains its magic today. As well as being extremely beautiful, I’m told the food is extremely delicious too.
What to do:
Go hiking in the Wadis. Visit Wadi el Washwashi, a natural pool surrounded by mountains and dive into the deep turquoise waters.
My yoga retreat back in 2018 was incredible and I’d highly recommended yoga or spa Treatments with Susan Metalawi. More information at https://susanmetwaliyoga.com/
Swim, freedive, snorkel or scuba dive in the sea. Better conditions than Dahab and you’ll most likely have the underwater environment almost all to yourself. Look out for the turtles!