Fun things to do in Muhafazat Janub Sina'

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For those hearty adventurers who are staying more than a couple of days at St. Katherine's Protectate you might want to consider a break from all hiking by spending a day at Camel School. At the time of my visit in March 2009 they were just putting it together but it was a lot of fun. Basically they take you out into a valley surrounded by the reddish pink mountains of the Sinai and teach you how to not only ride a camel but master it as well. I was able to learn how speak to the camel and get it to respond to my commands and then the last couple hours I was able to take the camel out on a trek for the most part by myself. This was an incredible and unique experience and I highly recommend it. Ask around at the Sheik Mousa Bedouin Camp for rates and availability.

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St. Katherine's Monastery is not only a beautiful place to visit but its also a religious experience to many Christians and Jews. Thought to be near the location of the burning bush the monastery draws bus loads of tourist daily. The monks run a tight ship and visiting hours are limited so be sure to check in advance before visiting. This is also the starting point for climbing Mt. Sinai, hikers have the option of choosing the easy to navigate Camel Trail or the tough as nails Steps of Repentance.

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Climbing Mt. Sinai is an adventure worth taking, set deep in the Sinai Peninsula and home to the disputed location where Moses received the Ten Commandments, Mt Sinai is both a religious trek and adventure wrapped into one. Most tourists choose to climb the mountain in the early morning hour to catch a breathtaking sunrise over the Sinai. This is a magnificent way to experience the beauty of Mt. Sinai in both the dark of night and the dawn of day. Climbing the mountain at night is a transcendent experience as the night is lit up by the moon and stars and the mountain ranges are visible as shadows against the night sky. You aren't alone on the trail as literally hundreds of people make the climb every night but thankfully the hike is long enough to create seperation from the bigger groups. Its best to start the hike at about 2:00 A.M. as it will take someone in good condition at least three hours to make the climb to the top. The vast majority of hikers take the camel trail as opposed to the Steps of Repentence...really the name says it all. There are camels available to take you to the top for a hefty fee. There are numerous places along the trail to buy tea and water and at the very top they sell blankets to help ward off the early morning chill. Keep in mind that they don't allow you to hike up Mt. Sinai by yourself...you must have a guide. Which of course is crazy considering how many people are on the trail but its the way they make money. A tour guide will run about 100 Egyptian pounds as of March 2009.

We've been also told that another attraction of Fara'ûn are the sulphurous waters of the spring that have curative qualities and are used for thermal hydrotherapy.

The sulphurous water is specially advised in cases of skin infection, bronchi and lungs diseases, but there was no spa and everything it was deserted around so I don't think someone is going there for a regular cure.

Another interesting part of St. Catherine Monastery that shouldn’t be missed is the Icons and Old Scripts exhibition.

Interesting and old items such as icons, bibles or other religious objects are displayed inside this relatively small museum and some of them are unique.

Entrance fee: USD 3- for adults, USD 1- for children.

Moses fled to the Sinai mountains in order to escape execution after being sentenced to death for assaulting and killing an Egyptian foreman who had beaten up an Israelite laborer.

Mt. Sinai was the place where one day God revealed himself to Moses in the Miracle of the Burning Bush and ordered him to save the children of Israel from captivity.

Inside St. Catherine Monastery is the burning bush but it is said that is not much left from the original one.

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St. Catherine Monastery is built at an altitude of 1,570m on the place where God, under the form of a burning bush, called Moses.

The Coptic church of the Monastery is small inside but full of beautiful paintings.

The Christian monks and hermits settled small monastic communities around Mt. Sinai since the 3rd century.

In 330 AD Saint Helena erected a small church to commemorate the spot where God appeared to Moses, and a tower to serve as secure shelter for the monks.

In the 6th century, the Byzantine Emperor Justinian ordered the building of a fortified monastery encompassing the church and tower.

Elijah's Basin is a sandy flat surface which lies between the northern extension of the mountain, Mount Safsafa, and the summit.

The white Church of Elijah commemorates the place where Elijah fled after killing the prophets of Baal.

The path from Elijah's Basin leads you to the Monastery in about one hour but is steep and harder than the other way.

Elijah's Basin is also the best place for camping.