Taba - Crossroads of the Gulf of Aqaba (Taba)

Member Name: dangaroo

Product:	Taba
Date:	05/05/08 (44 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Finding Nemo, beautiful location

Disadvantages: Too far from the rest of Egypt and with poor connections

Nestled in the Gulf of Aqaba with Israel and Jordan in spitting distance (not that you would want to!), lies Taba. Expensive resort hotels that you could find anywhere are the name of the day, transport to get out is expensive. As lovely as the coast is and as quiet as the sea is in that area, it's just a tad too isolated unless you are somehow with your own car. Several police blockades have to be passed to get to Nuweiba, Cairo or Dahab and I feel that unless you are looking for a package where you just go on the trips organised for you then Taba is the wrong place to be.

For an independent traveller, Dahab is ideal. Taba on the other hand doesn't even have alcohol available in the shop and you either have to pay over the odds in one of the expensive hotels, go to Israel or the 180km south to Nuweiba.

On a positive note, the sea is gorgeous and it is still relatively easy to get to the Sinai Mountains. If you don't care about getting an Israel/Jordan border stamp in your passport and have no intentions of going to Syria or any other arab country in the next few years, then it's also in a good location to visit Israel and Jordan.

Definitely worth visiting is Pharaoh's Island, I swam out to it from the shore and spent the day snorkelling around it.

Summary: If you want a package deal where you pay for trips then you'll be ok