Ras Abu Galum

Abu Galum protects a stretch of Sinai coast where the mountains come down almost to the water, leaving a narrow shore with no road along it. The usual approach is by camel from the Blue Hole, an hour or so along the beach and rock, or by boat, and the isolation is the point: the reef here sees a fraction of the traffic of the sites near town, so coral cover is better and the fish are less used to people. The reserve also protects a stretch of desert behind the coast with wadis, acacia and its own flora, and the Muzeina Bedouin who live here run simple beach camps of palm-frond huts where visitors eat fish and sleep on mattresses under the stars. Overnight is far better than a day trip.

What you actually see

• Untouched fringing reef - coral in better condition than the town sites.
• Palm-frond beach camps - Bedouin huts as the only accommodation.
• The camel approach - an hour along the shore with no road.
• Mountains meeting the sea - the coastal strip pinched between the two.

When to go

October to May. Overnight rather than a day trip if you can, because the stars and the early morning water are the reason to come. Wind can make the boat approach uncomfortable. Bring everything you need; nothing is sold beyond tea and fish.

Honest expectations

Facilities are genuinely basic: no electricity beyond a generator, no plumbing, mattresses on the sand. The camel ride is uncomfortable for the unaccustomed. There is no shop and no phone signal in places. Take rubbish out with you, since disposal here is a problem.

Nearby

The Blue Hole and Dahab lie south; Nuweiba is further north along the gulf.