Taba

Taba sits at the very head of the Gulf of Aqaba where the coastlines of four countries come close together, and on a clear day from the beach you can see Egypt underfoot, Israel a few hundred metres north, Jordan across the head of the gulf and the Saudi shore down the eastern side, which is the fact every visitor is told and which is genuinely true. The town is small, with a cluster of resort hotels along a rocky shore and mountains rising immediately behind. Diving and snorkelling are good in the sheltered corners, and Pharaoh's Island with its crusader fortress lies a short boat ride south. Inland the mountains hold canyons and the Taba protectorate. The airport brings direct charter flights in season.

What you actually see

• Four coastlines from one beach - the head of the gulf in a single view.
• Mountains behind the shore - the Sinai range dropping to the water.
• Sheltered snorkelling - reef in the corners of the bay.
• Pharaoh's Island offshore - the crusader castle a short boat ride south.

When to go

October to May. The gulf is calm here and the setting sheltered. Two days is usually enough unless diving. Egyptian and regional holidays fill the hotels. Winter evenings are cool with wind funnelling down the gulf.

Honest expectations

It is a resort strip with almost no town life and nowhere to walk to. The shore is rocky rather than sandy in most places. Hotel prices are high relative to the rest of Sinai. Border formalities are close by and photography toward the frontier is not advisable.

Nearby

Pharaoh's Island is just south; Nuweiba is an hour down the coast.