Planning Your Time

If time is short, the Sinai is a better choice; Saint Catherine's Monastery, with its proximity to Mount Sinai, is a greater draw than the monasteries of Saint Anthony and Saint Paul. Sharm's golf course is one of the best in Egypt. Diving and kite surfing are better on Egypt's mainland Red Sea Coast, but the beaches are inferior to those in the Sinai. The Suez Canal is best seen on a day trip from Cairo, but you can also stay overnight in Bur Said or Ismailiya and continue the next day to Sharm El-Sheikh or the Red Sea Coast if you are traveling overland.