Coral Coast Hotel beach, Sinai Peninsula, Gulf of Aqaba, Red Sea ~ Nov. 26, 2010 / Photo: Katerina Lorenzatos Makris

by Katerina Lorenzatos Makris ~

In Dahab you can snorkel, scuba, windsurf, or be a beach potato.

The political turmoil elsewhere in the country has not completely deterred travel to the small town on the remote Sinai peninsula.

“It is the media that makes people afraid,” a tourist told the Daily News Egypt. “They make a big deal out of everything… but everyone here is always so nice.”  Another vacationer gushed, “It is heavenly, There is lovely coral here. It is beautiful.”

Sadly, the Sinai coast’s once-spectacular coral reefs are trampled by inexperienced snorkelers. Hotels and restaurants dump sand and rocks on them to expand beaches. Abnormally heavy storms wash mountain sediments down into the sea, smothering the reefs. Rising water temperatures, caused by global warming, and ocean acidification, caused by pollution, make corals sick.

Fragrant squash soup at Coral Coast Hotel / Photo: Katerina Lorenzatos Makris

Nevertheless in 2010, just weeks before the Egyptian Revolution, Spicy enjoyed perfect autumn weather, flawless hospitality, some great swims among the Red Sea’s colorful fish and other still-thriving marine critters, and vibrant veggie Egyptian cuisine fragrant with cloves, coriander and cardamom. Heavenly indeed.

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Spicy Stories Save Lives proudly sponsors needy animals in the U.S. and around the world.

For example we help Kefalonia Animal Trust (KATs) provide free spay/neuter for hundreds of animals per year, which is one of the best ways to prevent the abandonment and misery of puppies like Noah and Kyla. Please give to KATs via PayPal or bank transfer. Spay/neuter and education are the animals’ best hope for a better future.

Also please consider Animal Rescue Kefalonia (ARK), another group on the island who run a shelter  and work miracles with terribly few resources. 

Spicy Stories Save Lives and the author of this article have no affiliation with the rescue groups mentioned above, other than as a friend, volunteer, and donor.

Seen our book?  Your Adopted Dog: Everything You Need to Know About Rescuing and Caring for a Best Friend in Need, by Shelley Frost and Katerina Lorenzatos Makris, available through Amazon.com.