Flight to Marsa Alam (RMF) starting at €59.99*

Marsa Alam is an Egyptian town on the southern coast of the Red Sea, which is still largely untouched by tourism and development. The town's famous diving spots, such as Elphinstone, Dolphin House and Abbu Dabbab, and its pristine beaches make it popular for travellers. The marine life is extremely diverse; spinner dolphins, dugongs, sharks, tuna, moray eels, skates and other sea creatures can often be seen in the numerous reefs and coves. The water temperatures make it possible to dive 365 days a year; even beginners can learn quickly and safely on the house reefs of the various diving schools.  

Among the many worthwhile destinations is Port Ghalib, a planned community developed by a Kuwaiti sheikh and as yet not complete. Other attractions include several national parks, native villages with camel markets and the ancient city of Edfu with its Graeco-Roman temple to the god Horus-Apollo. The area boasts many other archaeological treasures, such as the temple of the Pharaoh Sethos I (1290-1279 BC). In the early 20th century, orientalists discovered many imaginative artefacts in the immediate vicinity, such as petroglyphs attesting to millennia of civilisation.

One particularly charming spot in the area is Sharm El Luli, situated within the Wadi El Gemal national park, whose largely untouched beach and marine life are well worth a side trip. The region is as yet relatively undiscovered by the tourism industry, so there are no hotels or other tourist spots along the kilometre-long beaches - just the sound of the wind and the waves. It is no exaggeration to call this place a 'paradise'. A look through your diving goggles will reveal an aquatic wonderland where sea tortoises and skates abound.