This is probably the last chance for desert-lovers to go on an excursion before the summer. This eight- day itinerary starts from Cairo to St Catherine, Mount Sinai and surrounding deserts and ends back in Cairo. It is unique in that it provides the purest form of hiking as most of the sites are totally inaccessible by car. Even camels cannot reach all of them. At the entrance of the national park of St Catherine are several gardens and mudbrick houses of the local Gabalaya tribe. A four-hour camel trek in the morning takes you to the summit of Mount Moses where you start your trek atop Egypt's tallest mountain range, 2,200m. The journey's highlights are pre- historic tiger traps, gardens, water pools and wild fruit trees. With the help of ropes you will descend into a narrow canyon to reach the zenith of your safari -- the pool of Galt Al-Azraq -- where you can bathe in its turquoise water. You then return to the starting point at St Catherine and head to Cairo the following day. Day 1: Arrive in Cairo. Day 2: St Catherine and Mount Moses. Day 3: St Catherine Monastery, Abu Giffa pass, Abbas Pasha Palace, Byzantine ruins, waterfalls and fruit trees. Day 4: Climb a 2,200m mountain, pass through valleys and fresh water springs. Day 5: With the help of ropes and guides, cross narrow path with berry trees, and bathe in Galt Al- Azraq pool. Day 6: Head back to St Catherine. Day 7/8: Cairo. For more information contact Adventure Holidays, Travco Group, Tel: (+202) 738-2224.
