For romantic getaways, Rasha Sadek directs lovebirds to their nests I'm in the mood for love. This most intense of all feelings is not only enhanced by words that send butterflies flying all over in the stomach or Zoro- ic theatrics that pour thunderous hot waves onto the heart. Places, too, can play an integral role in evoking the best of love's memories. But I don't mean just any place. Few spots combine the intrinsic details of the rainbowed skies melted in the pristine waters or the bungalows erected in the midst of lagoons, or this same sky on desert dunes and coloured mountains warmed by the camp fire, or the fire of passion. It just doesn't get any more romantic than that, or does it? In this country, there are many of those sites heavenly designed to witness the memorable moments of young couples, newlyweds and old-time partners taking or renewing their vows. Allow me to elaborate: As you read through, there's a spot, for the time being let's call it Zone X. It's an island. I was in the company of my dearest friend when we slipped into the cool water of the spring and sprayed each other like kids do on the seashore. Then what better than to lie down on the hammock in the back side of the island to the smooth rocking of the cradle of emotions. As the sun was about to descend, we spotted a few metres from the hammock a drying lake that reflects the broken rays of the sun on the dry bushes of some trees and gives a picture of a mirror floor. I took my man's hand and walked the lake. Believe it or not, these kinds of places do exist. And so, this article is the flying ticket of lovers looking for romantic getaways. THE RED SEA: My favourite of all waters... a traffic jam of out-of-this- world marine creatures. My friend and I have always sought escaping the earthly world of humans to the underwater world of huge coral reefs and friendly multi-coloured, multi-sized, multi-shaped species of creation. The Red Sea tops the list as far as diving and snorkelling are concerned. How about diving hand-in-hand with your lover? On the Red Sea are dotted dozens of cities and townlets that compete to attract the likes of my friend and I -- those looking to timelessly engrave their holiday in their minds. In El-Gouna, for instance, it's difficult to choose where to stay... in the Ocean View Hotel which enjoys a breathtaking view of the sea from three sides? Or Dawar Al-Omda which has a pool edge on the lagoon? Or El-Gouna's pride, the Steigenberger, designed by Michael Graves? An hour to remember -- the lagoon cruise on one of the yachts. El-Gouna resembles Venice in some sense. It's surrounded by lagoons and some streets are in fact stretches of water. Watching the dwarves townlet, as most buildings are one- or two-storeys high, from the bright turquoise waters which float in stark contrast to the pastel colours of the domed constructions lets out a carefree sigh. And tonight? My friend and I are more nocturnal. Send us to a million places at night and we won't have enough. Getting off the shuttle bus at Marina Abu Tig, we strolled along the extravagant yachts on the one side and restaurants and cafés on the other. We landed at the end of the promenade, a café embraced by the quiet sea. But still that doesn't quite make up a night, according to our definition. Dancing, singing and drinking in the midst of the promenade. Yes, at Abu Tig, bands and DJ play in the open. In Hurghada, the Red Sea is at its best. Due to the transparent waters, the bright colours of coral reefs and many fish are visible to the naked eye. And diving sites for swimming with dolphins put me in the company of my friend and a dolphin. How lucky can I get! After we arrived in Hurghada, I devised a wicked plan to take my friend away from nestling on the hotel beach. I dragged him by the hand to the Sheraton Hotel marina, but he didn't know where I was leading him. "A soul-invigorating journey," was all I said. A hideaway island off the shores of Hurghada is called Giftun, housing Al-Mahmiya nature reserve blessed with the least allusion of concrete and pollution. Al-Mahmiya, transliterated as the protected, is only 40 minutes from Hurghada by sail. The big boat taking us to our new-found heaven... freeze the shot here. The cruise might be the highlight of the day. The swinging motion of the boat sent waves of equanimity through our bodies as the breeze splashed jots of the sweet salty water of the Red Sea. A still of ultimate love and serenity. After we landed on the island, the white powdery sands tickled our toes before we laid back at one of the parasols made of Casuarine and palm trees. Steps leading to the different levels on which the parasols stand are made of local stones extracted from the island itself. Our fingers caressed the soft sands as we daydreamed in the sight of the various water shades of blue and turquoise and with the fine sounds of chillout music in the background. "Here's an interesting tip, my love: where we are right now is home to 196 types of coral reefs and 794 marine species," I interrupted the silence. Next thing I knew, it was my turn to be dragged by the hand to snorkel among 80 per cent of the Red Sea's biological diversity. If anything, Hurghada is best known as a party town; some say life in Hurghada begins at night. In contrast to the magnificence of nature in its simplest form in Al-Mahmiya, we went loud and crazy at night. Papus has always been the discotheque of my choice. Standing right on the beach, its open air offers different seatings and a spacious dance floor. Or perhaps BonanzaRed, a two-storey open-air bar that on Fridays hosts the talented Dawoud singing oldies. SINAI: Some 90 minutes by ferry from Hurghada and we're in Sharm El-Sheikh. In this city that never sleeps I've had the best memories, but this time, with the company of the favourite of all people, I wondered what it was going to be like. "Well, my dear, prepare yourself for 24 hours of a chain of activities." He was right in every sense. Starting off with a sumptuous breakfast, the beach of the Cataract Layalina Hotel is of strategic location. Enjoying an open view of the whole of Neama Bay, the beach grants access to a countless number of snorkelling sites less than 50 metres off the shore. For more action, the legendary Ras Mohamed protectorate is ideal. Around 45 minutes of lying on the sundeck of a boat took us to the tip of the Sinai Peninsula to one of the best dive sites across the world, the peerless Ras Mohamed, as many testify, to observe the spectacular coral formations and rare tropical fish. Bear with us here for a minute, but only if you're interested in the silent underwater world with a touch of history. The Strait of Global, close to Ras Mohamed, is famed as the wreck dive site of the Thistlegorm, the World War II British vessel which sank in 1941 after being attacked from the air while transporting a shipment of war supplies. The wreck was first discovered by Jacque Costeau in 1956 but since he didn't want to reveal the location of the site, it was rediscovered in the early 1990s. Exquisite marine plants and rare species of fish grow around the 126m vessel which lies 30 metres deep. As for the Dunraven wreck, it's located south of Ras Mohamed near the coral garden of the Beacon Rock. Seventeen metres deep, the Dunraven is a British cargo ship that sank in 1876 on its way from Bombay to Liverpool, to be found in 1977. The anchor chain of the wreck is covered with colourful marine plants. The most romantic dive islands are those of Tiran and Sanafir. A Bedouin legend has it that Sanafir, an Arabian princess, was in love with Tiran. The couple's dreams were shattered when her father separated them on two isolated islands. The brave young man fought the sea to reach his beloved but was surrounded by sharks. The legend goes on: "If you listen carefully, you can still hear the wind carrying the voice of the princess calling out to her lover." I mused on the sad tale of Tiran and Sanafir as we were approaching the Neama shore back. My friend snapped me out of my thoughts with a sweet smile, reminding me we had a long busy Las Vegas night awaiting. We hopped from Salsa Club, to Al-Pasha, formerly the Bus Stop, to Hard Rock, and into Little Buddha. This latter is a sushi bar, pub and discotheque, distinctive with decorative arches and Buddha statues. The restaurant plays eclectic international music and sounds, and features traditional Chinese cuisine with a touch of French influence. Now it's past 3am, and we, the night owls, haven't had enough of dancing. Faces, the after-hours discotheque on Al-Salam Road, provided the answer. Then enough with the buzzing bees we were. We next headed northwards to Dahab. The city's beauty lies in its sunshine, so by 2am it is whisperless. It's ideal for a simple, minimalist, soft-coloured vacation and basically calls the primitive side of being. This mood is one that we willingly submitted to as we strolled off the bus. It's also mainly a city of camps; very few hotels are located in Dahab. Otherwise, it is a two-mile stretch of camps, restaurants, cafés and bazaars, all overlooking the Gulf of Aqaba. One morning is good for reading a book in the warming sun, another is excellent for renting a couple of horses that like to gallop in the shallow water and splash their waves. Sounds like one of those love scenes in a movie. Care to be in the same scene? An hour drive further northwards took us to Nuweiba. I've only been there once before when I took my companion along. But this one time, during which I stayed at La Siréne, quickly made me fall in love with the place -- before I fell in love with my friend. It's precisely at this place that we got in touch with our inner selves and derived our identities from the surrounding nature... and learned the language of the macrocosm -- the rushing tide every six hours, the shooting stars, constellations, cool wet particles of sand. The mountains are another story in Nuweiba. Due to its weather and location, during the early hours of the morning they are invisible to the extent you think you're watching an infinite open sea. Shortly before sunset, sunrays convert their colour from brown to enthralling red and at night you can vaguely see their silhouette. So we had changing views the day round. It just couldn't get any better where inner peace and emanating love are all that one feels. Oh, and the candlelit dinner in the Bedouin tent erected half a metre from the water made one hell of a night! THE WESTERN DESERT: In summer, the desert is reminiscent of the burning sun, but when you're in love, the stars and the full moon and warming up around the campfire in the arms of your man will be all you can think of. The Western Desert is a goldmine of passion, more valuable than the most precious of diamond rings. You'll never see more stars anywhere than Siwa. It might be a cliché to say we slept under a blanket of stars. But when you're in love, is it really cliché to give your partner a rose? One of the gifts of love is that it makes you appreciate the tiniest of things. So in this oasis, the views of the Grand Lake of Siwa by sunrise and the charmingly lit Shali Mountain at night do produce the best poetry. Gabal Shali is the ruins of what were once the old houses of Siwans. "During the Middle Ages, the Siwans were attacked by the Berber and Arab Bedouin. In 1203 AD, they resettled in a new fortified village for greater security," my knowledgeable friend said wrapping his arms around me "for greater security". They called it "Shali"; in Siwan language "the city". However, in 1926, three successive days of heavy rain caused the collapse of many houses, which had a high concentration of salt in their bricks, rendering all Siwans unsafe. That's when Siwans moved down the hill and built their houses around it, leaving behind only a beautifully lit mural. Siwa, however, is not designed for hurry. There are two ecolodges in the oasis that combine the wilderness with peace and bring one closer to nature and the culture of the oasis. The Taghaghian Island Resort provides an unusual getaway for honeymooners. Besides the main island on which the ecolodge is constructed, it owns six small islands it rents for travellers, and the only way to commute between them is a felucca. The management of the resort arranges tents for camping on the islands amidst olive and palm trees. The Adrere Amellal ecolodge is located at the foot of the White Mountain, and like the former ecolodge, overlooks the Great Siwa Lake. It is only lit by candles and flambeaus; no trace of electricity at all. Gas, however, is used for hot water. Adrere Amellal is constructed in high style, meeting at one point the basic with the sophisticated. Aside from the historical value of temples and cemeteries built in Siwa, hot and cold springs are spurred in and around the oasis. The spring in Fetnas Island is Zone X. Cleopatra's spring -- no relation to the ancient queen; I presume only a metaphor for beauty -- is a traditional destination for Siwan brides. Now leave the white gown behind and get in your diving suit to wreckdive in Abu Shrouf Spring. Five metres deep, one of its walls was built by the Romans, defining the spring's ancient parameters. It's the only spring in Siwa with coral reefs and coloured fish. ALEXANDRIA: Is it all about the Corniche? Perhaps. In one sense, the famed Alexandria Corniche is a landmark for lovers, and probably the residence of Cupid. Stretching over 20 kilometres, it has witnessed couples strolling arm-in-arm, lovers planning their life ahead, a family bound by affection, and the elderly who have taken the walk on the Corniche a thousand times and still do. In every way, the Corniche is a classic. However, the romantic ambiance of the Corniche, greenery of Montazah, historical aroma of the Roman Amphitheatre and the cultural influence of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina all make one Alexandria. But there's another whole realm; the ancient underwater world of Alexandria. Wreckdiving is a dive into history where complete cities, palaces and ships from Pharaonic and Graeco-Roman times lie on the seabed extending from Alexandria till the Libyan border. Neither can it go without mention the airfighters, light cruisers and submarines of WWII that sank along the coast of Abu Qir, Alamein and Marsa Matrouh. The timeless love story of Mark Anthony and Cleopatra is still preserved in the Mediterranean Sea of Alex. Greek and Roman texts engraved on the limestone and columns of Cleopatra's summer palace, five metres deep, tell the sad tale of the last queen of ancient Egypt who took her own life in 30 BC right after Anthony took his under the impression that she had already died. If anything, I don't want this day to dawn on me. My friend's strong press on my hand reassured me, and the look from behind his goggles was proof enough. Next on our diving programme was the site where the remnants of the ancient World Wonder, the Lighthouse, lie in silence. The earthquake that rocked Alexandria in 1323 buried the lighthouse nine metres in the Eastern Harbour of the sea. On the way up... By the way, have you ever tried slow dancing going up to the surface? Must have cost a fortune travelling to all these places. It might not have. The whole journey was only in my head. But again... it might have been real. Couples' notes: - El-Gouna is located 22km north of Hurghada. There are 14 hotels and resorts ranging from three- to five-stars. The five-star Steigenberger has a championship golf course. Dawar Al-Omda is a four-star hotel with a wonderful design, while Turtle's Inn is a three-star in Marina Abu Tig. For reservations in any of El-Gouna's hotels, call +2 02 3305 7843. - In Hurghada, accommodation varies from one- to five-stars. The Grand Hotel of Hurghada (+2 065 344 6509) is a five-star. The four-star Hilton Hurghada Resort (+2 065 346 5020) is strategically located. - Sharm El-Sheikh is packed with dozens of hotels everywhere; in Neama Bay, Um Al-Sid Hill, downtown, Al-Nabq Bay and Gardens Bay. From hostels, camps, one-star all the way to five-star and extra-luxurious hotels, it's easy to plan a trip according to your budget. On offer is the five-star Hyatt Regency Sharm El-Sheikh Hotel (+2 069 360 1234); the four-star Queen Sharm Vera Club Hotel at Um Al-Sid Hill (+2 069 366 2300); and New Fantazia Hotel, at Neama Bay, three stars (+2 069 360 14 15). - In Dahab, the five-star Hilton (+2 069 364 0310) and the four-star Helnan Dahab Hotel (+2 069 364 0426) lie off the main promenade but still overlook the beach. To stay at one of the camps like the Green Valley, Mohamed Ali and Al-Salam, you don't need prior reservation. - Nuweiba is only 87km northeast of Dahab. La Siréne (+2 069 350 0701/2) is only a short distance from the bus station and has three room levels. For diving courses and safaris visit [email protected] or contact (+2 069 350 0705). Also present is the four-star Bawaki Beach Hotel (+2 069 350 0470); Al-Waha Village, two stars (+2 069 350 0420). - Many humble hotels are located in downtown Siwa. Only two are four stars, the others ecolodges: The Taghaghian Island Resort (+2 02 2634 4420), and Adrere Amellal (+2 02 2736 7879), are situated 13 and 25 kilometres respectively east of downtown. The four-star Paradise Hotel (+2 046 460 2289) is composed of 77 rooms, two restaurants, gymnasium, sauna and a warm water spring. Like in Dahab, Al-Nakheel, Amun, Arous Al-Waha, Qasr Al-Zeitouna and Reem Al-Waha do not require prior reservation. - In Alexandria, there are endless options for accommodation. You can rent a flat, or simply stay at one of the many hotels that fit all budgets. The Montazah Sheraton (+2 03 548 1220) overlooks the summer palace of Montazah, and the Windsor Hotel (+2 03 480 8123) is built in the heart of Al-Raml Station area.
