There are hundreds of hotels, guest houses, camps, and other types of accommodation in South Sinai, and we do not attempt to list them all. For the wider selection, use booking sites such as Booking.com or travel agents. We do, however, highlight unique, environmentally friendly, and nature-based places that stand out for a reason, such as ecolodges and traditional Bedouin mountain gardens that accept visitors.
If you join one of our programmes or tours, we can pick you up from any hotel or other accommodation and return you to the place of your choice afterwards. If you need accommodation in St Catherine, we recommend and work with Sheikh Mousa and can help with reservations (you may also receive a discount if booking through us), although we can arrange pickup from any location you request.
Overview
Sharm el Sheikh & Nabq
Sharm el Sheikh and Nabq are the main international tourist destinations of Sinai, offering everything from large luxury resorts and all-inclusive hotels to boutique accommodation and diving camps. The area is known for its beaches, coral reefs, nightlife, restaurants, and watersports. Nabq, located north of Sharm el Sheikh, is generally quieter and more spread out, with many modern resort complexes. There is also simple accommodation within the Nabq National Park.
Dahab & Ras Abu Gallum
Dahab is one of Sinai’s most famous coastal towns, popular with divers, backpackers, digital nomads, and independent travellers. Originally a Bedouin fishing village, it retains a more relaxed atmosphere than Sharm el Sheikh. Accommodation ranges from budget camps and hostels to comfortable hotels and seaside apartments. North of Dahab lies the protected area of Ras Abu Gallum, where visitors can stay in simple Bedouin beach camps accessible mainly by camel, boat, or on foot. The area is ideal for those seeking peace, nature, coral reefs, and a slower pace of life.
Nuweiba
Nuweiba is quieter and less developed than the major resort towns, attracting travellers looking for a more laid-back atmosphere. The long coastline is dotted with beach camps, small hotels, ecolodges, and Bedouin-run accommodation, often directly by the sea. Many visitors appreciate the relaxed environment, mountain views, and easy access to both the beach and the conviniences of the city.
Taba-Nuweiba coast
The coast between Taba and Nuweiba is one of the most scenic stretches of Sinai, where rugged mountains descend dramatically to the sea. There are many simple beach camps and ecolodges along the coast, some in very remote locations with little surrounding development. Visitors come here for tranquillity, snorkelling, diving, stargazing, and desert excursions. Several places are ideal for disconnecting from busy modern life and experiencing the quieter side of Sinai.
Saint Catherine
Saint Catherine is a small town with a wide range of accommodation types, from high end hotels to simple lodges and Bedouin camps. In the surrounding area you find a few nature/eco-lodges and many Bedouin gardens.
Nature & Eco-Lodges
In the high mountains around the town of St Catherine, some of the ancient Bedouin gardens have gradually been transformed into simple nature lodges and ecolodges. The first of these was Al Karm Ecolodge in the hamlet of Sheikh Awad, established in the early 2000s with support from the European Union. It became an inspiring example that others later followed in their own way.
In several gardens, traditional rooms have been improved, composting toilets and washing facilities added, and other basic infrastructure developed for visitors. Some of these places have evolved beyond simple Bedouin huts receiving guests and can genuinely be considered small ecolodges. They are listed here together with the official ecolodges, although they still continue to function as working orchards and gardens and are also included among the Bedouin garden stays.
On the Red Sea coast there is also Basata Ecolodge, often described as the first ecolodge in Egypt, located on the Taba–Nuweiba coast near Ras Shaitan, as well as Habiba Organic Farm in the laid-back and pleasantly rural al-Wasat area of Nuweiba.
Mountain Gardens
While Mount Sinai and St Catherine’s Monastery are well-known pilgrimage and tourist destinations, one of the greatest hidden treasures of the region comes as a surprise to most visitors: hundreds of ancient Bedouin orchards and gardens scattered through the mountain wadis (valleys) around St Catherine. Many are well over a thousand years old and date back to the early Byzantine era.
Unfortunately, many of these gardens have been abandoned over time, but a significant number are still maintained to some extent, and around two dozen exceptional gardens welcome visitors. Apart from the cultivated orchard and vegetable garden enclosed within robust dry-stone walls, most gardens also contain shaded resting areas for guests, usually an open arisha and a simple room. Several gardens also offer basic showers and toilet facilities.
Staying in a mountain garden is one of the most unique experiences Sinai has to offer. Visitors can enjoy peace and silence, traditional Bedouin hospitality, home-grown food, mountain walks, star-filled skies, and a way of life that has changed little over generations.
ACCOMMODATION: Overview > Nature & Eco-Lodges > Mountain Gardens