Mount Moses (Sinai) — Local services in South Sinai

I was on vacation in Dahab, a city near Aqaba, and I decided to visit Saint Catherine's Monastery. I visited the monastery at night, and the cost was 600 Egyptian pounds for non-Egyptians, which is approximately $10. This included transportation, entrance fees, and the fee for the Bedouin guide, Musa. We left Dahab around 10 PM and arrived at around 11:30 PM.

We started the journey around midnight. There were many rest stops along the way, but the first one was the farthest, requiring about 50 minutes to reach. We had tea at the first rest stop and tried to continue the journey with the group and the Bedouin guide, Musa. However, my mother felt tired, so we decided to rent a camel to continue the journey. Initially, they asked for 650 pounds ($10), but after bargaining, we agreed on 500 pounds ($8). The camel's owner, a Bedouin named Faraj, was very gentle and handled the camel very well. The camel was very comfortable (unfortunately, I forgot its name, but I remember it was 4 years old). I'll attach a picture of the camel, and if anyone can reach Faraj, please send me his contact number 🙏

After riding the camel, we continued on the road for about an hour and a half. Then we reached the last rest stop, where we had coffee and rested until the rest of the group arrived. Then we headed to the stairs and started the ascent of the 700 steps. Usually, you can rent a donkey to climb the stairs, but this option is not available at night. We started climbing, and after about an hour and a half, we reached the top. The stairs took longer than usual because my mom needed frequent breaks. After that, we reached the last rest stop on the mountain and sat there for about an hour. The view of the sky and stars was very beautiful, and the temperature was around 3 degrees Celsius. As the sunrise approached, we moved toward the highest peak on Mount Sinai, where there is a small church. The church is rarely open except on very few occasions. We took photos, witnessed the sunrise, and then started moving towards the monastery at the foot of the mountain. The difficult part was descending the steps. We descended the steps and then rented a camel for the return journey at the same price of 500 pounds. Unfortunately, the ride back on the camel was not comfortable. The saddle was very tight, and after about an hour, my mother couldn't continue on the camel, so she decided to walk while I rode the camel. However, even that was not comfortable, and I got off the camel after just 10 minutes. We continued the rest of the way on foot and finally reached the monastery. The monastery is a beautiful place with several churches, resting areas, a hotel, a museum, and a library considered one of the most important after the Vatican Library. The priests speak multiple languages. I entered the place where the remains of the monastery's monks are kept. It was around 9:30 AM, and then we headed to the parking lot and returned to the hotel in Dahab. It was a great experience, and I recommend it to...

What would I do better next time? It’s worth getting ahead of everyone at the first stop and breaking away from the group (if you’re fit and feel up for it). At the last rest point, you can rent a blanket for $3 and head up to find the best location for yourself. The best route is to go along the right side all the way to the end and climb onto the rocks there. It might look dangerous at first, but it’s more of an illusion. The view is amazing, and it’s worth taking a break to find a quiet spot for a few moments of reflection. It’s not worth staying in one spot the whole time; after sunrise, the western side, which usually no one looks at, gets beautiful colors.

What’s the ascent like? We left the hotel at 9 PM and started the hike around 2:00 AM (with plenty of stops along the way to get dollars from local vendors, plus there were 3 checkpoints, though passports weren’t necessary in our case). The ascent was manageable (no issues for my girlfriend and me, but we do sports). There are many stops along the way (for active people, it might feel like a few too many), but we broke away from the group and went at our own pace to keep warm (there was no wind; I wore a fleece jacket in December, but at the top, you’ll need something more, though the Bedouins will lend you a blanket for $3, and you can also buy food every 10-15 minutes). My watch showed about 7.8 km in total, though the actual ascent in a zigzag was about 5 km (+750 stairs). The stairs might seem steep at first, but it’s not extreme, no matter your age (as long as you wear comfortable shoes and use your legs for more than just sitting). Before the stairs, you may feel a difference in pressure (you’ll be around 1900 meters above sea level at that point), but the ascent starts at 1500 meters, so the total elevation gain is about 700 meters. It’s doable for anyone. As for the church? Nothing special, but it’s worth bringing empty bottles to fill with water from Moses’ well, I believe it has a certain magic to...

Mount Moses or Mount Sinai The highest peak in Egypt and the Middle East is 2285 meters above the surface of the sea. Above the top is a mosque, a synagogue and the place where the Prophet mousa received the ten commandments. The road is 6 Kilo walk and the last kilo stairs. 750 ladder for the crew. Its allowed to ride a camel at the 6 kilo meter but tge steps you must walk on it .. And there is anouther way down 3000 steps to the end but its so hard to the legs .. Not allowed to climb the mountain without a guide the way up 3 hours and the way down 2 hours remember to het enogh time in the mount the way of the mountain have some rest " coffee shop " the first one after 1.5 kilo meter there is like 5 rest every one kilo meter and after 650 steps in the stairs part there is 5 rests where you can rent something to sidown or to cover .. And if you want you can drienk or get some givts As you climb up there are three trips you can make and this is your choice if you are with your family and want to climb up It is advisable to camp on the mountain through the restrooms located at the top is going up the second hour at noon and then arrive to watch the sunset and dinner and sleep on the top with the light of the stars and the road of the moon and the moon and with the morning you see the sunrise and then breakfast and visit...