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Trip Overview Ride along the Red Sea! |
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An illustrated itinerary of one of our many travel adventures for gay men, lesbians, and friends. This information supplements our
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Cycle alongside the picturesque Red Sea while experiencing one of the most historic lands in the world. Starting times: Because of the climate and the potential for heat-related illnesses, we begin and end our riding days earlier than normal. Alterations: We reserve the right to make alterations to the planned route due to changing wind and weather conditions, and where required by organizational necessities. Traffic and road conditions may require us to adjust the biking routes and to use our support vehicles to move passengers and equipment as necessary. Depending on the number of Alyson Adventures participants, we may have a private charter of the La Vela, or we may share the boat with other passengers. In any case, the boat has a maximum capacity of 22 passengers, so it will be a small group.
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1: Hurghada, Egypt
Fly from Cairo to Hurghada, Egypt or transfer overland from our Nile by Bike trip that ends in Luxor on the day this trip starts. Transfer to our ship, La Vela at Stella Makadi Resort in Makadi Bay. This afternoon we will test our bikes around Stella Makadi and have some free time to enjoy the facilities at Stella Makadi Resort We will embark on our ship in the late afternoon for dinner and spend the night on La Vela in Hurghada's harbor.
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2: Mons Claudianus & Port Safaga
We will start our biking with a 17 km ride to Mons Claudianus, built in Roman times. We'll visit the Roman granite quarry and the ruins of the 2000-year-old settlement from which stone for the Pantheon in Rome was taken. After our visit, enjoy a barbecue lunch, then ride 17 km to reboard La Vela at Port Safaga harbor. We'll have dinner onboard and spend the night in Port Safaga's harbor. Total biking: 34 km
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3: Port Safaga to Al Qusayr
Bike along the azure blue shores of the Red Sea to Al Qusayr, one of the oldest ports along the Egyptian Red Sea coast. This is also a hopping-off point for pilgrims on the Hajj, held every year in Mecca across the Red Sea in Saudi Arabia. We'll have lunch on La Vela in Al Qusayr, then in the afternoon we'll enjoy a guided tour of the beautiful city of Al Qusayr and Sultan Selim's Fortress. Dinner and overnight on la Vela at Al Qusayr. Total biking: 40 km
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4: Al Qusayr to Port Ghalib
We'll depart early this morning then bike 65 km along the Red Sea from Al Qusayr to the fantasy harbor and marina of Port Ghalib, where we will have lunch on our boat. We'll depart Port Ghalib and bike or ATV (extra charge) 12 km to the impressive ancient Roman fort and present-day Bedouin settlement of Fustat Port Ghalib. From there we will go an additional 2 km to the ruins of an ancient Roman gold mine. We'll have dinner with Bedouin entertainment in Fustat Port Ghalib, then return to our boat by bus, spending the night in Port Ghalib harbor. Total biking: 79 km
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5: Port Ghalib to Marsa Alam
Today we take a break from riding and head inland by 4-wheel-drive vehicle to Balarick Springs and the Um Hawitat mines above Fustat Port Ghalib. We will experience a early morning on the Wadi (oasis) with herds of wildlife feeding on the abundant acacias reminiscent of the African savanna, and the local Bedouins will treat us to a morning snack of gabana, fresh-brewed coffee with ginger, and fresh-baked bread with various cheeses, fruits and juices. After a wonderful morning on the Wadi, we'll have lunch at Fustat Port Ghalib and return by bus to La Vela at Marsa Alam. We'll have dinner and spend the night on La Vela at Marsa Alam.
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6: Marsa Alam to Shams Alam
Today avid cyclists will resume our biking along the Red Sea from Marsa Alam to Shams Alam, and those who prefer to explore the Red Sea itself can opt for a day of sailing and snorkeling. Cyclists will have a bag lunch today to eat on the road. We'll have dinner and spend the night on La Vela in Shams Alam. Total biking: 50 km
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7: Wadi Gemal National Park & Shams Alam
We start our last biking day with an early morning shuttle to the upper entrance of Wadi Gemal National Park, an area known as the Valley of the Camels. From the park entrance we will bike down to a beautiful spot on the Wadi where local tribesmen will treat guests to a wonderful spread for breakfast, with gabana, fresh baked bread and more. We will then bike down from the Wadi to mangroves in a portion of the National Park closer to sea level. Our last leg is by bike or bus 19 km to Sharm Eluly beach in for snorkeling and swimming. We'll return to La Vela in the early afternoon for lunch and a rest. At 4 pm we depart by bus to the Wadi Gemal Restaurant in the National Park, where we have our farewell dinner with entertainment by the local Bedouin tribe. Our last night on the Red Sea will be at Shams Alam. Total biking: 20-25 km, plus optional 19 km if biking to Sharm Eluly.
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8: Farewell to the Red Sea
Transfers will be provided to Marsa Alam Airport based on flight departure times to Cairo. Most travelers will need to spend the night in Cairo before boarding international flights home. Our optional 3-night Cairo and the Pyramids Extension starts with a hotel stay in Cairo tonight.
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9-11: Cairo & Pyramids Extension
For first-time visitors to Egypt, we encourage you to join our three-night post-tour extension based in Cairo. The extension includes a half-day excursion to the pyramids and a full-day tour of Old Cairo, including visits to the Alabaster Mosque, to the home of the last British pasha, and to the Egyptian Museum, famous for housing the original relics from King Tut's tomb. The extension price includes three hotel nights, breakfast each day, two lunches and one dinner, as well as the excursions and a transfer to our hotel from Cairo Airport after the flight from Marsa Alam. (Flight costs are not included in the extension price.) For our November 2010 trip the extension is US$750 in a shared room and $900 in a single room.
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