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Down the coast from Hurghada, the stream of holiday resorts becomes less dense until two belated spurts of development on the outskirts of Port Safaga (58km) and El-Quseir (a further 85km). At first sight Safaga is a total dump, but it has some charms and is within boat range of some stunning offshore reefs, while El-Quseir retains a sleepy charm unlike anywhere else on the Red Sea. From both points, connections with the Nile Valley are assured, via roads that cut across the Eastern Desert following old camel routes. Further south, communications become tenuous and bureaucratic obstacles loom as you head towards the Sudanese border . From Shalateen onwards, you need military permission to proceed further south, or into the mountains. Though tourism has long been forbidden in what is still a militarily sensitive area, the authorities are now seeking to promote it, and access should become easier within a few years. Meanwhile, the allure of the far south depends on its reefs, which can only be reached by dive boats operating out of Hurghada, Safaga and El-Quseir. The highway initially runs several kilometres inland before regaining the coast. About 40 km after Hurghada and 18km before Safaga, a signpost indicates the turn-off for SHARM EN-NAGA a wide bay where Sharm En-Naga Camp (tel 010/151-3615; GBPE45-100 / US$15-35) has 26 pastel-coloured tents furnished with beds and wardrobes. The tents also have 24-hour electricity and the site has hot water showers. The main attraction here is the beach-diving , and day-trippers from Hurghada (GBPE80-100 return in a minibus) often come here to use the beach (GBPE15). If you have your own transport, Sharm En-Naga makes an excellent alternative to overcrowded Hurghada. The luxury development of Soma Bay (2km further on from Sharm En-Naga) boasts, among other things, an 18-hole golf course. There are several hotels offering similar facilities, of which the Sheraton Soma Bay (tel 065/545-845 or 545-915, fax 545-885; GBPE300-600 / US$100-200) is the most appealing.
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