Photo : E v Schoonhoven — CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Hurghada · Hurghada
Giftun Islands
Two islands of sand and coral off Hurghada, reached by boat, for the day.
Big and Little Giftun close off the bay of Hurghada a few miles from shore: white sand, a fringing reef that starts a few metres out, and nothing beyond what the concessions have built. You get there by boat from the Hurghada marinas, and it lies inside a protected area, which adds a per-person entry fee to the price of the crossing. The developed beaches — Mahmya and Orange Bay — are paid for separately and sell loungers, lunch and shade; the rest of the shoreline is bare. The reef is the reason to come: mask and snorkel are enough, and most of the life is in the first few metres of water.
The extra bit
Take a boat that leaves early: by midday the day's boats are all moored over the same reefs, and the wind often gets up in the early afternoon.
Know before you go
The protected-area fee and access to the developed beach come on top of the boat price, which often covers the crossing and nothing else: have both spelt out by the person selling you the trip, before you pay. On the island there is no shade beyond the concession's parasols, no water that isn't sold to you, and a full day of exposure — a UV top beats a layer of cream. Coral breaks: don't stand on it, don't put your fins on while standing in the reef, and take nothing away. If the sea gets up, the trip changes plan or moves anchorage, and that does happen.
