Three Pools and Dahab Adventure from Sharm El Sheikh

Dahab is what Sharm El Sheikh was before the resorts arrived: a low-rise Bedouin town strung along the water, still built around diving, sitting and drinking tea. This full-day trip takes you there from Sharm and back, with snorkelling, a camel ride and a Bedouin evening built in. Three Pools. A protected stretch of coast named for the natural bathing pools formed inside the reef. The lagoons are shallow, sheltered and clear, which makes this one of the easiest places on the Red Sea coast to snorkel if you are nervous in open water, while the reef edge just beyond gives confident swimmers plenty to look at. Equipment is provided. The rest of the day. A camel ride along the shoreline, lunch at a seaside cafe, and time on Dahab's promenade, where the cafes put cushions directly on the sand and nobody is in a hurry. The day closes with a Bedouin gathering at Twilight Mountain: tea, fire and open desert once the sun has gone. Who it suits. Families and mixed-ability groups, because none of it is strenuous and the swimming is in calm water. It also suits anyone who has had enough of the resort strip and wants to see how the coast actually lives. What to bring. Swimwear under your clothes so you are not queuing to change, a towel, reef-safe sunscreen, and something with sleeves for the evening, when the desert cools quickly. Water shoes are worth having, as the entry over the reef shelf is sharp in places. Practical notes. Transfers from your hotel in Sharm are in an air-conditioned vehicle and the drive takes roughly an hour and a half each way, so this is a full day rather than a half day. A quad bike safari and underwater photography can both be added at extra cost. Personal spending and gratuities are not included.