Camel Ride, Bedouin Dinner, and Stargazing in Sharm El Sheikh

Your driver collects you from your hotel in Sharm El Sheikh in a private air-conditioned vehicle, and within a short drive the hotels and shopping streets give way to open desert. Sharm sits at the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula, squeezed between the Red Sea and a rampart of mountains, so the wilderness is never far away.

Watch the landscape change through the window. The flat coastal plain gives way to wadis dotted with acacia, and the mountains, largely granite, glow orange, pink, and brown as the light lowers. South Sinai has been home to Bedouin tribes for centuries, and you may see camels grazing or small encampments in the distance.

Dress for two temperatures. The early part of the outing can still be warm, but once the sun goes down the desert cools fast. Pack a fleece or light jacket, wear closed shoes for the sand, and keep your phone charged, or bring a small flashlight, for later in the evening.

On arrival, the camel handlers help you into the saddle, and this is the moment that often makes people laugh. A camel rises back legs first, tipping you forward, then straightens its front legs; lean back as it stands, and lean back again as it kneels at the end. Hold the saddle handle, relax your shoulders, and let the animal do the work.

Then you set off at a walking pace across the sand, with mountains on the horizon and nothing to hear but the creak of the saddle and the soft tread of the camels. It is a slow ride, built for looking rather than speed, and it gives you a feel for how people and goods crossed this desert for centuries before there were roads.

Camels are calm, but they are large animals, so follow the handlers' instructions and never approach one from behind. Long pants make the saddle far more comfortable, and sunglasses help if the wind lifts the sand. If you have any concerns about riding, let us know before the tour.

After the ride you reach a traditional Bedouin camp, where hospitality comes first. In Bedouin culture, welcoming a guest is a point of honor, and that welcome has traditionally begun with tea: sweet, strong and often brewed with desert herbs such as sage or mint.

Take time to look around and ask questions. Your hosts can tell you about the customs and lifestyle of the desert communities: how families traditionally moved with their herds, how they found water and shelter in a dry land, and how they read the stars to travel at night long before maps and phones. Many of these traditions survive today alongside modern life in South Sinai.

The setting is part of the pleasure. Bedouin camps are typically laid out with low seating, rugs, and cushions, and a fire becomes the center of attention as the light fades. Settle in, put your phone away for a while, and watch the colors change on the mountains as the sun goes down.

As evening falls, a traditional Egyptian Bedouin dinner is served beneath the open sky. Bedouin cooking is shaped by the desert: hearty, unfussy, and made to be shared, with bread often baked over the fire. Menus vary from camp to camp, but the spirit is the same everywhere, with generous plates and good company.

Eating outdoors in the desert sharpens every sense. The air cools, the sand holds a little of the day's warmth, and the only light comes from lamps and the fire. Conversation tends to slow down to match.

If you have dietary requirements, such as a vegetarian diet or allergies, mention them when you book so they can be passed on. Bottled water is included, and it is worth drinking steadily: desert air stays dry long after dark.

The evening includes a folklore show at the camp, and then the stars. Away from the light pollution of Sharm El Sheikh, the desert sky becomes genuinely dark, and the difference is striking: where the city shows you a few dozen stars, the desert can show you thousands. On a moonless night, the pale band of the Milky Way may stretch across the sky.

Give your eyes time. Night vision takes around 20 minutes to adapt fully, and a single glance at a bright phone screen resets the clock. If you need light, use a red light or turn your screen brightness to the minimum.

What you see depends on the season. In winter, Orion dominates the sky, with brilliant Sirius following below it; in summer, the brightest part of the Milky Way runs through Scorpius and Sagittarius low in the south. Watch for satellites too: steady points of light gliding silently across the sky, most often in the first hours after sunset.

The moon has the biggest effect on the experience. Around full moon the desert is lit almost like dusk and far fewer stars are visible, so if stargazing is your priority, check the moon phase when you choose your date.

At the end of the evening you return to your vehicle for the drive back to Sharm El Sheikh. The private air-conditioned transfer takes you straight to your hotel, and after a few hours in the desert, the lights of the city can feel surprisingly bright.

Before you leave the camp, make sure you have all your belongings; small items vanish easily in sand and darkness. Tips are not included and are recommended for the camel handlers, camp staff, and driver if you enjoyed the evening.

Shake out your shoes and bags when you get back. And if the desert has won you over, South Sinai has much more to explore inland, from the high mountains around Saint Catherine to the canyons behind the coast.