Mt. Sinai (Jebel Musa) and the Safsafa basins - Discover Sinai

to St. Katherine road serviced by public buses and regular microbuses.If you can make your own way to the settlement of Serabit el Khadim,you can arrange a programme there; you can visit the archaeologicalruins as well as do longer camel safaris.In some cases there are tribal laws regarding who you can take as aguide – most notable is the High Mountain Region, where guides areallocated by a rotating system managed by the sheikhs. The system,called el dor, has been set up by the tribe to provide work to everyfamily. Treks have to be organized through the sheikhs who allocatethe guides and camels and arrange permissions with the authorities. Ifyou want to use a guide of your choice you still have to pay the onewhose turn it is. In Arada Canyon, the White Canyon and the ColouredCanyon you also have to take a guide from the local cooperative,unless you are taking part in a longer trek and already have a Bedouinguide. To the pharaonic ruins of Serabit el Khadim – and only to thearchaeological site – you have to take a guide from the village,regardless if you have another Bedouin guide, as is the case with JebelSerbal, where only local Qararsha people can work. At the ColouredCanyon a small part of the fee goes to the tribal cooperative which runsthe system.CostsMost operators and many independent guides prefer to offer allinclusivepackages with prices ranging between 25 to 100 euro perperson per day. The price often depends on several factors and/orminimum group size is required. If you want to organize your trek orsafari independently you might save some money, but it dependsgreatly on your bargaining skills. Other factors which affect the priceinclude group size, who is providing the food, extra equipment, camels,car or jeep if needed and the itinerary. Bedouin guides and cameleers,apart from leading you and carrying your stuff, will provide somecooking equipment and local water, make fire, tea and coffee, cookmeals and bake bread. In case all food is bought by you, expect thefollowing prices:8• In the desert: guide 100-150 LE a day, each camel extra 100-150LE a day. Note: if the guide and camel have to return from a longway the transport or return time are also to be paid for.• In the high mountains: guide from the sheikhs 240 LE a day, eachcamel extra 120-150 LE a day. Note: Mt. Katherine is double.• To Jebel Serbal: guide 300 LE a day, each camel extra 300 LE aday.• Short ride in pick-up car: 50-200 LE.• Pick-up car: 300-400 LE a day.• Jeep (up to 4 passengers): 400-800 LE a day.• Landcruiser (up to 8 passengers): 800-1200 LE a day.