Highlights of the Red Sea ports, resorts and sights

Embark Costa Grand Voyager, having flown to Sharm el Sheikh perhaps for a pre-cruise stay. Twenty years ago Sharm el Sheikh was a fishing village inhabited by about 100 people. Now it is the best-known Egyptian Red Sea resort. Sharm el Sheikh and nearby Naama and Sheikh Coast bays form an international resort noted for relaxation and for its underwater life.

Sharm el Sheikh's main attractions are its blue water, brightly coloured fish and multicoloured coral reefs. The town offers over 60 kilometres of coastline including some of the finest in the region, with some 30 diving sites including Tiran, Gordon, Thomas, Woodhouse and Jackson Reef.

Sharm el Sheikh is the starting point for excursions to Mount Sinai, where Moses received the Ten Commandments. From the mountain there is a splendid view of the whole region. It is a two-and-a half-hour walk to the summit from St Catherine's Monastery, a masterpiece of Byzantine architecture. It is named after the martyred Saint Catherine of Alexandria, and contains ancient manuscripts and priceless icons.

Sokhna is close to the southern entrance to the Suez Canal, with a constant flow of passing shipping. It is only two hours from Cairo and a visit to the Pyramids and Sphinx at Giza.

Safaga attracts tourists from all over the world to its wide bay with splendid turquoise waters and long beaches. It is a favourite Red Sea resort for windsurfers - the World Championships were held here in 1993 - and for scuba diving experts and enthusiasts, with an incredible variety of underwater life. Safaga is the starting point for excursions to the famed Egyptian ruins of the Temple of Luxor and the Valley of the Kings where Egyptian rulers were buried.

Aqaba is Jordan's main port and the country's only access to the Red Sea, reached through the Gulf of Aqaba only 24km wide. With an ancient history, Aqaba was conquered by Lawrence of Arabia in a dawn raid from across the Wadi Rum desert. Nowadays visitors come to Aqaba for its clear waters, amazing coral and countless exotic fish, and also to visit the legendary Jordanian ruins of Petra. Carved from solid rose-red stone, the ancient fortress city of Petra is one of the New Seven Wonders of the World.

Across the Gulf from Aqaba, Eilat is Israel's popular holiday resort, whose beaches, nightlife and desert landscapes make it a popular destination. Eilat offers mirror-like sea, lively beaches, seafront bars and restaurants, watersports, a spectacular underwater world, and treks into the desert.

Disembark for return flight, or extend your stay at Sharm el Sheikh