Ras Mohammed National Park snorkelling boat trip

Ras Mohammed is the headland at the very southern tip of the Sinai, where the Gulf of Suez meets the Gulf of Aqaba. It has been protected since 1983, and its reefs are some of the richest in the Red Sea, with more than 220 species of coral recorded and green and hawksbill turtles seen regularly.

After a hotel pick-up you board a day boat in Sharm and cruise south along the coast into the park. The crew chooses two snorkelling stops on the park's reefs to suit the sea that day, and a guide leads each one. Expect coral walls dropping into deep blue water and big shoals of reef fish.

Lunch is a buffet on board, with grilled chicken or fish, rice, pasta, salads and fruit. In the afternoon a small tender runs you across to White Island, a sandbar surrounded by shallow turquoise water, for a swim and some time on the sand before you head back.

Certified divers, or anyone who wants to try, can usually add a dive for an extra charge.