Actually, Giftun is a nationally protected nature park. It consists of two islands, Big Giftun and Small Giftun, and also many smaller islands and coral reefs.

The most famous beaches on Giftun Island are Orange Bay, Paradise Island, and Mahmya. This year, during our vacation, we visited it twice: first, we went to Orange Bay, and the second time, we visited Paradise Island Beach.

In a word, it is a real paradise, with many shades of blue

Into the blue sea

How to get to Giftun Island

Giftun Island is located about 45 minutes from Hurghada’s coast by boat.

Many local agencies organise a day trip to Giftun Island. And it could be a group or private tour. We visited the island with Nur travel agency, and we went on a desert safari excursion, as well. The price of boat excursions starts from around 20€ (22$), depending on services and activities.

Usually, it includes a transfer from your hotel to a boat, snorkelling at two different spots, drinks, lunch, and two hours on Giftun Beach.

You can read more about Desert safari, an unforgettable trip in the Hurghada Desert, here.

A boat trip to Orange Bay Beach

Well, all excursions start in the same way. A local agency picks you up in the morning at your hotel in Hurghada and takes you by an air-conditioned minivan to a boat. When we went to Orange Bay, the boat was at the little mall close to the Continental Hotel.

The start point for a boat excursion, the Continental Hotel

Because of the current COVID-19 situation, there was a maximum of 15 to 20 people on the boat, even though it is provided for more people.

Excursion boat

During the boat trip, it is impossible to explain all the shades of blue and emerald of the Red Sea.

Coral reef

You can feel the burning sun on your skin, the salty wind ruffling your hair, and seagulls following the boats. And the eyes just can’t get enough of the endless and beautiful blue sea.

The endless blue of the Red Sea

At one moment, we saw a little boat which came close to our boat. We were surprised when they came and offered us some drinks and snacks. And then our guide explained that it was a “market on the water”. Well, they go around all the boats on the sea and offer different goods, in case you need something!

Market on the water

Snorkelling spots

After about one hour of sailing, we stopped at the first snorkelling spot.

Blue Sea, Hurghada

If you want, you can take your equipment, or you can take the mask, fins, and tube on the boat, as the equipment is included in the tour price. And there are life jackets available on a boat, as well.

Snorkelling

Usually, there are a few boats in one snorkelling spot, so pay attention to staying close to your guide.

Diving boats, Red Sea

Just have fun and enjoy the colourful corals and little fish around you .

Beautiful corals, Red Sea, Hurghada

If you don’t like or don’t want snorkelling, you can just swim in the crystal water or stay on a boat, enjoying the sun and the exotic view. After about one hour, we continued our trip to the next snorkelling spot. During the trip, we had lunch on a boat (pasta, rice, chicken, meat, and salad). Also, drinks (soft, hot & mineral water, coffee) are available and free on the boat.

And finally, beautiful Giftun Island appeared in front of our eyes. We jumped into a little boat and came to an amazing Orange Bay.

Orange Bay Beach on Giftun Island

Orange Bay is located in the middle of the island. It is a beautiful beach with white sand and shallow, warm water, perfect for kids.

Orange Bay, Giftun

Because of the current COVID-19 situation, the bars and restaurants were closed, and only one beach bar was open for visitors.

Orange Bay, Giftun Island

So you can enjoy the clear water, take a walk on the beach, and soak up the sun.

Beautiful beach in Orange Bay

Or you can just relax under the umbrellas.

Orange bay

The special place in Orange Beach is a swing in the sea, as you can see in most Instagram photos. But there were many people around it, so we gave up on taking photos.

From the top of the Orange Bay complex, there is an amazing view of the turquoise-blue lagoon.

A view of Orange Bay

Orange Bay, Giftun

And while you look around, you feel that all your worries and problems are gone with the wind, so far away from us.

The view of the Orange Bay

After about two hours, we left this adorable beach. On the way back, you can ride the banana.

Banana ride, Hurghada

Or you can just sit and enjoy the sunset.

Sunset view

Paradise Island beach on Giftun Island

The starting point for the Paradise Island excursion is the mall in front of the Al Mashrabia Hotel in Mamsha, part of Hurghada.

Hotel Al Mashrabiya and Diving Centre

When we arrived, many boats were waiting for the visitors to sail to a blue paradise. And close to the coast, we saw one giant turtle in the sea.

Start spot for Giftun Paradise Island

Paradise Island and Mahmya Beach are located on the South of Giftun Island. The tour is the same as the tour of Orange Bay. Two snorkelling spots, lunch on a boat, swimming, beach time, and the emerald-turquoise-blue sea around you. Priceless!

Coral reef

And here it is, a blue paradise

Beautiful Paradise Island Beach

Welcome to Paradise Island

Paradise Island Beach

So take a refreshment from a bar, feel the golden sand under your feet, and swim in crystal clear water.

Enjoying Paradise Island Beach

And keep these moments in your memory, because when you come home, you will miss them!

Relaxing on Paradise Island

What to know before you go on a Giftun Island excursion

Boat excursions are popular among tourists because they are for everyone, including families with kids. Actually, we had one baby on the boat

So what you need for this adventure: a towel, sun care protection, swimwear, and some clothes to change. Take a mobile phone or camera with you to capture fantastic views of the sea and the underwater world. Usually, there is a photographer on a boat all day, and after the tour is finished, you can take a CD with photos and videos (the price is from 10 to 35 euros).

During snorkelling, always follow the instructions of your guide or instructor. Also, don’t touch corals and keep a distance from the reef.

Hurghada is the diving destination

Hurghada is an excellent place for snorkelling and diving all year round.
The water temperature ranges from 21°C in winter to 30°C in summer. In a word, the underwater life in the Red Sea is amazing, colourful, and it is one of the world’s best diving destinations.
These boat tours include snorkelling with a guide around specific coral reefs, using only a mask, fins, and a tube.

Snorkelling in the Red Sea, Hurghada

But if you want to explore underwater life more, there are private or organised guided tours that include snorkelling in wetsuits with complete scuba diving equipment.
So, depending on the diving spot in the Red Sea, you can see dolphins, turtles, mantas, more than a thousand different species of fish, colourful corals, and sharks as well.

Giftun Island, escape to paradise

Giftun Island is a fantastic place to spend a few hours in an isolated and eco-friendly eco-environment.
The sandy beach, crystal clear water, sun, and easy access to coral reefs are perfect for relaxing and enjoying the summer vibes.

The view of the Paradise Lagoon

And when you get there, there is only one thought: let these paradise moments last forever!

A wooden path to Orange Beach

Because the turquoise-emerald sea and blue sky are in perfect natural harmony.

Blue Sea, Hurghada

Safari means…

Originally, the word “safari” means “journey” in the Arabic language, as well as in Swahili, and it is used for different types of journeys. Thanks to the  British explorer Richard Francis Burton, famous for his travels and explorations in Asia, Africa, and the Americas, the word “safari” was used in the English language at the end of the 1850s. Also, safari is a term for hunting expeditions in Africa.

Today, safari means a tourist journey that includes sightseeing, taking photos, observing wild animals, riding camels, and driving across the desert, as well.

Desert safari: what to expect

This year, because of the actual COVID-19 situation, local agencies made a few changes in the trip organization. Generally, the desert safari includes drive-in  4×4 jeeps, quad bikes, and spider cars, a visit to a Bedouin village with a barbeque dinner, and the oriental show with belly dancing, the Tannoura dance, and fire performance. Well, that is a real mega desert safari

For our desert adventure, we chose the local agency Nur Travel. The owner Mohamed speaks Serbian excellently. We heard a lot of good reviews about him and the excursions. Besides the safari, we went on two more sea excursions, with this agency, all in one week’s vacation, and we were satisfied.

So… this is what the desert safari looks like…

Quad bike ride

We were picked up at 9h in the morning from our hotel.
Our sand adventure started with a drive-in 4×4 jeep, and we travelled about 20 km to the Sahara Park Hurghada.

First, all participants had a test drive before starting the tour.

Quad bikes, captured photo by Vesper Group

And then, the caravan of red quad bikes started its journey across the desert.

Test drive

Since I am not a good driver and I wanted to take photos, I asked for a driver on the tour. And I got the test driver. Well, that was a really crazy ride! Of course, forget about taking photos during the ride, it is not possible!

Ride across the desert of Hurghada, captured photo by Vesper Group

But, on all excursions, there are photographers who take photos of tourists. At the end of the tour, they ask you if you want to take a CD with video and photos. It is a very nice reminder and souvenir of the safari excursion. Some of these photos and captured moments from the video of the Vesper group can be seen in this post, as well. And they did a great job, both photos and video are fantastic.

Driving across the desert

I love the desert, and I really enjoyed the sand ride.

Ready for the quad bike ride, photo by Vesper group

One moment we were at the back of the quad convoy, checking if all participants were well. And in the second we rushed around the quads through the little dunes and sandy paths. You can feel the adrenaline rushing through the veins while the desert sun is burning.

It was a fantastic scene of the quad bikes in a row, surrounded by the sandy dust, and the mountains in the distance…

Quad bikes in the desert, photo by Vesper group

But most of all, the sense of freedom in the endless desert area is simply unbelievable

Quad bike ride in the desert, photo by Vesper group

And all the safari tour participants are almost unrecognizable! They all had their heads wrapped in black and white or red and white Bedouin scarves. The eyes were protected with sunglasses or special ones that you can rent for the ride in the desert, and mandatory helmets on the heads as well.

Participants of the safari tour

After about 30 minutes, we came back to the centre for a short refresh pause and continued with the spider ride.

Spider tour

Spider is a type of desert car.
It is more convenient for driving than quad bikes, but the increased dose of adrenaline is still present.

A spider car

The sand dust is everywhere.
And the sound of the spider cars is impossible to describe, you have to hear it

Spider riding in the desert of Hurghada

After 10-15 minutes of the drive, we came back to the centre.
We continued our journey in jeeps to the Bedouin village, about 25 km away, among the interesting hills of the Hurghada desert.

Hills in the Hurghada desert

Bedouin village

Arriving in the Bedouin village, photo by Vesper group

Visiting the Bedouin village is an opportunity to see what traditional Bedouin life looks like.

Bedouin village, Hurghada

They live in wooden tents and herd camels and goats.

Bedouin village

Riding camels is an interesting experience even though it lasted only a few minutes.

Riding camel

Camels and the desert

Then we saw the process of baking bread on a hot metal sheet. It is made only of three ingredients: water, salt, and flour. The Bedouins use small balls of camel dung to keep a fire going. Since it is grassy and burns constantly, its smoke gives a particular taste to the bread.

Bedouin bread

So, we tried it and I can say that it was pretty much delicious.

Tasting the Bedouin bread, photo by Vesper group

Sitting in colourful pillows, we had a Barbeque dinner and enjoyed the oriental show.

Bedouin bbq dinner

The Tannoura dance, belly dance, and fire show

I have to admit that I was impressed with the Tannoura dance. It is a special dance, associated with Sufism, rituals, and dervishes.
Today it is also performed at festivals, as a folk or concert dance.

Dervish dance

Actually, dervishes are members of the Sufi ascetic order (Muslim mystics), dating from the 12^th century. Once they had a vital role in religious, social, and political life in the central Islamic lands. So, during Sufi rituals, dervishes fell into some kind of hypnotic and ecstatic trances, through ritual recitations and physical exertions such as whirling and dancing.

The word “tannoura” means “skirt” in Arabic, and it is used for the skirt worn by men. For example, the Egyptian “tannoura” is a wonderful and colourful skirt.

We watched the fantastic dervish dance for probably more than 10 minutes. And he was spinning and spinning around…

His skirt was like a whirling disk, making various visual effects and fantastic performance.

Tannoura dance or Dervish dance

After a fascinating dervish dance, we watched a lady –  belly dancer.

Belly dance

And of course, the show is not complete without the fire.
A young man made a fantastic fire juggling performance in front of our eyes.

Fire performance

At about 18h, when the oriental show was finished, we jumped into jeeps and went back to our hotels.

Jeep in desert

The sun was going down between the mountains in the distance.

Sunset in the desert

From the other side, the almost full moon was appearing across the desert.

Moon in the desert of Hurghada

And we were happy and excited about the unusual day, spent in the desert.

Things to know before you go to the desert safari

There are some things you should know before you go to the desert.

Wear light and comfortable clothes and protect your head.
The temperatures in the desert are very high, even in the spring or autumn. So wear something with light colours, pants or shorts, cotton or linen. The scarf around the head is a must-have, you can buy it in shops or in the desert centre.
Sunglasses are necessary because of the sun’s rays and sand dust. Also, take sun protection cream, because the sun is burning in the desert and you don’t feel it during the ride.

Scarf, glasses, and helmet are must have on the safari desert

Take comfortable shoes.
Running shoes are the best choice. Forget sandals or flip-flops, it is not good for the safari desert.

Take water with you.
Well, you are in the desert, not in the city where you can go to a shop and buy water. Usually, the excursions include the water. But it is always good to have a bottle of water with you to avoid dehydration and sunstroke.

Desert safari is a guided tour, not a race
Yes, I know, it is a desert safari, you are excited, and your adrenaline is high. But you are not in the race and can’t speed over the dunes because you can make accidents and hurt other people or yourself. Also, travel insurance usually doesn’t cover this kind of activity.

The minimum age for driving a quad is 16.
Also, it is not recommended for pregnant women.

Prepare a small amount of money.
You need money to buy a scarf, a CD with photos and videos, and tips when riding the camels.

Catch the desert moments

Take your mobile or camera to catch the desert scenes during the driving pause for photo shooting, riding the camels, or in the Bedouin village.
It brings back a smile to your face when you watch the photos and remember these desert safari moments.

Desert safari: expectations vs. reality

If you like to spice your vacation days, the desert safari is an excellent choice.
Driving quad bikes and spiders, riding the camels, and feeling the hot desert wind surrounded by dust is an unforgettable experience. Also, you can choose between a 3-hour desert safari or a mega safari, which lasts almost a whole day.
Maybe you think that there is little time for riding camels or driving quad bikes or spiders. And I totally agree with you. But then you can book a private trip and try to make your excursion more flexible if it is possible.

In a word, it is interesting to explore the desert, even for a few hours. And I am planning to visit it again

Somewhere in the desert of Hurghada

The endless desert is hiding its secrets.
On the other hand, it is teaching you to appreciate the water, especially when you see the blue haze in the distance. And after a few moments or minutes, you realize that is not water, only a mirage!

But I am sure that a desert safari will make you feel more alive and excited because you can experience and taste something new and different.

Well, it is definitely a day to remember.

Bedouin village, Hurghada park