The perfect gateway to Jordan, day trips to Petra can be organized directly from the marina. Furthermore, as soon as Taba Heights’ sister project is completed at Tala Bay in Aqaba, additional services will be provided to the marina there as well. Cairo with its pyramids and bazaars is 450 km away and it takes only two and a half hours to reach Sharm El Sheikh by car. Ancient and natural wonders within close proximity can also be explored. Pharaoh’s island — also known as Geziret Faroun — is just a few hundred meters from the coast. It is dominated by the majestic presence of the restored citadel of Salah ad-Din. Pharaoh’s island was the venue of a wonderful surprise party organized by King Hussein for Queen Noor who wrote in her autobiography that it was “an enchanting evening. With the permission of the local Egyptians, my husband had organized an extraordinary buffet dinner and entertainment on a rocky promontory at the base of the fortress, which had loomed majestically since the time of Salahadin, one of the far-flung outposts of his empire. I felt blessed to be surrounded by so many people I loved and I savored that memory for many years to come.”