Somewhere in the mountains between Nuweiba and the sea, a spring sits in the rock and fills a natural pool. The Bedouins call it Wishwashi, a name that sounds a lot like washwasha, the Arabic word for whispering. That is the heart of our Colored Wishwashi day: a long, beautiful walk through some of South Sinai’s most colourful landscapes, a cold swim at the end, and dinner on the beach at Ras Shitan.
The short version
- Meet in Dahab: 6:00 AM (we leave 15 minutes later)
- Walking: about 13 km over the day, mostly easy terrain, with a few ladders
- Group size: up to 8 people
- Price: €65 per person, less if you book as a bigger group
- Included: 4×4 transport from Dahab, guides, permits, breakfast and dinner
The places
Khudra Oasis
Palm trees and a Bedouin settlement in the middle of the sand, around one of the few springs in this part of the desert. It is often identified with Hazeroth, one of the stops of the Israelites in the Book of Numbers. It is also where we have breakfast.
Mushroom Rock
A sandstone rock carved by wind and sand into the shape of a giant mushroom, standing alone in a wide desert valley. Everyone takes the same photo here, and nobody regrets it.
The Big Colored Canyon
Walls of red, yellow, orange and white sandstone, so close in places that you squeeze through sideways. We wrote a full guide to it: The Colored Canyon.
Wishwashi
A spring that feeds a natural pool between high rock walls, with ladders to help you over the steepest parts. The water level changes with the rain: some years it is deep enough to jump into, other years it is low. After a good rain, smaller pools appear on the way in, beautiful but harder to get past before you reach the main spring.
For most of our guests, jumping into Wishwashi is the best moment of the day. Swimming is at your own risk: it is a natural, still pool, and some people say the water can carry parasites. If you swim, keep your head above water and do not drink it.
Ras Shitan
Ras Shitan is usually translated as “Devil’s Head”, after the dark rocky point that sticks out into the sea. Some Bedouins insist the real name is Ras Shataan, “the head of the two beaches”, for the two bays on either side of the point. Either way, the name stuck. Today it is one of the calmest corners of the Sinai coast: simple Bedouin camps of palm-frond huts on the sand, a reef a few steps from the beach, and across the Gulf of Aqaba, the mountains of Saudi Arabia turning pink as the sun goes down. After a long day of walking, arriving here, sitting down and having dinner together is the second best moment of the day.
How hard is it?
Nothing technical. The challenge is the distance: about 13 km of walking in total, in the sun, mostly on sand and rock. If you are used to walking a few hours, you will be fine. The ladders at Wishwashi are short and our guides help everyone through.
What to bring
- Your passport (there are checkpoints on the road)
- At least 2 to 3 litres of water
- Comfortable walking shoes with good grip
- Sun protection: hat, sunglasses, sunscreen
- Swimwear and a small towel if you want to jump into Wishwashi
- A warm layer for the evening at Ras Shitan
Join the trip
Colored Wishwashi runs as a small-group day trip from Dahab on set Sundays. See the next date and book on the Colored Wishwashi trip page, or message us on WhatsApp.