THE LURE Lying in the western part of the Sinai Peninsula, and about 100 kilometres south of the Suez, is the Egyptian town of Ras Sudr, a spot that has become an unrivalled oasis for kitesurfers and windsurfers. Although the infrastructure on this section of coast is still relatively undeveloped and the transfer from Cairo is two and a half hours, the kiting conditions that await you, whatever your level, are well worth it. A huge sandy beach littered with turquoise lagoons and a super-consistent cross-shore wind are why riders keep coming back here, and why Fat Sand chose to film their advanced freestyle instructional DVD here. For any learning stage, whether it's your first steps or intricate trick training, you won't find a much better set-up.
THE SET UP: The beach at Ras Sudr is huge. You could kite upwind for hours before having to jump all the way home to make it back for the jaw-dropping sunsets over the mountains. There is almost unlimited space for learners too, with a shallow water area stretching out nearly 100 metres with a perfect side-shore wind. Choose between kiting in the crystal clear open sea, where you'll be joined by some local wildlife, including small clouds of flying fish, or even dolphins if you're lucky, or choose the two buttery-smooth lagoons that are perfect for trying new moves. There is often a lighter breeze in the morning, which is great for the real novices. This builds to somewhere between force four and six, though it's most reliable in the summer. A midday air conditioned snooze is always a good option to recharge for an amazing sunset session, where you can kite till it gets dark, or even longer if there's a full moon. Rideable all year round, Ras Sudr is a touch chillier than some other Red Sea spots, so take a jumper in winter.
WIND & WEATHER: Solid force four to six most of the year, although the most consistent months are March to October. Air temperatures can get up to 40°C in the summer and 23°C in winter.
WATER: Ras Sudr is a flat water paradise. Photographers trying to get some low level shots have been known to walk as far as they can and still can't get as deep as they'd like! The water temperatures remain warm all year.
THE SCENE: Pretty much the only travellers (apart from Egyptians) that come here are kitesurfers and windsurfers. If you're staying for a couple of weeks you may want to pop into Ras Sudr, have a coffee or try some local food. There is a shop where you can buy alcohol, a supermarket and a pharmacy, but the hotels are not walking distance, so you'd need to get a taxi. There really isn't much else here, but the huge golden sandy beach, turquoise waters and beautiful sunsets more than make up for any lack of amenities. The Club Mistral bars or lively Moonbeach resort bar can offer good evening attractions as well as the large terrace surf bar and shisha corner at the CNS centre. But Ras Sudr really is simply a beautiful wind-rich venue. If you're looking to get away though, day trips to Cairo and the pyramids of Giza are easy to organise.
DON'T MISS: • Shopping in Cairo • Pyramids of Giza and Mosques of Cairo • Sunset cocktails and BBQs
AIRPORTS: Cairo international airport (CAI) - 2.5 hours from Ras Sudr. Sharm El Sheikh (SSH) – 3.5-4 hours from Ras Sudr (although there is potential for cheaper flights here than Cairo).
