Plush Sharm el-Sheikh in Egypt has everything from crystal-clear waters to luxury hotels, as MILLIE FRANCIS-HILL discovers

THE sun glanced off the sides of the perfect forms of two pyramids, the bigger one throwing a protective shadow over the baby one.

A master sculptor had been at work but these beauties were not going to last for 3,000 years. Already the sea was caressing their foundations.

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We were in Sharm el-Sheikh on the southernmost tip of Egypt's Sinai Peninsula. It's a resort built on a few miles of land reclaimed from the desert and studded with 21st-century hotels replete with lush gardens leading to Red Sea beaches.

The mystery beach artist who had created these "pyramids" seemed determined to remind us we were in the ancient land of the Pharaohs.

Resisting the lure of the inviting sunbeds shaded by wicker parasols, we strolled along the sands until we reached a floating pier made of plastic pods ingeniously lashed together. From the wide pontoon at the end we dived down into clear water, filled with living coral and jewel-like tropical fish.

There has never been commercial fishing off this coast, designated a national park in 1983. Until a decade ago few people visited, so the sea is teeming with creatures that circled fearlessly around us.

Nearby, three local girls giggled as they prepared to plunge into the deep. They looked so graceful in their cover-all swimsuits draped with flowing tunics, their hair chastely shrouded by black Lycra. We were in a different world.
We had escaped the dreary British weather to enjoy a week in this desert playground and what a way to recharge our batteries. We fled from low, grey clouds and just five hours later were deposited, via a Thomson charter flight, in a land of arching blue skies and timeless sand dunes.

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The Egyptians have learned how not to do it. A string of glittering hotels now sweeps along the coast but there are no high-rise monstrosities - it's all a symphony in airy glass, whitewashed walls and Arabic arches.

Our hotel, Baron Palms Resort, was a short drive away from the main cluster of hotels and none the worse for that.
The impressive main hall is rich in delicate stonework, greenery and majestic Arabian chandeliers. The cool rooms overlook a swimming pool and emerald-green lawns.

The hotel's Swiss manager Jean Pierre Hoffer has a passion for both his trade and for Egypt. He came here 27 years ago and never managed to tear himself away.

He oversees an army of staff and the "chambermaids", who are male, constantly clean and polish. Discreet guards are dotted here and there to ensure guests' safety. This can be a troubled region, after all.

We quickly slipped into a routine, taking the morning air on our balcony before breakfast in the main restaurant, then hanging out on the pool terrace or nabbing a sunlounger by the water. Friendly waiters drift among the sunbathers so you don't even have to make it to the bar. It's also an all-inclusive hotel so we didn't need to worry about running up a monstrous bill.

The pull of the sea was irresistable.

At some stage we would always decide to run the gauntlet of vendors on the beach. The route is lined with little shops selling the usual stuff aimed at tourists. Actually, it was all good-natured and after a couple of days the traders would let us pass with a shrug and a smile.

It was wonderful to wade into the water, although you have to watch out for the coral which comes right up to the waterline or you could do your feet some damage. If you are lucky, you will be enthralled by colourful shoals of fish darting around your ankles.

After a dip, it was bliss to sink into a sunlounger with something cold and refreshing from the beach bar, although anything other than local wine and beer involves the addition of a hefty import tax.

We did drag ourselves away one day to visit the desert-dwelling Bedouin. Soon all we could see from the windows of the coach were rolling sand dunes. We stopped in a desert car park and a convoy of camels and their attendants meandered towards us - lithe and handsome, they were dressed in flowing robes and headdresses to protect them from the searing sun.

After our camel ride, they cooked us up a feast in giant, blackened pans over open fires. They even taught us how to make their delicious flatbread, though none of us could match their dexterity.

When night fell we were invited to lie on rugs, better for appreciating the amazingly bright stars on their velvet back-cloth.

If you've really got the action bug, you can pretend to be Lawrence of Arabia on an expedition into the Empty Quarter. It's fun to swoop over sand dunes on a quad bike or in a 4x4, experiencing the brittle beauty of the desert. You can also fly to Cairo from where you can set off to see the Pyramids of Giza and the Great Sphinx, still keeping its lonely vigil over the emptiness.

However, we only had a week so were mostly content to wallow in the luxurious facilities of the Baron Palms.
In Sharm el-Sheikh a genie has created a magical fantasy land. As we all know, genies can do anything and I can tell you without a word of a lie that in the glamorous main plaza of Sharks Bay there is even an "ice palace" complete with ice bar and seats made of ice.

However I didn't venture inside, I was too busy outside soaking up the glorious sun.

THE KNOWLEDGE:
Thomson (0871 231 3235/www.thomson.co.uk) offers seven nights at the Baron Palms Resort from £799pp (two sharing), all inclusive. Price includes return Gatwick flights. Egypt tourism: 0207 493 5283/www.egypt.travel