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| Africa North |
| The holiday village run by spies |
| 2018-04-19 |
| [BBC] Arous was an idyllic holiday resort in the Sudanese desert, on the banks of the Red Sea. But this glamorous destination was a base for Israeli agents with a secret mission. "Arous on the Red Sea, a wonderful world apart," the glossy brochure says, pronouncing it "the diving and desert recreation centre of Sudan" Illustrated with pictures of putty-coloured chalets on a Sun-drenched beach, a smiling couple in scuba gear, and varieties of exotic fish, the advertisement boasts of "some of the best, clearest water in the world". As night falls - "after the landscape colours have paled" - there are, it says, "breathtaking views of the heavens, aflame with millions of stars". Arous Village, on the fringe of spectacular coral reefs and the odd shipwreck, appears to be a diving enthusiast's dream. The pamphlets were printed in their thousands and distributed in specialist travel agents across Europe. Reservations were booked through an office in Geneva. And over time hundreds of guests went on holiday there. It was a long trek. But once at the desert oasis, they enjoyed first-rate facilities, water sports, deep-sea dives and an abundance of fresh food and wine. The visitors' book was a catalogue of glowing comments. |
| Posted by:Besoeker |
| #3 Israelis built the Egyptian resort destination of Sharm al Sheikh first, so they had plenty of experience building and running a destination dive resort. It's true they built it for themselves after conquering the Sinai peninsula in the Six Day War, then only gave it Egypt to buy peace, but even so. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2018-04-19 13:17 |
| #2 It all sounds terribly unIslamic. |
| Posted by: Abu Uluque 2018-04-19 12:09 |
| #1 The time when you could establish a holiday village in Sudan |
| Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2018-04-19 03:36 |