Have been to Egypt twice now, loved the country and have visited all the major tourist sites. We are interested in visiting Taba, purely for the excursions available from there, ie Petra, Masada and Jerusalem, however have been slightly put off by the hotel/resort reviews. The diving part doesn't interest us, my husband can't even swim, so am a bit worried about how to fill our time when not on excursions, as we soon get bored of sun bathing. The catering reviews have been particulary off putting as I am vegetarian and allergic to milk. Can anyone please answer the following questions to help us decide if Taba is right for us.

Can anyone recommend a vegetarian friendly hotel?

Is there a resort nearby with more to do, that we could still do the same excursions from?

Some of the reviews say that the excursions are pricey but don't list prices paid, I expect this will vary on who you go with, can someone recommend a tour operator, or has anyone used local tours?

Are there many shops or towns within easy travelling distance, (I like to shop)

thanks for reading