Sharm El Sheikh (Egypt)

I have recently returned from Naama Bay in Sharm el Shiekh which could possibly be the best value dive resort in the world.

This review is actually of Naama Bay the area itself and what it has to offer.

I must quantify this by stating that the diving/snorkelling is my own personal experience. Personally I could never just go and lie on a beach for more than an hour or two (and 2 hours would need a very very good book!). The 'bucket and spade brigade' info is feedback from friends I have recommended this resort to.

I have been there 13 times and plan to continue going back. I know, there are many people (including myself before I went there) who cannot imagine going back to the same resort but Naama Bay really is different.............................. Honest (and I don't mean cause it's been bombed! but more on the terrorist threat later though)

Anyway here goes...................

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WHERE IS NAAMA BAY - SHARM EL SHIEKH

Sharm el Shiekh is placed very close to the peninsula of an area called Sinai in Egypt but is actually a triangular strip of desert between the mainland Egypt and Israel/Jordan and Saudi Arabia (see map below). It is on the coast of the Red Sea.

Sharm el shiekh old town is actually on a cliff top, the main beach area here is Naama Bay which is at cliff base level and slightly further up the coast. There is a 10 min drive between Namma Bay and Sharm el Sheikh (old town). Naama bay sea front has many fine hotels all along the front.

The first morning/evening you will see is why it is called the Red Sea, it is surrounded by hills/mountains that have a pink hue. A sunset or sunrise in Sharm is truly spectacular it creates a red tint over everything which has to been seen to appreciate properly (see picture below). It is also deep, 1000 meters in Dahab and 1800 meters north of the Straits of Tiran which gives it a wondeful blue colour.

Historically Naama bay was a diving town although over the years this has changed and it is now marketed by the Egyptian tourist board as the 'Red Sea Riviera' and is now mostly visited by the bucket and spade brigade.

is approx 15 minutes drive from Sharm Airport (ophia)

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WHATS THE BEST WAY TO GET THERE

We use explorers.co.uk a specialist dive company with huge experience in the red sea. The lady on the booking line even goes there and is more than willing to chat to you. Excellent.
They look after you well and we have not had any problems. Explorers fly from Gatwick and Manchester.

You don't have to be a diver to use Explorers, bucket n spaders are welcome too. The hotel and flight are sold as a package and the dive packages are optional add ons.

Of course people like Thompsons, Kuoni, JMc, First Choice, Hays and Jarvis and other high street travel agents all have holidays there now as well. However these tend to be more expensive for exactly the same thing.

Between them they fly to Sharm from London and 13 other local airports. Including Bristol, Cardiff, East midlands, Manchester, glasgow etc. Your local travel agent will be able to give you details.

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HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?

1 week B&B including flights in the Naama Bay hotel (5*) from £169 (late availability) brochure price £400 to £600

2 weeks is not very much more expensive as the flight is a good chunk of the cost. Approx £150 -£200 pounds more from the brochure.

You can get all inclusive for ~£600 (1 week) but you will be in a resort outside of Naama bay. You will also be in an isolated resort with fairly routine resurants and bars created to offend no. one. Call me adventurous! but I do like to see some of the local I am vsiting. A different outlook, restuerant , cafe, bar etc. each evening.

The hotels are excellent and way above the standard in most countries. See my Naama Bay hotel review for more detail.

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OVERVIEW

Naama bay has great weather all year round, blue skies and sea, lovely fishies, soft sand, great people, fantastic hotels, great restaurants, no rain, etc....oh dear I'm off again.

I am extremely bias but I promise to try and stick to the facts :-)

When I say Sharm I mean Naama bay which is the main tourist area of Sharm. Sharm is actually quite spread out and now encompasses many of the 'all inclusive resorts'. Naama bay is where most of the bars, restaurants and clubs are.

Naama bay itself is a large bay (you'd never have guessed) on the eastern side if the Sinai Peninsula. There is a dual carriageway that runs parallel to the bay coast line. On the beach side of the road are several of the best hotels. On the desert side of the road are more hotels and most of the casinos. I personally would always stay in hotels on the beach side as crossing the dual carriageway really is taking your life in your hands (especially at night with a few beers on board :-).

There is a promenade between the beach and the hotels with lovely views across the bay and beaches. You just stroll along in the sun with the warm sea breeze wafting over you....Bliss. The promenade links to the two main pedestrian areas.

The main pedestrian area is made up of two straight pathways. The place is always immaculately clean and the floor is a mosaic pattern which looks remarkably like tiling but is in fact concrete poured into moulds to mimic tiles.

There are wonderful old fashioned lamp posts lighting up the streets in the evening. The place has a light and airy feeling it's a magnet for those strolling the evening away, many just walk up and down taking in the atmosphere. Choosing which of the many restaurants to eat in and where to relax, smoke a shisha and take in the evening afterwards.

The streets are lined by outside seating for restaurants and lots of Egyptian style bars (low sofa type seating with throws) where you can just sit and people watch. Or should you wish there are many shops selling clothing, jewellery and souvenirs!
Each establishment does have people trying to entice you in, mostly this is low key and they simply ask if you would like to come in. A polite no thanks is usually enough for them to move on to the next person strolling along. Some are more persistent but they are only a few.

If you enter some of the empty shops be prepared to have the proprietor try to keep you talking till you buy something! If the shop has people in you are usually safe to browse unpestered.

The beaches are all private and each hotel has it's own stretch. The sand is golden and very fine, the beaches are also kept spotless. There are foot baths and showers erected at the entrances to most beaches and lots of sun beds and umbrellas. They all either have a beach bar or hotel staff who will take your order and at some point in the future actually deliver something close to what you ordered ;-)

The hotels offer everything from room only to all inclusive. I personally would not recommend going all inclusive as the resorts are quite sterile and built for mass tourism, hence away from Naama bay. So you will not get the choice of food, ambience etc that staying in Naama bay and venturing out will give you. Also you will need to use hotel shuttles (these usually stop at around 10PM) or Taxis to get to Naama bay should you wish to sample it; this is not a good option (more about the taxis later!) However I have friends who have enjoyed 'all inclusive' personally I feel they have missed out on so much Naama bay had to offer. Personally I go B&B as the breakfasts are really good and would keep you going all day if you wanted them to, and eat in whaterver countries cusine takes our fancy in the evening.

The local currency is the Egyptian pound (designated LE) there are approx 10 LE to the Pound. So the exchange rate and hence cost of things is real easy to work out. Take cash as VISA and MASTER CARD and Travellers Checks are generally only accepted in the banks, hotels and dive centres.

If you are a bucket and spader take UK pounds
If you are a diver take some Euros as well as all the diving is priced in Euros and you may loose out on the EXCH rate if using GBP.

The voltage is 220 V with 50 Hz

You don't need any jabs to go but if you are of a delicate disposition take some Imodium. Fraid I have a cast iron stomach so I eat salads, take ice in my drinks etc. and get away with it but it could get messy if you are one of those who don't :-0

Lastly the best advice of all drink at least 4-8 litres of fluids a day (no not alcoholic!!!) you will not feel good if you don't. Or should that be you will not feel good if you do try to do this with alcholic drinks!

either works

As the atmosphere is so dry you do not realise how much you are actually sweating / how much your body is using. Trust me if you feel tired, sluggish or unwell it is more likely to be dehydration than anything Egyptian.

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TERRORISM

Well what can I say Egypt is a risk area (as is Bali, London, Madrid, Turkey anywhere really), but with the recent events in Dahab it must be in people minds.

I was however in Naama bay when the bombs went off in 2005, in fact only a few tens of meters away from one of them so I speak from some level of experience. This was a terrible act and the aftermath was the worst night I have ever had.

I will not let this (or them whoever they are) stop me from enjoying my life, this is all I can say.

Although I am still affected by this I justify my opinion by understanding that from a risk point of view we are statistically still at a higher risk travelling to the airport in our car than we will ever be of actually being caught up in such an incident.

Please read on...............

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WHATS THE WEATHER LIKE?

Lovely n Sunny

Well ok I'll go a little further

It is almost always sunny, but between November to March it is wise to take a cardi or jumper as the evenings get chilly (well it is a desert). I have added a temp chart below. The sea is always warm 21 degrees is probably the coldest it gets and the max being 28 (see piccy below).

Don't be put off by the high temperatures in summer as this area is also very dry with very low humidity. So even in 40+ degrees you do not feel sticky and uncomfortable. If you visit in summer, just make sure you wear a hat outside or you will quickly begin to feel sick and end up with sun stroke!!!!
An advantage of the high summer temperatures is no flies, although there are far from hoards of them at other times.

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THE EGYPTIAN VISA - do you really need it?

The visa is to allow entry to the national park areas in the Sinai. Egypt is very proud of its Sinai Peninsula, and rightly so is doing all it can in a commercially led tourist industry to protect it.

So you only need a visa if you intend to venture into the National park areas, tour operators will refuse to take you if you do not have one. When in the national park you must have your passport and visa with you, the authorities do check and the penalties can be harsh.

So if you are a bucket and spader who has no intention of venturing out of the resort/hotel beach and into the National park areas then the answer is no you do not need a visa.

If you are not sure if you want to go to the National Park the answer is yes, get a visa as the airport is the only place you can get one. Trust me you do not want to have to go back there mid week as this will involve a Taxi ride (more on the taxis later I promise)

If you are a diver or snorkeller who is intending to visit the National Park areas the answer is YES

Tour operators will charge 12-15 GBP to get the visa for you at the airport when you arrive.

The visa is in fact 2 stamps that need to be licked and stuck in your passport. If you feel comfortable doing things for the first time you can also take 15 USD (~£8) with you this is to get your Egyptian Visa at the bank which is just inside the airport arrivals on the left hand side. Lick n stick in your passport and off to passport control you go. Some tour operators don't like you doing this as they see it as a way to get some extra money from you.

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THINGS TO DO IN SHARM EL SHIEKH

Well of course I am going to start with the DIVING.

SPECTACULAR

This is simply the best, and this comes from someone who hates getting their face wet in the shower! I never fail to be amazed by the sea life around Sharm (even though I know some of the fish personally now).

And you don't even have to dive, just walk into the water to mid calf height and little fishes are swimming with you
(Nemo is usually a little deeper at snorkel depths). On my last trip I met an Eagle ray in 2M of water. Just put on a mask and snorkel and marvel at the alien world below.

In fact you don't even need to be able to swim well for this as the Red Sea is very salty and allows you to float on the surface looking down (please remember your mask n snorkel!). Don't laugh I have dived in without my mask, started to descend with my snorkel instead of my regs etc........It's easy done.
The only thing you need to worry about is getting your back burnt as you will not want to go back to the beach.

For diving you should expect to pay around £150 for a 5 day dive pack (tanks, weights and daily boat trips) with Nitrox included. I will do a separate review of the dive club we use.

Should the worst occur there are excellent hospitals in Sarm el shiekh with a first rate decompression chamber on 24 hour call.
The chamber doctors speak several languages and have special training in hyperbaric medicine to treat all diving related injuries. All divers are requested to make an optional contribution of 1 Euro per day of diving. This ALL goes to maintaining and improving the decompression facilities in the Sinai area.

Sharm boasts one of the top diving sites in the world called Shark reef (about 1.5 hours boat ride from Sharm). This truly is ................I don't need to say again do I?

Remember the Jacques Cousteau/Blue Planet programmes well this is the real deal. You are inside the Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau/Blue planet and can almost hear Jacques comments and you fin leisurely along.

Fantastic reef and corals, fish, turtles (snappers, jacks, and barracuda) in abundance and in summer there is so many of them, and they do that circling thing round you, WOW.
There is also an area called Tiran, very popular with divers and snorkellers alike, 4 reefs in close proximity within an hour's boat trip from Sharm.

All the usual fish, turtles, rays, sharks etc and the added advantage in summer there is a resident shoal of hammerhead sharks, if you're a diver that is as they out of reach of the snorkel boys. In fact in summer they have several shark species and I have never failed to see one yet. (see piccy)
DONT PANIC, they seem far more worried about you than the other way around HONEST after all I'm still here I think??????

So much little stuff as well as the little things sea slugs, baby octopus.........oh I could go on and on but non divers will be very bored by now so what can the bucket n spaders do?..........

I am afraid I do not have the prices for the following as the descriptions are from friends who have been there I personally have not sampled any of the below.

RELAX ON THE BEACH (this is free)
The beaches are private and belong to the hotels. In all the hotels I have stayed there are plenty of sun beds and umbrellas. Not many Germans visit Sharm so you don't need to be up at the crack of dawn to bag one.
The sand is fine, golden and clean.
There is always a beach bar and waiters to service your every need (eventually............).
Fortunately or unfortunately (depending on your view) there is also beach entertainment, this can be in the form of exercise classes, volleyball, bingo, quizzes etc. The Italians seem to go specifically for these!!!

GLASS BOTTOM BOATS
Very popular with the non divers, very unpopular with the divers, fraid I am not keen on something with a large chunk of metal spinning at head removing speeds seeking me out so the punters can see a diver on the reef! Still I do see the commercial pull of such things.

OTHER WATERSPORTS
Things such a catameran, winsurfer hire, parragliding and of course the obligitory blow up banna ride.

QUAD BIKING
Held around the desert areas outside of Sharm. Never done it myself but have been told it is great fun by those that have. I have been told to ensure you wrap up well for this as sand is quite aggressive on the skin...................or would this be a cheap way of getting an equivalent to a chemical face lift???????
From a personal view though if they maintain the quad bike to the same standard as the taxis you wouldn't get me on one!!!!!!!

OLD SHARM SHOPPING
This is a bit of a misnomer as 'old Sharm' is still only 15/20 years oldish and sells the same tat as in Naama bay only cheaper. If you have the will to spend an hour haggling over a quid for something you would never buy back home good luck to you!
Naama Bay has the same tat at a higher cost and you don't have to use a Taxi (keep reading for the taxi review!) to get there!
The tee shirts/Egyptian clothing are probably the best buy.

ST CATHERINES MONESTRY
This is where the burning bush and the well that mosses saw in the bible is. The hill you have to walk up and down is a trek so fitness is required for this one. You can get taxis at an additional cost (in terms of money and sanity levels).
The monastery itself is very beautiful and has a real sense of history about it. Including rather macabely a room where the bones of the deceased are kept!

DO YOU WANT TO WALK THE PATH OF MOSES?
Walking up the Sinai Mountain is very hard (but worth it) you will start at night, at around 2am and it takes about 4 hours to reach the top. but you do get to see the sun rise, guess what it's....................spectacular. If you don't want to walk you can take a camel, it's cheap and it will make your climb much easier, but if you can walk, do it yourself, you will feel great! As you walk up in the dark just look up and see the stars in the clear sky! It is spectacular. Remember to take lots of water! And warm clothes it is cold in the desert at night.

You can also enjoy 2-3 day trips to Cairo, Luxor, Assuan, Abu Simbel and to the Rose city of Petra in Jordan.

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LOCAL CUSTOMS

Remember this is a Muslim country and although a tourist resort I always feel I should respect their way of life. So I do not walk the streets in skimpy shorts and bikini top (me in a bikini top - what a scary thought!!). I always cover up and wear a simple silk scarf over my shoulders etc. Topless sunbathing is not allowed. However when on the boats or round the pool/beach then swimwear is acceptable.

TIPPING
This is expected for everything you do that involves an Egyptian. You will be expected to tip for every service you receive no matter how small.
Taxi's (more about them later Agh)
Baggage handlers
Man who takes your bag at airport
Cleaners in hotel
Bar staff
Waiters
You get the idea don't you?
They don't expect much around 5 LE (50p) will keep them happy and willing to service you.

SHISHA PIPES
The shisa is a Middle Eastern smoking tradition, you are supposed to smoke shisha while chatting about the experiences of the day, all cafes and bars offer the shisha. It is a pipe with a long, flexible stem and a large base which is usually very decorative. The smoke is flavoured - apple, strawberry, vanilla... which give a fruity smell and taste. The smoke is cooled by being passed through water. Even if a non smoker, you have to try this.

HAGGLING
This is expected when shopping; plan to add some time to your trip if you intend to do this. However in my opinion there is not much worth buying over a postcard or a tee shirt.

PATIENCE
Have lots................ nothing happens quickly, just relax and enjoy

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TAXIS

At last I hear you call..............

Well where do I start................

They will try and rip you off so agree the price before you get in, and stick to it.

None of them would get anywhere near passing an MOT in the UK, and they drive like maniacs. This involves driving you as fast as they can and hoping blasting their horn will make others move out of the way before they hit them.

At night even without lights! Worse still the main road between Naama bay and outer area of sharm is called peace road and they are not allowed to use their horns!!!

The taxis are not well maintained, there are no seat belts and I have had trips where I can see the road passing beneath my feet and drivers who are more interested in ensuring their Koran (which you will see on most dashboards) is straight then keeping their hands on the wheel.............all at scary speeds!!!

Still you have to experience this as it definitely ranks along with a roller coaster ride!

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BEST RESTUARANTS n BARS

THAI
There is a really good Thai in the Hyatt (you will need a taxi).

EGYPTIAN
On top of the shopping mall in Naama bay there is a good Egyptian as is the famous TAM TAM's which is situated along the sea front close to the Hilton and has a nice balcony overlooking the bay. Also Terazzina in old Sharm (again will require taxi) It is right on beach with tables next to the sea.

LEBANESE
An good Lebanese is Mashy which is 1/2\way along the main street on the left.

INDIAN
An excellent Indian the chef cooks in front of u and the restaurant is situated in a little open square inside of the camel hotel situated on the main street just past the shopping mall on the left it is set back a little and easily missed. This place is very popular so you should book.

CHINESE
The Peking is a good Chinese (a little further on than Mashy above the kodak photographic shop). You can sit outside on the balcony with a nice view over the main street during your meal.

SEAFOOD
An excellent seafood and steak place at the end of the main Street after Thomas cook exchange on the left above last shops (stairs again up to entrance) is Dananeer, this place is very popular so you should book.
Sinai Star is a well known local's restaurant it is in old Sharm and there is no menu you get what was caught that day and you are seated at long tables it's seafood lots of it and very good and cheap. (taxi required again though)

DO NOT get badgered into Ali BaBa's by the lads who accost you as you walk past, never heard a good thing about this place.

Drinks are not cheap but about the same as UK

The camel bar (our favourite) upstairs (stairs on outside of building) is very good. Two styles;
Inside is a bit of a lad's pub flags and shirts all over walls, loud music, sports on TV and lots of drinking.
If you go up to the roof (into the bar turn left and then left again at end) and you have a plush seated area that is relaxing and comfortable. Also the bar food is very good and very reasonable. There is an internet cafe there too a quid (10 Le) for 1/2 hour.

The Tavern is a good bar food in here too and they do a real Sunday lunch if you have time on the last day.

As for nightclubs well....not my thing really but I'm told they are ok but this is not Ibiza! There is the obligatory Hard Rock Cafe, the No1 Spot and the bus stop which are the best and safest but they do have a lot of Russians and Italians.
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SUMMARY

Naama bay is full of life, friendly people and wonderful water sports.

For the bucket and spaders it has 5* hotels, clean golden sand beaches crystal blue water and skies. What more could you ask for the price!

For divers you have the best value diving in the world with a good diver community gathering at the local bars to enjoy as well.

I still recommend it as a great value holiday.

Thanks for reading
Kathryn