Sharm El Sheikh (Egypt)

Sharm el Sheikh is the most popular upcoming resort in Egypt. Me and my boyfriend decided to go here last year for our summer holiday, as after trawling through all the holiday site, thomas cook, first choice etc, Egypt kep coming up the best value for money over places like the canaries, so we thought we would give it a go!

Ive never really been interested in going to Egypt, i thought it was all pyramids and historical stuff, until my mum went there and absolutely loved it! I didnt realise it was a place you could just go to lay on a nice sandy beach, eat all you want and just relax, just like you can in places like spain, greece etc.

We paid £489 each for a week all inclusive with thomson. I thought this was a bargain compared to other places at that time of year for just self catering!

We went to Sharm El Sheikh on 26th June last year for 1 week. I did not realise it got so hot during this time of year! I was told it was hot, but one day it reached 45 degrees, i love hot countries, but this was just unbearable for me! We constantly had to sit in the shade, as the sun just felt way too hot!

My mum went in March last year, and she said the weather was gorgeous and came back with a nice tan, i think if i was going to sharm el sheikh, this is the time of year i would choose next time. It was too uncomfortable in the summer. We spoke to locals, who were telling us 45 degrees was nothing to them! In august they said it goes well into the 50's! I dont know they work in that heat!

The people in Sharm were the nicest i have ever come across abroad, i didnt expect egyptian people to be so friendly and chatty, but they always made an effort to talk to you.

Sharm el Sheik, has some gorgeous beaches. The hotel we stayed at had its own private beach, which seems to be the same for most of the hotels. I think all the beaches are split up with every hotel having their own section.

I think this may be because the hotels in sharm el sheikh are all inclusive, as it is not like spain, with loads of main strips of restuarants and bars. When we were on the private bus to the beach you drive past vast amounts of land which is just all being built on, not many restuarants to be seen! I think this resort is going to be very good in years and years to come when it is a bit more built up, as there are just areas of land just wasted here.

I think the main strip of restuarants is in Nama Bay, although as we were all inclusive we did not try any. We had heard stories about Nama Bay which actually made us too frightened to go! We had heard about people being locked in shops and restaurants until they bought more, i would be absolutely terrified if i went in a shop and they locked the doors!

The sea is clear blue in sharm el sheikh, and if you ever visit you must go snorkelling! I am not a fan of water and never get off the lilo, but i decided to be brave and go snorkelling with my boyfriend as everybody was recommending it. This was one of the most amazing experiences of my life, if you swim up to a coral reef and put your head under the water, it is amazing the different types of fish you sea! They are all so close, and you can get an underwater camera from most shops, we bought one from our hotel, and took loads of pictures.

I would go back to sharm el sheikh just for the snorkelling, it is an amazing experience! There are many diving and snorkelling trips to try, although we didnt bother as you can see just as much yourself for free in the sea at the hotel beaches.

There are glass bottom boats aswell, if you dont like to go in the water yourself, deffinately go on one of these and see all those amazing fish!

We went on a quad bike trip to the desert, as it was so hot the trip did not start until 4pm, and we came home about 11pm. Usually it is a day trip starting in the morning when it is not too hot. I would well recommend this, it was one of the best trips i have been on abroad ever! Although we didnt go on the quad bikes, as i was a bit too scared to drive one, we went on the sand buggies which are just as fun!

My boyfriend drove ours, and the guides go really fast, but not too fast you cant keep up, so its good fun! You also get your tea in the desert which was lovely, and they put on a bit of a show for you, belly dancing etc. This trip cost us about £50 each and was more than worth it.

We also went on the star gazing trip, which is a night out in the desert, you get a meal, they show you how they make bread etc, and then at the end of the trip you get to look through the telescopes at the north star, the moon and saturn. They tell you all about the different constellations etc. This trip is amazing, you can see them so clearly and is well worth it even if your not really into that sort of stuff, im not really, i only went because my boyfriend really wanted to go, but i actually found it fascinating. This trip cost us about £25 each i think, i cant remember exactly but i thought it was good value for money.

We also went paragliding in sharm el sheikh at the hotels private beach, but it gave us a wonderful view of all the other beaches in sharm and it looked gorgeous. This cost us £35 for the two of us for 8 minutes in the air, but was well worth it.

You can also visit the pyramids if you want to, although it is a 24 hour trip and very expensive. I think it was about £200 each to fly there, but a lot cheaper to go by coach. The coach ride was 6 hours, so we decided not to bother!

I loved sharm el sheik and although i thought everywhere was very clean and the food was cooked well, when i got home i was very ill, and didnt feel better for about 2 weeks after i got back, which was a shame as it really put me off going back. However i have been told doctors it is the heat that upsets your stomach so much, so i wouldnt worry about going in the cooler months. My boyfriend was also ill, but my mum who went in March was absolutely fine.

Overall, i would recommend sharm el sheikh to anyone wanting a nice beach holiday, or a sight seeing trip. Just go in the cooler months, as it gets way to hot in summer!

---Also posted on dooyoo under the same name---