What to expect on a Sharm el Sheikh holiday

The holiday resort of Sharm el Sheikh is translates in to "The City of Peace" and is situated on the southern tip of the Sinai peninsular. Sharm el Sheikh is the biggest city on the Sinai peninsular. The near by towns of Nuweiba, Dahab and Taba offer tourist attractions and also have a growing number of hotels large and small.

Beaches

The main industry of Sharm el-Sheikh is tourism, both domestic and international. Tourists are attracted to Sharm el-Sheikh's natural beaches, spectacular landscape, and constant low humidity. Apart from Egypts ancient appeal, the country is a magnet for people taking package holidays than any other kind of visitor. This is due to warm Egyptian beaches, which are both low-cost and luxurious.

Water sports

Water sports, such as snorkeling, scuba diving, wind surfing, kite surfing, para sailing, boating, and canoeing, are popular here and considered to be amongst the best in the world, due to Sharm's tranquil and transparent waters almost year-round. In close proximity to the Red Sea, Sharm offers some of the most eye-catching underwater scenery and warm water making this the perfect place to dive. Tourists have the unique opportunity to see a vast spectrum of Marine species. Sharm el-Sheikh is a habitat for two hundred and fifty of various coral reefs, and one thousand species of fish.

Excursions

Sharm offers a vast variety of excursions, for example Safari Tours, Sea Tours, Nile Cruises, and even Balloon Tours. Just imagine yourself taking a day trip to Luxor by plane from Sharm, visiting Valley of the Kings, Memnon statues, Hatshepsut temple, and Karnak temples. Alternatively, you might prefer to visit the desert mountains, which are the Sinai's most remarkable facet, and which conceals the Colored Canyon, one of its most gorgeous highlights. Near the coastal village of Nuweiba, this outstandingly deep, narrow fracture is splashed with red, orange, yellow, and purple mineral sediments.

Transportation

You can get to Sharm by plane, boat, bus, or car. Sharm el-Sheikh International Airport offers regular flights to Alexandria, Cairo, Hurghada, and Luxor. Additionally, there are numerous cheap flights from London airports and charter flights to Ireland, Italy, Germany, Poland, Switzerland, United Kingdom, and other destinations. In Sharm's marina, there are not only private sailboats and yachts, but also cruise ships and ferry that can take you to Aqaba and Hurghada. International Fast Ferries provides fast boats to Hurghada on the mainland Red Sea Coast four times weekly. The travel time is 1.5 hours for the price of 250 one-way and 450 LE round trip. Be aware, that the trip is infamously bumpy and subject to cancellations.

If you decide to drive to Sharm el-Sheikh, you can start from Eilat, Israel and drive down the eastern coast, via Nuweiba and Dahab. Another option is driving along the western coast from the capital city of Cairo. Local bus services run daily for either route. From Cairo, if you take an East Delta bus, your travel time would be around eight hours (80 LE); in a luxury coach, it takes in the region of 6 hours. When traveling from Cairo by bus, keep your passport and ticket handy, because you will go through several checkpoints. The drive is pleasant with magnificent scenery, all the way through the route.

In Sharm, you can travel by taxi. The taxis are generally modern, either Chevrolet or Hyundai. Be ready to demand that the taxi uses its meter; it is the law in Sharm. You can also take a small bus, which is a fleet of blue and white tuk-tuk, which is less expensive way of transportation than taxis. To get on a tuk-tuk just wait on the side of the main street and raise your hand to stop one as it approaches. A single fare to anywhere in Sharm will be approximately 20 LE.

Hotels

Many hotels in Sharm el-Sheikh, especially in the Na'ama Bay area, accommodate package holiday tourists. There are from three to six star all-inclusive hotels, refined facilities, and some budget accommodations. Sharm is a well-developed area, and it looks more like a European resort, rather than an Egyptian one. While anyone can probably spend a lot here, Sharm el-Shakh remains, for many Europeans, a comparatively cheap holiday alternative to pricey beach resorts elsewhere in Europe.

Some hotels are rather far from Na'ama Bay, so you have to pay for taxi for every trip to Na'ama. However, taxi is not that expensive from most hotels. In Na'ama Bay, the hotels are often situated across a street for pedestrians; this can interfere a bit with privacy, especially when using a hotel's pool.

If your seeking affordable luxury check the Renaissance hotel, Hilton waterfalls and Concorde el Salaam. If you prefer a luxurious stay, among your options are Hyatt Regency Sharm El Sheikh, Grand Rotana Resort & Spa, Maritim Royal Peninsula Hotel & Resort, Four Seasons, and Ritz Carlton.