Sharm el-Sheikh is another amazing tourist destination. In his time, this colorful city was visited by Jacques Cousteau himself and left his memories of traveling on video tape for tourists and just curious. The underwater world is fascinating.
This sea splendor is a great place for passive relaxation lying on the sand or active entertainment and sea sports. Children will also like it here, so there is no age limit for traveling to this beautiful city on the Red Sea.
How to get to Sharm el-Sheikh
For 4 and a half hours to the international airport of Ras Nazran, located in Sharm el-Sheikh, you can fly to one of the many charters from Russia. Without a ticket, you can take a regular flight to Cairo or Alexandria, since there are no such flights to Sharm el-Sheikh. The flight from Moscow to the destination and back with a transfer will cost about 530 USD.
Domestically, you can take advantage of flights within Egypt.On the day of the airport Ras Nazran takes more than a dozen domestic flights. Those who arrived here on vouchers, waiting for representatives of the company and organize a transfer. Independent tourists can order a transfer directly from the hotel. Expensive hotels provide this service for free. The airport also provides this service for a fee.
Numerous taxis await passengers at the entrance. The cost of the trip must be specified in advance, as there is no counter in these cars. Typically, the price is based on 10 cents per 1 km. It should be remembered that the driver will calculate the length of the road back and forth. To the center will have to pay about 3 USD, including the cost of luggage. Paying for services is more profitable than local currency.
The bus network is well developed in the country and in Sharm el-Sheikh itself. From the city to Cairo, there are daily 7 flights, 1 round to the monastery of St. Catherine and 1 each to Dahab, Ismailia, Nouveibu, Taba, Suez. Ferries to Hurghada are regularly departing from Sharm el-Sheikh. The trip will cost about 45 USD one way. Children under 12 years old discount.
Geography Sharm El Sheikh
Sharm El Sheikh is divided into scenic areas that stretch along the coast. Among themselves they are united by the central street - Peace Road. The oldest and most comfortable area of the city is Naama Bay. It consists mainly of hotels, which are located in 3 lines along the beach. There are also numerous restaurants, cafes, shops, bars, clubs and discos all along the pedestrian street.
To the southwest is located Sharm El Maya. Only here you can relax on the sandy beach. Also in this part of the city is the Eastern Market Old Market. Here is the "Old Town", countless shops, cafes, a picturesque harbor with the possibility of tourist boat trips, as well as the Ras Mohammed reserve.
New resort area of the city - Sharks Bay. It is decorated with expensive hotels and gorgeous coral reefs. The fastest growing area is Nabk. Almost every day a new modern hotel appears here. It is here that one of the most luxurious hotels in the city stands - Ritz Carlton 5 *.
Inland transport
The main vehicle in Sharm el-Sheikh is considered a fixed-route taxi. It goes without a schedule with an interval of about 5 minutes. The fare is 20 cents. Some hotels provide their own buses, the price of travel in them is 1-2 dollars. A taxi booked directly to the hotel costs about 2-6 dollars.
Car rentals and scooters are very popular. Gasoline is cheap, the roads are good. A personal vehicle will allow you to visit many more places of interest in the city without loss of strength and extra money. The local police is loyal to tourists, and rental services are provided by large international companies. Therefore, it is safe and profitable to purchase a car for the period of rest. For economy class cars a day you will have to pay about $ 60.
Beaches and hotels Sharm El Sheikh
Choosing a beach, you need to take into account that corals reign here and often you just can’t go to the sea without rubber slippers. It is necessary to bathe from pontoons. These beaches are located in Hadaba, Sharks Bay, Nabk Bay. This is a conservation area and even building a bridge here is quite difficult. To get to the beach with a small amount of sand, you need to go to Naama Bay. Mostly here they cut down corals to create a comfortable holiday for tourists.
In addition to coral danger are prickly marine inhabitants. Therefore, it is not recommended to walk even along the bottom without slippers. A full-fledged sandy beach can be seen only in the part of Sharm-el-Maya. The entrance to the water is shallow and sandy. The local coast is divided into 26 parts, each of which belongs to a separate hotel.
Sharks Bay has completely coral beaches. The advantage of such places is crystal clear water and a picturesque underwater world. Diving lovers will be here to look at. And for families with children it is better to choose another place. For example, in Nabka, several meters of the sea are cleared from the edge of corals and even babies can splash around here.The disadvantage of this place are strong winds and tangible ebb and flow.
On the beaches of Hadaba mixed beaches. In some places you can relax with children, while in others not all adults will be comfortable. Each of the local beaches has its own specifics. Before you go on such a journey, you need to carefully examine all the features.
As for hotels, there are about 200 of them. Most of them belong to the highest category of 4 and 5 stars. Three stars too, but their arrangement usually leaves much to be desired. In the old districts of the city, the number of rooms has not been updated for a long time. This applies to Hadaba and Naama Bay. In Sharks Bay, Nabak and Ras Umm el-Sid, you can easily find new hotels with fresh renovation and good furniture. The most abundant entertainment located near the hotels of Hadaba and Naama Bay. At the Savoy Hotel in Sharks Bay, the entertainment district of Soho has grown with musical fountains, restaurants, cafes and other places of entertainment.
Shopping, entertainment, excursions ...
The standard set of purchases in Sharm El Sheikh is as follows:
- hookahs;
- dishes with ornament;
- figurines (3-6 USD);
- papyrus (1-4 USD);
- cosmetics;
- dates, halva and other sweets;
- essential oils (0.3-1 USD per 1 ml.).
Food: food, cafes, restaurants
Those who come here hoping to satisfy their gastronomic needs will be able to rejoice at the abundance of seafood and Egyptian cuisine. Popular are the kebabs from the meat “jacket”, rice “kosari”, pasta, beans in tomato sauce, falafel, various sauces and gravies.
Gourmet restaurants will offer customers a delicious soup-puree "ATS" with a duck or pigeon. Dessert "umm-ali" of puff pastry (baklava) will be the perfect end to the meal. Alcohol can only be found in tourist-oriented restaurants.
Cafe and restaurants on the coast a great many. Here you can taste the local exotic cuisine or not to change European dishes and visit the more familiar Russian restaurants. Most institutions are located in Naama Bay and Hadab on the streets Salam and Peace road. An abundant meal for two will cost an average of 12 dollars. Visit the fish restaurant will result in 17-20 dollars.
Among the entertainment of the city, it is worth noting water sports, leisure parks, 1000 and 1 nights style pseudo-courtyards, as well as numerous shopping and entertainment centers. You can learn the history of the region on excursions to the Kopsky church, the papyrus museum, to the Al-Mustafa mosque, to the Tutankhamun museum.
It is worth seeing the Ras Mohammed National Park, the entrance to which costs about $ 5 and another 5 per car. Among popular clubs and discos:
- Le Pacha;
- Hard Rock Cafe;
- Smash and Black House.
For children, you can find fun in the Fun Town amusement park for 30 cents per ride. It is also interesting to visit the dolphinarium, go in for tennis, go karting or learn golf.Also for $ 25-45 you can ride a buggy in the desert, parasailing will cost $ 35. For 75 USD you can spend a boat trip on a sailing yacht. An interesting experience will be the procedure of peeling the feet with Garr Ruff fish for $ 15. The historic two-day tour of Cairo and Alexandria will cost 150 USD, and a visit to the super canyon will result in $ 45. You can also order a package of photo shoots for only 100 USD.
It is difficult to imagine a trip to the Red Sea without diving. With a mask and snorkel you can swim everywhere. But more exciting sensations can give a deep dive in special places with special equipment. There are even special areas in Sharm el-Sheikh. The most popular are located near the island of Tiran and in the marine reserve of Ras Mohammed. Along the coast are scattered 16 firms offering training and diving services. During underwater walks, you can see all sorts of corals, favites, poritae, hammerheads, Napoleon wrasses, skates, crocodile fishes, moray eels and other exotic representatives of marine fauna. You can also see the sunken ships in 1876 and 1941.
All these wonderful places can be visited only in Sharm el-Sheikh. Impressions after such a trip will last a lifetime.
