Sharm El Sheikh Travel Guide and Tips

Sharm El Sheikh

Sharm-El-Sheikh, a major tourist destination on the Red Sea coast of Egypt has come a long way from its humble beginnings as a small dreamy fishing village. Today, Sharm-El-Sheikh boasts potent tourist trappings such as world famous dive sites, unforgettable shopping experiences, and ultra luxurious five star hotels. Rejuvenating spa therapy, lazing at the beaches, indulging in some tremendous cuisines, going on a desert safaris, and chilling out at the hilly areas – Sharm-El-Sheikh has all this and much more and makes for an unforgettable holiday getaway. Britons, as well as tourists from other parts of the world grab their airline tickets year after to soak in the pleasures of the destination.

Tourist Spots in Sharm El Sheikh

Sharm El Sheikh is crammed full of a world of diversified tourist trappings offering a wide range of entertainment facilities to the visitors. Other than the legendary diving experiences, Sharm-El-Sheikh also offers some delightful opportunities for coral reef snorkelling and indulging in other exhilarating waters sports. The destination is great for a desert foray and getting an up close look into the lifestyle of the Bedouins. Here are some of the hottest tourist spots from Sharm-El-Sheikh.

Shopping attractions in Sharm El Sheikh

Sharm-El-Sheikh is a bargain hunter’s paradise. However, the destination also does not lack in the number of regular fixed price shops. Dive gear, alcohol, and souvenirs such as small idols, local herbs and spices, and fake jewellery and duplicate designer wear. Experiencing the nuances of Egyptian traders and markets in Sharm-El-Sheikh alone proves to be a heart warming experience, even if someone does not exactly buy something. Some of the best places for trying out some shopping are listed below.

Eating Out in Sharm El Sheikh

Sharm-El-Sheikh, being a major tourist magnet, spoils visitors for choice in terms of cuisines and drinks. Although, there is no dearth of eating and drinking options, the humble guava juice is one of the most famed beverages of the destination. Check out the following places for eating out.

Hotels in Sharm-El-Sheikh

Many of the three star to five star and five star plus rated hotels are located in the Na’ama Bay area. There is not much by way of cheap hotels and accommodation facilities in other areas may prove to be slightly out of the way. Here are some of the famous mid range and luxury hotels.

Airports in Sharm-El-Sheikh

The Sharm-El-Sheikh International Airport handles nearly seven million passengers every year from Europe, Middle East, Africa, as well as other parts of the world. The airport is one of the busiest in Egypt as well as Africa. During the summer months in Europe, Sharm-El-Sheikh International Airport witnesses a growing traffic from charter flights as well as from low cost flights operated by cheap airlines.

Best Time to Visit Sharm-El-Sheikh

Fall and spring are considered to be the best times for visiting the destination. Sharm-El-Sheikh also makes for a splendid winter sun destination. Summers can prove to be blisteringly hot and visitors often need to skip interesting pastimes like camel safaris and trekking. In fact, the months of July and August are notoriously hot. However, summer proves to be one of the best times for viewing marine life, and also picking up enticingly low airfares and overall off season discount deals to the destination. Visitors simply looking for diving and snorkelling can visit throughout the year.

Getting Around in Sharm-El-Sheikh

Taxis and buses are the two most common modes of transport in Sharm-El-Sheikh. Many of the taxis are modern Chevrolet and Hyundai models. Taxis tend to be pretty expensive. Besides taxis, another very common mode of transport is the small blue and white buses or tuk tuks. These buses work out be more than half as cheap as the taxis.

Sharm-El-Sheikh Travel Tips

Tap water can be unsafe. Stick to bottled water and also take adequate precautions against dehydration as the weather can be very hot and dry.

Try dressing modestly and ladies should avoid going topless in beaches and resorts.

Certain inoculations may be advisable for travel to Sharm-El-Sheikh and other parts of Egypt. These include Hepatitis A, typhoid, polio, diphtheria, and tetanus. Exhaustive information is available with the Foreign & Commonwealth Office.

Quite a few unscrupulous taxi and bus drivers overcharge from gullible tourists. While taking a taxi, either take a metered one or decide on pre arranged fare. This is all the more necessary while travelling from the airport.

UK passport holders not leaving Sinai during their visit should write ‘Sinai Only’ behind their landing card and visit passport control. However, travellers planning to head out of Sinai during their trip should take a visa when they land at the airport. Some of the dive sites also require a visa.

Quite a few reputed travel agents sell package deals and special vacation packages to the destination during different seasons.

Currency can be exchanged in almost all banks and hotels but the exchange rate in hotels may not be good enough.

Although, malaria is mainly prevalent in the desert oasis regions, it is sensible to be on guard against mosquitoes.