To wonder why the fuck anyone would want to go to Sharm El Shek anyway?

[GlitteryRollerGirl]

Just that really.

That part of the world is incrediably volatile at the moment, even more so since the terrorist attack in Tunisia. The foreign office advised against travelling there after that. I've always wanted to go to and see the pyramids but accept its not going to happen for the foreseeable future, it's not worth the risk . Now this terrible incident with the plane, clearly there is intelligence telling the government that it's just not safe to fly to or from there at the moment.

Aside from that, I've known loads of people who've been there and none have liked it. Huge purpose built resorts with gates and armed guards on them?! No thanks! I'd never be able to relax.

If you want some winter sun what's wrong with the good old Canaries?

Well we have just returned from a week there. Flew home hours after the plane crash and I would say about 90% of people on the plane had no idea about the crash until the pilot announced we would not be flying through that air space (I didn't know either). It was the most terrifying 4.5hrs of my life. I bawled my eyes out the moment we got to our UK hotel (couldnt face the drive home )I am so incredibly thankful to be home safe, the thought that it could have been my family is too awful to think about. We had booked this holiday months ago and I had checked the home office website repeatedly and it was deemed as safe as Europe.

I have never done an AI/beach holiday but after a manic and difficult 18mths we just need a week of nothing but sun.
The hotel was wonderful, food amazing, snorkelling the best I have ever done. We had no issues of drunk brits, the egyptian staff were so lovely and I had some very interesting conversations with many. We didn't get sick (not even my dd who is coeliac, the staff executive chef was marvellous) On our last day we were planning when we would come back but include visiting Cairo and Luxor as well I was disappointed to be so close yet so far from somewhere I have always wanted to go.(Even more so now that it is so unsafe) I feel incredibly sorry for the tourists stranded over there and also for the Egyptians who will now lose trade which they heavily rely on.

The tone of this thread is so unnecessarily snobby and nasty. There are lots of places/types of holidays I wouldn't go to but if heaven forbid something happened in one of those place I wouldn't be so awful and snotty about what is a tragic and frightening situation for those stranded. Nor would I sneer at people who had booked to go there believing that it was safe to travel. When we travelled it was as safe as france and spain.

Glad you're ok flixybelle and you had a lovely time. Your descriptions sounds just like my experience of the three times I've been Egypt and I've been slightly bemused by this thread. Thank you for saying it much better than I could have.

Flixy - did you know about the history of terrorist attacks, especially against touriss in these resorts and hotels in the past before you booked? I'm just curious as I have never considered it as safe as the like of Spain, France Greece etc. I just wonder how much most people actually know about it before they book.

When we travelled it was as safe as france and spain.
Really?
Don't you watch the news?

There was a thread on here in about May, a woman whose ex had booked a holiday in Tunisia with her DD and she didn't want her to go (she didn't). There were the usual people saying 'Nothing will happen, as long as the travel advice says you can go then go, it's no more dangerous than London'. Of course very sadly they were proved completely wrong very rapidly.

I just think it's sensible really, it's not for me. There are people who would like to kill westerners/Russia who can get to these places easily and their security services are not as reliable as ours. It's too big a risk. I will stick to Western Europe and the Americas for the time being.

We are due to fly out on 28th December, if flights restart.....

We booked last October when it had the same fco guidance as Spain.

SHEHAS- I am glad I am not alone in this thinking, I would have happily returned to Sharm and am sad that, that probably won't happen for a long time now.
BAMBAM- I was aware of 1 previous attack in Sharm in 2005. From which there was an increase level of security in the resort (as there was in the US after 9/11) I read on gov.uk that further up the peninsula was dangerous but that Sharm was safe and there was a colour coded map that showed spain, and france under the same level of threat. Attacks happened in France, London,Turkey, Tunisia, NYC, Thailand etc and I have visited some of these place also. Sharm appeared no more or less dangerous than many other holiday destinations. Who in their right mind thinks oh yes this looks like a dangerous place for a holiday I know let me take my children who I love and just hope for the best in order to save a hundred quid.
Clearly people weren't concerned for their safety or they wouldn't have gone. This perceived error in judgement resulted in 224 losing their lives. There is simply no need for people on this thread to be so smug about how they wouldn't be so stupid or tasteless to go sharm.

ihatethecold.

Yes I watch the news but I am certain it didn't predict a plane crash (cause still unknown.) I checked the day we flew and government was still saying that the threat/danger level was the same as France and Spain.
My university took students to Turkey last year with no concerns, however my BIL is just back from the same place and he was lucky to get out at all.
(He wasn't on holiday, he was working there) Things change!

There is a lot of snobbery about all inclusive. We go all inclusive, but it doesn't stop us eating out a few nights a week if we want. And yes you do get some pissed up Brits but not many. In all the all inclusive holidays I have been in I can only think of one group of pissed up Brits with just one male being the main drinker, loud, shouty and bright red from falling asleep in the sun while pissed.

Most people will go all inclusive as it is cheaper to do that and still eat out when you need to drink a lot of soft drinks in the heat than it is to go for a cheaper holiday and pay every time you want a drink.

I'm not being smug, I'm really curious if people are aware of all the previous attacks and deaths and the Islamic insurgents at battle with the government in the area. Or if they were unaware and thought it was totally safe.

I went to Turkey this year after the Tunisa attack and the attack in Turkey near the Syrian border. We all weigh up risks and make decisions, if you are actually aware of the risks.

Bambam- I didn't say you were smug specifically just people on this thread in general. I spoke to quite a few people on the plane and most knew there had been some unrest but thought it was generally safe. The Thompson reps weren't concerned at all and when we booked with them I asked and they said it was safe as did the gov.
I knew personally that there were concerns but (stupidly perhaps) I trusted the government website.

Targeting Christians
Sadat assassination and uprising
Attacks on Israelis
Attacks during the 1990s
Rifaat el-Mahgoub assassination
Daylight ambushes
Luxor massacre
Attacks during 2000-2010
2004 Sinai bombing
April 2005 attacks
2005 Sharm el-Sheikh attacks
2006 Dahab bombings
2008 Sudan kidnapping
2009 Khan el-Khalili bombing
2009 Hezbollah plot
Attacks from 2010-present
al-Qidiseen church bombing
Sinai insurgency
2014 border attack
2015 bombing of the Cairo Italian consulate
2015 downing of Metrojet Flight 9268

Add the recent upheaval of the Arab spring and ongoing tensions - it has quite a history.

Terrorism in the UK. Quite a list as well.

I've been there and did an overnight trip to Cairo, just the usual tourist stuff, pyramids of Giza, museums and a boat trip up the Nile. It was the highlight of the holiday seconded by a relaxing break and wonderful snorkelling but.... I didn't feel safe going out of Sharm. Armed guards on tourist coaches etc put me off going again.

The staff are lovely, really make your holiday and work so hard and they need the tourism.

Must admit I didn't chose the most expensive hotel when I went and there were a fair few fellow holiday makers there just for the AI and 'free booze'. The thing that has stuck in my mind was overhearing a women drunk at the bar telling the barman that she didn't work and was on benefit in UK and seeing his reaction....

Armed guards should be a red flag. It isn't as if you have them in Spain.
It is naive to think many parts of Egypt are safe- the country has been unstable for some time.
Iffy human rights record too - not that the Brits can say much about this either but it is rather less obvious here.

DS 2 is gutted, we were going to go in Februry 1/2 term as he is desperate to go snorkelling and wants to see the fish.

Thank you MRSTP that is the point I am making the world is and has always been dangerous.
KEN: There were no armed guard on our coach, there was security on the gate of the hotel but it was quite low key and you didn't have to go through gate to get into the hotel. It was than Mexico (Riveria Maya area) so I wasn't concerned. The security at the airport was odd and all armed but I was told that was because it was a military airport so again no red flag.

The staff are lovely, really make your holiday and work so hard and they need the tourism.
Except that all of those people moved there because of the resorts
its not like the resorts tapped into local unemployment

Airport security will always be a joke there because of
Inshallah

get that into your heads folks

MrsTerry - I live and was born in the UK so deal with the hand I've been dealt in that regard. Plus the UK attacks have not had as much success fatality wise as they do in Egypt, where they are often specifically targeting tourists. I printed that list as I wasn't sure if those who go to Egypt were aware of the regular attacks and the number or fatalities, often aimed at tourists. I take risks with my travels and try and weigh up the pros and cons and take less risks now I have children than I did before.

Airport security will always be a joke there because of
Inshallah

What do you mean by this TalkinPeas

I remained friends with a guy who ran boat trips, he was from cairo originally and moved to the resort to work. His wage was two or three times what he could earn at home but most of it went back to his family.

Just because these people have moved there for work doesn't mean they haven't built lives and businesses there.

Gosh, how many superior people are there on this thread !
Why not call up the victims families and talk to them about cheap plastic sun loungers ....
We flew home from Sharm last week a £4k 7 day holiday where we had lovely sunshine , a beautiful hotel and food and a relaxing half term. Two hours later that plane went down.
I'm gutted we even went , I don't know what we were thinking , going over and over it. But when from NI , the bombings and shootings that were a regular occurrence it's kind of daily life strangely.
But hey if it were the noveau paradise of Dubai this thread wouldn't exist.
Plus Spain have had armed guards on hotels as late as the early 2000s kennington Anyone remember ETA ? Plus the south of Spain are under threat from Moroccon insurgents , was discussing it when we were there in the summer.

Maybe Talkinpeas but if there was better alternative work then why would they work 6 days a week 12 hours a day, with smiles on there faces.

Grr! 'their'

Spain and France are red risk. But I doubt you know that the Canaries (apart from Madeira ) are Spanish..