Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt - the good, the bad and the ugly?

[tigermoth]

Please can anyone give me the lowdown on Sharm El Sheikh?

AFAIK it is largely man made holiday resort backing onto desert. Quite family friendly with lots of water sports on offer.

We may be going there around february half term. I'm intending to book a fully inclusive hotel deal so we don't need to take too much spending money.

The reason for our choice is that we are on a budget and want some winter sun. It looks like the more historical destinations in Egypt, like Luxor, are beyond our price range. Also, I don't think our sons would enjoy day after day of temple and pyramid seeing, no matter how spectacular.

Our sons are aged 8 and 13. We are not expecting heaven on earth, but is Sharm El Sheikh a suitable place for a relaxing, sunny week away?

It's great for a week away!

We have been twice, to the Hyatt Regency Hotel with our 2 sons, now aged 12 and 8, so very similar ages! They love it.

The flight is not too long and transfers are minimal.

We like the Hyatt as it is just outside of the main centre and tucked into its own bay, so you feel like it is just you. There is the hotel shuttle to take you into town really easily. But we only popped in once.

Hyatt is also great, as it has its own coral reef, so you don't have to go off on a boat trip, it's right there! The fish are AMAZING!!! (we went to Dubai last half term and really missed the Sharm fish!)

We played tennis each evening before dinner.

There are several pools to choose from, and the Hyatt is great as it has a slide which the kids live on, and a lazy river pool with waterfalls and cavey bits, which provides endless hours of fun.

There is an office on site, that does excursions ie the 4x4s into the desert etc, and even a 24 hour trip to Cairo!

Lots of food to choose from, the best breakfasts we have ever had at a hotel. And wonderful staff.

I don't drink, so we barely had any extras. If you like a drink take some duty free with you as it is expensive.

Friends of ours have stayed at the Hilton and enjoyed it and went back again.

We always felt very safe. And weren't poorly!

My friend just came back from a fortnight in November here - she wanted pretty much what you just described from a holiday - relaxation, winter sun, beach, sea etc. She said it did feel a bit weird to be going to Egypt and not see the sights - but really they thought their children (younger than yours) would find all the sight-seeing a bit much. They thoroughly enjoyed the holiday - just a beach holiday really, but with pretty much guaranteed good weather. There was a day trip you could go on while they were there - but it was a very early start (about 5am I think) so they didn't bother.

The only negative she mentioned was that a lot of the resort workers are away from home - they go to the resorts to work but leave their children at home with their families - and thus tended to make a lot of fuss of the tourist children - particularly with her little girl who is 5. She said she found it a but much at times but was too polite to say "would you mind leaving us alone now, please!" I don't imagine that would be so much of an issue with older boys.

excellent for snorkelling you can see loads of fish straight off the beach

and diving

i went in september and had a great time...

i also trekked up mt sinai but that is overnight so u mite find it a bit toom much lol but it was great experience

there is however a star gazing trip which i didnt do but know some people did and found it brill...you go into the desert and have food with the menopasual name escapes me people and look through telescopes and can ride camels and the stars from the desert are wonderful even without telescopes as there is no light pollution

I took DD 13 to Sharm last year for two weeks. Stayed all inclusive at a hotel called St Georges Three Corners. It was reasonably priced. Very relaxing and we could use two beaches, one coral and one sand. The highlight for us was a trip to Cairo overnight, which is much cheaper if you book outside than with the reps. I would reccommend it. Really enjoyed the holiday overall and found plenty to do.

The only downside was that I worried a bit before going as tourists have been targeted in the past. But anything can happen anywhere and security is tight.

oh yes dont take photos at the military checkpoints as they really really dont like it

Thanks for all this. Just what I wanted.

A few questions: the inclusive hotel packages I am looking at state that alcohol (local beer and wine anyway) are included in the price. According to Thomas Cook customer services, hotel bars are usually open around 12 hours a day and drinks are free (and not just at mealtimes). I have also heard that outside the hotels, drinks are very expensive. Is this right? It not that dh and I intend to get blootered every day, but I want to avoid surprise costs.

As dh used to go diving for a living and was a qualified instructor, it's good to know he will have plenty to see

But how much does it cost to hire the diving gear? And what about kid's sailing courses, boat trips etc - how much do they cost approx?

I read somewhere that the water might be a bit chilly in Feburary. I'm used to swimming in cool sea water in Devon in the summer, but would it be a good idea to bring our wetsuits?

The trips sound good - I like the idea of all of them. How do I book independently for a Cairo trip?

Someone else told me to book a hotel near to Sharm itself (I gather all the hotels are located along one main road next to the sea)as getting taxis into Sharm can be expensive. I am not sure that we'd want to be visiting Sharm much anyway, but is it very important to check hotel location?

I gather the beaches (apart from the coral beaches) are man made - being near a sandy beach would be nice as ds2 likes to build sandcastles.

And lastly, shopping. Someone told me you can buy many brands of clothing at wholesale prices in Egypt. Is there anything like this near Sharm?

Sorry for all the questions!

Will definitely not be taking photos of military check points, or anything military at all

Drinks are VERY expensive. We didn't do an all inclusive so can't help there.

Not sure about diving gear cost. I would take wet suits for all though.

Didn't see any sailing; not alot of watersports where we were because of all the coral.

Taxis are not expensive, and you agree your price before you set off, or they will charge you a big price! Thats why the hotel shuttle buses are so good.

The beaches aren't thick with wonderful sand, more dust as opposed to sand, but we made castles quite close to the waters edge OK.

local beer is nice and cheap

drinks arent that exopensive i dont think tho a lot more than local beer if you drink spirits like jack daniels and stuff..they arent more than you payn in the uk

taxis are cheap yes agree a price if its too much take another one they compete

watch put for weight limiys cos yhey make money at the airport charging everyone who exceeds the weights..it causes big rows..especially amiongst divers who are supposed to have an extra allowance

a bottle of wine in a hotel is very expensive

ah well i didnt go in any fancy hotels lol

your best bet for drinks is local beer which i cant remember the name of

its not the best place for wine drinking buffs

All inclusive will provide the local beer, spirits and wine free until midnight. Only bought a couple of drinks out of the complex on the waterfront at Naama bay and yes, very expensive. We werent on the waterfront so took a shuttle bus, or taxis (blue and white) half price of 'limos' to the beach.

You can do most watersports, very reasonable compared to elsewhere I've been, and its cheap to dive, met lots of people doing a course.

I booked the Cairo trip at a booth just up the road from our hotel, half the cost than off the rep, for the overnight coach. You can fly also which takes less time. If you are only staying a week it might cut into your time but its well worth it. They take you to the museaum, see tutankaman treasures, a trip on the nile etc, but depends how active you like to be. Also you would have to pay for a visa at Sharm Airport to get you out of The Sinai approx £10 each.

The old market sells branded clothing as do shops. I found the gold and silver too tempting and our hotel shops were as good on price and quality as anywhere else.

Hope this answers most of your questions. Have a lovely holiday.

Thanks magdeltwinkle - you've answered a lot of my questions as have bluesky and santa.

I am glad the diving and watersports costs are not too expensive and I feel I now have the lowdown on the drink situation . I think we will buy some duty free stuff to take with us if possible, just as a precaution you understand.

So, none of you seem to think that the hotel location is important - I guess if the taxis are not expensive and the beach is so near that it doesn't matter whereabouts you are?

Is the sand on the beaches really dusty? just re read all the messages and spotted this.

It would be nice to be right by the beach. Because I was there 2 weeks it was like an afternoon out of complex being slightly inland, so all good. We just happened to be able to use our beach, which was sandy, but not deep sand iyswim, and the sister hotel which had a floating jetty over the coral. Beautiful snorkelling.

ditto magdelanian, it is lovely to see the sea, otherwise there isn't alot to see around Sharm, just stark desert really.

Sand is not mega dusty, you weren't covered in grey dusty muck. It was just a fine consistency.

The best thing in Sharm is the snorkelling and that is free!

I havn't been to Sharm but I went to the Southern Red Sea Resort of Marsa Alam in February 2 years ago. The weather was fabulous a lovely change from the -centigrade we left Britian in.
You will probably need wetsuits, I didn't use mine much as I am built like a whale with at least 3 inches if insulating blubber, but the skinney's in the family needed theres. I must admit I was snorkling so much I end up with a sore mouth about 54 hours a day.

re hotel location - the road out of Sharm runs parallel to the beach so hotels are either beachside or 'desert' side - beachside is more expensive but much nicer as it'll have direct access to its own strip of beach (with snorkelable coral) rather than having to pack bags, cross the road etc and join the crowds on the 'public' beach.

You can also walk along the corniche (footpath along beach behind hotels) into town for dinner etc - much nicer than walking along the road.

We didn't dive but it was pretty cheap to charter a boat for a snorkelling trip further afield.

I knew there was something about the road and the beach so thanks for explaining it, MrsBadger. TBH I would be delighted with a hotel anywhere, but if we can make a choice, I will know what side to pick.

Glad to hear the snorkelling is so good and so free and will definitely try to pack wetsuits. And also that the sand is fine rather than dust.

Thanks again!

Oops 4 hours a day snorkling.

~The beach at Sharm is gorgeous and the red sea will be very warm even in Feb!

You can see huge and amazing fish just by paddling...and ibis stroll along the beach too.

Sharm is v wierd because it is a western resort in a muslim country. You won't feel as if you have been to Egypt at all and are unlikely to see ANY egyptian women at all. The food isn't much cop and taking taxis is a PITA. It's a cheap place to buy gold jewellery. The egyptians adore kids and are lovely to them - a refreshing change from the UK. You can expect that at least one of you will get a mild stomach bug for a day or two. The place is very international in its clientele - lots of Russians in particular. Lots of the hotel pools are unheated and therefore freezing and unusable in the winter (even if it is 30 degrees air temp), so if you want to use a pool check that the hotel you are booking has a heated one. It can be quite windy at this time of year too.

Take the kids in the glass bottom boat and there is also a water park there now themed on ancient egypt which is quite fun.

Consider Luxor as an alternative - it is considerably cheaper than Sharm and is very exciting for kids the age yours are at. They will get to drive motor boats themselves, drive horse and carriages at fast speeds through the town (taking the reins themselves), take the helm of a felucca, go in a hot air balloon, speak arabic, go to the mummification museum and much much more. Luxor is much more the real egypt, also better food and unlikely to result in tummy aches.

I was there in Feb a few (quite a few!!) years ago. We snorkelled without a wetsuit and found it was fine for short periods. I've known the med be colder in mid summer - but certainly wouldn't run to say 'warm'. Unheated pools were quite 'refreshing' though bearable. Heated pools - lovely!

The Red Sea is amazing - like dipping your head into an aquarium.

Okay just contradicted DV on sea temperature. I am a bit of a wuss on these matters.

My view is Red sea in Feb = warm bath
Unheated pool = ice flow