Sharm el Sheikh
 

Can anyone tell me about it? We're interested in diving/snorkeling in the Red Sea and exploring the area. What's it like? Is it cheap/expensive? Is it really touristy? Is it a nice place to spend a week? We'd prefer to spend less than $100 per night on a double. Thanks!

Paige good morning: Sharm el Sheikh is a very popular place to go from Europe (you live in Munich, right?). <BR>I have quite some friends who went there, especially in the winter months, also just for a week. Very popular are the two Mövenpick resorts and the Sofitel hotel. From what I heard, it is rather expensive and touristy, too. A friend told me, that sun protection products (she did not take enough with her) were about three-times what they are here (Switzerland). <BR>Overall, it seems a nice place to get some sun and have fun. I do consider it myself. We'll see.Sorry, cannot tell you about diving. <BR>Have a good time, if you go! <BR> <BR>PS, here are the websites for the Mövenpick places: <BR>www.movenpick-sharmresort.com and <BR>www.movenpick-sharmgolf.com <BR> <BR>Prices however are more than $ 100.-/double. Maybe you ask for special package price. You can also find packages with the flight.

Paige, <BR>We're considering a holiday in Sharm as well for this October. I know from friends that diving there is amazing. Especially Ras Mohammed and the Straits of Tiran are known as "the fishsoup of the Red Sea". We have been snorkeling/diving in El Gounga (near Hurghada, Red Sea) and this was great already, Sharm must be 100x better. Take a look at the website of Sinai Divers: http://www.sinaidivers.com <BR>Another pro is that there are other things to do overthere (e.g. driving in the Red Canyon, a visit of St. Catherine Monastery, etc.) <BR> <BR>I know that the Movenpick Jolie Ville Resort in Naama Bay has a special package for divers which includes airport transportation, 7 nights hotel with 2 daily meals (=breakfast+diner), boat transfers and 6 dives. You can find this package on their website (http://www.movenpick-sharmresort.com). There is a possibility of 1 diver + 1 non-diver (like us) sharing a double in which case the diver is paying the price "single", the non-diver pays 40$ per night full half board. <BR> <BR>Regarding prices in this region, it must be the same than in El Gouna which was not cheap at all.

Thanks, Ursula! I've just started thinking about it. All I know so far is that we can take a Condor charter flight for under 800dm each. I'd really like to dive in the Red Sea! I'll let you know if we go. Later!

Thanks, Myriam! Maybe we'll be there at the same time!

Paige,

We are going to Sharm for our honeymoon in 2 weeks, for the two us we paid 1500 British pounds for 14 nights - this includes airfare from London, hotel, and all meals and drinks - which I thought was a great rate. Also, we do not live in London, we live in the US, we got a good rate from the US to London on Virgin Atlantic then we are flying from there. We used a British travel agent called Lunn Poly, we were visitng London a year ago and happened to wander into their shop, and notice they had cheap deal to everywhere in the world so we kept their info for future reference. I am sure they have a website and you can contact them though it.

If you are interested at all in diving or snorkelling, you must go to Sharm! I went there in a year ago and the diving in the Tiran straits was out of this world! There's a new Sheraton there - brand new gorgeous resort! In November it was $70/night. There's a fantastic reef right off the beach of the hotel.
You will not see much in the way of local life or culture. you go there for the diving and relaxing.

You will probably be able to find a vacation package (fly &amp; hotel) with a price that will knock your socks off.

A caution -- I was there in mid-February and it wasn't that warm some days. People were wearing light weight sweaters. And the tanning was over by 3:00. It took me a couple days to figure that out. I had expected a full afternoon of tanning sun so didn't go out until 1:30.

But I had booked 4 days and extended my stay another 3 or 4 days, so it didn't bother me to much. Great fun even if you don't do water sports.

When going to Sharm to dive, you simply must dive the WWII wreck of the Thistlegorm. It is a British munitions ship that sunk about 4-5 hour boat ride from Sharm. Most dive companies do this trip. It is well worth it becasue the fish life and visibility are amazing. The boat lies in 60-90 feet of water and you can explore the entire thing going inside each room that are mostly still intact. Check it out!

Another vote for the Thistlegorm. It's an unmissable experience. If you don't do it, you will regret it.
Sharm is not horribly expensive, but most of the hotels there are 4 or 5 star resorts and there are only a few cheapy hotels. Even those are pretty darn nice though.
It's not terribly touristy either. During the day, when you're not diving, the town is actually quite pleasant cos it's not all that full.
I stayed in a place that was relatively inexpensive, I think it was less than $100 a night; I'll try to find out where it was and if it's still around...

Quicker than I thought!
Found a website called www.hotelopia.co.uk that has a selection of hotels in Sharm. The place I stayed was the Hotel Tropicana Rosetta and it's shown as being &pound;40 per room (double) per night, so that's about $70-75, I think.
It's a decent enough hotel, a bit outside the town (about a ten minute walk, but them so are most of the very upmarket places too).
But there are others on that website...

my wife and i always dives in egypt ( Sharm)
you can get room for 14-25 USD facing the see easily withut meals and for extra $5 you can get a two meal there..
that is to get you an idea for what they charge me..and it is very low price from the first time we went there...

SHARM EL SHEIKH

Daily activities
1 day diver ( 2 dives ) Euro 40
1 day non diver Euro 22


- rate includes: transfer from / to hotels Sharm el Sheikh, boat sit, tanks, weights and belt, dive guide assistance.
Departure 09.00 a.m., return 16.00 p.m.. Lunch on board is organized by boat crew and costs 5 Euro.


Equipment Rental
B.C.D. Jacket Euro 9
Diving suite 5 mm. Euro 8
Regulator with octopus Euro 9
Fins Euro 3
Socks Euro 2
Mask Euro 2
Full equipment Euro 25
Snorkel Euro 1
Depth gauge Euro 3
1 tank refill Euro 6
weight belt Euro 2
Pressure gauge Euro 2
2° stage octopus Euro 5
U/W torch Euro 9


Extra activities
Night dive Euro 35
- Departure 1 hour before sunset, return three hours after sunset
Check dive Euro 40
- 1 dive from boat
Third dive Euro 15
extra package
- extra dive without dive guide during boat excursion
Excursion to Thistlegorm wreck- Sha'ab Ali Euro 80
extra package
- two daily dives from boat
Immersione a Ras Mohammed - Sinai Euro 5
extra package
- Mandatory marine park fee
Excursion to Dunraven wreck - Sha'ab Mahmoud Euro 35
extra package
- two daily dives from boat


P.A.D.I. 5 Stars Gold Palm Resort
P.A.D.I. Open Water Diver Euro 300
- 4 days course ( 2 days on boat)
P.A.D.I. Advanced O.W. Diver Euro 240
- 2 days course ( 1 day on boat)
P.A.D.I. Referral Euro 180
- 2 days course ( 4 dives on boat)
P.A.D.I. Experience Euro 200
- 2 days course ( 2 days on boat)


- Rate includes transfers from / to hotels Sharm. License fees Euro 25, Log Book Euro 6

I am considering going to Sharm just for snorkeling.
Am I going to be disappointed relative to Caribbean-St.John, Great Barrier Reef, Fiji,etc.
Should I add Elat and will it be different snorkeling?
Hotels of $150-$175 are fine if 4*+.

We were at the Four Seasons in Sharm for a week this past November. You will not be disappointed. There are lots &amp; lots &amp; lots of fish. Truly amazing. We have been snorkeling in Asia--Thailand, Malasia--for the past 10 years, and it's superalitive by comparison.

A word of caution. I found the water to cold to stay in for long. I was only able to stay in for an hour with a wet suit.

What are you looking for? Cheap or elegant? I stayed at an elegant&amp; quiet hotel the Ritz Carleton for a great rate last Feb. It was, $95 per night, Red Sea view. One day we were invaded by small English schoolchildren &amp; their parents. It was a lovely addition to the other guests.

I got the hotel through Emeco which is an Egyptian travel co. The staff told me that the Emeco rate was far cheaper than anything else I could get at the hotel. For US travelers, I think that they book exclusively through US travel agents. Emeco will pick you up at hotel, get your visa, etc.

The Ritz away from the center of town which is touristy, but you can go into town via Taxi. So I could retreat to my hotel or be part of the action when I wanted to.

We would spend up to $150USD/night for a large well appointed deluxe room with a view.We do not need a suite.
We were planning on going in Sept. when the temperature seems to be the most comfortable-not too hot or cold. Am I correct?
The cold water concerns us for we like to take a tour boat with 4-8 other snorkelers that takes you out for 3-4 hours to 2-3 good spots with 45 minutes in the water at each spot.
But the cold water..?
Any comparison to Elat or another spot in Isreal on the Red Sea together with Sharm to recommend. We would go to Sharm for 4 days, Isreal-Red Sea for 3, tour Isreal (3 cities) for 6-7, and I forgot Luxor and Cairo for 3-4 as well.I do not think I want to cruise the Nile, though.
In all a 12-15 full days plus 2 days travel.
Any thoughts based on expewriences in past 6-12 months? I realize Isreal is problematic but if not now, when?
Thanks.

You may want to rethink September. Temps will be 95 Sharm, 100 Luxor, 90 Cairo. Many, but not all hotels, have a jetty with platform for snorkeling. This can be fabulous or poor, depending on the location of the hotel. We used this at the 4 Seasons &amp; it was good, but did not compare with Tiran Island. I went out several times to different spots at Tiran Island for hourly trips using the dive people at the hotel. The cost was LE30 (about $6 dollars). I was the only person who signed up &amp; it was me &amp; the person from the dive shop using a rubber boat. The variety, size, &amp; number of fish was amazing. I was in the water each time for a full hour. Other hotels will have different arrangements.

There are all day snorkeling trips available in Nama Bay to Tiran &amp; Ras Mohamed. If you search the web, you will find them.

This week was part of a larger 35 day trip starting in Jordan-to Sharm- to Luxor- to Aswan- to Cairo.

Agree with twofortheroad re September. Still very hot! The last years we went in March and/or November. Perfect temps, also for diving. Husband dives in a 3mm shorty. Sometimes, however, there's a very cold wind but we've also had it in May. No problem when you're in the water, but chilly on the boat/beach.
We prefer to stay in the Ras Om El Sid area of Sharm because of the excellent possibility of shore dives. The Ritz Carlton http://www.ritzcarlton.com/resorts/sharm_el_sheikh/ or Iberotel Palace http://www.iberotel-eg.com/palace/ might fit your needs.
Check out the street map at http://www.goredsea.com/en_sharm-el-sheikh.aspx
We've been to Eilat too, but this is many years ago. Husband found the diving there less spectacular. Eilat itself is prettier and more upmarket than Sharm/Naama Bay though.

Thanks for temperature info. We like daytime highs in the 80's and nights in 60's. Would March of 2007 meet those temperature criteria for Sharm, Cairo and Luxor. I realize we cannot have consistent temperatures but as near those would be ideal.
HELP.

You can look weather forecasts (based on 6 yrs history) up in the travel planner on http://www.weatheronline.co.uk - click on Africa etc. etc. until Sharm El Sheikh, then click on 'climate', then on 'travel planner'
For Sharm:
Average day temps in March between 23-27C or 74-81F
Average night temps 15-18C or 59-64F
Luxor is warmer ; Cairo is cooler.