Discover... the beacon travel guide
The Charm of Sharm!
By Julie Gundry, Bespoke Vacations
Sharm el-Sheikh is located in the Sinai Peninsula, on the coastal strip between the Red Sea and Mount Sinai in Egypt with Cairo around 310 miles away. Originally a little fishing village, Sharm el-Sheikh has developed into a well-equipped tourist resort which is still expanding. Sharm el-Sheikh consists of three main areas: the old town of Sharm el-Maya (Moya) and its bay; a number of other bays where most of the tourist facilities are located; and El Hadaba, where there are holiday villas, apartments, condominiums and a few hotels.
Perfect weather, world famous scuba-diving sites plus luxurious five-star hotels, shopping and entertainment make it one of the most important tourist resorts in the Red Sea. Sharm el-Sheikh not only attracts scuba-divers from all around the world but is popular with families, couples, and young partygoers. For an Autumn/early Winter break Sharm el-Sheikh is perfect, between November and March the daily temperature is still a warm average of 20̊C (68̊F), during April to October the area is hot and humid but is still bearable for holidaymakers.
Long stretches of natural sand and pebble beaches are surrounded by a dramatic landscape and the waters around Sharm are clear and calm for most of the year with coral reefs and marine life offering an amazing experience for divers. Other popular watersports include windsurfing, parasailing, boating and canoeing.
Sharm is very much a family-orientated resort, major hotels have swimming pools, themed parks, tennis courts, a multitude of sports facilities, health clubs, diving centres, entertainment programmes and kids clubs. Horse, camel riding and desert safaris are also popular choices for day trips.
For retail therapy head for Na’ama Bay where you can buy gold and silver jewellery, semi-precious stones, spices, glass perfume bottles, slippers, leather bags, Bedouin embroidery and Turkish Delights. Good buys include Egyptian cotton bed linen and beach towels, and for bargains head for the old market.
Na’ama Bay is also the centre of nightlife where you will find most of Sharm’s clubs, cafes and restaurants. Camel Bar is a popular hangout for divers; The Tavern, Pirate’s Bar; Little Buddha (the sister venue of the Buddha-bar Paris), and the MovenPick Beach are all popular with British tourists. Clubs such as The Bus Stop and the world-renowned Pacha throw parties almost every night of the year.
Prices for a two week, half term break for a family of four are in the region of £4,900 flying from a local airport and staying in a 4 star hotel, half board.
Bespoke Vacations:
Telephone: 07971 013008
email: bespokelifestyle@sky.com
www.bespokeslifestyle.org.uk
