Sharm El Sheikh - anyone been?
Discussion
sharpfocus said:
Personally, I'm not really a sea person, but even the snorkelling off Sharm was absolutely amazing and being able to take a day trip to Cairo was a great experience. Can't deny the negative points though.
Enjoy the Dominican Republic.
Hopefully El-Gouna will be better, hope so as i will be there with he ladyship in less than 2 weeks!
The_Burg said:
Hopefully El-Gouna will be better......
Went to the Movenpick resort there about 5 years ago. Serious development was just getting underway, but the little town was ok (even has a wee casino) and the marina area was nice as someone else said. The resort was billed as 5 star and has many facilities but gets 5/10 for room quality. There were several on-resort restaurants, of which we favoured one (French one from memory), but the marina had several decent eating places and we had no digestive disorders.HOWEVER: One night we went to a well-reputed beach restaurant for a really good fresh fish dinner. The missus kept saying she felt she was being nibbled by insects. These turned out to be sandflies, and the nibbles turned overnight into liquid filled yellowy coloured globules!!! A good doc in a local hospital dealt with the HUNDRED or so globules, but it severely traumatised the missus, who is never again going anywhere east of Vienna even if it has 10 stars!
So if you're going to dinner near any beach, swathe up like The Mummy!
Ps: The fish was exquisite.
Turbo5 said:
We are going back to Sharm for the 2nd time this year, next Sunday. We are staying at the same hotel
The Coral Sea holiday village which is great if you have children, didn't see any Russians just tattooed over weight Brits. I am looking forward to 2 weeks sun , it beats work.
This is where we are off to in a few weeks. Have only read good reviews and people who I know who have been there say its brilliant. Not planning on leaving the hotel (or the bar The Coral Sea holiday village which is great if you have children, didn't see any Russians just tattooed over weight Brits. I am looking forward to 2 weeks sun , it beats work.
)so I'm not too bothered what the rest of the resort is like. It's a relaxation holiday for us this year, not a sightseeing trip. We did Dubai and Abu Dhabi last year, taking in the Grand Prix while there and no matter how full of Russians Egypt has, it wont have more than Dubai....
AB said:
I'll also be keeping an eye out - I'm going on the 24th 
You'll always get differences of opinion when it comes to holidays. Whilst Trip Advisor is helpful it can also be confusing, as one mans meat is another mans poison etc. Best off to try it for yourself. I'm looking forward to our hols in a few weeks, we spent ages picking the Hotel and I'm sure it will be worth it. Guaranteed good weather too!
25 years ago when it was cool and not bombed out with hotels .
Now its just another "resort"
Hurgharda is nicer
http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=hurghada&hl=e...
Now its just another "resort"
Hurgharda is nicer
http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=hurghada&hl=e...
I went last November.
I stayed in a really cheap hotel and overall had a great week.
On the other hand, I went alone to learn to dive and spent nearly all my daylight hours doing that (Lovely people at the Red Sea College, other dive centres are available).
You do get hassled in the town, you just need to be firm, but not rude with them.
Taxi drivers vary from really nice, helpful people to thieving scum, so not unlike the UK.
I would go back to dive in an instant, it's great and if all you want to do is lie around the pool and fry then it seems ok for that too - Some of the more upmarket hotels look very luxurious, but I can't see any other reason to go there, unless you want a knock of fake watch (some very nice ones there
)
M.
I stayed in a really cheap hotel and overall had a great week.
On the other hand, I went alone to learn to dive and spent nearly all my daylight hours doing that (Lovely people at the Red Sea College, other dive centres are available).
You do get hassled in the town, you just need to be firm, but not rude with them.
Taxi drivers vary from really nice, helpful people to thieving scum, so not unlike the UK.
I would go back to dive in an instant, it's great and if all you want to do is lie around the pool and fry then it seems ok for that too - Some of the more upmarket hotels look very luxurious, but I can't see any other reason to go there, unless you want a knock of fake watch (some very nice ones there
)M.
Went a few years back. Wasn't for us despite being a pleasant holiday. I wrote a detailed post on my thoughts years back if you search PH, but to summarise:
Built in the middle of the desert with nothing to do outside of your resort (we went to Concorde El Salam in Sharks Bay)
Building going on everywhere. Building sites, derelict and in progress, litter the road in.
Fell ill while away because of food. I've never ever ever been ill abroad before or since...
Russians everywhere. Some hilarious to watch, others you want to stab.
Naama Bay full of McKenzie wearing louts, crap shops and Western eateries.
Saw 56c one day. Exposure to sun feels like instant sunburn.
Built in the middle of the desert with nothing to do outside of your resort (we went to Concorde El Salam in Sharks Bay)
Building going on everywhere. Building sites, derelict and in progress, litter the road in.
Fell ill while away because of food. I've never ever ever been ill abroad before or since...
Russians everywhere. Some hilarious to watch, others you want to stab.
Naama Bay full of McKenzie wearing louts, crap shops and Western eateries.
Saw 56c one day. Exposure to sun feels like instant sunburn.
when i read threads like this i am glad i am old . So many young people have nowhere to "discover"
Dahab years ago was a lot of people all living on the beach and smoking good hash. Very very little in the way of a shop etc .
It was the locals selling us fresh food everyday and a real sense of been somewhere special
Dahab years ago was a lot of people all living on the beach and smoking good hash. Very very little in the way of a shop etc .
It was the locals selling us fresh food everyday and a real sense of been somewhere special
The town itself is a s
thole, and you will get hassled to the point it's unpleasant.
We stayed in Le Meridien resort which is a 10 minute taxi ride from the town, making it inconvenient to leave, not that you'd want to after your first trip to the town centre. The resort itself was great, the staff friendly, the food good (if a bit too westernised), and the snokelling in the private beach was first class.
Book your airport transfers through your hotel or expect some haggling with aggressive taxi drivers to get to your destination (not to mention a high speed hair-raising journey along half-finished roads in total darkness).
One thing you must do is take a trip to Petra in Jordan. It's a bloody long day but completely worth your while.
Oh and we both got the sts for most of the week. Apparently it's inevitable.. We won't be going back.
thole, and you will get hassled to the point it's unpleasant.We stayed in Le Meridien resort which is a 10 minute taxi ride from the town, making it inconvenient to leave, not that you'd want to after your first trip to the town centre. The resort itself was great, the staff friendly, the food good (if a bit too westernised), and the snokelling in the private beach was first class.
Book your airport transfers through your hotel or expect some haggling with aggressive taxi drivers to get to your destination (not to mention a high speed hair-raising journey along half-finished roads in total darkness).
One thing you must do is take a trip to Petra in Jordan. It's a bloody long day but completely worth your while.
Oh and we both got the s
ts for most of the week. Apparently it's inevitable.. We won't be going back.Been to Sharm a few times.
first time about 15 years ago, Diving was great, sharm was basic, quiet, cheap and comfortable I loved it.
2nd time about 10 years ago, diving was worse still good but noticeably worse, Sharm was busier, louder, still cheap hotel was more comfortable and a lot bigger.
3rd time last year, Diving was pretty poor, hardly any fish about all dive sites packed. Sharm was heaving, loud, dirty (even for egypt) everything is stacked on top of each other place is a bit of a st hole.
Spent the first ten days of the holiday in Dahab, diving is quieter, much much more to see atmosphere is much more relaxed.
Enjoy the holiday but the diving is long since passed the best in the world in Sharm and its a hell of a shame.
first time about 15 years ago, Diving was great, sharm was basic, quiet, cheap and comfortable I loved it.
2nd time about 10 years ago, diving was worse still good but noticeably worse, Sharm was busier, louder, still cheap hotel was more comfortable and a lot bigger.
3rd time last year, Diving was pretty poor, hardly any fish about all dive sites packed. Sharm was heaving, loud, dirty (even for egypt) everything is stacked on top of each other place is a bit of a s
t hole. Spent the first ten days of the holiday in Dahab, diving is quieter, much much more to see atmosphere is much more relaxed.
Enjoy the holiday but the diving is long since passed the best in the world in Sharm and its a hell of a shame.
jgtv said:
Been to Sharm a few times.
first time about 15 years ago, Diving was great, sharm was basic, quiet, cheap and comfortable I loved it.
2nd time about 10 years ago, diving was worse still good but noticeably worse, Sharm was busier, louder, still cheap hotel was more comfortable and a lot bigger.
3rd time last year, Diving was pretty poor, hardly any fish about all dive sites packed. Sharm was heaving, loud, dirty (even for egypt) everything is stacked on top of each other place is a bit of a st hole.
Spent the first ten days of the holiday in Dahab, diving is quieter, much much more to see atmosphere is much more relaxed.
Enjoy the holiday but the diving is long since passed the best in the world in Sharm and its a hell of a shame.
Sharm is a place I never want to stay and the attitude of the people Im forced to fly with just seal that even more... loud obnoxious tourists (mainly British) that I can't stand... however I do fly there solely so I can go out to Dahab and stay here:first time about 15 years ago, Diving was great, sharm was basic, quiet, cheap and comfortable I loved it.
2nd time about 10 years ago, diving was worse still good but noticeably worse, Sharm was busier, louder, still cheap hotel was more comfortable and a lot bigger.
3rd time last year, Diving was pretty poor, hardly any fish about all dive sites packed. Sharm was heaving, loud, dirty (even for egypt) everything is stacked on top of each other place is a bit of a s
t hole. Spent the first ten days of the holiday in Dahab, diving is quieter, much much more to see atmosphere is much more relaxed.
Enjoy the holiday but the diving is long since passed the best in the world in Sharm and its a hell of a shame.
http://www.dahabparadise.com/
they actual know myself and the OH now that we have been there a few times...
Dive with these people:
http://poseidondivers.com/
love going back there several times a year.
Returned from El Gouna.
Very, very quiet. Very different to Sharm el ste. No hassle, local tuk-tuk service around the town for 5LE anywhere (50p).
Beach wasn't great but hotel pleasant. Not the cleanest ever but Ok and the staff were generally very good.
Recommended for a quiet break, don't expect much night life though.
Very, very quiet. Very different to Sharm el s
te. No hassle, local tuk-tuk service around the town for 5LE anywhere (50p).Beach wasn't great but hotel pleasant. Not the cleanest ever but Ok and the staff were generally very good.
Recommended for a quiet break, don't expect much night life though.
Gassing Station | Holidays & Travel | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff