Sharm El Sheikh

Travelling to Sharm El Sheikh

We flew to Sharm El Sheikh on April 21st 2022 from Manchester Airport. At the time of the holiday there were a lot of issues with airports throughout the UK regarding not enough staff in security, baggage handling etc. There were often queue’s of up to 4 hours getting through security. Therefore we dropped our cases off the night before which was brilliant. Subsequently we then drove to the Airport Inn where we staying for the night. We arrived at the Airport several hours early where there was already long queue’s waiting to go through security. Fortunately the queue went down pretty a quick compared to what we had read and seen on the news. We had booked in to the Executive Lounge and I am glad we did as there were queues outside of every bar and restaurant. Also there was a slight flight delay of 45 minutes.

Consequently we arrived in Sharm El Sheikh slightly later than was expected but not too much. The private transfer we had booked to the hotel was waiting for us with a sign with our name on. The Journey from the airport was around 15-20 minutes away which cost £20 one way.

Accommodation

We stayed in the Coral Sea Holiday Resort which is a 4 star plus with Tui but Egypt’s official rating is 5 star. The holiday cost £680 for 13 nights booked through Tui just a couple of weeks before which was great value. Some friends booked for 7 nights as they only could take a week off work and paid £670.

The rooms are nicely furnished with a large double bed and an extra single bed. Unfortunately the bathroom has a shower but no bath. Subsequently the bathrooms could do with a bit of updating. Also some of the rooms are swim up rooms which would be nice but we felt that the cost was not worth it as it was another £350 per person.

There are several pools throughout the hotel grounds. One of which is a quite pool if you want to chill out. Close to the beach there are two pools where the daily entertainment and music is. We preferred these pools.

Food and Drink

During the day there is a waiter service American bar on the beach which serves what you would expect Burgers, Hotdogs, Nacho’s (Not American I know), Fries, Sandwiches etc. The food was of a really good standard and we liked the waiter service. Also you can eat at the buffet restaurant during the day which is open most of the time. On an eventing there are several Al a Carte restaurants, Indian, Asian, American/Mexican. The food in these restaurants were amazing. The food actually tastes of the food from the specific country and not Egyptian interpretation. Every member of staff at this hotel was brilliant and very attentive.

The only thing that let the hotel down was the standard of drinks. we not particular about branded drinks but we want cocktails to taste like cocktails and not alcohol with a sugary drink. The beach is lovely with lots of area’s to sit with a lovely beach bar too. There is a large water park across the road which is part of the hotel and free to go into. It is great for children and adults.

Entertainment

Each day there is a range of activities around the pool and on the beach which include aqua aerobics, darts, water polo to name a few. Regardless of not being good at any of them we decided to join in which was great fun.

On an evening there is live music in both the Terrace Bar and the Lobby Bar. The music varied from low key to quite upbeat which got people up dancing. Surprisingly the later the evening got the more people got up to dance lol.

It was brilliant when they had a foam party on the beach. There was great music and everyone.

Boat trip including snorkelling and scuba diving

Shortly after our arrival in Sharm we booked a boat trip with Falcon Travel which had been recommended to us by some other guests who had been to the hotel several times before. The cost of the boat trip for two of us including a scuba dive was £60. We were picked up from our hotel and taken to board the boat.

Surprisingly the boat was not like any other boats we had been on in Egypt as it was a lovely new Yacht. Straightaway we decided to go to the top deck where there were sun lounges. Unfortunately we were too late as they had al been taken. We were able to sit at the front of the boat on bean bags. We stopped at various destination where you were given the opportunity to snorkel and scuba dive. There was also an opportunity to get off the boat and go to a tiny little island in the middle of the sea.

Snorkelling

The coral reef and the colourful fish were beautiful to see. Once we were told we were stopping to snorkel we wore a life jacket which made it so much easier to just float with minimum effort whilst you are snorkelling. Unquestionably we could have spent so much longer just doing the snorkeling.

Scuba diving

Furthermore the scuba diving is also a short time therefore would have liked longer. We Scuba dived at Farsha Beach which has a great coral reef. As we do not have our PADI licence we were not able to go too deep. Basically it is an amazing experience and well worth the cost of the excursion. We will definitely do it again. May be the Great Barrier Reef at some point.

There was also an opportunity to get off the boat

Lunch on the Yacht

There was a buffet style lunch served mid day which was what you would expect on a boat trip chicken, fish, salad, bread, rice etc. Soft drinks were provided free through out the day. The boat has its own photographers (one for on the boat and one for under the water). We paid £40 for our photo’s which we were happy with. The file of the photo’s is down loaded to your phone. The boat trip was a full day and defiantly worth it even with paying for the photo’s.

Dune Buggies and Bedouin Meal

We also booked with Falcon Travel a desert ride in either dune buggies or Quad bikes cost £40 each. We chose the Dune Buggies. Because of the sand blowing in your face you had to wear a scarf around your head and face and sun glasses or goggles. If you dont have these they provide them at a cost.

When you are allocated your Buggy or Quad it takes some time in setting off as you all have to go in a line and follow the guide. It was hard sometimes to keep behind people that were driving a bit slower than what you are wanting to go. Overtaking people was not really permitted but we did it anyway lol.

After we had driven around for some time we stopped for a drink at a little purpose built Bedouin tent. We then had a camel ride which was offered to us by some children.

Some of the people then went back to the hotel but included in our excursion was more time on the buggies and entertainment. We got back on our Buggies and were taken to where the entertainment was.

Additional Ride

Our guide then offered to take us back out in to the desert and go fast on the Quad bikes. Debbie was on back of the guide and Mike was on his own. The desert obviously has no tracks or lights. The guide drove off fast on the quad with Debbie leaving Mike behind. Mike was stuck in darkness in the middle of the desert not knowing which way to go. Debbie and the guide finally turned round and found MIke. We were then driven back to the entertainment.

The entertainment venue was a large place with lots of seating area. It was very full not sure if this is usual or if it was because it was Eid. There was traditional dancers and a belly dancer. The belly dancer got Debbie up on the stage and the guide filmed it. There was a evening buffet at the venue chicken, salad and rice. Soft drinks were also provide (No alcohol served here). This was great fun to do and for what was included was good value.

Cairo

Due to the previous excursions and value for money we booked to go to Cairo with Falcon Travel at a cost of £175 each. Please click on the following link to view information Cairo

Journey Home

On our journey home we were taken to the airport. We were not allowed to go through check in and was told to stand or sit to one side of the airport. We were sat there for several hours before someone came to advise what was happening. There were some families with very small children and some elderly people to. There was nowhere to get a drink or something to eat where we were sat.

Eventually a Tui Rep came to the airport and advised that due to an issue with baggage handlers at Manchester airport the Pilot had run out of flying hours therefore we were being flown to Kos in Greece. It was very unfair on the Tui Rep as there were a lot of angry passengers. Eventually we asked politely why we just couldn’t stay in Sharm instead of going to Kos but he didn’t have the answer.

Stop over in Kos

At the time we were due to land in Manchester at midnight but landed in Kos at 4am. Eventually we were taken to an hotel until 7pm that evening. The hotel they took us to was the Kipriotis Village. The hotel rooms were very dated and extremely cold. We had dead insects in the bath. As it was early in the season for Kos the weather wasnt very warm. There was no heating in the room and no additional blankets. It was impossible to get any sleep. We had left all our toiletries in Sharm as we were supposed to be going straight home and there wasnt any in the room not even any shower gel.

We appreciate that things happen outside of Tui’s control but we believe this was a cost saving exercise as it was Eid and the hotels in Sharm had gone up dramatically. When we finally got home over 24 hours later than we should have done we were exhausted and in need of a shower.

Summary

Sharm El Sheikh is a great place to visit. It is great value for money and the people are lovely. Some people are a bit apprehensive due to the stories of upset stomach’s. We ate anything we wanted to and never got an upset stomach whilst we were there. Sharm is a great place for good standards at lower cost than a lot of other destinations. It is one of the cheapest places to go for winter sun. Should we want some winter sun on a budget then we would definitely go back to Sharm. We would also recommend this hotel especially for the food and service.

Images

Things to do

• Try scuba diving
• Snorkel around the Coral Reef’s
• Visit the old Market
• Visit Naama Bay, Sharks Bay and Soho Square on an evening for nightlife and good cocktails.
• Go to an aqua park
• Ride a camel
• Go for a ride in the desert on a quad or a dune buggy
• Visit to Cairo

Top Tips

• Check out reviews on hotels before booking as they vary so much.
• Take medication with you just in case of upset stomach (We never needed them)
• If you are wanting somewhere lively on an evening outside of hotel Naama Bay, Sharks Bay and Soho Square are all lively at night.
• If scuba diving ensure that travel insurance covers you for this.
• Ensure excursions are with a reputable company.
• If visiting Cairo check out our Tips and information in the following link. Cairo
• Snorkeling and scuba diving are a must in Sharm as the Coral Reef is one of the best in the world.
• If Snorkeling and not such a great swimmer ask for a life Jacket if on an excursion. It also makes it easier to float and get to see the spectacular Coral Reef and colorful fish.
• Check out Government information before travelling to Sharm https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/egypt/safety-and-security
• Check out other destinations we have visited in Africa Hurghada , Cairo , Tunisia, Morrocco
• Check out temperatures below for best time to visit Sharm as it can get extremely hot in the Summer months. Remember the temperatures below are averages therefore the temperature will get higher or lower on some days.

Weather

Temp – Celsius Rain – mm	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
High Temp	19	23	25	30	34	37	38	37	36	31	27	23
Low Temp	13	13	16	20	24	26	27	28	26	23	18	15
Rainfall	1	2	1	1	1	0	0	0	0	2	3	4
Number of days	1	1	1	1	1	0	0	0	0	1	1	1