Around and About
The Diar el Rabwa Resort is located in the
Sinai
Peninsula in Sharm El Sheikh.
The apartment is ideally placed to make everywhere cheaply accessible. There are several hire car companies in the area, but depending on destination visa restrictions apply. Most Egyptians speak English, Russian & Italian & are friendly & approachable
Sharm El Sheikh
Sharm El Sheikh is Located on the eastern side of the southern-most tip of the Sinai Peninsula and stretches far into Egypt’s Red Sea.
Nestled in between a picturesque and truly memorizing backdrop of red sandstone mountain ranges, and the glistening crystal clear waters of the Red Sea, Sharm El Sheikh really is an area of outstanding natural beauty .
Once an ancient fishing village, Sharm el Sheikh took off as a diving location in the early 1980's. Since then, the resort has grown rapidly and the resort now covers a long strip of the Egyptian coast covering over 30 miles.
Old Sharm with its old charm, similar to Naama bay but in an older and more authentic setting. You will find old Sharm is where the locals tend to go.
Haddaba is also another place to visit, adjacent to old Sharm. Haddaba is a residential town that has a very nice outside shopping mall with a few restaurants & bars.
There is also a few beaches here, Terrazina which is popular has a restaurant with shisas & drinks served all day.
You also have a lovely quiet beach called Al Fanar which is up on the cliff top, you can snorkel here too . Around 10 EGP by taxi.
At around 5 hours from the UK, Sharm is your best bet for a seaside holiday with levels of sunshine you would expect in the Caribbean , without taking nine hours in a plane.
Until the end of Oct, the average daily temperatures will stay in the high 80s and will still be in the 70s in November.
Naama Bay
The main tourist area of Sharm is Naama Bay, which is only a 2 minute taxi ride costing around 10 EGP ( £1 GBP)
Naama Bay is a mile strip of hotels, with a pedestrianized promenade running between the beach and the hotels.
most parts of it is lined with cafes, bars, restaurants and shops. The promenade is quite empty during most of the day, but pretty lively in the evenings.
During
dinner time the area is very busy indeed, with lots of touts trying their best to convince you to eat at their restaurant !!.
A great place to stop for a drink and do a spot of people watching.
Whether you enjoy scuba diving, windsurfing, waterskiing or just soaking up the rays of the brilliant sun that never seems to hide behind clouds, you'll find something of interest in Naama Bay. You will find many vendors selling trips and excursions here.
Egypt is Increasingly becoming more and more popular and known as a winter-sun beach holiday destination, thanks to its virtually guaranteed sun and dry atmosphere
Shark Bay
If you prefer a quieter and less commercial/ developed location, Six kilometers north of Naama Bay will bring you to Shark Bay, ideal for divers and diving students, or to just relax uninterrupted on the sand with a book ....nice!
A taxi to Shark Bay from the apartment will cost around
30 EGP (£3 GBP)
FOOD
There are 11 Egyptian pounds to our one (July 07), so you can get a meal for two for a tenner in the bustling Naama Bay. Imported alcohol is available but obviously more expensive than the local alcohol.
There are lots of different places to eat In Naama, Including: Thai, Chinese, Italian, Steak houses, fish restaurants, Lebanese and of course Egyptian.
Search some of the forums on our links page for recommendations and comments.
All tastes are catered for and most foods are available inc pasta, snacks, fish, chicken dishes, steaks, even pancakes!
If there is nothing that takes your fancy there, you can still have Pizza Hut (also offer delivery!), kfc and McDonalds!
SHOPPING
Souvenirs are Jewellery, spices, papyrus, perfumes, perfume bottles, Textiles, Bags, Leather goods, decorated glass, countless statues of Deities, oils, T-shirts, fake designer goods, ornaments (various styles, Egyptian mythology orientated)
The vendors can be a bit pushy, you must be prepared to haggle hard.
They have lots of ploys to entice you into their shop or to their stall, and do try everything to make sure you don't leave empty handed!!
Haggle hard and bargain for everything, even to the point of pretending to walk away.
Found a good article on shopping in Egypt and the art of haggling entitled:
Getting a Pharaoh price