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City in Egypt
Photo: Sarbast.T.Hameed, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Sharm el-Sheikh (Arabic شرم الشيخ) is a large resort at the south tip of the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt. The main reasons to visit are for scuba-diving and other water and beach activities, and to explore the Sinai desert. Often abbreviated to "Sharm", in Arabic it's pronounced Sharm i-Shaykh: the "Sha" is a sun-letter that absorbs the preceding "el-". It's the most developed and most cosmopolitan of the Sinai resorts.
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The largest mosque in Sharm el-Sheikh. Has a small shop with Islamic books, tours are offered from time to time.
After years of construction, this large mosque in old market has been completed. Built in an Ottoman architectural style, it could easily be mistaken for having been there for hundreds of years.
A Coptic church beautifully decorated with frescoes depicting bible verses. Most often, there will be a guide that can offer a tour.
A small, friendly dive centre at the quieter end of Na'ama Bay offering daily diving and all PADI courses - discounts for internet bookings.
PADI five star diving centres offering daily diving trips, PADI courses, and liveaboard safaris.
Helpful personnel. Require helmets (provided); several pairs of riding boots available. After the ride, offer you to give showers to your horse. Bambi and Kelly are declared as the fastest horses. Too far from the desert: in a 2-hour route, only 40 minutes is actual ride in desert, the remaining time is spent to get there and to return back. For 2 hours, it is better to choose stables at the edge of desert.
Sold by many agencies. Groups are 10-15 bikes; two persons per bike is allowed (although bikes were designed for a single person). Tasting Berber tea is very risky for your stomach--proven several times. Group is accompanied by a car with camcorder--video is not worth buying, and the car generates much extra dust (you can't do much about it unless your whole group ask in advance to not make video at all).
Offering Egyptian barbeque cuisine including Kabab, Kofta, Reyash, Nefa, Tarab & liver, all types of oriental dishes including veal shank, stuffed pigeon & stuffed duck, all types of pasta & rice & different types of stuffed vegetables. Alcohol free. Enjoy all types of grills. Also worth is GAD a few more doors down, look for the big red sign. Both are full of locals.
All kinds of seafood fresh from the Red Sea.
Lebanese cuisine. Good place for waterpipes; order a smaller one (Fawanes); apple one is ideal.
Fusion food, good services and reasonable prices.
Probably one of the best fish cafes in the town. A rare place where grilled calmaras are really good. However, the lobster included in the mixed seafood plate is dry.
Features some percentage of locals. Waiters are uniformed in distinctive orange-and-green. Waterpipe is good, but when served for several people (with many hoses), the menu price may be multiplied by number of people--ask in advance; maybe it's just a scam.
There are 3 Indian restaurants in Sharm. One is Maharaja, on the beach pathway. Other two are India House Restaurants, of Thai Chain hotels. One is the old market and another one, opposite little Buddha, on the road near the taxi stand. Can get Indian menus.
Second famous venue after Pacha club. Presumably owned by Russians and avoided by everyone.
Good music and cocktails. Not the cheapest place in town.
One of the most famous dancing clubs.
An affiliate of the Ibiza nightclub with the same name.
A government-run youth hostel. Very friendly English-speaking staff. Good location. It could use some remodeling.
The hotel has the only 18-hole PGA international championship golf course in the area (winner of the Platinum MENA Travel Award for Best Golf Club in the Middle East & Africa in 2006).
Small, independent hotel on the beach at the quieter end of Na'ama Bay. With integrated restaurant and bar facilities, roof bar and on-site Dive Centre. Friendly staff and personal service.
Extremely spacious and modern rooms.
Very small territory for its number of visitors. Airport is very close, and planes fly over the hotel's territory.
Large territory is isolated and private, but still within walking distance from Naama Bay--allowing pleasant promenades through a flower alley for a dinner in Naama. Moroccan-style interior and territory decoration; territory smothered in flowers. Very courteous staff--compared to many other resorts of this grade in Sharm. Built around late 1980s-early 1990s, as bathrooms equipment suggests; plastic chairs on most private terraces. Large swimming pool, tennis court (pay for electric light only?), gym, horse stables available. 3 private beaches, each with a private piece of a coral reef right near the beach. Breakfast is from 06:30-10:30; buffet is not refilled after 10:00. Good choice of traditional breakfast meals; custom-made omlettes and fried eggs; coffee is American only; cocoa is made of instant. Whole fruits are not served, but all components for fruit salad are. The Horizon Bar overlooks the sea; terraces next to the pool both serve dishes from the main restaurant where the breakfast is served. Caesar salad is fine; lentil soup is not spicy and pretty good (if you like lentil soup). Pizzas are quite rubbery. Cucumber soup cold and strange. There's also an Indian restaurant.
About ten minutes from the airport.
Guestrooms have balconies, air conditioning, and sofa beds. Rooms also include minibars and handheld showers.
5-star resort-style hotel with 439 rooms and suites, a watersports centre and a spa.
It has been built in traditional Roman style. It is not on the beach but has a free shuttle bus. They charge €3 per hour for wifi.
Spa, diving and snorkelling from the hotel.
Spa, diving and snorkelling from the hotel.
Sharm El Sheikh Hotel
Jaz Mirabel Beach offers stunning views of the Red Sea in a luxurious but relaxed family-friendly setting for the perfect Egypt holidays package. Jaz Mirabel Beach lies on the shores of a lagoon in Nabq Bay, a ten-minute drive from Sharm El-Sheikh International Airport.
One of the classic European shops with price tags, option to pay with credit card without disadvantages, exchange machine and ATM inside. They do have a lot of local spices and even some souvenir items, like small papyrus just for LE2.
By plane
If you are from the EU or the USA, you will need a visa only if you plan to go out of the Sharm area (such as Ras Mohammed bus or boat, Cairo, St Catherine's).
By boat
Ferry services between Hurghada on the mainland Red Sea Coast and Sharm were suspended in 2018. The high-speed catamarans used to be run by La Pespes .
By car or bus
Sharm el-Sheikh can be reached by driving down the eastern coast from Eilat (Israel) via Nuweiba and Dahab, or via the western coast from Cairo. There are daily buses for both routes.
By bus
There are also a fleet of blue and white tuk-tuks, which are basically small buses, of varying roadworthiness, which are used to ferry the locals around the resort of Sharm el Sheikh.
Choose an airport to see hotels, stations, taxi ranks and car rental desks around it.
Sharm El Sheikh · International · SSH
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