Sharm-el-Sheikh Advice
Author
Discussion

Steve-o

Original Poster:

298 posts

295 months

Thursday 3rd November 2005
quotequote all
Af'noon all,

I'm being taken off to Sharm-el-Sheikh next week for my 30th birthday present.
Can anyone give me any advice on what to do/what not to do, where to go/see and what weather I am likely to expect this time of year? Any other useful stuff would be appreciated too.

TIA.

diddyman

3,646 posts

271 months

Thursday 3rd November 2005
quotequote all
1. Go diving
2. Go to St Catherine's Monastery
3. Errr, that's it

puggit

49,818 posts

278 months

Thursday 3rd November 2005
quotequote all
Keep a look out for dodgey arabs

diddyman

3,646 posts

271 months

Thursday 3rd November 2005
quotequote all
puggit said:
Keep a look out for dodgey arabs

Are there any other kind?

cotty

42,248 posts

314 months

Thursday 3rd November 2005
quotequote all
diddyman said:
1. Go diving
2. Go to St Catherine's Monastery
3. Errr, that's it


Is that the one next to the big mountain. If so I climbed that with some freinds in the dark to watch the sun rise. I say climbed there are steps all the way to the top

ZR1cliff

17,999 posts

279 months

Thursday 3rd November 2005
quotequote all
Went there a few years back and really enjoyed it,some advice is take some canvas rock shoes with you as the water was very shallow where i was and i had to walk out quite a way on a jagged surface,some underwater disposable cameras are a must aswell as when you get to the reefs edge there is a sheer drop,i dived in and went down the face and got some fantastic photos of marine life.

I got chatting to the guys who worked in the hotel area and found them to be lovely people and very helpful,they had nearly all done law degrees?,contrary to what we are fed the Arab people i found were great.

We also went riding on these 4 wheel bikes through the desert and watched the sun come up plus on another day went to one of the native camps camel riding(kills your knackers) had the local tea and smoked the hubbaBubbly then watched the sun go down.

Egyptian Red wine is a must although too much will put you on the big white phone too God,i found the airport stuff a saga and get used to chaps with rather big guns.

wolves_wanderer

12,956 posts

267 months

Thursday 3rd November 2005
quotequote all
Tell me what it was like because I'm going on the 28th

ZR1cliff

17,999 posts

279 months

Thursday 3rd November 2005
quotequote all
wolves_wanderer said:
Tell me what it was like because I'm going on the 28th


Very Very hot!....almost forgot my favourite game was playing 'spot the cloud'...you just dont see one *..it was mainly in the 40 degrees but a couple of days it got to 50 degrees,ive only ever been somewhere warmer and that was Cooberpeddy(sp) an opal mining town in Australia where its so hat they used to build houses halfway under ground IIRC,

Beware though in Sharmel it doesnt seem that hot,we were careful we used to lay under large umbrellas but some people stayed out in the sun tooooooo long on the first day

diddyman

3,646 posts

271 months

Thursday 3rd November 2005
quotequote all
cotty said:
diddyman said:
1. Go diving
2. Go to St Catherine's Monastery
3. Errr, that's it


Is that the one next to the big mountain. If so I climbed that with some freinds in the dark to watch the sun rise. I say climbed there are steps all the way to the top

On top of the big mountain!

apache

39,731 posts

314 months

Thursday 3rd November 2005
quotequote all
take yer own snorkel and fins, it's cheaper and better than using something someone else has gobbed in. Don't stand on the sea urchins, it'll really spoil your day

allnighter

6,663 posts

252 months

Thursday 3rd November 2005
quotequote all
puggit said:
Keep a look out for dodgey arabs

Yeah the trouble with being in some "foreign" country it's full of dodgy "foreigners"

cotty

42,248 posts

314 months

Thursday 3rd November 2005
quotequote all
diddyman said:
cotty said:
diddyman said:
1. Go diving
2. Go to St Catherine's Monastery
3. Errr, that's it


Is that the one next to the big mountain. If so I climbed that with some freinds in the dark to watch the sun rise. I say climbed there are steps all the way to the top

On top of the big mountain!

Yep apparently some monk built the steps as a pennance some more details
www.geographia.com/egypt/sinai/mtsinai.htm

spandexx

944 posts

306 months

Thursday 3rd November 2005
quotequote all
Dont bother with a trip to Cairo, the museum is a mess, the city is a rubbish dump and the Piramids are surrounded by what seems like all the scum of Egypt trying to sell you tat, or simply rob you. Oh and you can throw a rock from KFC and Pizza hut and hit the Sphynx it is that close.
Heed all the normal warnings about drinking the waterm also avoid salads and drinks with ice in it. Most of the people i spoke with had the runs at some point during their time in Sharm.
Where are you going to stay?

Mastiff

2,515 posts

271 months

Thursday 3rd November 2005
quotequote all
Go diving/snorkling, it is still one of the best places in the world. Look out for a dive tour to the "Blue Hole", absolutely breathaking.

"Old Town" fish restaurants. Buy beer/wine/spirits in the local supermarket type places first, as the do not object to serving you your own alcohol.

High factor sunscreen. Very important there.

Should you decide to do the day in Cairo to see Pyramids/Sphinx etc then be prepared for a) a very long day and b) the terror that is an internal Egyptian flight!

Have fun, it's a great place.

M.

diddyman

3,646 posts

271 months

Thursday 3rd November 2005
quotequote all
cotty said:
diddyman said:
cotty said:
diddyman said:
1. Go diving
2. Go to St Catherine's Monastery
3. Errr, that's it


Is that the one next to the big mountain. If so I climbed that with some freinds in the dark to watch the sun rise. I say climbed there are steps all the way to the top

On top of the big mountain!

Yep apparently some monk built the steps as a pennance some more details
www.geographia.com/egypt/sinai/mtsinai.htm

See, those were the days. You do something naughty and they make you build a 4000 step stairway up a mountain. Nowadays you do something naughty and they either let you off or send you on holiday.

cotty

42,248 posts

314 months

Thursday 3rd November 2005
quotequote all
ZR1cliff said:
Went there a few years back and really enjoyed it,some advice is take some canvas rock shoes with you as the water was very shallow where i was and i had to walk out quite a way on a jagged surface,some underwater disposable cameras are a must aswell as when you get to the reefs edge there is a sheer drop,i dived in and went down the face and got some fantastic photos of marine life.


If this takes your fancy then a visit to the Blue Whole in Dahab should be on the cards.
www.geographia.com/egypt/sinai/bluehole.htm

I backpacked around Egypt about 14 years ago. Dahab was pretty much a shanty town but I believe that has all changed now

allnighter

6,663 posts

252 months

Thursday 3rd November 2005
quotequote all
spandexx said:
Dont bother with a trip to Cairo, the museum is a mess, the city is a rubbish dump and the Piramids are surrounded by what seems like all the scum of Egypt trying to sell you tat, or simply rob you. Oh and you can throw a rock from KFC and Pizza hut and hit the Sphynx it is that close.
Heed all the normal warnings about drinking the waterm also avoid salads and drinks with ice in it. Most of the people i spoke with had the runs at some point during their time in Sharm.
Where are you going to stay?

And what is the point of visiting another place/culture if you don't actually experience their lives and see the good and the bad , or would you rather be in Costa del crime surrounded by your compatriots ,eating fish&chips ,who are only waiting for you to blink before they do a runner with your G/F's handbag?

cotty

42,248 posts

314 months

Thursday 3rd November 2005
quotequote all
diddyman said:
See, those were the days. You do something naughty and they make you build a 4000 step stairway up a mountain. Nowadays you do something naughty and they either let you off or send you on holiday.


When I was traveling you could stay in St Catherines but we got there to late to get in on the last bus. We were woken up by the army as we were sleaping rough and the option was get locked up for the night or climb the mountain. I wanted to get locked up.

So we did something wrong we got to climb 4000 steps

ZR1cliff

17,999 posts

279 months

Thursday 3rd November 2005
quotequote all
cotty said:
ZR1cliff said:
Went there a few years back and really enjoyed it,some advice is take some canvas rock shoes with you as the water was very shallow where i was and i had to walk out quite a way on a jagged surface,some underwater disposable cameras are a must aswell as when you get to the reefs edge there is a sheer drop,i dived in and went down the face and got some fantastic photos of marine life.


If this takes your fancy then a visit to the Blue Whole in Dahab should be on the cards.
www.geographia.com/egypt/sinai/bluehole.htm

I backpacked around Egypt about 14 years ago. Dahab was pretty much a shanty town but I believe that has all changed now


Nice one,ive got a mate that goes diving in Egypt on a regular bassis ile find out more from him,i need to get away soon maybe a trip back to Egypt would be ideal.

cotty

42,248 posts

314 months

Thursday 3rd November 2005
quotequote all
Mastiff said:
Should you decide to do the day in Cairo to see Pyramids/Sphinx etc then be prepared for a) a very long day and b) the terror that is an internal Egyptian flight!


Probably a better option than taking the all day train from Luxor to Cairo