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The southern coast of the Gulf of Aqaba, between Tiran Island and Ras Mohammed National Park, features some of the world’s most amazing underwater scenery. The crystal-clear waters and incredible variety of exotic fish darting in and out of the colourful coral reefs have made this a scuba-diving paradise. In a prime position on the coast, incorporating the two adjacent coves of Na'ama Bay and Sharm al-Maya, is the purpose-built resort of Sharm el-Sheikh; a tourism boom-town devoted to sun-and-sea holidays.
Since the downing of Metrojet Flight 9268 in late 2015, the legions of European holidaymakers who once flocked here on all-inclusive tour packages have dried up due to the lack of direct flights from Europe. For travellers looking to mix resort comfort with world-class diving this means there are some seriously good-value hotel and diving combo-package deals to be had.
That said, travellers should note that Sharm isn't everyone's cup of tea.(Cairo, Hurghada, Luxor) If it wasn't for the chain of jagged desert mountains that rim the western edge of town, visitors could easily forget they're in Egypt at all. The increasing sprawl of megahotels along the coastline here was relentless up until the recent tourism downturn and has led to pressing issues of sustainability and some serious environmental degradation. Many independent travellers prefer the low-key and more backpacker-friendly town of Dahab.
Although technically one destination, Sharm el-Sheikh comprises several different areas – and constant development means more are added each year. Sharm el-Sheikh is often referred to simply as Sharm: if you’re outside the resort that term refers to the whole resort, including Na’ama Bay, while once you’re within the resort itself, the name “Sharm” refers only to the downtown area of Sharm el-Maya, home to a market, port and marina.
Glitzy Na’ama Bay, 7km up the coast, is where the bulk of the best hotels, restaurants and nightlife venues are based.
Sharm el-Sheikh and Sharm el-Maya
A hunk of sterile buildings on a plateau commanding docks and other installations, SHARM EL-SHEIKH was developed by the Israelis after they captured the town in the 1967 war. Their main purpose was to thwart Egypt’s blockade of the Tiran Strait and to control overland communications between the Aqaba and Suez coasts. Tourism was an afterthought – though an important one, helping to finance the Israeli occupation and settlements, which Egypt inherited between 1979 and 1982.
Since then, Sharm’s infrastructure has expanded in fits and starts, without much enhancing its appeal. Despite some plush hotels it basically remains a dormitory town for workers servicing neighbouring Na’ama Bay – while the port area of Sharm el-Maya retains a local ambience reminiscent of Suez or Cairo which can come as a shock to tourists leaving their resorts for the first time. Whereas beachwear is de rigueur in Na’ama, tourists in Sharm el-Maya should dress modestly off the beach to avoid unwelcome attention.
The only foreigners here tend to be divers and a few backpackers who take advantage of its cheapish accommodation and commute into Na’ama Bay. Sharm has a beach, but its small bay doesn’t match Na’ama’s, although the Sharm el-Maya area does have some good restaurants and souvenir shops. The new Sharm el-Sheikh National Museum (due to open in 2013–14) will feature around seven thousand exhibits tracing the country’s history from pharaonic times to the present day.
Na’ama Bay
With its fine sandy beach and smart facilities, NA’AMA BAY has transformed itself so rapidly that even the residents have trouble keeping up. Now a glitzy, over-developed tourist centre with a vast array of fast-food joints, international restaurants, bars and clubs, it’s far from an authentic Egyptian experience, and the general feel of the place is much like any Mediterranean package resort. Nightlife and sunbathing are the main draws, though diving and snorkelling are popular too, with dive centres, hotels and malls being the only points of reference along the beachfront strip. The beach is divided into hotel-owned plots that are supposedly open to anyone providing they don’t use the parasols or chairs – though scruffier-looking types may be hassled and topless bathing is illegal. There are also two public beaches (£E10), though they are no more than narrow strips squeezed in beside the Novotel and the Hilton Fayrouz Resort beaches.
Climate
Sharm El-Sheikh has an arid climate, generally warm and dry, although summer months can be humid. The best times to go to Sharm el-Sheikh, for swimming and diving, are the month of April, and from mid-October to mid-November. The summer, from mid-May to September, is actually quite hot, and while the sea is pleasantly warm and you can enjoy long dives, it can be difficult to sunbathe and move outdoors during the day (especially in August and September). The water temperature is always warm, although cold snaps may affect the region occasionally each winter. In winter the stay can be enjoyable, and the temperature is often sufficient for sunbathing, however, the days are quite short.
Diverse marine life and hundreds of Red Sea coral reef sites make Sharm El Sheikh a magnet for divers and eco-tourists. The tourist economy of this Sinai Peninsula city has grown quite rapidly over the last few decades, resulting in an upcrop of first-class resorts and posh nightlife. The waters of Ras Mohamed National Park are abundant with schools of fish and, oddly, toilets – thanks to the bathroom fixtures being transported by a cargo ship that sank during a 1981 storm.
Tours from Sharm el Sheikh to Jerusalem
Tours from Sharm to Jerusalem generally start in the early hours of the morning, heading north through the Sinai to the Taba Border Crossing and into Israel. The total border taxes are approximately $45 and the border here is heavily used by tourists making the crossing procedure relatively quick and easy. Once in Israel, at the city of Eilat, you are a three to four hour drive from Jerusalem. Most tours, however, stop on the way to Jerusalem at the Dead Sea, the lowest point on Earth, where guests have the chance to float in the waters. Once in Jerusalem, most tours give a guided experience in the Old Cityfollowed by a visit to Bethlehem.
Direct Flights to Sharm:
EGYPT
From Alexandria, Cairo and Hurghada with Egyptair. www.egyptair.com
From Cairo with Nile Air. www.nileair.com
JORDAN
From Amman with Royal Jordanian. rj.com/en
From Amman with Jordan Aviation. www.jordanaviation.jo
LEBANON
From Beirut with Hahn Air. www.hahnair.com
THE NETHERLANDS
From Amsterdam with FTI Tour operator. Packages available. www.fti.de
SAUDI ARABIA
From Jeddah and Riyadh with Saudia. www.saudiairlines.com
From Jeddah with Flynas. www.flynas.com
Direct Flights to Cairo International Airport
| Airlines | Destinations |
| Air Arabia | Ras al Khaimah, Sharjah |
| Air Sinai | Tel Aviv–Ben Gurion |
| British Airways | London–Heathrow |
| EgyptAir |
Abha, Abidjan, Abu Dhabi, Abuja, Accra, Addis Ababa, Alexandria–Borg el Arab, Algiers, Amman–Queen Alia, Amsterdam, Asmara, Assiut, Aswan, Athens, Baghdad, Bahrain, Bangkok–Suvarnabhumi, Barcelona, Beijing–Capital, Beirut, Berlin–Schönefeld, Brussels, Casablanca, Copenhagen, Dammam, Dar es Salaam, Dubai–International, Entebbe, Erbil, Frankfurt, Gassim, Geneva, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Hurghada, Istanbul–Atatürk, Jeddah, Johannesburg–OR Tambo, Juba, Kano, Khartoum, Kuwait, Lagos, London–Heathrow, Luxor, Madrid, Medina, Milan–Malpensa, Moscow–Domodedovo, Mumbai, Munich, Muscat, Nairobi–Jomo Kenyatta, N'Djamena, New York–JFK, Paris–Charles de Gaulle, Riyadh, Rome–Fiumicino, Sharjah, Sharm el-Sheikh, Tokyo–Narita, Toronto–Pearson, Tunis, Vienna |
| EgyptAir Express | Abu Simbel, Alexandria–Borg el Arab, Aswan, Athens, Budapest, Hurghada, Larnaca, Luxor, Marsa Alam, Sharm el-Sheikh, Sohag |
| Emirates | Dubai–International |
| Ethiopian Airlines | Addis Ababa |
| Etihad Airways | Abu Dhabi |
| Gulf Air | Bahrain |
| Jordan Aviation | Amman–Queen Alia |
| Kenya Airways | Nairobi |
| Tunisair | Tunis |
