Sharm El Sheikh

[Hiney]

Afternoon people,

I know this has been done a million times before, but it's always good to have some UPDATED info.

Thinking of going to Sharm in October. Any recommendations?

It will be me, Mrs Hiney and two children (13 & 12).

Thanks

 

[Don Tmatter]

Half term week in Oct or will the sprogs be "unwell" ?

 

[Westdene Seagull]

I highly recommend here - https://www.thomson.co.uk/destinati...otels/reef-oasis-blue-bay-resort-and-spa.html

Loved it when I went there about three years ago. Only down side was the Italian restaurant which was awful.

 

[Since1982]

We've been twice at Easter (although not this year as redundancy in progress....) and stayed at the Savoy. Love it. Weather great, hotel superb and a variety of restaurants. We go for the all inclusive option. Downsides are the airport which is chaotic and slow plus last time we had a 25 hour delay coming home with Monarch. But, deals to be had given the slump in tourism out there so could be good value.

 

[Mr Smggles]

Afternoon people,

I know this has been done a million times before, but it's always good to have some UPDATED info.

Thinking of going to Sharm in October. Any recommendations?

It will be me, Mrs Hiney and two children (13 & 12).

Thanks

Word of advice is don't buy the visa they offer at the airport unless you plan on going off Sinai and into main Egypt. They tried to convince me and my missus that we weren't allowed out of the hotel without them! I laughed and said no thanks! However they may have just been targeting young people as we were only 20.

 

[Westdene Seagull]

Word of advice is don't buy the visa they offer at the airport unless you plan on going off Sinai and into main Egypt. They tried to convince me and my missus that we weren't allowed out of the hotel without them! I laughed and said no thanks! However they may have just been targeting young people as we were only 20.

This - it's a con.

 

[Everest]

This - it's a con.

and another for this. They've even tried it on the coach to the hotel.

 

[veade]

My daughter is at sharks bay now and it 33* but says naarma bay has more there

 

[getofftheropes]

Aqua blu...lovely hotel in a waterpark and good food

 

[wehatepalace]

Sensatori, is amazing, did a week there last year, going back for a fortnight in May, go for a swim up room.

 

[Bry Nylon]

Sensatori, is amazing, did a week there last year, going back for a fortnight in May, go for a swim up room.

I believe you can get those in Somerset and Surrey now.

 

[Gazwag]

Don't eat the food

 

[Lady Whistledown]

The bars, restaurants and clubs etc are mostly in Naama Bay, so if you want to be within walking distance, look for ones in that area. That said, taxis are really cheap, and a lot of the hotels run shuttle buses back and forth to the town bit for guests. There is a McDonalds, KFC, Hard Rock Cafe and so on, if you (or maybe the kids) like that kind of thing. You will be constantly hassled by guys trying to get you into their restaurants or attractions, as well as by taxi drivers, so you need to be comfortable in saying no thanks a hundred times a day. Most of it is just chit chat though, as soon as you've passed, they're on to the next one.

The beach is alright, it's hardly Caribbean in nature, quite shallow much of it but plenty of people just hang around the hotel pools- many hotels are huge resort style places, often all-inclusive, so if you just want to make the most of that, it's easy enough.

The diving is pretty good if you like that kind of thing. There are loads of diving schools, some better than others, and places where you can dive right off the beach. It's very much worth taking a boat trip too though, as there's more to see off shore in Ras Mohammed national park, the Thistlegorm and so on.

If you go all-inclusive, expect standard buffet food rather than haute cuisine, the usual sort of local interpretations of international dishes (jack of all trades, master of none, sort of thing), so lots of unspectacular pizza, pasta, curry and so on. The weather is pretty much nailed on to be hot at any time of year.

Steer clear of the excursions that promise "camel rides and Bedouin-style dinner in the desert". Exotic though this sounds, what you get is a manky, knackered-looking camel led by a local Bedouin child who will beg you for money constantly, and more mediocre food served in a tent in the "desert", which is actually a dusty plain littered with rocks, car tyres, discarded plastic bottles and used oil cans. Do not imagine a Lawrence of Arabia scenario for one second.

That said, Sharm is great value for money, you get some fairly decent hotels for a fraction of the price you'd pay in other countries, and with enough to keep the family entertained. Oh, and there are thousands and thousands of Russians there, which means an awful lot of overweight, sunbed-tanned men in Speedos and chunky gold jewellery, drinking industrial quantities of vodka and chain smoking. It's by no means an English enclave, as you'd find in Spain, or similar.

Me, I love diving, it's cheap, and easy to get to, so I've quite enjoyed the couple of times I've been out there.

 

[Bwian]

It's a shithole. Hated the place and Cairo is even worse but that won't be a problem this year for you. I wouldn't go back there.

 

[surrey jim]

Went to Hilton sharks bay around 18 months ago. Mrs Surrey Jim and I got last min deals. It worked to around £400 for us both, 10 days all inclusive. Hotel was written up as 5* however was more like 3*.

Would recommend for value for money and cheap sun shine break. Main downside for us was the Russians. Never seen such a rude lot on holiday. Generally they were up at 7am drinking Uzo at the pool side bar, drunk all morning then fell asleep in the sun during afternoon and very quickly lobsterfied.

 

[nordicgod]

stayed at aqua blu last june for 2 weeks, great hotel

 

[cardboard]

Im going in 4 weeks - xperience sea breeze, sharks bay is an adults only hotel

 

[Dr. Notthenineo'clocknews]

It's a shithole. Hated the place and Cairo is even worse but that won't be a problem this year for you. I wouldn't go back there.

loved Cairo, but that was 20 years ago, but then again I like shitholes, I liked Delhi, I liked Tirana and I've even had a good night out in Croydon

 

[Seagull by the Sea]

Afternoon people,

I know this has been done a million times before, but it's always good to have some UPDATED info.

Thinking of going to Sharm in October. Any recommendations?

It will be me, Mrs Hiney and two children (13 & 12).

Thanks

Hilton Sharks Bay is decent enought with an absolutey massive swimming pool but the ultimate hotel is definitely the Baron. There are 2 Baron hotels next to each other, go for the 5* one which is less crowded and has better rooms.

The hotel is right on the beach and the service is perfect. Food there is very clean and there is plenty of entertainment for the kids in the evening.

There is a small parade of shops between the 2 hotels and you can walk down the promenade all along the beach from there.

You can get a hotel car to take you to Naama Bay if you want to have a busy night out out but expect it to be really busy and commercialised, like someone else said, there is a KFC and McDonald's there and lots of tourists getting drunk.

Me, the Mrs and te kids have been 3 times and it's always a great holiday and very reasonably priced for what you get.

 

[User removed 4]

Aqua blu...lovely hotel in a waterpark and good food

This ∆∆∆∆ can't speak highly enough of the place, kids will love the aquapark, food is adequate, rooms are good and clean, staff are nice and very good value, make sure you go on the glass bottom boat tour and snorkelling, great place.