Description

Sharm el Sheikh evolved from an old fishing station to a place of tourist attraction. At first the area started with 2 hotels and now has extended up to few miles of area only with hotels. Sharm is still a characteristically grubby small village with many cultural sights on view in its dusty streets. Ras Um Sid and Naama Bay are the main tourist area with a web of hotels. The commercial street in the south west of the bay is crammed with shops, cafes, hotels and dive centers. Shark Bay, Ras Nosrani and Nabq are the few resorts, which are in the verge of development.

Shopping

Sharm has some touristy shopping centers along with lots of authentic Arab bazaars and local shops in the large market area, which may be too "ethnic" for some Western tastes. Naama Bay's shops are more tourists orientated and are relatively pricey. The main shopping street is El Sharm Mall, which extends from the Camel Hotel to the beach next to the Cataract Hotel. There are many bazaars that deal with gold, leather wares, carpets, glass, inlaid wood, brass, spices and keepsakes. There are a few classier shops and a couple of duty free shops on the main road.

Restaurants

There are many restaurants, which serve global delicacies. The restaurants offer Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Italian, French, Egyptian and more. Cafes are crammed in the town centers, along the beaches and on the main roads. Eateries and a McDonald’s outlet can be found at Naama Bay. “Blue Ginger”, “Da Franco”, “Fayrouz” and “hard Rock Café” are some of the restaurants, which offer quality services.

Night Life

Nightlife options are quite less at Sharm El sheikh. Many bars offer live music and have discos. There are also a few casinos.

Activities

Sharm el sheikh has many things to do both on land as well as in water. While dessert trips and a visit to the St Katherine’s monastery are attractions on land, the sea provides a swarm of water sports. It makes a good place for divers with ideal water temperature all round the year.

Communications

The international access code to dial into Egypt is +20. The outgoing code is 00 followed by the relevant country code. There are internal codes used to call places within the country. Long distance calls are very expensive when made from hotels and it is suggested to be made from post, telephone and telegraph offices that are found in most of the cities. GSM 900 network cover the entire country and roaming is available due to its agreements with international operators. Internet is accessible at Internet cafes in most towns and resorts. International directory phone enquires can be made by dialing 120.

Contacts

Egyptian Tourism Authority, Cairo: +20 (0)2 285 3576 or http://touregypt.net/tourism
Egyptian Embassy, Washington DC, United States: +1 202 895 5400
Egyptian Embassy, London, United Kingdom: +44 (0)20 7499 3304
Egyptian Embassy, Ottawa, Canada: +1 613 234 4931
Egyptian Embassy, Canberra, Australia (also responsible for New Zealand): +61 (0)2 6273 4437
Egyptian Embassy, Pretoria, South Africa: +27 (0)12 343 1590/1
Egyptian Embassy, Dublin, Ireland: +353 (0)1 660 6566
United States Embassy, Cairo: +20 (0)2 797 3300
British Embassy, Cairo: +20 (0)2 794 0852
Canadian Embassy, Cairo: +20 (0)2 794 3110
Australian Embassy, Cairo: +20 (0)2 575 0444
South African Embassy, Cairo: +20 (0)2 359 4365
Irish Embassy, Cairo: +20 (0)2 735 8264
New Zealand Consulate-General, Cairo: +20 (0)2 574 9360
Emergencies: 122 (Police); 123 (Ambulance)

Currency

EGP

Attractions

Sharm el Sheikh and its neighboring region have a lot of attractions that can be visited. The region has a number of churches, monasteries and monuments. The pyramids, one of the Seven Wonders of the World, are positioned in Egypt and people ready to travel could visit them as part of a day trip. Ras Mohammed National Park and the Straits of Tiran are the sites that must be visited.

Language

Arabic

Language Description

Arabic is the official language of the country. English and French are widely spoken in most of the tourist areas.

Tipping

It is customary to tip small change for most services rendered. “Baksheesh”, as tipping is called here, is very useful to gain entry to seemingly unreachable places, or to be treated in an extra special way. Drivers and waiters expect about 10% and 5% tip respectively.