Sharm el-Sheikh: A Place to Experience Miracle of Sand, Sea, Mountains and Moon

If you are a tourist and looking for a place where you can experience creations of nature like mountains, sand and sun at their best, then Sharm El Sheikh is the place for you. The place is located in Egypt near the world famous Red Sea at the Gulf of Aqaba.

The city is known as the “City of Peace” because of its distinction as a venue for many peace conferences.

The city is located at a very important location. Sharm has been a famous port for the Egyptian armed forces. It was attacked and occupied by Israel in the year 1956, and it remained under their influence for around eleven years till it was returned to Egypt in 1967.

First the city started as a small rural area which has developed itself into a commercial area later because the naval base was shifted there. Later the place was developed according for tourism because a lot of people come here to visit the beach and sulfuric springs that enjoy the status of having disease curing water. It was necessary to develop the place to make it attractive for tourists.

There are three main areas in the city of Sharm El Sheikh, namely: Saint Katherine, Ras Muhammad Park and the protected area of Nabq. All these areas are highly protected and one needs to take special permission from tourism development and concerned authorities to take a trip to these areas.

It’s better to pass the driving test so that you can rent a car and explore the whole city on your own; there are multiple institutions at Sharm El Sheikh that offer you the professional license, one can also learn to dive to explore the exquisite coral reefs.

Sharm is approximately distributed into three parts- Na’ama Bay, Cliff of Ras Um Sid and Sharm al Maya.

Na’ama Bay

This place is the first place where hotels started to establish in the early eighties. Once the development started it never ended and today the whole bay is decorated with plants like oleander and bougainvillea along the bay stretch. Na’ama Bay is easily the most popular resort area in Sharm-El-Sheikh. It offers numerous activities such as live entertainment, restaurants, cafés, bars, dive shops, casinos, shopping, underwater photography along with other points of interest. From here make a trip to the Sinai Desert and revel in excellent Bedouin cuisine.

Cliff of Ras Um Sid

It is the cliff that serves as the connection point for Na’ama Bay and Sharm El Maya. The cliff offers an exotic view and has a lot of accommodation options to offer.

This area is developed specifically for tourists. People specially like to stroll around the bay area while the cool breeze blow through the palm trees. It is the best place to get some sun and work on that tan. The beach is wide and sandy and runs from the ferry port in the South towards the coves of Hadaba towards the North.

Several hotels dominate the central portion of the beach such as the Iberotel Structure. The place is dotted with various coffee shops, bookstores, aqua centres and bars. For individuals who get restless, you will find numerous water activities available too.

Included in this are outings on pedal motorboats, blueberry motorboats, and even glass bottom motorboats round the bay and to the fabulous barrier reefs in the area.

As the city is home to the Red Sea, there is marvelous marine life underneath its waters. Exploring the underwater world of the Red Sea is seriously a must-do. People who are visiting here should seriously consider learning scuba diving and spend some time underneath the waves to experience the beauty of the depth, from its marine life to its beautiful coral formations.

There are a lot of dive centers to choose from that offer you training at very affordable rates. To name a few: African divers, Aquamarine divers, and Aqua Active Diving Centre. All these diving centers are capable of issuing you a training certificate which assures you that you are allowed to dive anywhere in world. There are some diving centers in restricted areas as well but they need special permission to have access.

Colored canyon pleasure trip:

If you are someone who likes to study earth and rocks, the colored canyon located in the middle of the desert is a site you should check out. Due to the constant flow of water from the mountains the sand has turned into sheer multi-layered rocks of varying colors.

The place totally lacks any kind of facilities. People planning a trip to the place must arrange everything for themselves, and usually four wheeled desert safaris are used to reach this place. Make all the necessary arrangements and preparations before making a tour to this place.

Recall the past:

St. Catherine monastery is another must see in the city. It is located between Taba and Nuweiba. The place is believed to have been constructed back in the fourth century and during a time of conflict and war, a castle was built around it in the sixth century. One can visit this place and learn about the past of this wonderful place. It is a golden chance to live in the pages of history.

Tantalize your taste buds with a Bedouin dinner:

One can find here almost every type of cuisine: Mexican, Chinese, Italian and what not, but one must definitely try the specialty food of Bedouin villages.

People who like to dance the night away have a lot of options like discos, pubs and cocktail parties. It depends upon how much money you can afford to spend. There are endless possibilities of enjoyment in the city.

Night life here is quite attractive with plenty of bars, restaurants, nightclubs and discos that remain open year-round.

If you value shopping, Sharm-El-Sheikh mall offers both local and foreign items. The Bedouin Market or “Souk" offers hand crafted products including clothes, jewellery, embroidered bags, camel leather footwear and pottery. Most vacationers pay inflated prices, about 4-5 times higher than it would normally cost. However, at the Old Market it could be cheaper if you can bargain effectively.

So, what are you waiting for? If sun, sand and sea and a vibrant atmosphere that has a touch of the ancient world about it are what you are looking for, then consider visiting Sharm El Sheik.