Sharm El Sheikh is the ideal place for scuba diving, for those who want snorkeling for golfers, for families who want holidays with sandy beaches and under the warm sun, which makes tourists very happy also in winter, and for those who simply wish to spoil them self in excellent hotels.

Sun, sea and sand, comfortable hotels with an interesting construction, water sports, shopping and entertainment. This is the Sharm El Sheikh, the most popular holiday destination in Egypt, and certainly one of the best diving centers in the world. It is very well organized and has a nice bay called Naama Bay, where you can find many bars, restaurants and shops on a lively promenade. Modern hotel resorts are already litle towns themselves.

People in general, are very happy and are smiling all the time, although their average monthly salary is about 1000 LE (120 €), even less in Cairo. The town is totally dependent on tourists; most of them are Russians, British, Italians and some Slavic. The work performed in the town is done by the staff at the hotel, cleaners, waiters, cooks, tour guides, vendors in the bazaar or shops, taxi drivers with a 30 year-old Peugeot in blue color… It is interesting that at this Old Market you are welcomed in Russian language. When you still ignore them after the third hello, they however ask in English: “Excuse me mister, where are you from?”. Although it is all very commercial, bazaar has its charm. Each shop is open until three am, so that you do not need to worry if you are in a hotel and your refrigerator is out of the last drink of Pepsi, Diet Coke or Sakara.

In case they see that they can sell you something, you will be served just by this drink(Sakara), or coffee, ice cold bottled water or hot hibiscus tea, a drink with five spoons of sugar, I have tried it with two and could barely drink it. It is interesting that you could spend all days with bargaining, which is a big challenge for them and also a necessity for every traveler in this sandy place. With bargaining “for a smaller price you will attract a little smile on their face, and if you proved to be a good negotiator, they will even shake your hand. It may happen that you offend them with a price that is too low and the calculator will fly through the air. You shouldn’t worry about that, just leave and already at the neighbors shop you will have the same opportunity with the same products.

You can spend every day with various trips or activities. Since we traveled with the agency they take care of all the trips themselves, but if you step out on the street, you can see on every bend invites to trips, organized by the locals. We decided that we go in the desert with quadricycles (Quad Runner 40 € per person at the agency, 15 € at the locals). The price was bargained against the agency for more than 60%, and we could still go lower, but we were running out of time for bargaining. We went with the agency to Ras Mohammed (45 € per person) or Head Mohammed, to the edge of Sinai, where we saw a dream sea, coral reef and white sand beaches. Trips are more expensive compared with Djerba up to 100%. But it is it true that they are worth visiting.

The biggest attraction is most certainly the pyramids in Giza with the mighty Sfing. From Sharm to Cairo, is about 500 km. We started in the morning at 2:00 am in front of the hotel escorted by police with a big gun hiding under his jacket. The journey lasted good 7 hours with a stopover for the tunnel under the Suez Canal, the entry into the Black continent. At the beginning I was expecting some differences on the African side, but there were none except from slightly lower prices. We continued our trip toward the capital city of Egypt, and already when we were approaching the city we could see by the road 99 tables with the ancient Egyptian gods. Upon arrival in the city, we saw a magnificent mosque of Mohamed Ali and went from there to the pyramids, where I experienced a different side of people.

When leaving the bus, I reached in to the bottom of my bag and grabbed my wide-angle objective, to capture this magnificent peace of engineering ahead of me. At the first push on my camera someone toot my headband, which I wore, away. I looked from behind my camera on to the left and there I saw a local boy who was talking to me in fluent English, that my headband is not properly tied around my head. He took then one from his bag, and tied it around my head and then said to me that he will take a picture of me in front of the biggest pyramid. Naturally, I was not afraid for my equipment (because safety is very high, and probably because of their religion no one would dare to steal my equipment. It may be, however, because they fear the severe penalties, which they would not be able to pay and jail is something very insulting in their culture. In addition, they are living from tourism and they could not afford bad publicity) and passed him my camera. When he took a picture of me, he pushed into my hands another headband and miniature plastic pyramid, which I bought later for 5 LE. I suspected that this excessive generosity will not end well, but I still asked politely how much does he want for all of this. His answer: “Anything little, whatever you want is good …”, for this I wanted to give him 30 LE, but I did not have them, so I knew that I have to give him 50 LE (about 7 €). But when I opened my wallet, he reached out and took out three bills of 50 LE, which were at one another, so that was 150 all together and he added: “… this will be OK ….” The first moment I thought, 20 € for something I never wanted to have, so I push him back into his hand all of things, but he still insisted that he can give me all that for just 15 € and that I have to take it, because he took my pictures. Okay, here I will end this story, as I have ended it with him in that moment turned back, walked away and was very angry. WTF, what kind of arrogant people are they? “Are Arabs like that, I thought. I do not know, probably only in the capital city because in Sharm, it was not the case, there were all smiling all the time, and they are all waving and they are welcomed, even if they think: “Yes, you just wave, but I will rip you with the price …”. But better that than such a negative experience. Well, but at least he made the picture like a pro.

People and their customs:
Egypt’s total population is around 75 million. 90% are Muslims, the remaining 10% are Christians. Egyptians are very friendly and hospitable. As a result, they say that Egypt has one of the greatest treasures – its people. They always await you with a spontaneous smile and they absolutely cannot hide their enthusiasm towards the children. The most typical are the bars where the Egyptians spend their free time drinking tea every day, “Shish” (water pipe) and chat all day long.

Bayram is their bigest holiday, which follows after the month of Ramadan. During this time, Muslims fast all day long and wait for the night to eat food, drink and walk. During this time, there are very large number of people on the streets everywhere. It was a coincidence that we were there at that time and we have seen an increased number of tourists from all over Egypt, who came to celebrate this great feast in the elite resort.

Bedouins:
Bedouins are the people who were born and live in the desert in tents or in caves. Living in contact with nature, that we urban people have long lost with the. They breed sheep, goats, donkeys and camels. They know different types of herbs and they know how to effectively use them as food, drink and medicine. Bedouins are able to appreciate and accept all that they have, they are not attached to material things and are happy to live and give life.

Here women are breastfeeding a very long time. One of the reasons is of course a natural contraception. In addition, they carry their children in the tracks, and later on their backs.

Of the approximately 25 000 Bedouins only few still travel with their camel herds across the Egyptian desert areas. Many have settled on a permanent basis and shall be working, mostly seasonal, in the oil or construction industry, but also in quite a lively tourism on the peninsula of Sinai.

Camping – going back to nature

By definition of Britannica, camping is recreational activity, where participants place temporarily shelter outdoor; usually tent or specially designed or adapted vehicle as caravan.

Is this recreation??

For those, carrying tent attached to backpack and cyclers, which have it attached on carrier – we can definitely call it recreation. On the other hand, we can notice that these days is very popular more luxurious way of holidays, in more adopted vehicles and caravan, where the only recreation is the way to the public toilets.  But also these days, toilets can be finding in all modern vehicles.

My cynicism maybe is not in the place, but anyway, I must say, choosing camping holidays is becoming more and more popular.

Putting up tend and getting all ready to spend the night under the sky, means a more wider understanding of spending holidays in the nature. Having a lie-down in front of the tent is just a part of activity, which are widely –orientated recreational sports.

And yet, it seems we are getting closer to camping definition. But, why not spending holidays in apartments or a hotel? If nothing else, there’s always handy bathroom. I think the answer lying in flower-power philosophy, if we would of course reduce it to “freedom”.

In general, I think this is the most common issue, which convinces people to go camping. Flower-power generation has loved freedom, traveling, camping – with two words “beautiful summer”. Something about freedom; If I exaggerate a bit – to a today’s modern people freedom is in very mutilated version, as we are all struggling to survive in our little world. Camping is not necessary cheap, they can empty your wallet quit a lot, but still, with some precautions and luck, you can have a fabulous time also for small money.

The reason, that is not very cheap, has attracted a lot of snobbish people, to spend their holidays this way. This indicates, that smart and expensive cars are not all, a successfully business man should afford. Cars are already boring and everyone already has it. But not everyone has caravan. Not a lot people know who to use it. Nevertheless those who have caravan or a holiday trailer, count so something special.

On the other hand – some would like to get rid of that feeling. Camping or caravanning?? Caravanning is similar to camping, but it combines together living and traveling (camping) with a trailer or trailer. Caravanning excludes idea of sending the holidays in tent.

The main advantage of motorhome is higher mobility as you can spend the night also on parking place for trailers. With caravan we could restrain long distance and get to know macro region better. Another great advantages is, that with a caravan or trailer, you could get to some places that would be out of rich, if you are in a tent or have book your holiday through agency. Weak point for tent would be putting it up each day, also in a bad weather, which can lead to some unpleasant memories. But, do not forget the brave ones, who would put up tent in every weather condition.

A bit more about history of camping

Far back in the history, people have been traveling and living in their own mobile homes; either because of pastoralist life, either because of major war relocation or other relocations.

This of course cannot be definition of camping as it wasn’t a fun recreation, but plain survival. People obviously do want to go back to our roots – but is not only nature, that attracts us, but also the history of the indivisibility of our ancestors.

Thomas Hiram Holding was still a little boy, when he traveled with his perents through huge America, using train. 1.200 kilometer long road, during which they slept in the open air, inspired him, and he has lived his dream almost a quarter of the century later. This was firstly in 1877 when he had travel to Scotland with canoes, and he repeated this travel once again a year later. He was camping all the way to Scotland. Afterward he wrote two books about it, and the third one, in year 1898, when he combined camping and cycleling.

Three years after, he has founded Association of Cycle Campers. This association with other association has been starting point for creating a new Camping Club of Great Britain and Ireland, which merged together all previous associations.

This Association is still working today, a good hundred years later. Likewise, caravan Club of Great Britain was founded this year, and is still competition to a Camping Club.

Egypt is a country of countless opportunities: millenniums old unique cultural heritage, diverse underwater world, life in East bazaar and unforgettable quiet wilderness. For Millenniums Nile represents the life vane for Egypt. The largest part of the Egypt area covers the desert, which is not populated. The capital city is Cairo, which lies to the north of the country before the Nile River Delta. Egypt is in the north of the border on the Mediterranean Sea.

Red Sea a paradise for divers

With its coral reefs and tropical fish you can say it is one of the most beautiful diving places of the world. Approximately 100 diving places along the coast of Sharm El Sheikh and Hurghada provides facilities for training, diving and surfing conditions. The traditional tour through the desert with a camel or a ground vehicle is an unforgettable experience.

Location and Climate

The city lies at the southern-east tip in the Sinai Peninsula on the coastal strip between the Gulf of Suez and the Gulf of Aqaba with the mountains of the Sinai in the back. The climate is dry and in the summer months, temperatures of 35 ° C are common, in the winter time, it is significantly colder, but with an average of 12-16 ° C is still bearable. During the months of May to August is almost no precipitation. The ideal travel time is in autumn and in the spring months.

History

The first time, Sharm El-Sheikh was included in charts is 1762. Egyptian President Nasser blocked  the Strait of Tiran and the entrance of Israel to the Red Sea here in 1967. This sparked the Six Day War during which Israel occupied the Sinai Peninsula. After the peace treaty of 1979 between Israel and Egypt, the Sharm El-Sheikh was  returned to Egypt again.

Sharm El-Sheikh was a small fishing village before 1967. It  experienced a major upswing through the tourism in the 1990s. Sharm El-Sheikh today is based economically completely on tourism, and is now considered by far the most expensive seaside resort in Egypt. This is mainly because the ideal water sports and the warm and very clear water of the Red Sea. Especially among divers and snorkelers, the whole area (with the Ras Mohammed National Park) is known as the best area for these sports worldwide. Besides the large, international hotels and excellent restaurants there ware also several golf courses created.

On the night of 22 to 23 July 2005 three bomb explosions occurred in the city and nearby Naama Bay, in which at least 88 people were killed and, according to the Egyptian Health Minister Mohammed Awad Tag Eddin more than 200 were injured. The first explosion occurred around 01:15 clock on the square (old market) Sharm El-Sheikh. A few minutes later, the terrorists perpetrated an attack on the Ghazala Village Hotel and ignited at the same time about a bomb in the parking lot in front of the Hard Rock Cafe. ”

Located in the north of the city, the Naama Bay is the little Las Vegas of the Egyptians. Here, they feel open and free from any political doctrine. Not for nothing meets the international political elite here. This has existed for many years for fundamentalist groups often enough, this western reprehensible “to halt”. Veiled women, are not often seen here. Here there is everything that  is not popular in familiar surroundings – Hard Rock Cafe, McDonald’s, outdoor Cartbahn, Buddha Bar, Night Clubs, and several official casinos.

Traffic

Each day there is a fast and comfortable bus to Cairo.

From the port of the town there are regular ferry services to Hurghada and Aqaba. Cruise ships often dock here. The local marina berth and is focal point for numerous private yachts and sailboats.

The international airport of Sharm El-Sheikh is with more than 5 million passengers (2006) to Cairo to second place in Egypt. Originally, the airport opened in 1968 as an Israeli military airport, which after the peace treaty between Israel and Egypt received its civilian status with the return of Sinai to Egypt. In May 2007, a second terminal with an annual capacity of 8 million passengers opened.

Food and drink

Egyptian cuisine is strongly influenced by Arab, Turkish and partly by Mediterranian. The range of vegetarian dishes is extremely diverse. Mezz is a typical dish served in small trays, which immediately satisfies hunger. You have to try fresh Tabbouleh salad with plenty of parsley, with a meal of wheat, minced lamb and the rest. Coffee is prepared in the Turkish manner, with water, and is beneficial for digestion.
In addition, a wide selection of refreshing soft drinks, for example lemonade, juice or Tamarhindi – sour drink of fresh juice extracted Tamarinds. Egyptian specialty of the hibiscus karkadeh.

The best time to travel

Due to the subtropical climate of Egypt, you can visit anytime of the year, but we recommend the period from October to April, as it is in summer very hot.