Beautiful Sharm El Sheikh – A Vacation From Your Egypt Vacation
Sharm El Sheikh (Sharm for short) is the perfect getaway to vacation after your Egyptian history focused vacation. Sure, doing the pyramids, a river cruise and Luxor are awesome, but it can also be tiresome. This is why we planned the second six days of our twelve-day itinerary in Sharm El Sheikh. We totally slothed out for six days!
If you want to learn more about the first half of our itinerary, you should read, “Amazing Egypt- The Itinerary You Should Absolutely Do!” Now for a few minor details about Sharm El Sheikh.
Location– South Sinai, Egypt, on the Red Sea
Safety– It’s very safe. You can read more about safety in Egypt in our other post that I mentioned.
How to get there– Direct flights from Cairo on EgyptAir are the best option if you’re already in-country. If not, most major European airports have direct flights. You can also take the bus from Cairo (about 6 hours) or a Ferry from Hurghada on certain days.
Visa Requirements– None if staying for 15 days or less. If staying longer, then you need a $25 visa that can be purchased at the airport upon arrival or in advance online.
Where to stay– We highly recommend the Rixos Sharm El Sheikh Adults Only (18+). This is hands down the best all-inclusive resort we’ve stayed at around the world! We booked a junior suite for $421/night. If you have your kiddos in tow, then you can opt for the Rixos Premium Seagate. Both are Five Star properties, and you can play at both!
Reasons to choose Sharm
- Scuba Diving– The Red Sea is one of the top dive sites in the world. It’s known for its dazzling coral reefs that are teaming with sea life. There are also several wrecks that you can dive on a day trip via a liveaboard dive boat. You can contact Pyramids Diving Center (a PADI Center) ahead of time or book on the resort. Two of the top places to dive are:
- Tiran Island (no straight answer but it technically belongs to Egypt or Saudi Arabia)
- Snorkeling– Sharm is one of the few places where snorkelers and divers go out on the same boat. The dive boats in Sharm are 3 story yachts and serve a full lunch. Several families had both divers and snorkelers. You snorkel the same sites listed above for the divers.
- Shopping– There are numerous areas to shop in Sharm. From local markets to a promenade type area that even has a Hard Rock Café, if you’re into that place.
- Tours– It is safe to venture into the South Sinai Desert as a tour. Never venture into the North Sinai Desert as it’s very unstable in terms of safety. A couple tours you should consider are:
- Mt. Sinai– Where Moses received the 10 Commandments
- Quad tour and sunset BBQ in a Bedouin Village
- Colored Canyon
- Blue Hole
- Mustafa Mosque
On the resort
The tours are great, but what you’re really coming to Sharm for is the relaxation. Divers like me also squeeze in a few early mornings for diving! We loved Rixos Sharm and will be back one day, but whatever resort you choose, be sure it’s Five Star. Trip Advisor is a great resource for picking the right place.
Resort food– Our resort had the largest buffet we’ve ever seen at an all-inclusive. You can eat there every day and not eat the same thing. Most resorts also have a la carte restaurants. Ours had 7.
Resort activities– Most resorts have free snorkeling on their house reef, fitness center (ours had one inside and on the beach, like Muscle Beach, CA!), nightly shows and several bars/lounges to unwind. At the Rixos Sharm, be sure to hit the beach bar every day at 5 PM to watch the DJ turn it up with an EDM dance party.
Those are the major highlights for Sharm. I decided to keep this post a little shorter than most to go along with the relaxing vibes of Sharm.
For more information on Egypt, be sure to read, “Amazing Egypt- The Itinerary You Should Absolutely Do!”
For more information on other slothy destinations, be sure to read:
An Amazing Trip to Oahu, Hawaii with Tips from a Former Resident
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