As the Foreign Office says it is now safe to travel to Egypt, Judith Baker heads to the Red Sea resort of Sharm El Sheikh.
The Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) has relaxed its travel advice for Egypt, opening up travel to the country again.
The relaxation means British holidaymakers can return to destinations such as Aswan, Alexandria and Luxor.
Sharm El Sheikh on the Red Sea was never one of the places the FCO advised against, but over cautious travellers can now breathe a sigh of relief and enjoy its unique combination of sun and sea, desert, beach and great diving.
The FCO has still advised that tourists avoid Cairo, the Giza Pyramids and other areas of the country, as well as the Sinai Peninsula excluding the Red Sea resorts such as Sharm, but luckily there is enough to do around Sharm El Sheikh to keep all the family happy.
Sharm is one of Egypt’s most popular holiday destinations, located at the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula on the Red Sea coast. If you had visited twenty years ago, you would have found nothing more than a few dive motels dotted around with the vast lonely desert stretching out beyond. But these days this is a lively tourist trap offering a captivating cocktail of sun, clear waters that draw scuba divers from all over the world, top class international resorts and entertainment.
I stayed at The Savoy, part of the group which also owns neighbouring Sierra hotel and the Savoy’s upmarket sister, the Royal Savoy. All the hotels occupy a beachfront location and are seconds away from Soho Square, a square mile of restaurants, bars, shops and entertainment that ranges from The Queen Vic pub to the stylish Japanese Tappenaki Grill.
WHAT TO DO IN SHARM
Dive In It’s difficult to prise myself away from the secluded beach and the pool, but the on-site Dive Centre at The Savoy offers an unmissable opportunity to try a plunge into the famous Red Sea waters. The center at White Knight beach is PADI certified and Samir, the dive instructor, puts novices like me through their paces before letting them wobble down the jetty to test the water. Here you can see brightly coloured fish, coral and even the occasional manta ray or turtle.
More experienced divers can of course head further afield to check out some of the region’s fantastic wrecks, such as The Thistlegorm, a WWII ship where divers can see the army boots, tanks and bikes that she was transporting when she went down. Ride a camel Ambling through the desert like Lawrence of Arabia on a stately ‘ship of the desert’ is one of the must-do activities in this part of the world. You pass by the weird and wonderful rock formations, watching the changing colours of the mountains at sunset. The camels are friendly and calm and afterwards you can head to the Bedouins’ tent where tea is served.
When I visited, we also got the opportunity to help make traditional flat breads which we sampled later with some tasty sheep’s cheese Quad biking Another way to see the desert is by quad bike. An exhilarating ride takes you speeding through the heat and dust.
Buggies are also available to take children on this exciting adventure Boat trip Sail trips by catamaran or pretty white yachts leave from the harbour close to Sharm, taking you to the Ras Mohammed national Park, a 600 square metre coral reef, or to Tiran Island, which is now a military base. Boat excursions to Tiran include two spots for snorkelling and swimming in the Blue lagoon near the island. Lunch on board is included. We also had a chance to go snorkeling along the Gordon reef near the wreckage of a Russian ship. As we sailed away, a huge school of bottle nosed dolphins appeared and followed our boat for a good twenty minutes.
This and many other tours around Sharm including trips to Dahab City, stargazing evenings and jeep safaris are offered by Sun International www.sunegypt.com A Bizarre experience Although most of Sharm El Sheikh is new and glossy, you can still get a taste of authentic Egypt at a bazaar. I found the best in Old Sharm, just a twenty minute taxi ride from the hotel. The streets here are an Aladdin’s cave of curios, souvenirs and bargains.
I came home laden with (very good) designer copy handbags, leather sandals and sunglasses. I could have opted for the ubiquitous fez, cuddly camels and Shisha pipes, but there has to be room in the luggage for clothes! Back at the Savoy after an afternoon spent with a camel or haggling over my new sandals, I found that nothing is more fragrant than a relaxing massage in the spa before hitting the Ice bar in Soho Square.
The only one in Africa, this ice palace serves you vodka in ice glasses surrounded by ice sculptures as you cuddle around wearing big furry coats and gloves.
Monarch, the scheduled leisure airline, operates flights to Sharm El Sheikh from London Gatwick, London Luton, Birmingham and Manchester airports with fares, including taxes, starting from £57.27 one way (£176.26 return) (lead fares summer 14).
For further information or to book visit www.monarch.co.uk Packages include bed and breakfast at the Savoy Hotel including flights from London Gatwick, leaving on 29 March 2014 are : For 2 adults £681pp or 2 adults 2 children £793pp www.savoy-sharm.com www.soho-sharm.com
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