SHARM ELSHEIKH
With excellent beaches, beautiful coral reefs, and some of the best dive spots in the world, Sharm El Sheikh may just be the perfect beach vacation destination. Plus, its prime location at the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula and its proximity to the desert give the city an air of mystery and romance. Also known as the City of Peace due to the many international peace talks that have been held here, Sharm El Sheikh is perfect for a relaxing getaway or a fun-filled adventure. Sunbathe and swim at the beach, explore the Old Town, or visit the region's famous historical sites.
How to Get to Sharm el-Sheikh?
Less than half a century ago, Sharm El Sheikh was a small Bedouin village. Today, it's a world-famous resort that appeals to all ages. Whether you're 8, 18, or 80, there are lots of great reasons to take a closer look at Sharm El Sheikh. The city is located 512 kilometers away from the capital city Cairo, at the south tip of the Sinai Peninsula. You can drive or get a Bus from Cairo in 6 hours, or by plane from Cairo Airport in one Hour or you can come directly from Europe and Russia to Sharm el Sheikh International Airport also A boat service operated by International Fast Ferries carries passengers to Sharm El Sheikh from Hurghada.
History of Sharm El Sheikh
About 40 years ago, Sharm El Sheikh was nothing but a small fishing village with about 100 Bedouin citizens. When Sinai was occupied by Israel in 1967 Sharm El Sheikh started to develop as a tourist destination (like the rest of the peninsula). Israelis evacuated Sinai between 1979 and 1982, following the signing of a peace agreement between the two countries. Since the 1980's the Egyptians have been continuing the development of Sharm where the Israelis left. Sharm's 100 grew into a bustling 40,000 population. Today, Sharm El-Sheikh hosts more than 120 heads of state and government, in addition to the participation of about 35,000 people in a global event praised by all.
How is the climate in Sharm El Sheikh?
Sharm El-Sheikh has an arid climate, generally warm and dry, although the summer months can be humid. The best times to go to Sharm el-Sheikh, for swimming and diving, are the month of April, and from mid-October to mid-November. The summer, from mid-May to September, is actually quite hot, and while the sea is pleasantly warm and you can enjoy long dives, it can be difficult to sunbathe and move outdoors during the day (especially in August and September). The water temperature is always warm, although cold snaps may affect the region occasionally each winter. In winter the stay can be enjoyable, and the temperature is often sufficient for sunbathing, however, the days are quite short.
What can I do in Sharm El Sheikh:
This extraordinary city has the main road between the shore and the mountains, this area with a strong hotel presence offers an infinite number of accommodation options, cafes, restaurants, and clubs. The proximity to dive sites is a major advantage, and most hotels actually organize diving and snorkeling tours. European tourists flock to this resort throughout the year, but their presence increases especially in winter and early spring before the summer heat becomes too intense. A few kilometers to the south is the Ras Mohammed National Marine Park, a protected marine area that offers some of the world’s extraordinary seascapes; here you can find specimens of all the marine species present in the Red Sea. The number of boats allowed to pass through the park is limited on a daily basis, so as not to disturb the fauna living there and to avoid overcrowding.
The reason why I must visit the paradise of Sinai:
Sharm El-Sheikh and Naama Bay offer a wide range of activities, from sailing to windsurfing to glass-floored boats to admire the sea view without having to dive. From Sharm, it is also possible to organize direct trips inside Sinai, including desert safaris and excursions to Mount Sinai and St. Catherine’s Monastery. Sharm El-sheikh is served by an international airport which makes it easier to travel to and from Egypt, as well as within the country itself. It will be easy to arrange day trips or longer excursions to the main tourist attractions of the country, such as the pyramids of Giza in Cairo or the ancient ruins of Luxor.
Scuba diving and water sports
Sharm El Sheikh has become a popular location for scuba diving[28] as a result of its underwater scenery and warm waters. Other beach activities include snorkeling, windsurfing, kite-surfing, para-sailing, boating, and canoeing. Ras Muhammad National Park is located at the southernmost tip of the Sinai Peninsula where the waters of the Red Sea and Gulf of Suez meet, producing strong currents and providing a habitat for diverse marine life. Two reefs popular with divers are Shark Reef, a vertical wall descending to over 800 meters (2,600 ft), and Yolanda Reef, the site of the wreck of the Yolanda. The Straits of Tiran are located at the mouth of the Gulf of Aqaba and in a major shipping lane. There are four reefs there, each named after one of the British cartographers who first mapped them: Gordan, Thomas, Woodhouse, and Jackson. In summer months, hammerhead sharks swim in schools near the reefs. The Sharm El Sheikh Hyperbaric Medical Center was founded in 1993 by the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism with a grant from USAID, to assist with diving-related medical conditions.
Top-Rated Things to Do in Sharm el-Sheikh
1- Explore Ras Mohammed, National Park
Ras Mohammed National Park is what put Sharm el-Sheikh on the tourist map.Surrounded by some of the world's most incredible dive sites, this peninsula, 38 kilometers south of Sharm, is home to glorious beaches with excellent snorkeling just offshore, the world's second-most-northerly mangrove forest, and a saltwater lake.
2- Soak Up the Sun at Naama Bay
Fringed by a white-sand beach and swaying palm trees, Naama Bay is the epicenter of Sharm el-Sheikh's resort life.There are plentiful restaurants, cafés, and souvenir stores if you get bored of the sand, but Naama Bay is really all about the beach.A pedestrian-only promenade rims the entire beach area, backed by a cluster of luxury and mid-range resorts.For those looking for a holiday full of sloth-like sunbathing, Naama Bay is one of Egypt's best beaches.
3- Snorkel off Ras Um Sid Beach
One of Sharm el-Sheikh's best snorkeling destinations is Ras Um Sid Beach, right at the southern tail of the town, near the lighthouse. Here, people slouch on the beach, or at the café on the cliff above, between snorkeling trips into the water, where an excellent coral reef is just offshore and so easily accessed by non-divers. Farther away from the sand, Ras Um Sid Reef is perfect for first-time forays into diving and is used as a try-dive site by many local dive operators.
4- Dive the Thistlegorm Wreck
This ship packed full of cargo to resupply British troops was sunk during World War II by German bombers.
5- Dive the Jolanda Reef Site
Jolanda Reef (also called Yolanda Reef) is one of the most popular dive sites in the Ras Mohammed Marine Park area.Dive trips here (accessed by boat from Sharm el-Sheikh) usually include Shark Reef as well, making this a two-for-one deal with a kaleidoscope of fish life and corals to be seen.Jolanda Reef is home to the wreck of the Jolanda, an old Cypriot freighter ship that had been carrying a cargo of bathroom porcelain when it ran aground on the reef in 1980.
6- Dive Jackson Reef
The Straits of Tiran, in the Red Sea's Gulf of Aqaba, are home to some of Sharm el-Sheikh's prime dive sites for experienced divers, and Jackson Reef is usually on most divers' lists to cross off on a Sharm vacation.
7- water sports: parasailing, banana boat & tubing
Not all of the water activities in Sharm el Sheikh are below the surface, there’s plenty to do topside as well! In fact, Sharm is famous for recreational activities like parasailing, banana boat trips, and tubing! Most tour operators can organize this for you at popular tourist hubs like Na’aama Bay. Alternatively, if you want to try a few different water sports, you can book an adventure package and save some money.
8- Day Trip to Saint Catherine's Monastery
One of the oldest working monasteries in the world, this Greek Orthodox hermitage is home to the famous "burning bush" of the Old Testament, which many of the Christian pilgrims who visit are specifically here to see. The bush is a rubus sanctus bramble that is native to the Sinai.
9- Climb Mount Sinai
Inland from the sun-drenched beaches of the coast, the Sinai's rugged,mountainous heart is rawly beautiful. For a taster of this craggy landscape, head 209 kilometers inland from Sharm el-Sheikh to hike up to the summit of Mt. Sinai to see an expanse of orange-hued peaks rippling out before you. Revered by all three of the major monotheistic faiths as the place where Moses received the 10 Commandments, the summit hike is a pilgrimage for many people (and usually combined with a visit to St. Catherine's Monastery, which sits at the trailhead for the hike).
10- Relax on the Beach at Shark's Bay
One of Sharm el-Sheikh's newer resort development areas, Shark's Bay sits 11 kilometers north of Naama Bay.The vibe here is slightly more exclusive, with some of Sharm's most luxurious five-star resorts and hotels clustered around Shark Bay's sweep of sand.As with Naama Bay, the beach areas are run by individual hotels, which means facilities are well-kept and there are restaurants and cafés right on the sand. The snorkeling right off the shore is also good here.
11- Snorkel or Dive the Blue Hole
This sinkhole's infamy is due to the number of lives it has claimed, but all the deaths that have happened here are due to divers diving beyond the normal recreation diving limits. Despite the site's reputation for danger, divers who stick within sensible limits are perfectly safe here, and the fish life and incredible vistas of ethereal blue below make this an incredibly beautiful dive.
12- 2-Day Trip to Dahab
Dahab, 90 kilometers north of Sharm el-Sheikh, is Sinai's backpacker beach resort and a chilled-out alternative to the holiday package feel of Sharm el-Sheikh.
The rocky shoreline here is lined with open-air cafés and restaurants, while a little shopping district winds its way up to the main highway in a jumble of souvenir shops.There is some excellent diving and snorkeling here, with nearly all the local dive sites accessed from the shore, and most people who choose to base themselves in Dahab are here for a dive-centric vacation.
13- Shop at Sharm Old Market
Sharm Old Market (also known as Sharm al-Maya) is the town's souq (bazaar) area, where twinkling Arabic lamps, traditional shisha pipes, and finely engraved woodwork can be found in abundance.
14- Snorkel or Dive the Gardens Sites
At the northern end of Naama Bay, the Gardens Reefs stretch out just offshore from the coast.This reef system is actually three different snorkeling and diving sites called Near Garden, Middle Garden, and Far Garden that can be accessed by both the shore and by boat.If you just want to snorkel, Near Garden is the best (and easiest) site to access and is home to some amazing coral pinnacles with plenty of flitting clownfish and butterfly fish in residence.
15- Scramble around the Colored Canyon
The swirling mineral-rich layered rock formations of the aptly named Colored Canyon are one of the Sinai's top out-of-the-water natural attractions.The canyon, 177 kilometers north of Sharm el-Sheikh, is a showcase of the natural beauty of the desert, carved out of by millennia of wind and water whittling away the rock.
16- Discover the Nature Reserve of Nabq Protectorate
just to the north of Sharm el-Sheikh (around 20 kilometers from the central Naama Bay area), Nabq Protectorate is a coastal desert landscape of arid beauty and home to the world's most northerly mangrove forest.The landscape here inside this nature reserve is a vista of sand dunes, lonely beaches, and arak bushes, and it's one of Egypt's most important protected wilderness sites, with a huge amount of birdlife, as well as endemic gazelles and ibexes.
17- Discover The Desert
A trip to the Red Sea isn’t only all about the underwater world! One of the best things to see in this unique part of Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula contains is its desert region, known as the South Sinai Desert. If you’re walking the resort-lined streets of Na’aama Bay or Sharm al-Maya, you’ll undoubtedly be offered excursions to the desert. These usually involve either a camel ride, quad bike, or dune buggy safari. Below I’ve linked to a very popular and affordable tour guiding visitors to a local Bedouin village. This also includes a quad bike adventure and a camel ride.
18- The Al Mustafa Mosque
Al Mustafa Mosque is one of the most impressive buildings in the Red Sea. This is a relatively new mosque, finished in 2008, and features two towering minarets reaching a height of above 70 meters each! The central dome is also huge and the entire monument is beautiful when lit up at night. Also, when visiting the Old Market, it’s impossible to miss the Sahaba Mosque. This is another relatively new mosque boasting the beautiful Ottoman architecture and an impressive light display
19- Soho Square Center.
This mall complex is home to some of Sharm el-Sheikh's top restaurant and café choices, as well as shops selling Egyptian craftwork and other souvenirs. In the evenings, Soho Square has a regular 'dancing fountain' display at its central fountain and plenty of various free family-friendly musical performances and entertainment. After dark, the mall complex bustles with vacationers.
20- Romantic Dinner Cruise
Visiting the Red Sea for your honeymoon? What better way to enjoy this one-of-a-kind place than a romantic dinner cruise? Many resorts can organize this for you but you also have the option of booking the Fantastic Cruise dinner online. This buffet dinner cruise is a popular option with travelers in Sharm because it includes live performances such as music, a magic show, and belly dancing.
21-Star Gazing In The Sinai Desert
Did you know that the Sinai Desert is one of the best places on earth for stargazing? That’s because apart from the relatively small resort towns on the coast, this desert region receives very little light pollution. A lot and a lot can be done in Sharm El-Sheikh, but we have reviewed for you the most important activities that you will definitely enjoy, and this video will be your reference and a guidebook for tourism in Sharm El-Sheikh. Save the video and subscribe to the channel to find everything that interests you about tourism in Egypt
Sharm El-Sheikh plays a strong role in political and economic meetings
Sharm is also home to a congress center, located along Peace Road, where international political and economic meetings have been held, including peace conferences, ministerial meetings, world bank meetings, and Arab League meetings.
The city has played host to a number of important Middle Eastern peace conferences, including the 4 September 1999 agreement to restore Palestinian self-rule over the Gaza Strip. A second summit was held at Sharm on 17 October 2000 following the outbreak of the second Palestinian intifada, but it failed to end the violence. A summit was held in the city on 3 August 2005 on developments in the Arab world, such as the situation in the Arab–Israeli conflict. Again in 2007, an important ministerial meeting took place in Sharm, where dignitaries discussed Iraqi reconstruction. The World Economic Forum on the Middle East was hosted by Sharm el-Sheikh in 2006 and 2008.
In addition to many international and regional conferences such as Egypt Economic Development Conference 2015, Arab Summit 2015 National Youth Conference 2016, World Youth Forum 2017, and finally, Sharm El Sheikh has consolidated its worldwide reputation by hosting the UN Climate Change Conference COP27 from 6th to 18th November this year. The Maritim Sharm El Sheikh International Congress Centre can host events and congresses for up to 4,700 participants.
what is the UN climate change conference (COP)?
United Nations climate change conferences have grown exponentially in size over the past two decades—from small working sessions into the largest annual conferences currently held under the auspices of the United Nations—and are now among the largest international meetings in the world. The governmental negotiations have likewise become inter-complex and involve an ever-increasing number of officials from governments all over the world, at all levels, as well as huge numbers of representatives from civil society and the global news media.
These conferences are the foremost global forums for multilateral discussion of climate change matters and have an incredibly busy schedule. The conferences, which rotate annually among the five United Nations regional groups, serve as the formal meetings of the Conference of the Parties (COP), the Conference of the Parties serves as the meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (CMP) and the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Paris Agreement (the CMA).
From 6 to 18 November, Heads of State, ministers, and negotiators, along with climate activists, mayors, civil society representatives and CEOs are meeting in the Egyptian coastal city of Sharm el-Sheikh for the largest annual gathering on climate action.
The 27th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change – COP27 – builds on the outcomes of COP26 to deliver action on an array of issues critical to tackling the climate emergency – from urgently reducing greenhouse gas emissions, building resilience, and adapting to the inevitable impacts of climate change, to delivering on the commitments to finance climate action in developing countries.
Faced with a growing energy crisis, record greenhouse gas concentrations, and increasing extreme weather events, COP27 seeks renewed solidarity between countries, to deliver on the landmark Paris Agreement, for people and the planet.
How Egypt Prepares to Host COP 27
On the way to COP27 in Sharm El-Sheikh, sustainability lies at the core of the ambitious and fair transition towards climate action in an effort to host a conference that represents the future we are all aspiring to. Egypt’s government mandated to use of renewable energy during the conference and developed the systems needed to rationalize energy consumption in both Cairo and Sharm El-Sheikh airports, International Conference Center, and hotels. Earlier, Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities revealed that 132 hotel establishments in Sharm El-Sheikh have obtained accreditation certifying that they use green practices. This is within the context of transforming Sharm El-Sheikh into an environmentally friendly city as part of the preparations for COP27. In addition, about 22 hotels obtained international certificates as green hotels whilst 64 hotels are in the process to have Green Star certificates. In addition, a continuous reviewing system is conducted by the country’s ministries for hygiene and safety measures at hotels. Noteworthy to highlight, the city’s hotels and tourist and government facilities will be operated by natural gas.
In preparation for the COP27, the Red Sea coastal city has also established 24 smart charging bus and car fueling stations to host a collection of 130 eco-friendly buses among them 50 operated using electrical energy and 85 using natural gas to transport the conference attendees through determined routes.
The information infrastructure in Sharm El-Sheikh has been well-developed to receive COP27 guests. Visits to follow up on the telecommunications infrastructure preparations in the city have been made by government officials to ensure the rendering of digital services, high-speed Internet access, and communication services in all hotels and tourist facilities welcoming COP27 participants. Moreover, a total of 104 hotels in Sharm El-Sheikh have been connected through a fiber-optic network.
Further, a mobile application for COP27 has been recently launched. Through the new application, participants can receive many health, tourism, and logistics services. Moreover, they can plan their trips, know COP27's latest news, and translate instructions or signs into their languages. The application also provides main emergency services and means of direct contact with customer service for visitors.
Egypt was able to prepare for this successful conference, with the testimony of all world leaders. Egypt was able to organize with its ability, its ability, and the provision of security. In addition to its distinguished location and good relations with all countries of the world. And you, what do you think? Does Egypt really deserve to host this conference? Is Sharm El Sheikh really a paradise in Egyptian land?
See for yourself and come to Egypt and visit more than 20 international tourist attractions not only Sharm El-Sheikh.
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