Sharm El Sheikh - the divers paradise

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	Choose Destination > Egypt (Red Sea) > Sharm El Sheikh

Sharm El Sheikh can be divided into several areas...
(from right side to left side of above map)

- Nabq Bay: This would be off the right side of the map, beyond the airport. A quiet area with good views over to Tiran Island. This is a long way from Na'ama Bay though, at least half an hour drive. Not really suitable for divers, due to its distance from the dive centres that we use.
- White Knight bay: Named after the dive site and home to the Four Seasons & Meridien Hotels. Good snorkelling, but quite far from Na'ama Bay. Taxi journey to Na'ama Bay would be about 25 minutes.
- Sharks Bay: You'd have to be very lucky to see sharks here now, but it is a nice location for hotels. Not that close to Na'ama Bay though - about 20 minutes by taxi.
- Na'ama Bay: The heart of Sharm. This long sandy bay was where the first hotel appeared in the early 80's. The development is now complete and the seafront boasts a beautiful paved walkway following the full sweep of the bay. Na'ama Bay is busy and bustling, and where most of the shops, bars and restuarants are to be found; great if you often want to be out in the evenings. Beach at the front of the bay is popular with sun-bathers but keen snorkellers would be better off elsewhere.

Above: View accross Na'ama Bay.

Sharm Hotels
4* Tivoli Hotel, B&B basis. Ras Um Sid.
4* Falcon Inn Viva Sharm, B&B basis. Ras Um Sid.
4* Sol Verginia, H/B basis. Ras Um Sid.
4* Bay View Hotel, B&B basis. Na'ama Bay.
4* Rosetta Hotel, B&B basis. Na'ama Bay.
4* New Tiran Hotel, B&B basis. Na'ama Bay.
4* Novotel Coralia, B&B basis. Na'ama Bay.
4* Sierra Hotel, All-incl. Sharks Bay.
4* Grand Oasis Resort, All-incl. Nabq Bay.
5* Grand Azure Resort, All-incl. Nabq Bay.
5* Hilton Waterfalls, B&B basis. Ras Um Sid.
5* Hilton Dreams, B&B basis. Na'ama Bay.
5* Hilton Fayrouz, B&B basis. Na'ama Bay.
4*+ Hilton Sharks Bay, All-Incl. Sharks Bay.
5* Sofitel Coralia, B&B basis. Na'ama Bay.
5* Savoy Hotel, B&B basis. Sharks Bay.
5* Hyatt Regency, B&B basis. Na'ama Bay.

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- Ras Um Sid and Hadaba: Ras Um Sid is at the tip of a small peninsula of land. The middle area of the peninsula is known as Hadaba. A popular areas for hotels, but not so much in the way of night life here. However, a taxi to Na'ama Bay takes about 10 minutes and costs approx £3. The snorkelling at Ras Um Sid is very good.
- Sharm El Maya: The bay on the left side of the map is the original old town area of Sharm. The market is great for those holiday bargains - far cheaper than Na'ama. The area is quieter with limited night life. Taxi to Na'ama Bay is about 15 minutes.

Na'ama Bay pedestrianised street. By day... and by night.

View weather forecast for Sharm El Sheikh.




The diving: Sharm is dived by day boat, where you go out in the morning and return in the afternoon, having done two dives (a third is optional). Lunch is available onboard (its very good!) and soft drinks and water are available. Dive sites/Areas: There are many local sites all within 20 minutes boat journey from the jetty. These are sites such as the Temple, Ras Um Sid & White Knight. At the tip of the Sinai you have the marine park of Ras Mohammed, with sites such as Yolanda Reef and Shark Reef. North of Sharm is the Straits of Tiran with four reefs. Also from Sharm are some specialist sites such as the wrecks of the Dunraven & Thistlegorm. Read on for detailed descriptions...


RAS MOHAMMED MARINE PARK Translated from Arabic it means 'Mohammed's Head', translated from diving talk it means 'Wall Dive'. The sheer drops from the reef tables are home to a wealth of marine life, combining reef dwellers with those of the deep blue. Well known dive sites like Yolonda Reef, Shark Observatory, Stingray Alley and Anemone City can offer sightings of grey and black-tip sharks, stingrays, grouper, Napoleon Wrasse & barracuda along with many other smaller reef species. The area is also home to a varied amount of soft and hard corals.

	STRAITS OF TIRAN Sandwiched between Tiran Island and the Sinai coast, the straits

	are made up of four main reefs, named after those that mapped them; Woodhouse, Thomas, Gordon and Jackson. The abundance of plankton in the straits, combined with the wide variety of coral and attendant fish inhabitants means encounters with sharks is a distinct possibility. Dolphins are also quite commonly sighted. The profusion of coral is another plus of this area providing gorgonian fans, sea whips, antler, stony and black corals amongst others. The Straits are the only sea route to the ports of Aqaba and Eilat, and many ships have met their fate on the shallow reefs in this area.

	WRECKS FROM SHARM The most famous Red Sea wreck is the S.S. Thistlegorm which was bombed during World War 2. This British army supply ship is a 'Pandora's Box' laden with military cargo destined for Montgomery's North Africa campaign. She was hit by a German bomber and sank on the 6th October 1941. The mid-section which sustained the blast is badly damaged, but further aft the bridge section is complete, with captains bathroom. The cargo includes a steam locomotive with rolling stock, trucks, motorcycles and munitions plus numerous other ordinance supplies. Other wrecks in the area include the steamboat Dunraven. An English steam and sail powered cargo ship which was en route from Bombay to Newcastle, when it sunk in March 1876. The hull, which is cracked in the middle, has many large holes that make it a perfect wreck for penetration dives. The propeller and masts can still be seen, and along with other surface areas, are caked with impressive soft corals.


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