Our Hotel
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| one of the great views walking the grounds of our hotel |
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| this room was nice and spacious with 2 queen beds, two closets, a sitting area, and a swim up pool outside of the sliding doors. |
The Beach
Our hotel had a private beach with plenty of lounge chairs and beach umbrellas for shade. You may notice that the water appears to be two distinctly different shades of blue. The light blueish green water is shallow. The deep blue water is where the reef drops. That meant that this was also a nice location for snorkeling along the coral reef.
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| the mountains visible in this photo is actually an island called Tiran Island |
Quad Bike Excursion at Sunset
This took place in the desert with the mountains as our backdrop.
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| we are wearing scarves and sunglasses because the quad bikes kick up lots of dust while driving |
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| my friend and travel buddy Nikita |
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| sunset |
Excursion #2- Snorkeling
The water was a beautiful clear blue. The fish were colorful and varied along the coral reefs. The temperature was very high, but that was forgivable on a moving boat with the fresh sea breeze.
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| pictured with our snorkel guide |
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| notice all the jellyfish behind us. I never quite got used to feeling them brush against my arms or legs. |
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| screen shot of the day's forecast-it was the hottest day of the trip |
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| mountain views from the boat |
Overall, this trip was GREAT! We had a good balance of activity and relaxation. We met some interesting people. We met at least 10 guys named Mohamed because that name along with Ahmed and Mustafa seemed to be the most common name in the country. This is not an exaggeration! We bartered with men working in shops because we know they were trying to overcharge the foreigners. This is a common conversation while walking along a strip of shops:
Salesguy: Hello, Sister! You my color. (pointing to his arm and referencing our skin color) Welcome. I give you good price
Me: (after observing souvenir item) How much for this?
Salesguy: Where you from?
Me: I want the price first. Don't change it because of where I'm from
They would quote a price that was at least triple the value. I would offer a much lower price. We would meet somewhere in the middle.
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| we had delicious grilled fish one night at a local market |
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| Naama Bay- a local shop and restaurant spot |
The best part of this trip may have been the price! Everyone likes to get a great deal. I am on a mission to eliminate debt in my life, so budget is really important to me. Sharm El Shiekh is very affordable. Although Egypt has fairly cheap accommodation in general, part of this is influenced by a plane crash in October of 2015 which was linked to possible terrorism. Sharm El Sheikh has traditionally been a very popular resort destination for British and Russian tourist. Because of that plane crash, tourism from the UK and Russia has reduced dramatically. During our stay, we mostly saw tourist from Arab nations such as Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. We did not ever feel unsafe in the time that we were there. Here are some figures from my budget:
5 night hotel with complimentary breakfast and 3 meals for two at the resort- $328 USD
This means that my half was $164 USD
Quad Bike and Snorkel Excursion- $68/person
Flight from Kuwait to Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt- $239 USD
In addition, I spent about $150 on meals, transportation, a wifi router, and a couple of souvenirs
This makes a grand total of $607.00 which was slightly over my budget of $600.
I recommend this destination as a place to enjoy natural beauty and relaxation. Although I never felt unsafe, I also recommend checking travel advisories before planning a trip since this location is still linked to threats of terrorism. I imagine that it would be a perfect addition to a vacation to Cairo, Egypt. I look forward to returning in the future!
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