Egypt’s Red Sea has some of the best scuba diving in the world, and people come from everywhere to explore the underwater wonders. In particular, Sharm el-Sheikh ― the City of Peace ― is where tourists from all around the world come to spend an unforgettable vacation of their dreams.
Sharm el-Sheikh: high life on the beach, in the city, and under water
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Exotic scenery in Sharm el-Sheikh (Egypt Tourism Authority) |
Sharm el-Sheikh is located at the southern edge of the Sinai Peninsula. With sunshine and warm waters all year round, Sharm el-Sheikh is the ideal destination where you can soak up sun, dive amazing corals reefs, and enjoy the sea any time you need a break from routine.
The climate is lovely and sunny almost all year long, and the city is endowed with turquoise-blue water, coral reefs and distinctive types of fish. Besides a variety of land and water sports, visitors can just lie down and enjoy the warm sun on the fine white sand beaches or hotel swimming pools.
Tony Blair, a former prime minister of the United Kingdom comes here to enjoy diving and snorkeling, and the French president, Nicolas Sarkozy and his wife spent his vacation in Sharm el-Sheikh. Let’s explore one of the perfect holiday destinations in the world!
Sharm el-Sheikh: best holiday spot in Egypt
It has everything - a superb climate, stunning views, friendly people and excellent value for money.
Sharm has wide a range of hotels that are lined up along Sharm Peace Road and different bays; most of them are at a walking distance from the main, Naama bay. And the comprehensive dining and entertainment scene, a stimulating symbiosis of exclusive restaurants, bars and cafes, discos and nightclubs, guarantee culinary enjoyment and amusement till the early morning.
You can also head to Sharm for a wellness and pampering holiday; the town is home to Egypt’s most famous and professional spas in Egypt.
Unique scenery harmonized with desert and sea
Sharm el-Sheikh boasts the widest array of fun, exciting and dynamic water and extreme sports: diving, snorkeling, sailing, wind and kite-surfing, even you can even try sky diving or parachuting from a helicopter on your holiday.
Explore the Ras Mohammed National Park which probably represents some of the most famous diving sites in the Red Sea. You’ll observe an unperceived abundance of hard and soft corals, as well as big schools of tunas, barracudas, jackfish and even sharks. The wreckage of the SS Thistlegorm, which was a British armed Merchant Navy ship sunk in the Second World War, is a popular place for divers.
You can also enjoy an exciting camel ride in the desert, or a dining experience with a Bedouin family, where you can get introduced to their different customs and traditions. You can easily book trips to nearby Sinai desert and discover the amazing St. Catherine Monastery or the majestic Sinai Mountains.
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Beautiful coral reefs and fish under the Red Sea |
Hurghada and El Gouna: the cradle of holiday tourism for swimming and diving
This former fishing village, about 400 kilometers south of Suez, became a booming tourism destination on the west coast of the Red Sea in the space of a single generation. Today, it offers ideal conditions for all kinds of water sports, as well as miles and miles of pristine coastline with quality accommodation, restaurants and entertainment to suit all tastes. Even the most experienced of international travelers will be delighted by Hurghada’s beach scene and lively nightlife. A wide variety of attractions, including the sea aquarium, panorama submarine ride, and two superb golf courses mean that Hurghada truly has something for everyone. Well worth a day-trip are the offshore islands and the inland desert mountains.
Lying just 20 kilometers north of Hurghada, the modern holiday resort of El Gouna, developed from scratch as a holiday paradise, is the perfect destination for tranquil family vacations or long-term stays. This small but cosmopolitan city, conjured out of the desert sand in a harmonious mixture of architectural traditions, drawing upon some of the architects, has been internationally acclaimed for its environmentally friendly operations.
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The great sphinx of Giza |
Explore ancient cradle of civilization
Along this wondrous Nile River, an advanced civilization blossomed 5000 years ago, one of the earliest flowerings of civilization. The traces of this mighty civilization, buildings and statues of unparalleled monumentality and splendor, border the river valley for more than a thousand kilometers, from the fertile Delta region and the glorious harbor of Alexandria in the north, past the great, historic urban center of Cairo on the Giza plateau, to ancient capitals of Luxor and Aswan in the far south. In front of such scenery, a Nile cruise becomes a journey of personal discovery, through a land whose grace and gloriously old fashioned contemplativeness nourishes one’s imagination and touches the heart.
Cairo: Egypt’s vivacious capital
Cairo is the friendly and safest city in the world and welcomes all of tourists. Cairo is one of the world’s largest urban areas and offers many sites to visit. It is the administrative capital of Egypt and, closes by, is almost every Egypt Pyramid, such as the Great Pyramids of Giza on the very edge of the city. There are also ancient temples, tombs, gorgeous Christian churches, magnificent Muslim monuments, and of course, the Egyptian Museum all either within or nearby to the city. Modern-day Cairo is a dynamic business hub, with a lively arts scene and a world renowned opera house, exquisite shopping, and contemporary museums, and a trendy food and nightclub scene.
The sacred heart of ancient Egypt: Luxor and the West Bank
The start and climax of every journey to Upper Nile is the small town of Luxor. The magnificent columned halls in the temple of Karnak, which for many centuries functioned as the country’s central sanctuary of the god Amun, leave visitors in awe. Over the river in the various valleys of the Necropolis of Thebes, one is overwhelmed by the gigantic size and spiritual devotion of the mortuary temples of rulers such as Ramses II or III, and Queen Hatshepsut. One of these valleys, the spectacular Valley of the Kings, where the glorious rulers of the New Kingdom were laid to rest more than 3,000 years ago.
Cruises on the Nile
The beauty of the Upper Nile Valley, in the far south of Egypt, is best appreciated from the deck of a cruise ship. The bucolic riverside scenery passes by in wide-screen cinemascope, delighting the viewer. In between, on occasional landward excursions, the visitor takes in various Pharaonic sites of interest, passing Esna, Edfu and Kom Ombo by The route between Aswan and Luxor. A romantic alternative for adventurers is the overnight journey on board a Felucca, a traditional sailing boat, from Aswan down the Nile to Edfu and/or Esna.
General travel information
By air: Korean Air operates three flights a week between Cairo and Seoul via Tashkent and Cairo, Alexandria and Luxor are connected via Doha or Dubai or Abu Dhabi by other Middle East airlines. Egypt Air is the main domestic carrier.
Climate: The climate is moderate all year around. Midsummer can be hot, but is rarely humid. Winter is generally sunny and pleasant, but temperatures fall at night, especially in the desert.
Travel dress: In summer, you only need light cotton clothing, a hat, sun cream and sunglasses. In winter a sweater is recommended. While there is no explicit dress code in the cities, women will feel more comfortable if they do not wear shorts or leave their shoulders uncovered.
Visa: To enter Egypt you need a valid passport and a visa. There are two types of visas for business and visit. If you want to get it before the trip, you can get from the Embassy of Egypt in Seoul. Also, you can have a tourist visa which is valid for one month at Cairo International Airport.
