Sharm El Sheikh Travel Forum

Hey guys..

I been searching everywhere for answers but cant seem to find what i want so i thought ask the pubic and hope for the best :)

Well here goes -

Me and my girlfriend are going to Sharm and staying the Jaz Mirabel Beach on the 3rd July for 2 weeks and i was hopeing i would be able to get some honest answers and advice on the hotel and Sharm itself please..

Heres a few things i would like to know..

Whats the food like and any recomendations?

Whats drinks are better than other drinks? (cocktails, spirits, beers, etc)

How much for the mini bar in the rooms?

Whats the Private beach like, i hear you have to wear shoes on there as its horriable??

We are going snorkling in the Blue Hole and hoping to do some scuba Diving aswell, do you have to buy the equpitment to do this? Also whats its like?

Were also going to Cario and Luxor, we have already paid and booked them up through the travel agents, do we need a visa if so how much? Also any info on them places would be great.

We were thinking about going Petra but not sure what to expect or what there is there, so info please..

Anything else that you think is relevant please fill me in..

Many Thanks

DM

I have never been to Sharm, only saw the bus station on our way through....

But I still can answer xome of your questions.

About drinks..... Egypt has some local brands of beer and wine. They are not very high standard but not bad also. Stay away from the local liquor, called Johnny Talker and such, they are pure poison!

On some beaches you want to wear water shoes because of the corals and rocks. Nothing special. The Blue Hole is awesome for snorkeling, but a hazard for diving. It is a dangerous place and many people has lost their life there, as a memory plaque near the beach shows. Don't dive there without experienced divers to accompany you. Do get your own gear! They have snorkeling gear for free near the Blue Hole, but quality is bad and.... do you want to have a mouth piece in your mouth that is used by dozens of other people?????

It is a shame you already booked your trip to Cairo and Luxor. You could have saved yourself some bucks if you did it in Sharm with some local travel agents. You do need the visa for Cairo and Luxor. Get it at the airport after arrival. Any bankdesk will sell it for 15$ (or the equivalent in your own currency: about 10 gbp). Your travel agent will force you to buy it with their reps for twice the actual price! Be warned.

Thank you for that, very helpful.

I have made a mistake we have booked Cairo but not Luxor, Cairo costs us £180 each and were going by air..

Also i heard that there is a Duty Free place in Sharm where they stamp your passport and you get drink, ciggys and other stuff on duty free, you wouldnt know anything about that would you?

How much does it cost to get your own stuff?

You can get the visa's at the airport when we land right? The people arnt difficult to find ot anything?

Do you have any info on how good Cairo and Luxor are? Also what to expect? I have heard alot about Cairo but nothing about Luxor..

I don't know about a duty free place in Sharm. Maybe someone else can inform you about that. General rule is that within 24 hours after arrival you are allowed to buy duty free products such as liquor.

Bank desks are easy to find. I don't know about Sharm but in Cairo they are next to the picket lines before passport control.

I assume you booked a 1 day trip to Cairo. Usualy it means a visit to the Pyramids, lunch and the Museum. And be prepared to visit a perfume and/or carpet shop. It is inevitable: the driver of your car will get paid for stopping there, while your tourguide will get a hefty percentage of what is bought. It is extra income for them, you see...

Luxor is famous for its historical sites: Karnak and Luxor Tempel, Valley of Kings with the tombs of the Pharao's. Tomb of Tut anch Amun f.i. King Tut is burried there again and you can go see the mummy, but it will cost you extra! There is also the Valley of Queens and Nobles. Burriel Tempel of Queen Hatschepsut in Deir el Bahari, Workers Village in Deir el Medina and several other Tempels on the West Bank.