A family holiday in Sharm El Sheikh

Sharm El Sheikh is less pyramids and mummies and more sun, sea and sand. This seaside resort located on the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula is surrounded by the Red Sea on one side and Mount Sinai on the other

We arrived at night and driving from the airport to our hotel with the street illuminated by garish neon lights, I feared that this might not be the holiday I expected. But after checking into our hotel and having a look through the darkness at the waves crashing onto the moonlit sand and the hammocks swaying in the breeze, I was soon reassured.

The next day, the morning light revealed white sandy beaches and clear blue water and the girls were ready to jump right in. Sharm El Sheikh is one of the world’s best diving destinations and just ankle deep into the warm water of the Red Sea; we could already see some of the underwater life the area is famous for. Eager to see more, but unable to dive we took a glass bottom boat tour. In this submarine like vessel we were able to get up close and personal with exotic fish, magnificent corals and spectacular underwater flora.

The glass bottom boat tour inspired my husband to look into diving courses with PADI. Our holiday in Sharm El Sheikh was not going to be long enough for him to take a full course, but the dive center was offering mini sessions in the hotel pool as a way to introduce and entice people to “dive” into the full courses. My husband was sold and recently received his certification and can’t wait to return to Sharm El Sheikh to dive.

My husband might have been interested in diving opportunities, but I’d heard a lot about the shopping and was eager to see what was on offer. Sharm Old Market is said to have great bargains but I was so intimidated by the forceful nature of the shop owners that I didn’t stay long, opting instead for the more modern Naama Bay Shopping Center, though the shop owners there were just as intimidating.

Before we arrived at the resort, we planned to take an excursion to St. Catherine’s Monastery where it is believed Moses received the Ten Commandments. Once at the resort, however, we didn’t want to leave, especially to go 
somewhere 230 kilometers away with little kids. Instead we decided to see what activities where available close to the hotel. A half-kilometer we spotted Noos Karting and though I must admit, I’m not a fan of go-karting; the site of the large King Tut sitting in the racecar in the front of the establishment was too much to resist. Turns out this is one of the best karting facilities around with a track designed according to specified standards of the Commission of International Karting. I would have never imagined I’d be karting on my beach holiday, but it proved to be an enjoyable and memorable outing.

Our last day was spent on the beach, snorkeling in the shallow water, combing the beach for seashells and swinging in the hammock we saw swaying in the breeze on that first night. A perfect ending to our beach holiday.