Sharm el-Sheikh & Na’ama Bay

For many thousands of its happy visitors, the area is known simply as “Sharm”, but it’s actually a collection of attractions with differing personalities. The town’s name first appears on maps as long ago as the eighteenth century, but, until two centuries later, it was a small fishing village which few people knew.


For language students (and people who like to win quiz nights) you might like to know that in Arabic the word sharm means “bay” and el sheikh means a wise old man.  It is now a hugely popular year-round resort which is hot and sunny in the summer, but still warm and very pleasant when European winters can be very depressing! The great thing is that, whatever you’re looking for on holiday, you’ll find it here; whether it’s the natural wonders of land and sea, sun and relaxation, or night-life with the energy of the world’s best! The area consists of downtown Sharm el-Maya, busy Na’ama Bay and Sharks’ Bay further up the coast. Sharm el-Sheikh is the most popular resort in South Sinai and a perfect base from which to explore the region’s stunning coastline and rugged interior. You can dive, snorkel or simply paddle in the waters of the Red Sea at Ras Um Sid, Turtle Bay and the Strait of Tiran. It is the superb diving which has given the waters around here their worldwide reputation, and it is frequently voted as the best diving site in the world by the experts who know these things. Because of this, the  range and quality of dive sites, boats and professional instructors are superb. Even if you have never tried it before, take the plunge (so to speak) and try snorkelling or scuba diving – you’ll be in very safe hands and, like many people, may find a hobby which lasts a life-time.Take a camel trek into the desert to visit Bedouin villages, mystical oases and the mangrove forests of Nabq. Or stay in Sharm, sample world-class international cuisine at one of the restaurants on the beach and dance the night away at the resort’s discos and nightclubs. Above all, it’s the value for money which attracts millions of happy visitors.