A Guide to Cheap Holidays in Sharm el Sheikh

Getting to and around Sharm el Sheikh cheaply

If you're staying in the main tourist area of Na'ama Bay, then everything you need is only a short walk away therefore keeping it nice and cheap! If you want to travel further afield, then a taxi is your best option.

Always agree a price beforehand and ask at your hotel for a rough guide of how much taxi’s should cost. If you've organised a diving trip, then the dive centre will normally pick you up and drop you off again which is definitely the cheaper option.

Beaches in Sharm el Sheikh

The majority of the big hotels have their own strip of private beach, while the public beach at Ras Um Sid is fairly narrow. If you want better-quality beaches, there are several small but stunning sandy stretches in the nearby Ras Muhammad National Park, including Quay Beach, Yolanda Beach and the imaginatively named Main Beach.

Low-cost sightseeing in Sharm el Sheikh

Sharm el-Sheikh isn't big on cultural attractions and the main reason for a visit to the resort is to experience some of the world's best scuba diving, again in the Ras Muhammad National Park. The park's nutrient-rich waters attract tons of marine life and you can dive on sites such as Jackfish Alley, Shark Reef and Yolanda Reef all at excellent prices.

If you're not into your diving, you could hike up to the 2,285 metre-high summit of Mount Sinai, where God was said to have delivered his Ten Commandments to Moses. It's a spectacular place to watch the sun rise.

A great way to escape the resort for the day, and have a mini holiday from your holiday, is to charter your very own yacht. Visit Hurghada, explore the Gulf of Suez or head up the coast along the Tiran Strait. You're the boss, so you can decide exactly how long or short you want your trip to be. Alternatively, many hotels offer cheap day trips to Cairo by plane.

Eating cheaply on Holiday in Sharm el Sheikh

Many of the hotels have lots of western-style food. The resort is dotted with cheap pizzerias, fast-food outlets, international restaurants offering Chinese, Indian and Mexican food, plus recognisable names such as McDonald's, Hard Rock Cafe and Pizza Hut.

If you do fancy trying some of the local cuisine, get yourself a meze platter, a selection of small dishes. These might include falafel (fried chickpea balls), sambusac (pastry stuffed with meat), pitta break dipped in houmus and koftas (spiced meat kebabs). The seafood is normally excellent, and for dessert try the deliciously sweet and sticky pastries known as baklava.

Most of the action can be found at the neon-lit Na'ama Bay. If clubbing's your thing, try The Bus Stop and the world-renowned Pascha, which is open every night of the year. One place where you won't struggle for your own spot at the bar is at Little Buddha. This sushi bar and nightclub has the longest bar in the Middle East.

Cheap Shopping and Family Attractions in Sharm el Sheikh

There's a big commercial centre in Na'ama Bay with lots of new shops that cater for tourists, but for real bargains head for Sharm el-Sheikh's Old Market (which isn't actually that old). This market offers a great range of cheap fakes!
Gold and silver jewellery, hieroglyphic drawings, woodwork, copperware, ceramics, baskets, clothing, papyrus illustrations, perfumes, traditional musical instruments, leather goods and perfumes are all good buys, as long as you're prepared to haggle.

Enjoy a four-wheel drive, quad-bike or cheap camel ride in the desert for a day or half-day tour. Ramping up over the massive sand dunes is as good as any theme-park rollercoaster and you can also watch the sun rise or set behind the nearby mountains.

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