Egypt Red Sea Riviera Top Ten

World class diving, spruce, modern resorts and easy-access to some of the country's best historic monuments. Little wonder the sandy beaches of Egypt's Red Sea coast are fast becoming the hottest destinations for those seeking guaranteed sun, year round. Our advice - visit soon because, by the look of some of the skeletal buildings and 'plot reserved' signs, these resorts could all but lose their appeal within the next ten years or so, as mega-complexes and second-home investors steal the region of its wind-blown, Laurence-of-Arabia appeal.

Even now, some modern developments in Sharm have little connection to 'Arabia' and practically no indigenous culture to explore. That said, Egypt is a fascinating country, and Egyptians a warm and welcoming people. Here are our top ten sights along the Red Sea.

 

 

1.Hurghada Town

Address: Hurghada Town, Egypt
which, despite everything, manages to hold onto its vibrant, authentic atmosphere. Bars bustle along Main street and bazaars are always full of life, their trinkets glimmering in the sunlight. While here, the into downtown Most developments have risen from the sands stretching away from Hurghada's suburbs. If this is your base you must make a daytrip to Hurghada Marine Biology Museum is worth a look. There's a strong emphasis on conservation, and lots of colourful little Nemos for the kids to point at, excitedly.

2.Hurghada Nightlife

Address: Hurghada Town, Egypt
Hurghada's nightlife is getting better and better. The new Hed Kandi club is hard to resist. Long, low sofas spill out onto the beach, blissful beats create an ambient soundscape and cocktails up the sociability factor. Wonderful.  They say 'The Red Sea is the new White Island'. Not yet, maybe, but you get the feeling that anything's possible here. Along Kamel Morsi street is where most of the resort's better bars can be found.

3.Desert Safari

The Eastern Desert is only 100 or so miles wide but, as you'll see if you take a Jeep Safari, it feels very, very lonely just a few miles inland fromHurghada . Here you can visit a Bedouin camp (actually, it's part camp, part tourist attraction, but the tribe is very real, and exists thanks to the income it receives from tourists), take a camel ride, clamber up the hills for an unforgettable sunset, and enjoy a delicious feast. Just don't eat too much, as the Jeep ride back to tarmac is incredibly bumpy!

4.Sharm el Sheikh

Address: Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt
Located at the southernmost point of the spectacular Sinai Peninsular, with the purple-hued Red Sea mountains providing a rugged backdrop, Sharm is an unashamedly purpose-built, modern holiday resort - aimed squarely at the medium-haul sun-and-fun market.  So, expect mega all-inclusive resorts, air -conditioned malls, jewellery and Egyptian cotton merchants, cool clubs and excellent water-sports. Just don't expect anything remotely cultural, authentic or old. Twenty years ago, there was nothing here. Literally. So, if your holiday tick-list includes a flutter in a casino, a dive expedition and night spent at terrace bars enjoying vaguely Arabian food and spirited conversation with German gap-year students, this is the spot for you.

5.Nightlife in Sharm

Address: Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt
Surprisingly, Egypt can do nightlife. And, in Sharm, it's really quite convincing. Cosmopolitan even. Pacha is a huge, openair pleasure palace, with pumping PAs attracting a mixed crowd all night long. Hotels offer belly dancing shows, sufi dancing (at Fantasia) and rock at Hard Rock Café, Bus Stop and Mojo's. Smoking Shisha, the Egyptian water pipe, is almost obligatory after a drink or two. Try apple or fruit salad if it's your first time and you don't want to forget where your hotel is.

6.Shopping in Sharm

Address: Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt
With everything from fake papyrus scrolls to genuine gems, shopping in Sharm el Sheikh is colourful, if a bit of a contest (shopkeepers are keen to attract your attention, often assailing you on the pavement as you walk by. The usual opening line 'Where you from?' is the start of a protracted dance aimed at getting you inside their store) - jewellery, perfume, clothes and trinkets are all good value, though, so it's definitely worth relenting and taking a peek. The prices, however, vary wildly. Haggle. Expect to get whatever you want for at least half of the asking price. The Old market is a fascinating hotch-potch of stalls selling ironware, pottery and fabrics. At the huge Naama Centre you can buy gifts of a finer quality, including exquisite rugs, fine clothing and delicate glassware. Dahab, about an hour away, is the best place for a bargain, especially if you're after exquisite Egyptian cotton, silver, leather and incense.

7.Diving and Snorkeling

Wherever you're based, you'll have no trouble finding excellent reefs and PADI diving schools although, increasingly, snorkelling is confined to deeper waters, a half-hour boat trip from the beach. Giftun Island, an easy half-day excursion from Hurghada and Makadi, is a reef island close to some excellent snorkeling spots. Handily, it also has a beach bar and restaurant. At Sharm, diving is sensational. The vertical walls of Ras Mohammed, and the wrecks of Sha'ab Abu Nuhas make excellent day trips while overnight excursions to The Brothers and Zabargad islands are are for experts only. Neighbouring Shark's Bay and Um Sid offer equally thrilling reefs either end of Sharm, with expeditions for beginners and intermediates alike. 

8.Eating Out in Hurghada and Sharm

Address: Hurghada and Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt
Hurghada's ultra-all inclusive resorts don't leave a lot of time (or room) to explore the town's interesting array of restaurants. Which is a shame. Main Street and Kamel Morsi Street (in Downtown Hurghada) are both lined with excellent restaurants offering juicy steaks, excellent seafood and tasty Arabian dishes such as babaganoush, tabbuleh and sweet, nutty baclava. Egyptian kebabs are wonderful - with chunks of tender lamb marinaded in onion, marjoram, and lemon juice. Sharm's eating options are no less varied (if a little less authentic). Buffets are common, but here too you'll find more-or-less convincing takes on Italian, Indian and Chinese. Most places cater for children, with special menus and delicious fruit cocktails. Better, and cheaper, meals can be found in Old Sharm - where seafood, especially, is excellent.

9.El Gouna

Address: El Gouna, Egypt
Very new, polished and planned, El Gouna enjoys ten kilometres of beachfront,  stylish resorts and great golf courses. Out in the Red Sea lies a string of islands linked by clear, emerald lagoons - which is why this stunning spot is so popular as a weddings destination.  Diving and surfing are top notch too. On land, El Gouna's 18-hole USPGA Golf Course, go-karts circuit, air-conditioned malls and Mediterranean-meets-Arabia dining compete for your attention. By night, Kafra El Gouna - the buzzing heart of the resort - is alive with bars, restaurants and Shisha-joints. The recently opened El Gouna Museum at least shows that the tourist authorities are trying to inject a little culture.Exhibits focus on ancient Egyptian history and art, with interactive computer displays and faithful reproductions of the country's treasures.

10.Shark's Bay

Address: Shark's Bay, Egypt
Shark's Bay is a busy suburb of Sharm el Sheikh, with smart nightclubs, elegant hotels, and a broad, illuminated promenade. This strip of coast, running north from Sharm through to Ras Um Sid, Na'ama Bay and Shark's Bay is one continuous, neon-lit procession of restaurants, bars, shopping malls and diving schools. At night, Na'ama Bay's Cactus disco is one of the coolest places to hang out - where you'll find young revellers from across Europe and the Middle East, drinks in hand, dancing to western beats. You feel like you're a million miles away from the Egypt of pharaohs and pyramids. But, maybe that's the point.

Photographs courtesy of Egyptian Tourist Board