Flights to Sharm el-Sheikh delayed/cancelled

worried_jim

Very true about Sharm- I am home safe by the way, more about this later.

It is mainly AI resorts and most tourists never venture out of the complexes. We stayed in Nabq bay and would spend most evenings in the vicinity of the Hard Rock Cafe (biggest gay bar in Egypt- if you needed to know!)

We would often spend several hours in a Bar above (Viva) above Mcdonalds/KFC opposite a shopping centre and we could be the only customers all evening, the shopping center could be deserted and the fast food places cook your food to order to bring it to your table- just like a restaurant as they are so quite.

You would get the odd Russian in Mcdonalds but never in the bar but you do get a lot diving from the dive charters (charter owners aren't too keen on them when you chat to them, a distinct lack of manners). - which is a miracle as 95% cant swim!

I absolutely agree that Sharm is the hottest cheapest place you can go to due to the excellent value of AI.

We stayed in a Villa (for the second time) so get to see Sharm form a different view- the whole place is a sh thole! The resorts are nice but once you venture out is is like the complete middle east and one big dump- rubbish every where and mountains of building slag just dumped in the desert. Unfinished buildings everywhere as all the land is bought with out licence from the Bedouin so you have to start building on it instantly after purchase to stop the government confiscating it- if there are 300 hotels in Sharm then 150 of them are unfinished and unlikely to ever be finished.

However, once you are in your grounds/hotel/villa it is hot, sunny (although it did rain once and it bought the place to its knees) and most of all cheap. The service and friendliness is very good as well. I have been holidaying in various middle east countries since the 1990's and this has been the first real issue I have ever encountered.

Due to the airport issue and it was a dreadful experience but a lot safer I don't think we will return. If someone could recommend me a villa with pool that sleeps 10-12 that isn't in a Muslim country I would appreciate it as need to plan for next year and the nervous flyer in our group wont go through this again.

Great shame for Sharm and Egypt but they have 100% bought this on them selves.

Doshwaster

dawyldthing wrote: »

I'm not a big fan of all inclusive as it only benefits the fat cats at the top with a pile it high and sell it cheap approach

Neither am I but I can understand that they are attractive to some people especially those on a fixed budget or with young families. Personally, when I'm away I only use the hotel for sleeping - I'm out and about exploring the local area for all my waking hours.

mick_vandick

they have 100% bought this on them selves

Really? So the fact that the UK checked the airport 10 months before and deemed it safe doesn't count?
Did Paris bring it on themselves too?
Or maybe the USA on 9/11?

Sharm is not nice or pretty outside of the main Sharm area but that is because nobody goes outside the main Sharm area. It is a purpose built resort, not one that you would book to explore the Sinai or Egypt as there are better resorts to do this.

There is a lot of building work taking place in Nabq at the moment but there are not a lot of unfinished hotels in the other areas. Some of the sites are close to completion like the new Radisson Blu Lagoon and some are a work in progress like the City Stars huge development.

PompeyPete

mick_vandick wrote: »

Really? So the fact that the UK checked the airport 10 months before and deemed it safe doesn't count?

Never had an Health & safety Inspection?
They rarely happen without any notice.
Everything is done according to 'the book' for a few days before the inspection, and during it.
On completion, slack routines become the norm again.

Baksheesh in Egypt is common place and often the only way to get things done. For the right price that means almost anything.
I believe that even after the air incident over Sinai, Baksheesh was still going on at Sharm Airport.

worried_jim

PompeyPete wrote: »

I believe that even after the air incident over Sinai, Baksheesh was still going on at Sharm Airport.

It was still going on on Tuesday afternoon!