Perched on the tippiest tip of southern Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula, the vibrant seaside city of Sharm el-Sheikh is a must-see spot. If adventure is what you seek, this is your place; think incredible diving sites, snorkelling, windsurfing, camel riding and deserts safaris all on its doorstep. Sharm is packed full of fun for families.
Here are our top tips for the perfect family holiday:
WHAT
Perfectly situated along a whopping sixty kilometres of stunning white sandy coastline, Sharm el-Sheikh is Egypt's most popular holiday resort. The main attraction, of course, is the Red Sea, teeming with colourful and richly diverse marine life. It's enough to get even the most reluctant swimmer in the water for a spot of snorkelling. Authentic Egyptian culture can be found in Sharm's Arab bazaars and local shops where holidaymakers can pick up traditional jewellery, lather goods, clothes and pottery. For local excursions, a must-see is St Catherine's Monastery at the foot of Mount Sinai, while further afield you can visit the Pyramids and Sphinx at Giza, and the tombs and temples at Luxor. A submarine trip to experience the incredible under water world is a must-do with children.
GET THERE
Fly direct from Dublin to Sharm el Sheikh Airport with a flying time of 5 hours 30 minutes.
STAY AT
Coral Sea Waterworld Hands down the best choice in the area for families looking for great waterpark entertainment. Home to a SplashWorld water park, guests enjoy free and unlimited access to jaw-dropping body slides like Masterblasters, scream-if-you-want-to-go-faster speed slides, and a scaled-down version of the park for little ones. With its beachside location each of the bright and spacious rooms have stunning garden, pool or sea views. And as for food and drink, you’ve got everything from a buffet restaurant with a different theme every night, to a beachside Bedouin tent serving shisha and Turkish coffee. To find out more, click
here.
Holiday Village Red Sea This beachfront resort is a real beauty. With a fabulous choice of restaurants (Mediterranean, Asian and Indian), three spacious pools and a friendly atmosphere on site, it's a great choice for a relaxing family break. It's located in the Nabaq Bay area, one of Egypt's best dive sites, so it's perfect for anyone looking to explore the magical underwater world of the Red Sea. The hotel is also within easy reach of Nabaq nature reserve where you'll be marvelling at the stunning mountains/desert/sea landscape. For more info click
here.
Coral Sea Aqua Club This huge contemporary hotel is also home to a great waterpark featuring speed slides, a wave pool, a lazy river and a children's splash zone. And with the on-site Thomson Kids' Club and extensive family entertainment programme, there's sure to be something to tickle everyone's fancy. If you're looking for a real treat, families can upgrade to a swim up room, and step off the terrace directly into the lazy river. We're starting to relax just thinking about it. Click
here for all of the details.
EAT
Sharm el-Sheikh may be famed for its beautiful views and incredible aquatic excursions, but the city's extensive collection of top-notch restaurants rival them, offering visitors a great selection of local and international cuisine. Traditional Egyptian cuisine is packed full of legumes and vegetables, and it's characterised by dishes like
Koshari, a mixture of lentils, rice and pasta and
Ful Medames, mashed fava beans.
For a fun family dinner head to the world-famous
Hard Rock Café in the heart of Naama Bay for some tasty American food – think twisted mac 'n' cheese and hickory-smoked ribs. Take in the rock and roll memorabilia as you eat before hitting the dancefloor!
Or if you're looking for something a little more chilled out, head to
Farsha Cafe. Its unique cliff-side location comes with extraordinary 180 degree views of the Red Sea and Ras Mohammed National Park, and the menu offers up a great selection of traditional Egyptian cuisine.
FOR KIDS
Spend the day at Sharm's biggest and most exciting water park,
Cleo Park (family package tickets from €25). Themed around ancient Egypt and Cleopatra, all of the rides, slides and rivers are dressed up as temples, pyramids and snakes.. Little daredevils will love the scarily steep slides of the Queen's Trophy and the corkscrew Scorpion Attack river ride.
If your family has ever fancied scuba diving, Sharm el-Sheikh is the place to do it. Take a half-day course with
Ocean College (from €70 per person) that lets you dip your toe into diving with experienced instructors. You'll practice breathing underwater in confined, shallow sea before moving on to a proper short dive around a shallow reef. An unforgettable experience for all the family.
Certified divers can head straight to experience some of the world's most incredible diving sites at Naama Bay, Ras Mohammed National Park and the Titan Straits. Explore Naama Bay's bright coral gardens, steep walls and bucketloads of weird and wonderful fish; head to Ras Mohammed National Park or the Tiran Straits to dive into the transparent waters to waft around sunken freighters, multicoloured corals, anemone forest and eerie overhangs, caves and canyons.
If you don't fancy wriggling your way into a wetsuit, a Seascope trip in a glass-sided boat is a fantastic way to see all of the aquatic action without getting your feet wet. After climbing aboard, you and your family will be whisked three metres under the surface to get up close and personal with tropically hued clownfish, batfish and triggerfish.
For more information about Sharm el-Sheikh, head on over to www.falconholidays.ie to start planning your perfect family holiday.
