The Rise of Sharm el-Sheikh
It wasn’t that long ago that the Egyptian city of Sharm el-Sheikh was most well known for being a military base for the Egyptian Navy. For over 25 years the city was very much isolated from the rest of Egypt and its only significance was its strategic military position. However, in the mid 1980s a lot of money was invested in developing the city and changing it from its commercial shipping and military roots into the family friendly tourist destination that we know today.
The city is located on the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula and has grown to become one of Egypt’s most popular tourist destinations. Egypt has always been known for its culture and incredible historical monuments and buildings, but Sharm el-Sheikh offers something a bit more relaxed than the busy streets of Cairo and Giza’s famous Pyramids. There are a mix of small boutique hotels and sprawling luxury five star complexes, long sandy beaches and some incredible spots for scuba diving and snorkelling in the Red Sea.
Luckily, the fast development of Sharm el-Sheikh has not meant that the surrounding natural beauty has been destroyed. There are strict environmental laws in place so that developers can’t build over a certain height, which keeps the beautiful backdrop of alluvial plains, valleys, mountains and dunes.
As well as a beautiful, natural environment on top of the land, the Red Sea offers something equally special under its waters. Sharm el-Sheikh is well known for its world class diving with an abundance of coral and marine life as well as some of the clearest waters in the world.
There are also some shipwrecks to explore for the more advanced divers, but don’t worry if you can’t scuba dive, the clear waters are still great for snorkelling. If you fancy learning to scuba dive during your holiday, Sharm el-Sheikh is certainly setup to accommodate you with a number of experienced dive companies based in and around the city.
Once you have surfaced there are many activities to keep you entertained and well fed, including horse and camel rides, desert safaris, bars, restaurants and traditional souqs to help you hone your bartering skills. If you don’t fancy visiting the nightclubs and bars around the city you can pick up a souvenir or two in the many shops that are open late. If you are feeling adventurous and still need to scratch your diving itch, there are a number of diving companies that offer night diving trips so you can see a different kind of nightlife.
Sharm el Sheikh holidays suit many different types of holidaymakers so it is easy to see why this pretty coastal city has grown from a few thousand visitors in the 1980s to one of Egypt’s most popular tourist destinations.
With the credit crunch hitting foreign travel around the world there are going to be a lot of cities and towns that struggle, but Sharm el Sheikh has all the tools to survive.
About the Author
Victoria Cochrane writes for a digital marketing agency. This article has been commissioned by a client of said agency. This article is not designed to promote, but should be considered professional content.
Diving around Sharm El Sheikh (SS Thistlegorm)
[simpleaffiliate source="amazon" results="10"]sharm diving[/simpleaffiliate]
[simpleaffiliate source="clickbank" results="5"]sharm diving[/simpleaffiliate]
No comments:
Post a Comment