Please click on this link for information on:                                                       The weather in Sharm El Sheikh

Sierra Resort is situated in the glorious Red Sea resort of Nabq, Sharm El Sheikh 10 minutes drive from the airport and 20 minutes from Naama Bay.

There are many airlines now flying from all over the UK direct to Sharm . Easyjet fly from Gatwick with a flight time of around 5 hours. Prices can be found for as little as £150 for return flight!

Sharm El Sheikh has a relatively short history compared to the rest of Egypt. 

Originally Sharm was a remote fishing village and over time was  established as a diving destination. It has now evolved into one of Egypt's most popular and thriving tourist resorts.

Tourism began over 20 years ago when adventure seekers started diving safaris. The first hotel, Aqua Marine, was built in 1982 and the second called Cliff Hotel in Hadaba which still exists today. Gradually more Egyptians and foreigners started to settle in Sharm building more hotels, bars, restaurants, supermarkets etc. More hotels were built in the 90's.

Sharm is now a cosmopolitan resort with diving, nightlife and a host of land and sea activities. Sharm stretches from Old Town in the south to the boundaries of the Nabq Protectorate.

Sharm is divided into several areas Nabq, Naama Bay, Old Market, Hadaba, Sharks Bay, White Knights Bay, Ras Um El Sid to name a few.                                                       

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The currency is Egyptian Pound LE ( livre Egyptian   French for Egyptian Pound ) There are plenty of banks and cash machines in Sharm. One tip is to make sure that you tell your bank when and where you are traveling or when you try to use it they may stop it as they assume it is stolen. You tend to get a better exchange rate in Sharm ( about 10% more than in the UK ) See here for the current exchange rate in Egypt www.cbe.org.eg
Please note that Scottish and Irish notes ARE NOT accepted in Egypt.

Opening hours for Egyptian banks are generally Monday to Thursday 8.30am-2pm, plus an evening shift (5-8pm in winter, 6-9pm in summer); some also open similar hours on Saturday, and from 10am to noon on Sunday.The evening session is when most banks exchange money.

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar and months begin when the first crescent of a new moon is sighted. Dates will only be approximate and not certain yet. But expected to be 21st August 2009 until 19th September.                                                                      

Tipping   - is a way of life in Egypt and they will expect a tip. Do not tip someone such as a business man as this would be seen as offensive to them. You should be under no pressure to tip, so tip when you have received the service e.g. the room boy, the pool lads who have helped you with your lounger and put up / taken down / put up your parasol, your cleaner etc. When eating out check the restaurant menu. Some state that service and taxes are included and some don't so you will need to add approx 22% to the final bill. Eating out is relatively cheap compared to UK and other European resorts.

They are the round 2 pin European ones.

If you do not go outside Sinai you do not need a visa for a   2 week holiday ( anything longer than this then you do        need one ). You will however need one if you are going to   Ras Mohammed, Cairo, Luxor etc.   If you do not require a visa just write Sinai only on the back of the landing card.

If you require a visa go to the bank booth which should       clearly have a sign saying visa $15. The visa also has the    price marked on it. I find it easier to get some USD just for this purpose.

There are two terminals at Sharm airport. The new one      only opened last year and you use this one for domestic      flights. Some UK airlines such as Easyjet fly in and out of     this one.                                                                            
Food and drink at the airport is quite expensive. At the       new terminal there is a Burger king upstairs and the prices are a bit cheaper than the UK. There is a new bar which has opened   called the Sports Bar. There is a smoking lounge where you can get food and drink. The duty free shop is well stocked.

At the old terminal there is also a small duty  free shop after immigration on the left where you can also  pick up some ciggies and drink as well.                              

Injections - none are compulsory but the recommended ones are Hep A ( if you have a booster within a year of the initial one you will be covered for 20 years ) Tetanus, Diphtheria, Polio and Typhoid. Check that your insurance would not be invalidated if you do not have them as it could prove costly both health and pocket wise!

Insurance is a must. When shopping around make sure that the European cover includes Egypt as some do and some don't and they class it as Africa on a more expensive Worldwide cover. If you have a Natwest Advantage Gold Account you automatically get free family annual Worldwide cover. Call into your local branch for the telephone number to call and they will send you the policy. Other banks offer this as well so check with yours before paying for a policy.
Check your policy as a lot will exclude motorised sports such as quads and this could be costly to you in the event of an accident. There are companies that will cover for diving but check what depth they will cover you to. Try searching on Money Supermarket for great deals but do check the cover and excesses.

Take plenty of repellent - one with deet is effective. Some say eating marmite wards them off. Avon Skin So soft is very good.

There are lots of chemists in Sharm and most are open 24 hours.

Egyptian pharmacists are well trained and dispense a wide range of drugs, including many normally on prescription in Europe. If they feel you need a full diagnosis, they can usually recommend a doctor.

Mobile phones - get yours unlocked before you go and then you can buy an Egyptian tourist sim card for around 40le. Calls on an Egyptian sim are very cheap. You can get a Mobinil or Egypt Vodaphone one.

Before the famous Egyptian feminist Shaarawi deliberately removed hers in 1922, the veil was worn in public by all respectable middle-class women, Muslim, Jew, or Christian. By 1935, however, veils were a comparative rarity in Egypt, though they continued to be worn as an item of fashion in neighbouring countries like Syria and Jordan for 30 more years and have remained obligatory in the Arabian Peninsula to this day.

Nowadays in Egypt some women still wear the veil demonstrating either modesty or Muslim piety. One reason this is favoured by many young professional women is that it tends to discourage male advances, physical or verbal.

From the 1930s onwards. Egyptian women began to enter into business and the professions. Thus by 1965 thanks in part to social changes affected in the course of the July revolution Egypt could boast a far higher proportion of women working as doctors, dentists, lawyers, professors, diplomats, or high officials than might have been found in the us or in any European country outside of Scandinavia.

In Egypt, a woman travelling alone is generally safe, but she will be noticed, less in large cities than in the country.  However, if problems do occur, seek help from the police or any shop nearby.

Although you probably will never be accosted, take simple precautions as you would anywhere: don’t walk in deserted areas alone. Although most invitations are innocent, don’t accept them from strangers.

Major tourism mosques are open to the public unless services are in progress (the main service is on Friday at noon). Other mosques are not. Keep in mind that a mosque differs from a western church in that Christian churches are considered houses of God, while mosques are more a gathering place for the faithful of Islam. Unless otherwise posted, tickets to some that have been restored are sold by the caretaker for about L.E. 3-6. All visitors to mosques, mausoleums, and madrasas must remove their shoes. Most Muslims walk around in their stockings but those mosques that are major tourist attractions have canvas overshoes available; a tip of 50PT to L.E.1 is in order for the people who put them on for you. Women must cover bare arms and should have a hat

Crime in Egypt is nearly nonexistent, and violence is usually limited to family feuds. However, in tourism areas some pickpockets and petty thieves may exists, so be careful and remember that the ever helpful tourism police are usually nearby. Women must be cautious, especially in out-lying areas.

Stay completely away from drugs and leave yours at home.

Always wear a seat belt in a car as it is illegal not to wear a seat belt, never drink and drive.

BRUSH YOUR TEETH WITH. Please use bottled water only.