Planning to go to Sharm El-Sheikh for honeymoon in the first week of June (the wedding itself is in Amman). Have been told Naama Bay is the place to do. Looking for relaxation, elegance, nice diving (soon-to-be wife is not a diver, but I am, so looking for "pretty" and relatively shallow dives I could share with a first-timer), good food. Don't care about clubs, "scene", crowds etc. (in fact, would prefer the opposite). Thoughts?
Spent 2 weeks at the reef oasis bluebay resort last year. New resort. Nice and quiet (outside of town), private beach and perfect coralreef to do some snorkling superb! Naama bay is very busy and touristic! I am going back again!!!
Thanks to everyone who has responded. Please keep the comments coming, they are helpful. Getting mixed reviews on Naama bay -- some recommend a lot, some not at all... Interesting...
Sharm El-Sheikh ofcourse............I can help you with your reservations if you wish at any Rotana hotel in Sharm El Sheikh http://www.rotana.com/property-23.htm
na-ama-bay itself is not be recommended.... busy and loads of rude east european people... But the weather is superb, and the Redsea is fantastic. (out of na-ama bay) Make sure you are in a good hotel, and it will be fabulous! I have been there several times, In Sharm and in Hurghada. Sharm is the best of the 2 If you are into the culture, Luxor and the valley of the Kings are very impressive. Last time, I made a 3 day trip to Jordan, hidden city of Petra was unforgetable!
I have been to Egypt 23 times since 1992. Probably only Terak has me beat. Of the two Sharm or Dahab, with your criteria, do Sharm hands down. Remember, these were nothing but fishing villages a few years ago. Diving and other water sports brought them to the forefront (along with the current Prez of the country). Neither is Downtown LA; do not expect that !!!! My wife and I started doing the Red Sea/Egypt (our honeymoon too) in 1992. When we did Sharm the 1st time it had 300 meters of asphalt in Naama Bay outside of the main highway headed north/south. It was sleepy, dusty, dirty, had to dodge the camel pee in the road, a REALLY GREAT PLACE IF you were a watersports freak (diver). Sanafir (sp?) Bar was the (only) place to go to talk all the scuba lies one could tell. The hotel I stayed in is gone now thanx to some A-holes with a truck and a few kilos of go-bang stuff. Today, Sharm it is very upbeat, lively, spotless by comparison and has a night life. I actually did not like it as much anymore because it modernized (where is the camel pee??), but for a 1st timer it would probably be A-Ok! A fair amount of shopping opportunities exist now. Scuba ranges from Ho-Hum (for the Red Sea which equals WOW! to most of the rest of the world) to "Check your Insurance this is gunna be GREAT!" (and potentially dangerous) !!!!!!! Dahab. Have not been there in awhile but, when I was it was a SLEEPY little town, all dirt, almost Less than ZERO night life and some of the better diving in the Red Sea. No shopping. The resturant I used to frequent is not there or has been rebuilt due to the same reason above in Sharm. The Blue Hole, the tube (cant remember the name (Canyon?)) and diving on the crack where the two Continental plates meet ARE NOT TO BE Missed. You might get lucky and have a slight earthquake during the dive. I liked the place allot. Listen to us all, but follow Tarek's advice. That country is his home and he keeps up on it daily. I'd be pompus and add; however. Do not go below 4-Star accomodations, but even that is no guarantee (do not know your personal standards). The people are great ... I love Egypt and would like to buy a place there someday. The Egyptian Red Sea is one of the most beautiful places on earth. The diving there can be rough. It is a place where amatures can and do learn and professionals can and do die. Choose your dives wisely and do not be afraid to "sit this one out." Sharm I think is it for this trip for you two. Next time ........ who knows. LOTS to see!!!!! Keep In mind we like it (somewhat) rustic. We like going south ..... WAY South. Cockroaches, Cobras, Mantas and Dust are my (not OUR) loves. ENJOY !!!!!!!
If you were to ask me (a romantic at heart) for my opinion, I would say neither. Nothing says "I love you" better than taking your new wife to Maranello for your honeymoon. On my honeymoon, we flew into Milan and hired a car and planned to drive through Tuscany. En route, I mentioned to the wife that I researched a quaint village that had historical significance and she agreed to take a slight detour. Arriving into Maranello, I got a bit of abuse, but she got over it eventually. In the end, she liked the area, the scenery and the restaurants of Maranello. Your future wife will like it too! Good luck.
+1. Though not as luxurious or modern as other four seasons, it is a great hotel for Sharm. Food was great, service not bad, excellent water sports and activities. The Italian restaurant at the hotel was incredible! Na`ama bay is terrible though. Really terrible. Cheap and very touristy. Check into the Four Seasons, enjoy your honeymoon, and check out. Don't leave the hotel. As for the sea, I can easily say that it has the best diving spots in the world. I've been all over the world, but nothing comes close to the diving @ Sharm!
True..........the Four Seasons is a fantastic hotel. Ras Mohamed which is the most famous diving spot in Sharm El Sheikh is one of the best in the world.........Hiper, if you want great and exciting diving, you should come dive with us in the south of Egypt like Intouch said.
Ras Mohammed was great! I might take you up on that offer one day, thanks Tarek By the way, I got in touch with your friend... Still debating whether to go for it or not...Thats the problem these days, many cars are at the end of their model life cycles with replacements due for launch soon But not soon enough!
hey hiper, yes what is considered southern egyptian red sea just about starts there. most liveaboards depart from port ghalib and head as south as st.john reefs. magnificient diving in that area. if you want overkill, then head to port sudan. i was there a few years back and we were diving sanganeb, shaab rumi with cousteau's precontinent as well as the umbria in the port of sudan. you will have masses of big fish and sharks in various kinds all around you. luckily we encountered no tiger's.... as for our part, the brothers are unbeatable.
