we did too..that's why we thought we would have a look in the hope we could do a Northern Wrecks and Reefs....they are usually the cheapest..but seriously, the cheapest quote we had was £899 each..and that is not until December 2...which is neither use nor ornament as we go away on 25th on our long haul. I really do not think I can go from Dec 2010 to Dec 2011 without a proper holiday.

We both work very hard and although it is our own fault we have committed ourselves to what we have, the price of diesel has affected the hauliers really badly..in fact it is crippling..which is making it so hard to make any money at all....so we have to work twice as hard to make the same amount...

Still, we have a long weekend in Oban to look forward to diving in July and maybe we can get a couple of other weekends away. Not the same as a week in the sun though.

Stupid Egypt. Stupid crisis. Stupid oil. Stupid dive industry. Stupid Camelot for picking out numbers that were NOT on my ticket!!

Stupid Camelot for picking out numbers that were NOT on my ticket!!

will certainly go along with that!

I'm due to go to Sharm in September but am feeling really edgy about it to be honest. I've heard that the elections may be taking place in September and i'm worried it won't be safe or trouble will kick off again. I'm not sure what to do for the best. Is anyone else having these kind of doubts? It feels like i'm the only one.

Hi Laura

For various reasons I have had to change my holiday dates to go later in the year (I was going in May) but I am not worried at the moment. I think throughout all the troubles in Cairo they never saw any effects in Sharm apart from the downturn in holidaymakers which did affect the hotels and the facilities they were able to offer quests.

I wouldn't worry too much as if it gets problematic the FCO will just advise against travel to the area, they didn't last time (only to Cairo) and it seems they were right so I guess we just have to have confidence in them.

Bit hacked off there are no cheap deals as I would have booked another week, maybe for next year, fancied going to Premier Le Reve in Hurgharda which is normally mega bucks - and still is Grhh!

Doe

Oh Chris . Are you not having your spring break now

Hi Lyn

Hoping to go in the Autumn now, have sent you a pm as dont want to bore forum with details.

You must be off soon, I hope it's OK when you get there I think Easter will be when Sharm picks up due to the amount of people who go with older kids who cant be taken out of school. Its always been really busy at that time of year for us. Perhaps once they have called staff back from Cairo fo the Easter rush they will keep them there and things return to some semblance of normality in terms of visitor numbers and facilities open. Fingers crossed.

I'm really not sure what to expect when we get there. hoping for some sort of normality and I think easter will be the turning point for them hopefully.

At least you still have your holiday to look forward to.

I have been trying to find a reasonably cheap deal for spring bank holiday week and can't believe the prices. You would have thought they would have reduced the prices to fill the hotels up a bit. I have had no luck so have booked another week in Turkey instead.

It is odd. All I can think is that its because its a 5 to 6 hour flight each way and that so much of the total cost of the holidays is aircraft fuel that they haven't got much flexibility in terms of reducing the cost.

The prices for Tunisia seem to have plummeted, after their political unrest, but not so for Sharm.

My main concerns are that the hotel (Sunrise Tirana Aquapark) and Naama Bay will be really quiet and empty. I'm 22 amd my boyfriend is 28 so we like to have a few drinks and go out in the evening and get to know other people on holiday. I also really wanted to do a trip to Cairo and a trip to Israel but i'm not sure if the trips will be running and I think I saw on the news that there was a bomb in Israel last week.
I also saw on another travel website that a poster was advising couples to say they are married so they don't get unwanted attention and one person said that it's not advisable for a girl to go back to her hotel room alone.
I've never been to Egypt before so am just worried as it's somewhere new and I don't know what to expect. I'd appreciate it if anyone could give me any advice or experiences you've had.
At the moment i'm really considering changing the holiday to Lanzarote but it will end up costing me a few hundred £'s more I reckon.

You will be fine in Egypt...there are many scaremongering tactics around.

yes, as a female you can sometimes get unwanted attention...especially if you are blonde (as my stepdaughter is)..but it was nothing really bad. They just generally wanted to stroke her hair and what not...to enitice us into their shops and buy loads of tat!!

She was shooing them away, then I was shooing them away..but it wasnt until laddo, then aged only about 14 or 15 waved his fist at one of them and told them to leave her alone that they took any notice. It would not have happened at all if Rob had been with us...but it was just me and the kids shopping. Very little respect for women.

You also dont have to say you are married...if you are out with your boyfriend.partner..etc, the only attention you are likely to get will be "write in my phrase book" and all the other tricks they try to lure you to buy thier tat.

There are trips availabe but i am not sure how many of these are running..and dueto how far Israel actually is from Naama Bay, there are not that many trips that are run to there..but you may find some. Taba is usually better for that as it is right on the border. The bus bomb in Jerusalem was a rare event.

Try not to worry...you will be fine..and I am sure you will have a great time. I just hope the numbers have picked up.

Dont change it Laura . You will love Egypt . Take no notice of the scaremongering .I've always found the Egyptians some of the warmest hosts i've come across .

The experiences in NB can be a bit different from that of the hotel staff but as Val says it's mostly the shop keepers and not much different from what you get in turkey if you have been there . They are a bit more aggresive in their approach and it can seem a little frightening on your own but just a polite no thanks and keep walking will be all that is needed. You just need to show confidence when dealing with them .

What I would check though is recent reviews of your hotel and maybe an email ahead to them a couple of weeks before just to query if they are operating normally and all facilities are up and running . there have been many cases over this quiet period of hotels shutting or combining guests at sister hotels etc . Many have not been told before departure by there tour ops and you wil get better info direct by email from them or from checking recent reviews yourself. .

lyn

I don't know if this is true..we were told it by some Egyptian dive boat guy...but there is an "invisible line" in the streets in Naama bay which is so far from the shop fronts ( say like the middle of the area, slap bang in between the 2 rows of shops etc) beyond which they are not allowed to hassle you.
So, if you walk down the middle..and only dive in to shops you want to have a look at, in theory you should be ok and free from hassle.

In my experience,,hand up and a firm "No" whilst keeping walking usually works.

I agree with Val and Lyn really. I wouldn't bother to change just because of the hassle you think you might get. It really is something and nothing and if it gets on your nerves just ignore them, walk down the middle of the main road in Namma bay as it is away from the shopkeepers door fronts and then you can mosey along and take it all in and decide if it's for you or not. I know you are AI but you can size up the restaurants and see if you want to come back for a meal out one night.

Most of the large hotels are self-contained with lots of pools, sunbathing places, bars, restaurants and are like resorts in themselves.

My one concern would be is the place too quite for a couple in their twenties, but that really depends on how lively you like it?

If you just want to chill out with some decent weather you will be fine, there will be people in your hotel you can get to chat with, folk often seem to sit in the same sunbeds each day and you end up saying good morning etc, I am sure some will be friendly. Maybe you could go on an organised trip soon after you get there like the star gazing/bedouin night you might get chatting to people on that.

You should still be able to do the day trip to Cairo I am not so sure about Israel though, you would be better off staying in Taba Heights for that as it's a long way to go for a day and crossing the border seems to take ages from what I have read.

I wouldn't worry about the not being married thing, it is of no consequence, I didn't wear a wedding ring as mine got too small for my finger years ago and never thought twice about it in three visits.

When you get there you will wonder why you were worried.

hey Doe..how are you

d crossing the border seems to take ages from what I have read.

it does..took us 3 hours going over and it was a total nightmare..in fact it put me off really as i was singled out for most of the day for "extra" treatment by our Israeli hosts....but that is a different story..

Naama Bay can get very busy at night..but to be honest, I think it is the wrong time of the year for it to be heaving. It is early in the season and also the numbers have not yet really returned since all the unrest.

I think the trips to Cairo are running again and there are also such memorable trips to St Catherines Monastry etc..

Hi Val, I'm OK. still trying to do my bit on the Egypt forum.

I think it was your report I was remembering from a few years ago about visiting Israel when you stayed up Taba way. As you say Laura would probably be better off investigating going to St Catherines if she wants to do a second day trip.

Just thinking about this a bit more and need to mention that Namma Bay isn't somewhere to go during the day. For some bizzare reason we went at 5.00 pm one evening (think I was trying to find a chemist!) and it is well dead, but because the locals are about, getting ready for the evening, you can get more hassle as they all want to 'help' you. lol.

Only go at night as then because of the amount of people and hubbub you can kind of get lost in the crowds - provided the crowds have returned after the unrest.

Doe

I've just noticed Laura isnt going until Sepember and concerned about the elections running around that time too. I wouldnt worry about it . Sharm 7 th Red Sea in general was never a problem during the protests so i'm sure it will be no different then . Things will I'm sure be busier again too by then .

A work colleague has been to Egypt before, and says that she seems to remember paying some sort of charge or tax at the airport. I don't know if she meant on entry or departure. Can anyone enlighten me please?

It's the visa Helen . Have you not read the topic .

good news is despite what you may be told you dont need one unless going to cairo or somewhere else outside of the Sinai.