Take a look at a member of the On the Beach team’s recent trip to Sharm El Sheikh…
I’d never been to Egypt before, but after hearing such wonderful things, especially about the tourist area of Sharm El Sheikh, it was a place I really wanted to visit. Because we travelled in November, we got a great deal and the weather was still 30 degrees every day!
The hotel we chose was the Iberotel IL Mercato II because it looked beautiful and seemed to be the most popular among reviewers when we checked Tripadvisor and the On the Beach website. When we arrived at the hotel, we were greeted with ice tea – a welcome refreshment after experiencing the Egyptian heat for the first time. The hotel lived up to its photographs as the entire building was beautifully ornate and grand and the view was incredible…
There were four separate pools; two on the rooftop terrace, one indoor and one quieter pool to the side of the hotel. We spent most of our time at one of the roof terrace pools because it’s a great place to catch the rays! The rooftop was also a great place to spend the evening as you could relax with a cocktail looking out at the stunning views of the desert, or join in with the entertainment team -always trying to make your stay as fun as possible. The towel art left on our bed every day was also a highlight….
I had never experienced all inclusive before and couldn’t pass up the opportunity to give it a go – and I’m glad I did. Despite hearing bad things about all inclusive buffets, I was pleasantly surprised and ended up eating my body weight in food every day. The cocktails were great too (and pretty alcoholic!). Because the option to upgrade to all inclusive didn’t break the bank, we didn’t feel confined to the hotel and therefore spent a few of our evenings in nearby towns such as Naama Bay and Soho Square…
The fantastic excursions that Sharm El Sheikh has to offer were what also attracted me to the destination. Although I was too much of a wimp to go scuba diving, I did go snorkelling which was a fantastic experience (it was not like snorkelling in the shallow sea when I was a kid). The professional divers all made you feel really safe in the water and kept shouting out the name of the gorgeous tropical fish as they swam past us. In between dives, we were able to sunbathe on the open top boat and relax while a buffet-style lunch was prepared for us. Check out the amazing view from our boat…
The most fun we had was the day we spent at the Aqua Blu Water Park around the corner from our hotel. It was a haven for kids and big kids alike, with enough slides to keep you occupied for the entire day. We even went away with a couple of incredibly unflattering mid-slide shots, courtesy of the park’s photographer (I’m still yet to find a place for them on my walls).
Although the water park was fun, my favourite excursion was star gazing. We were met at our hotel and taken to the desert, where we were each given a camel to ride to our destination – it’s not as scary as it sounds. We were then taken to a tent/campsite hosted by the Bedouin tribe and were offered herbal tea and authentic Bedouin cuisine by the campfire. As the sun went down, the tribe began to play traditional music and involved us in group dances, resulting in a belly dancing competition – which I lost. We then took turns gazing through the telescope at the beautiful stars and planets as our guide described to us the different constellations we were seeing. The whole day was an amazing experience from start to finish.
Tempted? Check out our deals to Sharm El Sheikh here.
