Egypt

In February 2006 my family and I visited Egypt for some winter sunshine. We stayed at The Concorde El Salam in Sharm el Sheikh. February is their coolest month, but even then, daytime temperatures are in the low 70's which is very pleasant. Evenings tend to be cool, so a light jacket is needed. As Sharm el Sheikh backs onto the desert, the area is quite barren. The hotels are spread over quite a long distance, on either side of the main tourist area Naama Bay. Naama Bay is a compact resort, partly pedestrianised, and caters for everyone. Here we found lots of bars, many types of restaurants, a few casinos, gift shops and a small shopping centre. Most people sit outside with their drinks and watch the world go by. The main reason a lot of people come to Sharm is for the scuba diving. It is said to be one of the best places in the world. The sea is very clear and has a huge assortment of marine life and coral. You don’t even need to go into the water to see it. Just stand on one of the jetty’s that lead into the sea and you will see many different species of coral and fish. If you are not into scuba diving, then snorkelling is a great alternative. We took a glass bottom boat trip from the hotel and half way through the excursion, the boat stopped and allowed us to get off and snorkel in the warm clear waters. It’s amazing what you can see with just a snorkel mask on. Back on dry land we went quad biking through the desert. This was brilliant and so much fun, and made even funnier with the helmets and scarves that we had to wear to protect ourselves. We also went ice skating. Our hotel had its own ice rink where my young daughter took her first tentative steps onto the ice. She loved it so much we couldn't’t keep her off it. No trip to Egypt would be complete without seeing the Pyramids. There are various excursions that will take you there, but we chose to do the overnight trip and I would advise everyone to do the same. We left Sharm at around 1am and travelled through the night by coach and arrived in Cairo at about 8.30am. The first stop was the Egyptian museum. We had an excellent guide who spoke perfect English and was very knowledgeable. We toured the museum and the highlight had to be the treasures of Tutankhamun. We had lunch overlooking the Nile and were then taken to our hotel. I couldn't’t believe my eyes when I entered the bedroom and could see the Pyramids. This was jaw dropping; I just stood on the balcony looking in amazement. WOW. Later we were taken to the Pyramids for the night time extravaganza. This is a light and laser show where the Sphinx is brought back to life with a voice over from Omar Shariff and the Pyramids are illuminated in the night sky. The next day we went out of Cairo to see the first Pyramid ever built – the stepped pyramid of Sakkara. After lunch we returned to Cairo to see the Pyramids of Giza again. This time we were able to go right up to them and we even went inside one. It’s unbelievable to think how they built these huge structures 5,000 years ago. Later we saw the Sphinx which is carved out of just one piece of stone. It's so interesting that even my daughter who was only 6 years old at the time was soaking up the information with great enthusiasm. We also visited a perfume factory and a papyrus factory before finishing the day off with some free time to visit the markets in Cairo, before returning to Sharm in time for bed. This is the most amazing trip and should not be missed by anyone. Egypt is a fascinating country with something to suit everyone. Once you begin to explore the history around the Pyramids and the Pharaohs you just want to know more and more; it’s so enticing. Next time I visit Egypt, I hope to do a Nile Cruise and learn more about the ancient Kings and Queens.