Last minute 1 week holiday in Egypt - help needed!
Replies: 8 - Last Post: Nov 11, 2012 10:08 PM Last Post By: Johnnnn
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Last minute 1 week holiday in Egypt - help needed!
Hello everyone,Any advice much appreciated.
We have a last minute (as of yesterday), 1-week, holiday starting this wekeend. Where to go?!
Our needs:
preferably somewhere sunny, temperatures 20C+ if possible
total flying time no more than 6-7 hours so we don't lose a day/night
budget £1,000 each max for flights & accommodation (if possible last minute)
We normally go for hiking/trekking/tenting holidays but we did this on our honeymoon last year for 8 weeks in S America so I don't think I'm going to get away with putting my long suffering wife into a tent again! We're thinking of somewhere either on a beach or in a relaxed environment where we can just flop about and hang out.
Overnight we've come up with a simple week in Sharm or Dahab.
What do you think? We've never done resorts - but surely a nice one would be OK for a week right? And if we try out diving etc? Any ideas? Is Sharm really as bad as some of what we've read?!
Or split our time between one of those 2 destinations and some sightseeing. We don't feel the need a rush on this week.
Help much appreciated. Thanks
1
Dahab. There are a few resort type hotels there just outside the town, but stay in the town - there are loads of hotels and there's a lovely relaxed feel about the place and loads of bedouin style cafes and restaurants where you can flop and chill. The rest of Sinai is off limits at the moment otherwise I would recommend going to St Catherine's or something. You can snorkel at various points in the town (The Lighthouse is good, also at The Islands which is a short ish walk south) or you can go up to the blue hole and snorkel there. There is a beach at the resort hotels I'm sure you can go down there too and chill. Definitely give diving a go - I have happily been to Dahab 4 times now and dived for a whole week and done nothing else. Heaps of dive operators but I would recommend2
Thanks Jude08, any recommendations on where in town to stay? Doesn't need to be big but a bit of understated luxury or somewhere a little romantic?Also, if I'm off diving (I want to learn) or snorkelling (learning may take up too much time and I can't be away for 4-5 days out of 6!) is there much for my wife to do on her own? I've done a lot of travelling but she is a little worried about going to Egypt. I've said that area we're in will be fine. But I just need to be able to reassure her that there's stuff she can do on her own - shopping, chilling, just being on the beach - and still be safe. Advice?
3
"But I just need to be able to reassure her that there's stuff she can do on her own - shopping, chilling, just being on the beach"It's well seen that you're newly married, if you want to stay that way I would suggest a little more consideration and not so much of the chauvinism!!!! Although I haven't been to (nor have I any interest in) the places you are referring to, I should imagine that a young wife would rather NOT to be on her own in such foreign surroundings. Might it not be a worthwhile exercise to do a bit of exploring and learning about such a foreign culture 'together'?
Just my two penn'orth!
4
In Dahab, stay at Sheikh Ali Dahab Resort. It is new and #1 on TripAdvisor. It is by far the best option in town!5
#2- Dahab for chilled out beach life, for a resort I hear Gourna is one of the best.Certainly your wife will be perfectly safe on her own in Dahab - but do look up the basic advice in guide books as to the sort of behaviour needed to ensure minimal hassle - e.g. keeping any interactions with men on a strictly business level without displaying the sort of friendliness that would be considered normal in Europe but could be misinterpreted here.
6
The people of Dahab are use to tourists and will not bother your wife.In actual fact you'll feel like you're amongst friends.
7
Dahab. Check out Red Sea Relaxhttp://www.red-sea-relax.com/red-sea-resort.htm
Something for everyone in every price range. Plus a pool. Plus a dive/snorkel centre.
8
She will be okay in Dahab. But it's a small place - there is not that much shopping. Just stores selling food, water, snorkling/beach equipment, hotels, restaurants... not exactly high-end retail or loads of luxury good there. But if she is satisfied sitting on a beach for several days and won't get bored, then she'll be fine. Personally it would bore the heck out of me after the first 5 or 6 hours.For what it's worth, in my opinion you are not being chauvinistic in any way at all and she could do well to learn to chill alone for a while without you. Which I am sure she is perfectly capable of. Maybe in Egypt women are thought to need their man constantly but being a Westerner I'm sure she will be perfectly fine.
