Brief essay about the trip
1. The flight from Rossiya from Yekaterinburg (with a delay of 20 minutes) went well, the plane was new, the distance between the seats was sufficient, free registration on the airline's website, food was served 1 time during the flight. Charter flight.
2. Sharjah airport. We got out of the plane into the airport building through the sleeve, which is convenient. Passage to customs officers through automatic checkpoints, which is also convenient, customs officers are very prompt. Luggage collection is also without delay. The airport itself is not very big, only 8 gates. A pleasant surprise was waiting at the exit from the airport hall: a local group of "artists" met, national music was played, national dances were performed. We arrived on a national holiday - Unification Day. Colorful and pleasant. But the work of the staff of the "Biblio Globe" is somehow chaotic, bad organization, crowding of arrived tourists waiting for transport. Then loading into small buses (20-22 seats), the trip to the hotel took 30 minutes.
3. Hotel IBIS STYLES Sharjah 3*. City hotel, which is undoubtedly a big plus. At the reception, English-speaking staff took copies of passports, gave out 2 plastic keys to the room - and Well Cam! They don’t take a deposit, the elevator works from the room key - you put it on the scanner and press the floor number. Our room was located on the 7th floor.
4. Number. The size of the room is standard, the window does not open, a view of the neighboring building (sadness), 2 beds, snow-white linen, 1 change per week, flat TV, 1 Russian channel, watched movies via a USB flash drive, refrigerator, kettle, 2 mugs, 2 glasses, tea, coffee, sugar, 2 bottles of 0.5 l of water. The air conditioner worked constantly. In the bathroom, only foam at the washbasin and shampoo-gel in the bathroom. No soap, toothpaste, brushes. Hairdryer in the hallway. Wardrobe in the hallway, enough hangers, no shoehorns. Cleaning in the room may or may not be at any time. Towels are constantly not reported, cleaners in English. do not understand, everything is only signs. Wi-fi in the room was good.
5. Restaurant. We had HB which is very convenient. Breakfast until 10.00, there is always something to eat (cereals, sausages, pasta, cheeses, vegetables, fruits, not very good with pastries, they cook scrambled eggs or scrambled eggs), coffee, tea, juices, water. Dinners from 19.00 to 22.00, the choice is small, but there is enough of everything, but there is nothing for tea (harmful for the figure! ). Buffet.
6. Transfer to the beach. Daily at 10.00. One or two buses (12 and 22 seats). Drive 12-15 minutes. Back at 14.00. Once we didn’t get a seat - a small bus (12 seats) arrived and 20 tourists crowded like herrings in a barrel... The second bus never arrived... sadness.
7. Beach and sea. The beach looks like a fenced construction site on the shores of the beautiful Arabian Sea. 98% of Russian-speaking people rest on it, 2% of locals and migrant workers, bathing a little and admiring Russian beauties a lot. The sea is already cool, especially in the morning. Sun loungers and umbrellas for extra. fee. We sat on a mat we brought with us, blue beach towels are issued at the reception in the morning. We didn’t take a taxi to the beach, once we walked (using the navigator) to the hotel - 1 hour.
8. Shopping and walking. Due to the fact that the hotel is located not on the coast, but in the city, there is where to go. The most interesting and accessible is the embankment, it is very long, we did not reach the end, although every evening we made a promenade along it from 2 to 3 hours. It gets dark early, as everywhere in Asia, the air temperature is comfortable, there were no strong winds, there was only one rain (in the evening). There are many benches, restaurants, food trucks, vending machines with drinks and snacks, bike rentals and other vehicles. People walk until the morning, the locals settle down for an evening snack right on the grass, along the embankment, most of them clean up the trash after themselves.
The second attraction of a local scale is the so-called "trains", local shopping malls where they sell metal products, the color "gold", maybe gold itself, have not been checked... and clothes that you can adjust here under your size. A little further, passing under the bridge, there is a bus station and a large indoor food market selling vegetables, fruits, meat, fish and seafood, each category of products has its own isolated room, so that the smells do not mix, everything is quite clean. Prices are above average, consistent with the quality of the products. Were in local supermarkets, there is everything, the prices are "Moscow". Makdo is located nearby, prices are higher than Russian ones, but the taste is normal, ice cream is 1 dirham. Payment almost everywhere is possible by card, so we did not change our bucks.
9. Transfer back and flight. Information about the departure was received at the reception, in English. understand, they gave out a leaflet with information, the departure was at 9 am, they were taken away at 05.15. In the morning we gave the key cards to the reception, the bus arrived on time, but the guide reported a flight delay of 3 hours and offered to stay at the hotel and then get to the airport on our own. We did not do this, like our other compatriots. We arrived at the airport at 05.55, since check-in for our flight was already open, went to the counter (check-in for the flight was done the day before via the Internet), checked in our luggage, here we were given 0.5 liters of water per person, went through customs and settled in waiting room.
A large duty free is located before customs. There is also one in the waiting room, only smaller. Wi-Fi for pre-registration and copying a passport can be issued at the information desks, before going through customs, then nothing! There are enough eateries, we drank coffee 2 times, waited for landing - and back home. We fed 1 time, breakfast (because the departure was delayed), we arrived at Yekaterinburg airport with the same delay.
Conclusion for yourself: if you want to enjoy the sea, choose a hotel on the coast, if you are not ready to lie in your room, choose a city hotel. The price-quality ratio corresponds.
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