The most correct comment
The first thing we think we need to think about is the name of the Review, or at least think over the storyline of the story about the place where many have been more than once in order to interest the reader, but in our case we decided to just share the joy of another trip how sincerely we rejoice for everyone else who was constantly riding somewhere during our break between trips ...
We are sure that our readers will approach the study of our story with the same mood!
So, why Egypt?
Because Egypt is a country in Northeast Africa and the Middle East.
Archaeological sites in the fertile valley of the Nile River, including the pyramids of Giza, the Great Sphinx, as well as the Temple of Karnak, the walls of which are dotted with hieroglyphs, and the Valley of the Kings with the tombs of the pharaohs in the Luxor region, remind of its rich history of more than five thousand years. The country's capital, Cairo, is famous for the Mohammed Ali Mosque, built during the Ottoman Empire, and the Egyptian Museum, which exhibits the mummies of pharaohs and gilded wooden statues of Tutankhamun.
At the same time, COVID-19 made adjustments to the choice of countries where you can ride and return without serving the duty of a 14-day quarantine, so the choice again fell on Egypt.
Plus the price for the discounted tour and the coincident vacations with a girlfriend - it all decided in favor of Egypt.
Moreover, as our friend's mother says: we need to see with our own eyes what is taught in history lessons.
Therefore, we decided to go to Egypt and get on an excursion to the Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut in Deir el-Bahri - the mortuary temple of the pharaoh of the XVIII dynasty Hatshepsut, erected at the beginning of the 15th century BC. e. in Upper Egypt near the rocks of Deir el-Bahri on the west bank of the Nile, near the Valley of the Kings.
ODESSA-MAMA AIRPORT
Odessa airport pleased us with the opening of a new Duty Free store and new acquaintances right in the waiting area with Irina and Pavel - wonderful young guys who persuaded us for all sorts of extreme excursions, like riding a camel and a buggy, interesting in turn or at the same time, and those who came to us in Naama Bay, which we were frankly glad about.
Prices in Odessa Duty Free did not please with originality, but we can definitely say that our Duty is better than the same one at Sharm El Sheikh Airport, where there is nothing to see and buy too.
By the way, at the Odessa airport the plants are alive against the plastic palms in the Egyptian one.
The flight began with a little doping at our expense and a pleasant surprise from new friends.
You can't smoke on the plane - what a pity, and you can't even smoke in the toilet! But what about all inclusive and where is this vaunted all inclusive?
Well, okay - not quite an early flight, plus four hours, and you can easily fit into shorts and T-shirts from two pants and a jacket.
Advice for advanced tourists and those who do not want to spend an hour and a half to cross the border and transport all tourists from your shared bus: take an individual transfer. It is inexpensive, but the pleasure of two hundred dollars at a price of 10 dollars per tourist.
Sharm El Sheikh Airport - no major changes.
The only thing else that can be advised, since when going through all the procedures, it remains necessary to fill out some cards and questionnaires - fill them out at home or be sure to take a pen with you so that you do not have to stand in line for a pen.
The question regarding the coronovirus test - upon departure from home and upon arrival in Egypt, caused us more time and money than the feedback from him (and when checking its availability both with us upon departure and with them upon arrival ). Here and there they simply asked whether there was a test or not, and no one checked anything. But, probably, with our happiness, if it weren’t there at all, then they would definitely check to every letter.
Yes, and another factor in favor of Egypt is their seafood soups: there are no such ones anywhere, we can say for sure.
Plus, since we are not the first time in Egypt, as they say, we are married, our indispensable travel assistant Catherine kindly picked up a trip to the same Hotel where we had previously been, so to speak, not exchange for trifles in search of nearby boutiques or partisans - sellers of vouchers. In general, so that we do not feel the move and everything is at home - familiar and comfortable.
OVERALL RATING OF THE AIRPORT: 5 (EXCELLENT), especially considering getting to know Ira and Pavel
ARRIVAL
Since we ordered an individual transfer from the Airport to the Hotel, the journey took no more than 15 minutes.
By the way, in Egypt there is a mask regime when moving outside hotels, beaches and restaurants. Therefore, when traveling around Egypt on excursions or just traveling by taxi, wearing a mask will be a prerequisite.
Especially if there is a police post along the way, if there is no mask, the taxi driver can ask you to go outside and pick you up as soon as you pass the police post, which, in fact, happened to us in the Old Town: we don’t have masks with us took, and the taxi driver did not have a spare. And we had to get out of the taxi and walk past the police with our legs and only then we were picked up by the same taxi driver. According to locals, the fine for each passenger without a mask is 50 pounds (about $3). They are so afraid of paying a fine that during our next trip to the Old Town, the taxi driver, having learned that there was a police post along the way, took a pack of masks on board from another taxi and handed it out to us. Just like in an action movie, cargo was transferred from one plane to another in the air. The masks, however, the taxi driver asked not to open, but simply to attach to the face right in the package, and then put them back together.
OVERALL RATING: 3 (SATISFACTORY) if you stand in a terrible queue or 4 (GOOD) taking into account the individual transfer to the Hotel provided by our travel agent Ekaterina
HOTEL
Cataract Layalina Resort - Sharm El Sheikh is a great place to stay. The hotel is located in Naama Bay in the heart of Sharm El Sheikh. It features a swimming pool, private sandy beach and a restaurant. Free Wi-Fi is available in the hotel lobby.
Cataract Layalina Hotel is a small cozy resort hotel with 98 rooms. All rooms are equipped with air conditioning, TV with satellite channels, telephone and minibar (We had everything drunk before us, the treasure chest was empty! ). The private bathroom comes with a hairdryer, a shower and a toilet.
Regarding Wi-Fi, don't be surprised if it doesn't work - just look at the modem itself, and even that one is so weak that there will be no Internet when you move away from the Reception by a meter. Therefore, the Reception will be constantly crowded with people who want to send photos to friends or locals who are constantly talking on video communication and thus all of the above will reduce the speed of your access to the worldwide network.
The hotel area is very clean. The area is constantly monitored by several employees throughout the day, ranging from mopping the floors in the morning to maintenance throughout the day.
Advice: It is better not to swim in the Hotel's pool after five o'clock in the evening, as it is disinfected with a chlorine solution.
The positive changes in the Hotel compared to our previous trip are that the rooms began to change towels daily and supply tourists with a daily supply of shampoo and soap, which was not the case last time and we were forced to buy shampoo upon arrival in the same way as and shower towels.
By the way, the imagination of the cleaners today at the Hotel has increased significantly since the previous time, and crocodiles and elephants this time added some cool freaks and obviously a grilled chicken hanging near the shower, which we did not immediately notice upon arrival from the Beach .
The Hotel itself, on the one hand, faces the street with restaurants and shops, and on the other hand, on its own Beach, which distinguishes this Hotel from others very favorably.
RECEPTION
Just as any theater begins with a wardrobe (or hangers), so any hotel in Egypt begins with the Receptionist, in this case with the manager Mohamed Samy.
A charming young man - very attentive to the requests of tourists, provided us with a beautiful, spacious, bright Room at number 133 on the ground floor and close to the Reception.
OVERALL RECEPTION RATING: 1 (FAIL) if Wi-Fi is needed or 5 (EXCELLENT) thanks to the courtesy of the manager Mohamed Samy.
NUMBER
The rooms in the Hotel, as we understand it, are divided into 3 main groups: the first floor around the Pool is one, the second category (does not mean that they are worse) are the rooms on the second floor, again around the Pool and category number 3 is the rooms overlooking the beach.
Taking into account the high probability of a disco at the Hotel at night, just from the Beach side, we chose a room under the category number one, that is, on the first floor near the Pool.
We got a room with three beds and a small front garden for 2 chairs outside.
This time in the Room, as already mentioned, there were towels packed in plastic, which were changed every day. The refrigerator, TV and hair dryer worked, but the safe, as usual, is not there and, if there is anything valuable, then you need to go to the Reception to rent a cell.
Tip: If you want to get enough sleep, bring earplugs and something to repel mosquitoes.
And if you want to sleep on the Beach, then take something from the flies, and there are a lot of flies if there is no wind, just like near the Hotel Pool.
OVERALL RATE OF THE ROOM: 4 (GOOD) - everything suited us (except for mosquitoes and drunk Kazakh women screaming at night under our Number)
RESTAURANT
This year there was only one Restaurant in the Hotel, without a summer terrace. It's for the best, but it's bad that the cats stayed behind the glass and looked at everyone with a mute reproach, but the air conditioner works and there are no flies.
The food of tourists is quite diverse - every day a new soup.
And despite the fact that morning sausages turned into a salad for lunch, and in the evening - into an appetizing stew, we cannot say that the food was bad.
Everything is fresh: everyone can find a dish to their taste, however, and everyone can find for themselves what is impossible to eat.
During the period when it was impossible for us to eat their melons, we even had doubts that it was a melon, while there were very tasty zucchini (stew) and sweet rice mousses with milk.
The supplement was given both for food and drinks. Beer - only from bottles, no "on tap". Always fresh bread and all sorts of variations from pita to puff pastry stuffed.
Nobody forbade bringing bread or sandwiches in reserve to the Beach.
In a word, everything suited us.
OVERALL RATING OF THE RESTAURANT: 4 (GOOD)
POOL
The pool is a great choice for relaxing if the Beach is windy, or even very windy! Around the Pool there are wooden rotundas with curtains that can be pinched if you take beach clothespins from home.
Therefore, advice: if you have, then take beach clothespins for towels from home: they will come in handy both on the Beach, if it is windy, and near the Pool, if it is very sunny.
Again, flies. There are a lot of flies.
The water in the Pool is not heated, but we can say that on the fifth day all tourists bathe in the spring water of the Pool fearlessly. Some swim in the first, but obviously under doping - to each his own.
And here, near the Pool, and on the Beach, such a fat guy will hunt you, the head of the washbasins and the commander of the washcloths, that is, the head of the masseurs, and on the basis of a dirty white robe on him and a greasy booklet, he will cram a complex of massages and the like .
We bought ourselves - as a result, we were taken to a non-working complex of the same Hotel, which is located behind the Shopping Center, 50 meters from our Hotel.
There, in a completely unheated room, we were smeared with cold clay and watered from a hose in an icy shower and wrapped in clearly reused turquoise towels conditionally like mummies. After, with no toilet on the premises and a insistent invitation to take a shower instead, the massage therapists began to beg for some more money in the form of a bonus. Things were simply piled up in one of the cabinets - the door was without a lock. Gold and other decorations in the sauna were taken from us by some girl who did not belmes in Russian and left. It is impossible to get out of the sauna - the iron handle is hot to white. In general, extreme. The cost of dubious pleasure is $ 30 per person. Don't get fooled. You can refer to us. We didn't like it.
OVERALL POOL RATING: 5 (EXCELLENT)
BEACH
What made me happy this time was that you didn’t have to go to Respechen for a card for beach towels - the towels were immediately in the Room.
We think that most likely they save on the position of the chief of towels on the Beach, but this problem with the delivery and collection of towels on the Beach is gone.
At the Beach, the mattresses on the sunbeds have been updated - now they are cleaner than the previous ones. In general, a mattress on a sunbed is a necessary thing. As they say, it matters.
The Hotel's beach is located in a snail's proximity and clearly short-sighted distance from the summer playground of the Hotel, that is, right next to it.
The beach is clean - they are constantly cleaned, while for some reason it is during the day that palm trees are pruned, the leaves of which fall on the sand with a roar and some construction work is being carried out around the Beach - the asphalt is being hammered all day with chippers.
So everything should be perfect for your arrival: new asphalt without half-meter trenches and fresh emerald palm trees.
Bar on the Beach - only drinks, no food. It might be for the best. At least not plus three kilograms to the weight upon returning home, but only two.
And on the Beach, on the left, there is a pier for boats, so it can smell of fuel and lubricants.
Everything else is great - especially the fish and herons.
We believe that the most beautiful thing in Egyptian holidays is watching the water world of the Red Sea: in terms of beauty and diversity, it is not inferior even to the underwater fauna of the Maldives. True, we have not been to the Maldives, we are not badly fed in Egypt either ...Somewhere we heard this before ...
In general, we recommend buying yourself masks for swimming and get this sea of pleasure and unforgettable impressions!
The cost of a swimming mask is 8 dollars (you will start haggling somewhere from 15-20 dollars: remember the main rule - do not buy anything in Egypt at night and drunk, but more on that later).
TOTAL BEACH RATING: 5 (EXCELLENT)
OVERALL RATING OF THE HOTEL Cataract Layalina Naama Bay: 4 (GOOD)
Seafood soup
Eating Seafood Soup can be done before and after watching the fish. So to appreciate the beauty, as they say, both outside and inside.
The next day of your check-in at the Hotel and the first radiant pleasant impressions of your vacation, you will meet with the hotel nits.
You will be convinced that this meeting is inevitable and without it you cannot even leave the room.
He, the nit, may be needed and may even, according to their own rules, can and should help tourists if he took the phone and did not lie for any reason, but we came across someone Mohamed Kamal Abass.
The first impression is wrong. Branded clothes and brochures of Coraltravel agency should not mislead you that he will not lie, will not slip you unnecessary excursions, will not answer calls and forget to pick you up from the Hotel on the day of departure.
When communicating with this friend, and he is not our friend, listen to him carefully and check which excursions or trips to the restaurant are sold to you, so that instead of the Farsha restaurant, you do not slip a trip to the Fares restaurant instead of the Farsha restaurant.
And also, the day before departure, remind him that you have a flight tomorrow and until there is feedback, go to the Reception so that they call him thirty times until he answers.
By the way, all the prices for excursions are exactly 2 times higher than those of everyone else.
What is the purpose of meeting with a guide: to get a police registration to travel outside of Naama Bay (having bought tours from him for two prices) and ask him for insurance. We understood that if a tourist drinks, then even a leg in the room cannot be dislocated at their expense.
TOTAL RATING Mohamed Kamal Abass: ZERO (BALALAYKA), according to him, even our voucher was lost…
P. S. By the way, advice: even if you don't come across such a miracle as Mohamed Kamal Abass, it is advisable to make copies of your passports and vouchers at home. It is better not to carry the passport (original) with you everywhere - leave it in the safe at the Hotel, but you need to carry a copy of the voucher with you.
TOURS
When choosing an excursion, approximately like in fairy tales (to the right - a horse and to the left - a frog): buying from an official and from partisans.
Partisans are 2x cheaper.
As we could see, in the end everyone travels on the same bus.
There are many and few excursions at the same time.
The prices on official booklets are as stable as the Egyptian pyramids, but you don’t have to look at the prices on partisan advertisements at all: everything can be divided into two - there are no tourists and they don’t have much choice either. So keep it up. But you won’t be able to get impudent for any reason, since you can still agree on the cost of riding a camel, but not on the price of an air ticket to Cairo.
RAS MOHAMMED RESERVE
Ras Mohammed National Park is the pride of Egypt.
Located in the very south of the Sinai Peninsula, 25 kilometers southwest of Sharm El Sheikh (along the coast), between the Gulf of Suez in the west and the Gulf of Aqaba in the east.
Excursion cost $40 per person (three swims, including White Island, and lunch).
In our case, it was a real adventure, as our boat caught fire and we were transferred right into the sea to another Yacht of a clearly higher class: everything is made of wood, several cabins with their own shower and toilet, crystal on the tables, in general, cacharel.
The transfer was very fun (when, of course, we were already on the rescue Vip-Yacht), but a little scary (before the transfer and at the moment of throwing slippers, towels and backpacks on board).
We occupied the deck at the bow of the Yacht and sailed alone.
What can be advised: take warm things (capes or pareos) - it can be very windy and freeze very easily, and when swimming it is better to take wetsuits for the same reason, so as not to freeze until you eat breakfast.
By the way, when loading onto a ship at the port of loading, an innovation, at least for us, was that all alcoholic drinks were taken away at the entrance.
We knew (we were warned) and we were light, but our neighbors in the shipwreck took with them not only soft drinks, but also strong drinks, which they took away in the port, although they promised to return them, but we do not know their future fate.
Also TIP: don't begrudge $10-20 for photography, especially if the photographer is in the water with you. We strongly recommend showing off at a photo shoot, and if you like the photos in the end, then you don’t feel sorry for buying them.
So, a VIP boat trip to the White Island in the Ras Mohammed Nature Reserve in Sharm El Sheikh is an amazing opportunity to discover the magical world of the Red Sea.
As you know, the famous French explorer of the World Ocean, the author of many books and films, Jacques-Yves Cousteau once dedicated a cycle of his programs to this amazing place.
The underwater world here is particularly beautiful. Corals of various colors, the crystal clearness of the Red Sea and rare marine life - all this is the Ras Mohammed reserve.
White Island is the pearl of the Red Sea, a small island with fine white sand in the middle of the sea. Makes an unforgettable, bewitching impression.
This tour will give you the opportunity to admire the scenery of Sharm El Sheikh from the sea and take many bright photos with a panorama of the Sinai mountains and the desert landscapes of the coast.
And, of course, a boat trip is an opportunity to enjoy the taste of the air of the open sea, sunbathe on the deck and touch the expanses of the Red Sea.
If you take this tour from an unofficial, then there is an option how the price can be reduced to $ 15 per person, but this will be a trip from the coast - not on a yacht and, of course, there will be no White Island, but fish and corals near the coast definitely brighter, but in this case, they say, insurance does not work (we will not say).
OVERALL RATING OF THE EXCURSION TO RAS MOHAMMED RESERVE: 5 (EXCELLENT)
Choose other excursions yourself, though there are not many now, like trips to holy places, for example, to Jerusalem or to the Monastery of St.
Catherine is either not taken to Luxor, where we were going, and there are no trips to Dahab - a strong wind: tourists are blown off camels, but the rest are all there and something like mixes appeared, for example, a super duper extreme excursion, which includes everything extreme excursions, but at one common price, which is less than if you paid separately for each opportunity to wring your neck.
You can also take a sightseeing tour of Sharm El Sheikh when you check into the Hotel or communicate with your guide. If you are in Egypt for the first time or have not been to the Cairo Museum, then this tour is a very good and inexpensive option: you will be introduced to the surroundings of Naama Bay, taken to the Coptic Church, the Sharm El Sheikh Museum with copies of exhibits from the Cairo Museum and taken to the Old City .
Self-Guided Tours
OLD TOWN
Located on its southwestern outskirts of Sharm El Sheikh, in the area of Sharm El Maya Bay.
In the area of the old city there is a port and an exit to a national highway with border control.
It is also called Old Market (Old Market), Old Sharm, Sharm El Maya….
Now it is a square separated from the highway by a pedestrian area. A lot of people. Police post responsible for security.
In the center is Al-Sahaba Mosque - this is the newest Muslim temple in Sharm El Sheikh. The interior of the mosque is made in the traditions of Egyptian architecture. The architecture combines Ottoman and Mamluk styles. Inside, there is a red and gold carpet, gilded interior elements, stained glass painting, a luxurious chandelier under the dome.
Around the square there are many shops and shops with all kinds of edible products, souvenirs and other must-have attributes of any traveler: original bags or watches of famous brands and, of course, 925 silver.
What can be said about our impressions from the last trip is that the quality of the goods offered has decreased significantly, as well as their choice - this applies to handicrafts such as carpets or camel wool bedspreads and there has been much less jewelry that has replaced for jewelry. Too bad...
But what we came to the Old Town for remained at the same stable level - seafood.
The Fish Center seafood shop is located to the left of the Mosque again pleased with the choice of shrimp and prices. We were offered a choice of three categories, differing in size and prices from 10 to 20 dollars per kilogram.
We chose medium greedy shrimp and asked them to cook them to take away.
The seller's generosity knew no bounds - in addition to the purchased shrimp and octopus tentacles, we were presented with another half a kilo of shrimp and sauces.
Here you can buy a wide variety of citrus fruits and other fruits, for example, strawberries for $1 per kilogram, and to be honest, for 800 grams. Or buy a guava for $6 per kilo. Although we believe that it is better to buy fruits and vegetables near your Hotel. If something goes wrong, you can always return it, but here you won’t go to the Old Town.
The cost of delivering hungry tourists there (from Naama Bay) and them with a bag smelling of sea freshness and Arabic spices by taxi is the same in both directions: how to agree from 3 to 5 dollars for everyone.
OVERALL RATING OLD TOWN: 5 (EXCELLENT)
FARES RESTAURANT
FARES restaurant is considered to be a must visit for anyone in Sharm.
We can definitely say that no one left this restaurant hungry, like from a grandmother.
Guests are also offered complimentary tea in original glasses and a kettle if not enough.
The choice of dishes is large.
The view of the mountains is wonderful.
Seafood soup is not inferior to restaurants in Naama Bay and at a similar price: something around $6.
A set of shrimp about $22.
If you take shrimp separately, then the prices will be 2 times higher than in the Old City - about 50 dollars per kilogram.
Our dinner-lunch cost 2 soups, fresh pita, 10 salad dressings, 2 juices, and a complimentary gift tea of $23.
By the way, everywhere they bring a bill without taking into account the tax of about 14%, so be prepared to pay the tax in addition to the bill amount.
Ah, well, flies - a lot of flies. It is impossible to be in the restaurant hall - it smells very stylishly of fresh fish, and on the veranda, if not in the shade, stuffy and hot and flies ...
There is no Wi-Fi, in general, but after the persuasion of the senior manager, it will be connected to you for free.
There is no alcohol for sale, there are even NO ALCOGOL stickers on the glass, so everyone can easily sell draft beer.
The cost of a trip from Naama Bay is about 50 pounds (3 dollars). But if you buy this hike from a guide at the Hotel, then an advance of $ 5 is included in the restaurant bill and the transfer by car will be free. But we still gave the taxi driver 2 dollars.
OVERALL SCORE OF FARES RESTAURANT: probably 5 (maybe even EXCELLENT)
GEORGE CLOONEY STORE
So, George Timothy Clooney is an American actor, director, producer, entrepreneur and activist. He gained wide popularity after the release of the television series ER and the film From Dusk Till Dawn.
And the George Clooney store in Sharm El Sheikh is a store that includes several departments, like in a wholesale base with a complete, well, or almost complete set of all that junk that tourists rake, wandering from one store to another around their hotel or nearby.
The advantage of this store is that you can buy all the necessary sweets, hookah and towels in one fell swoop, without wasting time in each separate specialized store.
The prices here are really lower than the retail prices in the stores we've been to. At the same time, for a certain amount of an identical product, you will be presented with another one here.
We bought almost nothing here, so we had to buy another suitcase to fit all the souvenirs from Egypt.
The transfer here and back is absolutely free. A representative of the store will contact you, for example, by Viber +201090161408, send a photo of the area where you will be picked up and agree on the time of the trip. It is better to book a trip 1 day in advance.
G. CLOONEY SHOP OVERALL RATE: 5 (EXCELLENT)
CAiro
Excursion to Cairo - here we are on the side of the official. The price is $80, which is2 times more expensive than the partisans, but there was a brand new bus, a guard with automatic weapons and each of us rode in two seats.
The price of an excursion by plane is the same for everyone - about $ 180 per person.
We were told that now they go to Cairo for one day instead of two - like they built a new road and now the journey takes only 5 hours instead of 10 hours and we agreed to take a bus. BUT! Anyway, the trip to Cairo still takes 10 hours.
It's definitely hard to drive. Departure at midnight, running around Cairo all day and at about one in the morning the next day you are at home - oh what a soft bed in our Room.
Therefore, a tip: check the weather forecast for the day of your trip, as the temperature in Cairo can differ significantly from the temperature in Sharm El Sheikh. Dress warmly on the bus - the Egyptians have some kind of air conditioner cult, so when everyone falls asleep, the driver turns on the frostbite mode and any questions about turning off the air conditioner will answer “no problems” and “okay”.
And one more thing - take pillows from the bed in the Room.
Very useful and other tourists will look enviously in your direction. It’s also not bad, in addition to a dry breakfast in the evening, at dinner before the trip, stock up on homemade sandwiches - it will also come in handy.
It is important - on this trip you need to take your passport with you and masks (do not swim - medical ones).
Don't forget to remind the Hotel Reception that you should be given either a late dinner or an early breakfast! Especially if you take this tour from the official, then you must be given food to take with you on the road for free.
They will wake up several times: almost immediately when leaving the territory of Shar El Sheikh. There will be a toilet. Then, if the police are interested in you, they may ask about your passport. And then when passing through the Suez Canal. In between sleep and then Cairo.
What's interesting is that every bus has a toilet, but you can't walk - only at stops.
The cost of tea and burgers at bus stops is $3 and up. Well, yes - go bargain in the desert when this is the only gas station for 100 kilometers around.
So, the first interesting thing you will see is the Suez Canal.
The Suez Canal is a lockless shipping canal in Egypt that connects the Mediterranean and Red Seas. The canal zone is considered a conditional border between the two continents, Africa and Eurasia.
In the course of the journey, much attention will be paid to this fact, that here is the border between the parts of the World and finally you are in Africa.
If you come across a successful guide who knows more than 100 Russian words, besides "how are you" and "dear", then you may learn a lot of historical facts and local tales about all the sights that you will pass.
The Suez Canal itself is almost invisible during the movement - it is flush with the surface of the earth, but if dry-cargo giants or container ships pass by, the sight will be unforgettable.
Next, you will pass through the Ahmed Hamdi Tunnel - a road tunnel under the bottom of the Suez Canal near the city of Suez, Egypt. Named after the Egyptian General of the Corps of Engineers, Ahmed Hamdi, who was killed while building a bridge on the site of the current tunnel during the 1973 war. From its construction to the present day, the Ahmed Hamdi Tunnel provides passage for vehicles under the Suez Canal.
Photographs are not allowed.
In general, like anything interesting in Egypt, you can’t take pictures right away. How have they not banned taking photos in hotels yet.
Entering Cairoyou will meet you, like us, with garbage heaps and eight-lane highways.
Sometimes, highways will narrow into less grandiose architectural structures, but piles of garbage will not decrease, and even when passing over houses, you can get acquainted with the unique art of collecting trash on the roofs of houses.
What is there just not there - up to sofas and refrigerators.
Apparently, evil tongues say in vain that the art of mummification has been lost - it is clearly visible that under the hot Egyptian sun, garbage that has not been thrown away on the roofs of slum houses and near elite mansions is mummified according to all the classic rules of mummification.
This is some kind of nightmare.
A cacophony of dust, garbage from the side of the bus to the horizon, scurrying cars outside the laws of physics and traffic rules, horns, it seems that even pedestrians are honking, and some wild stories of the guide about the theories of building pyramids up to aliens.
Note: A cacophony is a combination of sounds perceived as a chaotic and meaningless jumble of them. Cacophony is formed, as a rule, as a result of a random combination of sounds or a cutting combination of sounds in poetry. The antonym of the word cacophony is euphony.
In general, there are plenty of phonies on the streets of Cairo.
So, first stop: Egyptian Museum, also the Egyptian National Museum, the world's largest repository of ancient Egyptian art, located in Cairo's Tahrir Square. The collection includes about 160 thousand exhibits from all historical periods of ancient Egypt.
Not to be confused with the Grand Egyptian Museum, also known as the Giza Museum, the largest archaeological museum in Giza, which was scheduled to open as early as 2020 but never did.
This one is part of a new master plan for the city, 2 km from the Pyramids of Giza, with a planned area of .50 hectares. A complete collection (5000) of Tutankhamun's antiquities from the Cairo Museum will be collected here, where the collection is not presented in full due to lack of space.
Therefore, in the Egyptian Museum now you will not see all the exhibits, however, in the Great Egyptian Museum, too, since it is still not open.
As we understood from what we saw, the main thing is to get to the Museum not at the rush hour of all buses, otherwise the journey through the museum with contemplation of ancient exhibits in silence, which you could get used to earlier in other museums, will turn into a process of running to the vacant seat and attempts to hear your guide in the noise of other people's voices.
Before the start of the excursion to the Museum, everyone will be given a mini radio station with headphones in order to tune in to the wave of the broadcaster's guide and not miss a single word. This is very convenient and good if the radio works - in our case, half of the tourists had technical problems, and we lost about half an hour. The rest was all charm.
There is a lot to see, not to mention the golden funeral mask of Tutankhamun, a gilded chariot, an armchair, a bed, lamps and other precious jewelry, clothes, writing materials, or his grandmother Tia strong>.
Everything is impressive and time flies unnoticed.
In the treasury, where Tutankhamun's funeral mask is located, photography is prohibited, unlike the entire territory of the Museum.
Separately, against the background of human mummies, the exposition with mummies of animals from snakes to crocodiles is shocking.
Because we didn't have a chance to visit Hatshepsut's mortuary temple at Deir el-Bahri - the mortuary temple of the 18th Dynasty pharaoh Hatshepsut - there are no tourists now, so we were pleased to have the opportunity to get acquainted with the exposition dedicated to Hatshepsut – female pharaoh of the New Kingdom of Ancient Egypt from the 18th dynasty. Before accession, she bore the same name, which was not changed upon accession to the throne. She bore the titles of "Great Wife of the King" and "Wife of the God Amon". Having adopted the title of pharaoh, Hatshepsut began to be depicted in a headdress of huts with a uraeus, with a false beard.
The tour around the pyramids will take about 1.5 hours of which you will have 20 minutes of free time. But we advise you not to fend off a flock of tourists from your bus, but it is even better to walk next to a guide or a guard who drives away annoying Bedouins.
A word about tickets at the entrance and about the Bedouins.
Entrance to the territory of the plateau where the pyramids are located is paid. But the cost of the entrance ticket is already included in the price of your tour. You can’t lose this ticket, otherwise you won’t get on an excursion to the Sphinx.
Around the pyramids and near the Sphinx, they dart around, that is, it boiled, flimsy shhorki poked through the nave, and the zelyuks grunted like myumziks in the move, that is, Bedouins.
The tour does not end here - we are moving towards the Sphinx.
The Great Sphinx on the west bank of the Nile at Giza is the oldest monumental sculpture on Earth. Carved from a monolithic limestone rock in the form of a colossal sphinx lying on the sand of a lion, whose face, as has long been considered to be, is given a portrait resemblance to the pharaoh Khafre (c. 2575-2465 BC), whose funerary pyramid is located nearby. The length of the statue is 73 meters, the height is 20 meters; between the front paws there was a small sanctuary.
Now the Egyptians claim that the face of the Sphinx was not spoiled by cannonballs of martinet Napoleon Bonaparte, but locals did it. And they also require every tourist to go to England and ask for the return of the beard of the Sphinx, which is stored in the British Museum (coordinates: 51.31'. 10.0" N 0.07'. 36.8" W ).
Approaching the Sphinx, you pass through the territory of the temple, the stones of which are stacked with such care that it seems that even the blade of a knife cannot be inserted between them.
Not to mention the blocks of the pyramids themselves, it is enough to walk along the corridor of the temple leading to the Sphinx to involuntarily recall the theory about aliens that the guide told us along the way - this is impossible! Even despite all sorts of sayings that it's impossible, it's just someone's opinion. This cannot be repeated.
And here it is - the Great Sphinx on the west bank of the Nile in Giza!
It is impossible to approach the dense one. The Sphinx is separated by a moat from tourists who are eager to cling to a warm stone heated by the scorching sun and, to be honest, who want to take at least a small piece as a souvenir.
But it's so good. No - excellent.
I immediately wanted to re-read the history textbook or at least Wikipedia.
Further along the way back to the bus there will be stalls with all kinds of souvenirs, where your accompanying guide will choose only one with real souvenirs, because the rest are definitely Chinese fakes and will be waiting for you near it so that you can buy something two, or better three .
What can I advise you to buy near the pyramids - this is some kind of silver souvenir, after all, a memory, and when we were there, baskets of date leaves were sold for only 1-2 dollars. A very stylish item. And you can also consider stone fakes in the form of scarab beetles. From plastic they will cost 1-2 dollars, but from stone from 5 dollars and more. Thus, you can easily and inexpensively pick up souvenirs for colleagues at work.
Also, on the way back, there may be a factory of papyri or perfumes or souvenirs. There is nothing to talk about - laughter, and nothing more.
And at one in the morning you are at home.
TOTAL SCORE CAIRO: 10 (FANTASTIC)
And since there are no tourists, as they say in Naama bay: "Cnourishes your dear aquarium! ".
And here is the joy - for such gentle creatures like us, without any reminder and scandal, a late dinner awaits at the reception.
That's it, sleep - in the morning fish and March 8!
MINING (FARSHA)
As said, oh, Farsha (Farsha) is a place where you want to return again and again, again and again. Anyone who got here is immersed in the unreal atmosphere of this institution, the interior, music, even the air envelops you with magic and magic. In this cafe, you forget the time, it simply does not exist. There is only pleasure!
It's authentic and very stylish here.
Recommendation to go in advance, at three and a half past three, otherwise there may be no places.
We got the fattest places closer to the sea.
Low sofas woven from a huge number of Bedouin pillows, divided into sectors for large enough companies, in the middle there are low copper tables with handmade embossing, on which glass flasks with sand are placed, where the caring hands of the cafe staff gently lower candles in the evening for create an amazing atmosphere that is not found anywhere else.
Every centimeter of the cafe itself and the surrounding area is strewn with some original antiques, which, although they seem to be arranged in a chaotic order, but they organize an idyll of a general style and, one might say, almost perfection.
The design of the cafe is somewhat reminiscent of the work of Salvador Dali, when, watching the general chaos of a heap of individual elements, your soul finds peace from contemplating the overall picture, and it causes genuine interest to consider the individual components of one common.
The prices in the cafe are moderate, some are even cheaper than in Naama Bay.
However, despite the very appetizing fresh juices or hot pizza, everyone here is waiting for a completely different experience, not a gastronomic one.
As soon as it starts to get dark, around the entire cafe, like everything inside, it lights up with the warm light of lamps, lights from candles, and the general illumination plunges you into a crushing volcano of flowing lava of unusual illumination of the cafe itself and the hanging cliff above the sea.
Few patrons remain seated as the café lights come on in the faint rays of the setting sun and the approaching dusk.
No one can stop, get drunk on the impressions of what they saw, and everyone in the cafe gets up, as if paying due respect to the creators of such an extraordinary action while standing.
Let's add a little dryness to the story - Farsha Bar Cafe is located in the Hadaba area on the Ras Um Sid reef and is considered the most picturesque cafe in Sharm El Sheikh. The cafe is built on a cliff and from any place offers a stunning panoramic view of the Sea and the entire bay. Minced meat is an old Arabic word that means a window frame or a doorway. The cafe has an incredibly cool design, you find yourself in the atmosphere of ancient Egypt. Almost all the tourists who visited the cafe say that they have not seen a cooler place ...
You can not even recommend going here - just look at the photos from this place, or feel our story, so that a visit to the cafe bar Farsha (Farsha) becomes a must-see for every tourist in Sharm El Sheikh.
After all, we, each of us, are the chefs of our own happiness, aren't we?
So add some minced meat!
OVERALL RATING OF FARSHA CAFE BAR: 100 (HOW TO RATE JOY? )
SHOPPING IN EGYPT. SHOPING EGYPT.
SHOPPING IN SHARM EL SHEIKH. SHOPING SHARM EL SHEIKH.
SHOPPING OLD TOWN. SHOPING OLD CITY.
SHOPPING NAAMA BAY. SHOPING NAAMA BAY.
We will make adjustments to previously posted information regarding prices as of March 2021.
You need prices - we have them!
So, shopping in the Old Town - again we did not find anything that is not in Naama bay or would be cheaper or would be of some kind of quality that is not found anywhere else.
Shopping in Naama bay already has a certain scheme / treasure map for us, which has changed since the last trip, for example:
FOOD FOOD - Carrefour supermarket in Naama bay, which was not far from the taxi rank, in general, everyone knows where it is, no longer working. Although the prices in this network are stable. We took water ($0.5-$1), discounted juices ($0.5), bought date jam ($1.5), 0.5kg feta ($1.5), Roquefort cheese and bought more cigarettes here, and also bought canned tuna meat ($0.7).
ALCOHOL & CIGARETTES - there are two stores on the opposite side of the Shopping Center and a little towards the Sea, namely: the store "Bacchus Market" and "Market - daily fresh", did not look at cigarettes, hits IQOS for $5 (you can trade for $4), beer has risen in price - it costs at least $2.
5 and more heavy drinks and there is another store, if you exit the Hotel and go to the right, towards McDonald's, then in the first lane towards the Sea, almost immediately on the corner there is a small shop where there are cigarettes and alcohol, for example, their local wine for $9, but everything will be more expensive here. Also on the main street, almost opposite the Kan Zaman restaurant, there are two grocery stores - here they took Italian champagne for $15 and their local one for $18.
TIP: upon arrival within 2 days, every type of tourist has the right to go and buy whatever you want in the Duty Free in Naama Bay itself. The store is located to the right of the Hotel, around the corner from McDonald's. You need to take your passport with you - put a mark. And then you can buy at a reasonable price, for example, cigarettes (only a block) for $1.6 per pack or a liter of gin for $16. By the way, locals may ask you to go shopping with them in this Duty Free.
OINTMENTS, OILS, SHAMPOO and so on - only in pharmacies (Farmacia), in the end we chose two: one immediately opposite the Hotel on the right side of the Naama center Shopping Center on the minus first floor and the second from the Hotel to the right towards the signboard I LOVE SHARM of the state type. Recall that earlier in pharmacies (Farmacia) they accepted only pounds, and now the dollar is in use. We took Solaire tanning oil, local Egyptian EVA cosmetics for the face - green cap (cucumber) - very good for sunburn (before going to bed after a shower), Vatika shampoo is generally super (about $ 4), sandalwood oil (for rheumatism) for $ 5 , black cumin oil (great pain reliever) $1-$2, Jonson & Baby shampoos, $1 black cumin extract tablets, Moroccan argon hair oil, $0.5 Day&Night pills/prophylaxis, and so-called "camel milk" is just a trick -some kind of pocus, fantastic: a cool thing (now $10 per 1 kg, and in other places it is more expensive up to $20).
And this time they also took pure collagen in ampoules for $10 per package (in the state) and $15 per package in front of the Hotel. We also recommend Pantogar, a hair growth product priced at $5 per pack. We also recommend buying their Miswak toothpaste for $1 (small pack) and $1 (large pack).
Shop "Hard Rock Cafe" - located on the main street, in the same place as the Cafe / Bar "Hard Rock Cafe" itself, does not work.
Shop for divers "MaisonDeLaMer" - located on the Beach side, if you exit the Hotel from the Sea side and turn left to the first lane and a few steps down and there will be a shop. There are very good beach towels here, however, they are kind of expensive - $ 25 and there is an antiseptic for cleaning pipes and masks for swimming, there are also silicone laces for sunglasses that have also risen in price - now $ 8 and there are cool openers for cans of $ 10 beer. Although this time the offers in the store somehow ran out, there are not many goods on the shelves.
Shop « Karkoucha» / « Cotton House» (to the right of McDonald's, if you leave the Hotel from Central Street, turn right and go almost to end of the street and go to the other side - you won’t pass: a two-story store and a large yellow sign, opposite it there is a building that is sheathed in silver glitter. this store had 2 (two) problems: firstly, there are fixed prices, that is, it is practically useless to bargain, and the second problem is that almost all things are, as they say, “one size”, that is, there is only Now another one has been added - there is not enough goods, but the sellers have learned to bargain, therefore, as everywhere, they first call an inflated price.
SHOPPING CENTER "Naama center" - located opposite the Hotel, there are good shops with watches (through the main entrance on the left side), sunglasses (1st floor), but on the 2nd floor, only a restaurant and a store for divers work, but if you go through the main entrance and exit through the exit on the left, then at the exit on the right of the Shopping Center building (2nd or 3rd) there will be a good store with replicas of women's and men's shoes of famous brands ($35- $40), bags and men's belts ($17). The mall is actually half empty.
Not far from the Karkoucha shop / House of Cotton, right at the crossroads, there is a handicraft stall made of stone and the so-called "Egyptian wax". This tray is not visible when you walk along the avenue. Here you can choose a worthy souvenir, for example, figurines-caskets made of stone or just some beautiful dust collector on a shelf. The prices are acceptable.
FRUITS to the beach and on the road can be found in front of the ALADIN gallery shop.
The second place is if you go through the Naama center Shopping Center from the Hotel and cut off to the left, exit the Shopping Center you have a mini bar (cafe) on your left, and across the road (towards the Hard Rock Cafe) there is a dumb man with a small trailer and a flashlight. Before departure, you can buy fruit, having previously told the seller that you don’t have to eat right now, but you need to take it home with you - they will pick you up greener. We drove and brought almost everything without damage. There is a little trick: how to drink water or juice in a tetra pack - do not throw away the bottle / bag, but use it as a packaging for fruits. Prices now for strawberries are $1 per kilogram, mango is out of season, guava is $6 per kilogram.
SWEETS - this time almost everyone bought in George Clooney's store. This is where pragmatism came into play. Prices in the George Clooney store are cheaper than in Naama Bay stores and were able to buy everything at once in one place.
IMPORTANT - look at the date of manufacture, otherwise you won’t buy Turkish delight, but bricks for the LEGO set, although, it seems like they (in Egypt), according to them, the state has not lost interest in food quality control, as, in fact, with medicines in Pharmacies (Farmacia).
SPICES/TEA - this time we bought everything again in the George Clooney store. In this store, everything is stored not in the open air, as they say "in bulk" / "in bulk", but in large closed trays on a shelf inside the store.
ORIGINAL HANDMADE SOUVENIRS can be purchased at the ALADDIN" gallery shop: one is in Naama bay right in front of the Hotel and the second one was seen in Soho - oh, there are things and products and so on, everything is handmade work and all made in Egypt! Prices bite a little, but there are absolutely inexpensive souvenirs, for example, a wish ball - from 60 pounds ($4) or, for example, handmade glass glasses from 90 pounds ($6) and in this store you can pay with a VISA / MASTERCARD card.
LAMPS and OTHER VERY STYLISH SOUVENIRS can be purchased if you walk along the side of the Hotel towards McDonald's right after the IPhone store there will be a shop with lamps minted in the old style, which create an unusual atmosphere of comfort in any home . You can also buy very stylish mirrors in the same chasing frame, and a lot of things from drums to tambourines. The minimum price of the lamp is $10.
EXCHANGE (EXCHANGE) - everything is very simple: there are quite a lot of ATMs in Naama bay (the inscription "ATM"), where you can perform basic transactions with your card ( like our ATMs) and there is an EXCHANGE menu (on the screen there is one button "EXCHANGE"). For example, there is such an ATM right in front of the Hotel under the sign of the Bank and there is in the Naama center Shopping Center opposite the Hotel (almost immediately at the main entrance on the left hand side). The instruction is very simple - an interactive screen.
You are asked several times before the operation whether everything is correct and if so, the ATM makes an exchange and gives a check with your operation and exchange rates. All this is very convenient. If there are difficulties, then cleaners dart around all the time and will help you figure it out completely free of charge.
And remember THE BASIC RULE of shopping in Egypt: the price depends on the tan - the blacker the tan, the lower the prices.
And this time one more RULE was added: do not buy anything in Egypt at night and drunk.
PRICES (as of March 2021):
$0.00 - Wi-Fi at the reception in the Hotel
$0.00 - Animation on the Beach
$0.00 – show in the evenings at the Hotel
$0.00 - beer on the Beach in a plastic cup (or at least $2.50 - 0.5l in a can in a store)
$0.00 – cleaning in the Hotel Room (we left $1 per day and $5 on March 8)
$0.00 – 0.5 liters of water once (on the plane when landing in Egypt)
$0.00 - water from the cooler in the hotel dining room (do not advise ...)
00 - towel for the beach (they lie immediately in the Room upon check-in at the Hotel)
$0.6 - a jar of jam / jam 7 types: strawberry, date, raspberry, cherry, apricot, orange and so on in small jars in glass (George Clooney store)
$0.5/$2 - drinking water 1.5 liters (at Carrefour supermarket and $2-3 at Naama Bay stores)
$1 - one bag of strawberries
$1 - a basket of date leaves near the pyramids in Cairo
$1 - ointment (small jar) for joint pain in the Pharmacy (Farmacia)
$1/$2 - black/green tea per 100 grams (George Clooney shop)
$1/$2 - Bedouin tea for one tourniquet
$1/$2 - Miswak toothpaste at the Pharmacy (Farmacia)
$1.6 per pack (cigarettes in Duty free shop)
$2 - 1 kg melon
$2 - ointment (large jar) for joint pain in the Pharmacy (Farmacia)
$2 - souvenir (magnet or small camel)
$2 and more - sweets per box (George Clooney's minimum prices)
$2/$5 - wristbands
$3 - one glass of juice (at Farsha restaurant)
$3 - fine for violation of the mask regime
$10/$13 - like a real good cotton towel (Karkoucha store / Cotton House)
$10/25 - men's beret / small backpack (fake brand name)
$10/$15 - a set (plate) of seafood in a restaurant (do not take crabs alone - there is nothing to eat)
$10 - rent of a mask, fins and wetsuit (from the partisans) or $0.00 - if the boat trip is from the official
$10 - beach bag or canvas backpack
$8/10 - fashion jewelry (steel) - good shop on the left side of the Naama center Shopping Center (outside the street, almost immediately behind the ice cream parlour)
$10/$20 - 1kg fresh shrimp (in the Old City)
$15/$20 men's beret/small backpack (leather)
$15/$20 - a normal leather men's belt (like a copy of the brand)
$10/$25 - bus tour to Ras Mohammed Nature Reserve with partisans
$18 - women's non-leather backpack
$20 - sunglasses
$20 - professional photo on the tour
$20 (reference point) - silver bracelet (many shops - great choice)
$20/25 - standard lunch at Fares
$25 - generally a real good cotton towel for divers (MaisonDeLaMer store)
$25 - a scarf made of real Egyptian cotton (available in one place - Aladin store)
$40 and up - Kanz camel leather women's bags / backpacks (we didn't like everything else) - found one store in the square (on the left) near the Carrefour supermarket
$40 - excursion on a yacht to the Ras Mohammed Nature Reserve at the official
$50 and above - silver men's bracelet (30-35 grams)
$80 - excursion to Cairo at the official ($40/$45 for partisans)
$100 - fine at the airport for 1 cm of coral
And, as we usually write in our reviews, remember one more RULE: a tourist who has not been deceived is not a tourist!
OVERALL SHOPPING SCORE IS 3 (NEARLY NOTHING)
THANK YOU ALL!
REST DEPENDS ON REVIEW RATE!
