Egypt Trip - Sharm el-Sheikh

Sharm el-Sheikh was a shocking contrast to Cairo. This resort town off the Red Sea on the south of the Sinai peninsula catered to mostly Eastern Europeans and looked more like the Riviera than an Arabic city. Alcohol was served and bikinis were abundant on the beaches. There were a lot of things in Sharm el-Sheikh that didn't seem to fit with the values of a traditional Islamic culture. This may have been the reason this area was targeted by terrorists in 2005 for Egypt's deadliest attack. We stayed clear of the party reveling and never felt in danger.

Na'ama Bay was the tourist center of the city. Many Western stores and restaurants could be found here but we still couldn't get away from the haggling. I lost count of how many "artists" told us they had family in America and wanted to take us in their shop to give us their business card. It seems they would at least try to make up different stories to lure us to their stores.

The waters around the city are considered to be one of the best places in the world for snorkeling and diving. Even the Shark's Bay beach near our resort had incredible snorkeling around the coral just off the edge of the beach. We also took a snorkel cruise to Ras Mohamed national park and saw all kinds of fish and coral. I spotted a lion fish and a manta ray during my snorkels.