| I've been to Sharm a number of times and its always | | | | meal, we headed around the various shops to buy |
| interesting to see how the place has changed. My last | | | | some fruit which is cheaper and more plentiful than in |
| visit was two years ago so the first change I noticed | | | | Na'ama Bay. As much as Na'ama Bay had seemed |
| when we arrived that the cost of your visa (on | | | | quieter, the Old Town was far busier than I |
| arrival) is down to US15. The visa itself has also | | | | remembered. There also seemed to be more shops |
| changed from the previous 2 'postage stamps' (1 | | | | than when I was last there 2 years earlier. We spent |
| orange, 1 blue) to a larger single sticker complete | | | | about 45 minutes wandering round and we bought 3 |
| with hologram. The visa and immigration process, | | | | bags of fruit then headed back to Na'ama Bay. |
| along with luggage collection did seem to be a lot | | | | In between my diving trips, we spent the days at |
| quicker than last time and when we left the arrivals | | | | the beach alternating between laying in the sun, |
| hall, I was also pleasantly surprised to see that the all | | | | snorkelling or just relaxing in the sea. From the beach, |
| the old style taxis had been replaced with newer | | | | its hard to believe just how good the snorkelling can |
| cars. Presumably, the old taxis have been passed on | | | | be but within a short time I had seen Parrotfish, |
| to various science museums. | | | | Angelfish, Butterflyfish, Surgeonfish, Picasso |
| We spent our first full day in Sharm down on the | | | | Triggerfish, Clownfish (Nemos), Porcupinefish, Pipefish |
| beach at Na'ama Bay and it struck us that although | | | | and a Yellow Edged Moray Eel. |
| there were a number of people around, the resort | | | | I also saw two Scorpionfish having a bit of a fight. |
| did seem a lot quieter than last time we had visited in | | | | This is something quite unusual. I've never seen |
| August. Conversations with people who work in | | | | Scorpionfish behave like this out on the coral reefs, |
| Sharm as well as other frequent visitors went along | | | | never mind in Na'ama Bay. There is a more serious |
| with our line of thought. The number of British | | | | angle to this though. Scorpionfish are very difficult to |
| visitors seems to be around the same and there did | | | | see as their primary defence is camouflage. Their |
| seem to be a slight increase in visitors from | | | | secondary defence is a row of poisonous spins which |
| neighbouring Arab countries. The big difference in | | | | run along their spin and as a result people can step |
| numbers seemed to be a drop in the number of | | | | on them by mistake. You won't find Scorpionfish in |
| Russian visitors. This may be due to the fact that in | | | | the sand but there are a couple of very small pieces |
| the past, Egypt has been an easy destination for | | | | of coral in Na'ama Bay where they like to hide so it is |
| Russian tourists due to they could just purchase their | | | | very important that you NEVER stand on the coral. |
| visas on arrival. Stricter visa application procedures in | | | | There are a lot of creatures in there who can cause |
| other countries had meant that it was harder for | | | | you a lot of pain and the Scorpionfish is one of them. |
| Russians to visit places in Europe but in the last 12 | | | | So our two week holiday soon came to an end. It |
| months or so, an agreement between Russia and | | | | has been two years since I was last in Sharm and |
| many EU countries has meant that it is now easier | | | | the resort is expanding all the time. Among the new |
| for Russians to obtain Schengen visas so they may | | | | additions to the centre of Na'ama Bay is a new TGI |
| well be visiting different destinations. | | | | Fridays and a number of hotels. New shopping malls |
| After a few nights in Sharm, we took a trip to the | | | | are also being completed. Further south in the Old |
| Old Town which is a short taxi ride away. The official | | | | Town, the streets seemed busier than ever but the |
| price is 15LE (around £1.50) but sometimes as | | | | biggest area of growth was north of the airport in |
| a tourist, it can be tricky to persuade a taxi driver to | | | | Nabq Bay. The evidence is there for all to see that |
| take you for that. However, we managed it and we | | | | Sharm is aiming to boost the number of visiting |
| were soon in the Old Town. We headed for a Thai | | | | tourists and maintain its status as the number one |
| restaurant we'd used before and once again the food | | | | resort in Egypt. |
| was excellent and good value for money. After the | | | | |