Sharm el Sheikh & Sinai

[Austerby]

I'm changing employers shortly and have a week in between so I'm off to the Red Sea for some late November sunshine.

Have settled on Sharm el Sheikh for the snorkelling etc but am also intrigued by the local souks, desert trips and visits to St Catherine's Monastery.

Any recommendations/suggestions/advice when there of places to go, gear to take etc.?

I'll be taking my pocket Olympus tough digi camera for the seaside but I'm quite tempted to take the Hasselblad 500cm with 50mm and 80mm lenses and a couple of A12s, with Velvia and assorted b&w. I have visions of taking portraits of carpet vendors and shishka joints, plus wild romantic desert landscapes...

 

[kjoebek]

Taxi drivers

Taxi drivers

Take care of the Taxi drivers.

 

[Austerby]

I'm off on Friday - have decided just to take my Fuji GA645i, some Neopan 400 and Provia 400x for the evenings, with probably Pan F and Velvia 50 for the daytimes.

Be grateful for any tips on locations, exposure factors in the desert etc.

 

[Gray Fox]

I'm sure it would be a great place to photograph, but Israeli authorites are warning all their folks NOT to travel there because of the high risk of terrorist attacks from now through the first of the year. Westerners, especially Americans, are main targets. Great photo ops are one thing, but some times caution is advised, YMMMV.

 

[ricnak]

It was great in 1982!

Great facilities too. Let us know if it has changed much.

PS. Yep, the far girl is wearing pastel pink jeans.

 

[ornate_wrasse]

I was in Sharm el Sheikh in October 2000 and spent one week on a diving liveaboard. The most remarkable thing for me was a visit to the hospital in Sharm el Sheikh. I had an accident when scuba diving, a boat propeller hit me. They rushed me to the hospital and I ended up having 4 stitches in my shoulder and 6 in my head. I spent the night in that hospital so I could recuperate from my wounds. I do remember that the cost of my hospital stay was a very small amount compared to American hospitals.

I was there in early October and it was quite hot. Not sure how much it's cooled down by now.

When we were there we stayed at the Marriott for one or two nights.

Have a great trip!

Ellen

 

[raid]

DR. Erich Ritter was diving there until a week ago. What a coincidence. He is vey well known as a shark attack expert.

 

[tic]

I will be going to Sharm el Sheik in January. I'm thinking of going on a day trip to Cairo and the Pyramids. The standard deal seems to be a 24-hour bus trip with a lot of time on the road. As I have a bad back I'd rather spend less time seated. Has anyone been on a daytrip based on airplane travel instead? Or does perhaps the hassle of flying cancel out the shorter time spent travelling?

 

[raid]

Get a private taxi driver. You get there in a few hours.

 

[Austerby]

A good trip, though the sharks were a bit too close. Plenty to photograph in the old market and on trips into the desert.

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Bedouin night, in the Sinai">


At St Catherine's Monastery">




In the Old Market">