Sharm El Sheikh is one of the most fashionable, fashionable and expensive Egyptian resorts. There are very few local residents here: mainly, service personnel come here from other cities of the country for several months, and then go home with the money they earn. Therefore, all prices in Sharm El Sheikh for goods and services are targeted at wealthy tourists.
Most of the guests arrive in Sharm el-Sheikh with dollars, which are exchanged on the spot for Egyptian pounds. 1 dollar in 2019 is equal to 18 Egyptian pounds. All calculations, except, in some cases, fees for excursions, at the resort are made in national currency.
Professional diving, surfing, go-karting may require serious expenses. Experienced tourists recommend allocating about $ 200 on excursions, because they get bored all the time on the territory of the hotel. Souvenirs and gifts will cost $ 50-100.
Nutrition
Most of the hotels in the resort operate on an "all inclusive" program, so you can save a lot on food in Sharm. Some tourists, however, try to get out to the Nyama Bay area, where there are many restaurants of national cuisine. Egyptian dishes are specific, may not please everyone, but still worth trying. The average bill at a local inexpensive beachfront restaurant is around $ 20. The portions are large, one dish can be ordered for two. In prestigious restaurants, prices are set much higher. A meat dish with a glass of wine will cost $ 150.
It is also worth allocating funds:
- for additional cocktails and juices in bars. A soft drink costs about $ 2, with rum or liqueurs about $ 5;
- for the purchase of fruit in bazaars and supermarkets. Especially a lot of juicy exotic fruits in autumn. 1 kg of mango will cost 2 dollars, 1 kg of pomegranates - 1-2 dollars, watermelons are sold individually for 2-3 dollars per berry, 1 kg of apples costs a little less than a dollar;
- for the purchase of oriental sweets. A beautiful gift box of Turkish delight will cost 1-2 dollars, the cost of dates starts from 2 dollars;
- for water and soda in bags. A bottle of forfeits costs $ 1, a one and a half liter bottle of water costs 20-30 cents;
- for alcohol. There are alcoholic drinks in Egypt, however, tourists are not satisfied with their quality. A can of beer sells for $ 2.
Excursions
The cost of organized trips with a guide to interesting places in the vicinity of Sharm el-Sheikh does not exceed $ 50 per person. So, you can take a bus to the Ras Mohammed Marine Reserve for $ 20. The tour lasts 5 hours. Travelers are picked up directly from the hotel. The same trip, but on a yacht will cost $ 25. During the excursion, tourists can go snorkeling in the lagoons sheltered from the wind, sunbathe on a deserted beach, watch birds, and see a mangrove grove.
The excursion to the Transfiguration Monastery, where the biblical burning bush grows, and to Mount Sinai are also very popular. The tour takes 17 hours. From Sharm El Sheikh, travelers head to the foot of Mount Sinai at 20:00. By dawn they will be at the top, having overcome 3500 steps on the way up. Such excursions from different tour operators cost from $ 25 to $ 45 per person.
Fans of outdoor activities will be delighted with the opportunity to ride ATVs in the desert. Such an adventure will cost $ 15-50, depending on the number of people, route and duration of the trip. In addition to the ATV ride, the excursion also includes a camel ride and a show in the Bedouin village.
In Sharm el-Sheikh, guests are offered to go diving, parasailing, windsurfing. The cost of two dives in one day is about $ 50, a scuba diving course (5-7 days) is about $ 300, 1 hour of parasailing will cost $ 35.
From Sharm you can also fly or take a bus to neighboring countries. Many tour operators have developed interesting one- and two-day excursions to Israel and Jordan. Such a tour will cost $ 125-250. You do not need to pay extra for living in another country and transfer.
Souvenirs
Standard souvenirs are sold on the premises of any hotel. But experienced tourists know very well that the prices for magnets, plates and so on here are twice as high as compared to the shops in the bazaar or in the city center. In addition, in the latter, you can bargain, knocking down the price to an acceptable one. The lowest cost for souvenirs is set in the evening, when sellers are already preparing to close their shops. It is almost impossible to cut the price on Friday. For some reason, local merchants are sure that most tourists leave Sharm on Saturday, so they will spend the remaining dollars on the eve of departure.
Magnets can be found for a dollar apiece, paintings made on papyrus start at $ 10, shawls sell for $ 10-15, diving masks cost $ 20-25, slippers for swimming in the sea that protect the feet from the needles of sea urchins, will cost $ 7-8, cotton T-shirts - $ 5-8, gift sets of tea with honey - $ 20. The price for a good hookah starts at $ 30.
