Explore city history, fast facts, climate and practical visitor information for Sharm el Sheikh.
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City overview
Most visas expire six months after the date of issue. A fee of 15 USD or its equivalent in Egyptian currency is charged for obtaining the visa. If Visa needs to be renewed or extended then it can be done from the Ministry of Foreign affairs in Egypt. The extension of business visa requires proper reasoning for the delay from the certain company.
February to April and October to November are the best months to travel to Sharm el Sheikh because the weather is a lot cooler and one is able to walk around the city comfortably.
-Location:: Egypt; -Dialing code:: +06; -Emergency numbers:: Tourist Police - Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt, EG
The modern city is called ‘Sharm’ by the local Egyptians. Sharm of today has five important regions that make it a very important metropolitan area in Egypt. It harbors a chunk of tourist sites and attractions. The little Buddha, a sushi bar, and a night club have taken the title of having the unbroken bar in the Middle East. Also the multihued handicrafts of the local Bedouin culture are a lure to several foreigners. The downtown area is clustered with all kinds of hotels from over the world.
The Sharm of today was called ‘Ofira’ during the Israeli activity of Egypt between 1967 and 1982. It was originally a fishing port inhabited by a few people and local fishermen. However, it expanded its boundaries over the years and turned into a commercial port and Naval Base for the Egyptian area. It has been captured by Israel twice; once in 1956 and then in 1967! It was during the Israeli occupation of Egypt that diving clubs, etc were established in the region have now been upgraded to International levels.
Most residents of the city speak Arabic; however there is a majority of French and English speaking community as well. In most homes, women and men both are employed. 90% of population is Muslim and practicing religion in their daily lives. Women don’t wear revealing clothes and cover major body parts. Similarly, men don’t shake hands with women unless women offer them themselves. Hospitality is a part of the city’s culture and locals are especially generous and nice to tourists.
Sharm El Sheikh is a populated tourist spot in the world featuring several attractions. However if you’ve to tour the city in just one day, you must visit all the highly recommended attractions first. Start your day with a heavy breakfast in the Naama Bay area. They have really good restaurants offering a variety of cuisines. ‘Camel Bar & Roof, ‘Mahony’, and ‘Sala Thai’ are famous breakfast places in the area. After breakfast, you can either take a taxi or walk to the beach which isn’t very far away. Walking is recommended because that way you’ll be able to notice the street culture, shops, residents, etc.