My holiday in SHARM

medot · My holiday in SHARM

well just had my third holiday to sharm el sheik staying, this time, at the sonesta beach hotel in naama bay.

its not the best hotel to stay in in sharm... they do have some brilliant 5* hotels...this was about a 3-4*...but it was in a good location and had easy access to the reef...which was important.

it had a moroccan feel to it, looked good, but the only real downfall is it was overrun with italians...its a hotel really for them...so all the evening/daytime/childrens entertainment was based around them. it didn't bother us though we spent most of our evenings in town....or at the ali baba cafe in the hotel drinking and smoking a shisha pipe!!

the important thing about this hotel was the beach...their private part of the beach was a bit small...but being tiered you had good views and we never had any troubles getting a sunbed...even though hubby did have to "reserve" our beds by 8.30am!!

you could walk into the sea to swim out to the reef....its not the best reef for coral...but WOW the fish...we saw loads more than we did last year staying in the ras um sid area!!

we managed to identify over 50 different fish..and of course there were loads that we just couldn't identify.

the top fish for us were seeing the huge titan triggerfish...a bit scarry...cause they can attack you, the huge blue triggerfish, the white spotted pufferfish and the star pufferfish.....two fish i hadn't seen before....and then on our very last snorkel we literally came face to face with a lionfish...coming straight towards us...which was a beautiful sight...and then the total icing on the cake was seeing a sting ray. i'm afraid i had a steve irwin moment and rather than swim with the ray to identify it i was just happy to watch it swim away...it was massive, had a huge sting...i think it was either an eagle ray or a leopard ray...amazing!!

anyway heres some pictures....

this is the view from our patio....notice the sinai mountains in the backround.

this is a picture of our room. we actually had 5 seperate rooms!!

this was our bed...it was massive and could quite easily sleep three!!

this is one of the hotels many cacti gardens.

this is just one of the hotels seven pools!!

this is a picture taken from the beach looking out to the bay.

the sunsets over the bay were amazing. this was taken about 4.30pm

some threadfin butterflyfish

the fish with the orange tail is an orange-striped triggerfish

some black spotted sweet lips. they were big!!

this is just to show just how close the fish are!

unfortunately this is what happens when some moron decides to feed the fish!!

this is one of the many different parrotfish we saw. they were over a foot long and we could actually hear them feeding!! they were great fun fish.

this last one you do need to look hard here to spot the fish. right at the bottom of the picture in the middle is a huge "ET" type rock next to it is a smaller rock...if you look closely at that rock you will see an angry mouth and two eyes...one of the three stonefish we saw....possibly the uglyest fish we saw!!

GoldenChippie

oh wow - those underwater pics are fab - what did you use to take them dotty?

and the hotel looks great too

I absolutely love that stonefish - took me a while to find it!!! i think id have a heart attack if moved tho!!!

Liz0

Wow Dottie. Fantastic photo's

Looks lovely

medot

gail...it was a simple boots throwaway underwater camera. last year we used our digital camera in a waterproof pouch but it was hard using it.

i just wished we'd taken more throwaways with us.

Carol

Fantastic photoes Dottie

Emma

fab pics Dottie, makes me want to go on holiday now!!

Acorncup

it looks wonderful dottie, thanks for posting the pics

the water looks so clear......and to see all those fish close up.I'm not sure if I've found the stone fish....is its fin making a shadow on the bottom?

the room and complex look pretty........I can't believe the sunset at 4.30 pm though.......but then again it does that here this time of year, and that's after it's been raining all day

medot

oooo acorncup...i'll try and get hubby to fiddle with the picture so it becomes clearer...but this is what they look like...

Pam7

Fantastic photos Dottie...and I'm well impressed that you can name all these fish!!

I've never 'fancied' Sharm..but must admit...it DOES look wonderful!! Think I'd better read up some more on it!!!

Pam7

Is that it there..where I've marked it Dottie???

medot

ooo pam..i could make this into a new game.

no thats not it...if you literally halve the photo...then right at the bottom...half way in is the fish...hes got a bit of a shadow on him...boy i want that pointy thing!!

Pam7

Have you got Adobe photoshop? James only showed me how to do this last week!!!

Is THAT it???

Camouflage or what!!!

chocaholicsanon

He's not there dotty..
your having a laugh...

lovely photos...makes me want to go back....
we had a ginourmous bed too, and its wonderfull for sleeping....

medot

PMSL pam...no thats not him....but just go down an inch right to the bottom...thats him frowning....

and yes we have got adobe...but thats like steves toy....he tries hard to shoew me...but oooi 'm just not patient!!

Pam7

Oh bugger!! STILL can't find him! I'm pm'ing you to tell you how to do the pointie thing!!!! ITS EASY..if I can do it so can you!

medot

pam...pm me...but you better be a better teacher than hubby he gives me a right headache when he goes technic on me

madsue

Fantastic pics dottie, but I can't see this fish either, though I can see the bunny rabbit rock, and I thought the ET rock is the one in the far bottom right hand corner

Pam7

Us silly Suffolks again Sue!!!

maureenl

Great pics Dottie only thing missing is you and hubby

medot

ooo i might post one tomorrow

k&r

wicked piccys dotty, can i bloody hell as like find the fish!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Pam7

We've pinpointed it over in General Karen..in the thread New Game.

kellie

We stayed at the coral sea in sharm In june for 10 days then went to the NEW holiday village, loved every minute of them both

kellie

Only just over 6 weeks till we go there again woo hoo

vonny

woohoo Kellie
im going for the first time 11 weeks Monday

i cant wait to see the sea/fish that everyone is going on about
and the place in general sounds soooo nice

medot

my friend is going on thursday......lucky her.

got a good last minute deal.

staying at the concorde el salam.

kellie

Tango Bunny

Brilliant photos Dot

Love the look of your hotel to
I went to Morrocco many years ago and it reminds me of our time in Tangiers.

I cant bloody find the stonefish either despite the arrows

vonny

Kellie

I am staying in the Sonesta Beach Resort Hotel..end of N.BAY on the beach 10 weeks 6 days

saw my flight leave yesterday an hour late grrrrrrrrr

kellie

4 weeks and 6 days for me

have a great time Vonny

vonny

thanks you too Kellie

i have a dilema

will i book a flight to Cairo and tour guide myself ..alot cheaper but is it safe

or do it all through the rep when were there...alot dearer but safer

Kellie have you did either?

chocaholicsanon

go onto HT and ask for any info on guides and booking agents..
i think they usually say jollies...
but theres lots of people who can help you.

lucky you...

vonny

Chocs thank you

i havnt posted on HT since we all left
i wont be welcomed there now
but i do read it everyday

kellie

I booked mine through the holiday rep, having kids with me just made me feel a bit safer doing it that way

vonny

ok thanks Kellie

ive still not booked anything
so think i`ll wait till we get there

im on to the next dilema
snorkelling gear and underwater camera

and pressies to take for Billy he is 40 while we are there

garryb

vonny check your pm's

Garry

vonny

Garry i will look now coz its saying no messages

thanks

vonny

3 Weeks come Monday

Cairo all sorted
presents all sorted
cameras all sorted
just to get a holiday pack made up for Billy to see once we check in and he knows where hes going!!!...in the process and its great fun !!!

Kellie how was your holiday?

McBabe