My holiday in SHARM

medot · Posted: Mon Nov 27, 2006 10:07 am Post subject:

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 · Posted: Mon Nov 27, 2006 10:17 am Post subject:

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 · Posted: Mon Nov 27, 2006 10:20 am Post subject:

Wow Dottie. Fantastic photo's

Looks lovely

medot · Posted: Mon Nov 27, 2006 10:24 am Post subject:

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 · Posted: Mon Nov 27, 2006 1:36 pm Post subject:

Fantastic photoes Dottie
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Emma · Posted: Mon Nov 27, 2006 3:05 pm Post subject:

fab pics Dottie, makes me want to go on holiday now!!
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Acorncup · Posted: Mon Nov 27, 2006 3:07 pm Post subject:

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

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Welcome Holly!

medot · Posted: Mon Nov 27, 2006 3:19 pm Post subject:

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 · Posted: Mon Nov 27, 2006 3:39 pm Post subject:

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 · Posted: Mon Nov 27, 2006 3:47 pm Post subject:

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

medot · Posted: Mon Nov 27, 2006 4:06 pm Post subject:

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 · Posted: Mon Nov 27, 2006 4:16 pm Post subject:

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

Is THAT it???

Camouflage or what!!!

chocaholicsanon · Posted: Mon Nov 27, 2006 4:20 pm Post subject:

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....

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medot · Posted: Mon Nov 27, 2006 4:36 pm Post subject:

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 · Posted: Mon Nov 27, 2006 5:42 pm Post subject:

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 · Posted: Mon Nov 27, 2006 6:49 pm Post subject:

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 · Posted: Tue Nov 28, 2006 3:03 pm Post subject:

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

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Pam7 · Posted: Tue Nov 28, 2006 3:19 pm Post subject:

Us silly Suffolks again Sue!!!

maureenl · Posted: Tue Nov 28, 2006 4:55 pm Post subject:

Great pics Dottie only thing missing is you and hubby

medot · Posted: Tue Nov 28, 2006 6:37 pm Post subject:

ooo i might post one tomorrow