 | Sharm El Sheikh Tourist Traps | Tips 1 - 10 of 52 |  |
Popular Tourist Traps | Other Tourist Traps Tips | All Tips (52) Fact.If you enter egypt by landing at Sharm airport and do not go outside of the designated sharm area(does not include Ras Mohammed national park),you do not need to pay for a 30 day visa,you only need the free one.On arrival at Sharm airport you will be given an immigration form to fill in,on the reverse put "Sinai only".At passport control your passport will be stamped with a free 15 day,Sinai only visa. A lot of people will try to tell you that it means that you will not be able to dive or even go in the sea etc but it is all rubbish.You can go to St Catherines,Mt Sinai etc but not Cairo,Ras Mo etc.If you think you may want to travel outside of Sharm,get the visa on entry as it is difficult to get once you have entered the country. Leave a Comment
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DON'T USE A TAXI IF IT ISN'T BLUE AND WHITE!!!!
Even if your hotel arranges a car for you. They sting like scorpians. Only use blue and white taxis, haggle the price (start LE10 under what you want to pay), look for the guys with stickers on the front windscreens with a tarriff on them and always clearly state what currency you'll be paying with - if your using Egyptian pounds - say EGYPTIAN pounds - otherwise they'll expect you to pay English money (which currently stands at ten times as much!)
Good Luck :) Leave a Comment
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When you go on organised day trips to Ras Mohamed, Tiran Island, The Blue Hole etc, know that snorkelling gear is usually *not* provided. The tour operators will stop at a dive shop on the way (a place where they get commission for bringing in customers, obviously) and unless you've got your gear already, this is your only option for rent.
I always bring my own snorkelling gear, but I saw the gear that had been rented at these places - and the quality was usually very, *very* poor. Prices are also often much higher than if you go to a dive shop in Naama Bay - 50 LE for snorkel + mask for a half day is seriously overpriced. Of course, these shops know very well that they're your only option - if you're there and haven't got your gear sorted already, well - then it's either rent with them or you won't be snorkelling... ;o)
Ask your tour operator if snorkelling gear is provided - if it's not, go to a dive shop in Naama Bay (or elsewhere) and rent your gear *before* taking off on a day trip. Leave a Comment
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Do not go shopping in Naama Bay but go to the Old market instead. Prices are much higher in Naama Bay for exactly the same stuff and the shopkeepers are not eager to do any bargaining because there so many tourists all year round, if one doesn't but, the other right him will.
Buy some little sovernirs, if you forget some of your friends and want to make a last minute buy.
Go to the Old Market Leave a Comment
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The guys who own the shops will do anything to get you in ! Just remember they are trying to earn a living and try not to lose your temper! They may ask you to go in to sign their bok, or to write something in English. They Will say, "Just look no have to buy" but they can be very very persistent. Best advise is don't go shoppping unless you actually want something!
The odd guy may grab the arms of your children to get them into their shop knowing you will follow, they mean no harm, they just want to earn some money.
Smile, be friendly and try to have a joke about being a poor student or if you buy stuff your kids wont eat for a week! As long as you laugh with them they still respect you! They are not an aggressive race, so although it can be annoying, I never had any become violent, a couple just felt insulted that we did not buy in their shop!
Like I said, only go shopping if you want something, window shopping is no fun here! Leave a Comment
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If you havent got a suntan be prepared to get hassled by every street trader around. They know youre a new comer and really do take the mickey! I found it really problematic in Naama Bay because you cant walk more than a few yards down the road without someone trying to lure you into their shop. Either that or they are wrapping scarves around your head and waist! I know its all done in a friendly way, but sometimes you just cant be bothered with the banter'. Tell them firmly 'NO and it normally does the trick. It isnt their intention to give you grief Im sure. If they do manage to get you within their walls dont accept the offer of tea unless you want to trade. Drinking tea is like shaking hands on a deal!
Be firm but polite, at the end of the day there's no harm done.
Try to trade in the larger shopping malls, The shops in there seem to be quite trouble free. Leave a Comment
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you will feel like sheep first of all, forced to the visa queue, you are made to believe you have to pay the £15 visa charge , truth is if you are going to stay in Sharm and Namma bay area you do not need it , if your going travelling you will, you can argue the toss .
then you get to the point where you will need a baggage trolly XXX beware XX the egyptian guys will be holding out to you in offer but they want you to tip them...dont do it just walk off. Than the baggage carousel will start and the egyptian scum will be dragging you bags off (on their side ) so you have to ask for them , then guess what they want a tip ... just jump over and get your own, they dont stop you but try to take you for a mug. then the cheeky git who takes you bag to load it onto you coach wants a tip.....do it yourself.
be aware
do it yourself Leave a Comment
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Once you arrive in your hotel, you will go to a welcome party from you Rep; they will try to sell you trips for expensive prices. They will say that they are the best because they have insurance. But look around you will find other companies that have insurance and are much cheaper.
We found an English lady that had a company of trips. All her trips where insured and much cheaper. For example the trip to Cairo by bus with the rep was £70 and with an outside company £30 and the same buses where used.
Don’t forget you can always look around for prices and if you decide to book with you rep after all they will always be there the next day, so don’t rush in to any thing. Leave a Comment
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When you go out shopping in Sharm El Sheikh all the locals will ask you to come into there shops or market stalls or recommend there brothers shop lol... Its okay to look in some shops if your interested but trust me if you start a conversation with everyone who stops you to talk to then you would be there for years.
They will ask how are you, come into my shop to just look, or tell you your wife/girlfriend is beautiful and your a very lucky man, we got tricked into signing a tourist/guest book then they kept trying to make us buy perfumes that we didnt want. We ended up being there for an hour!
It can get frustrating sometimes so we would just say hello and carry on walking or at least say no thank (La schukran in Arabic) that way we were not being rude but it stopped us hanging around a shop we were truely not interested in. The locals only want to make a living so dont be surprised if you get hassled. It is normal.
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The taxi and mini bus prices in Sharm are fixed by the local government and they are fixed at a rate that is very generous in the drivers favour.The fixed rate tariff has to be displayed in the window of the taxi or mini bus(it is a round sticker with the vehicle description and common journey prices) and the rate varies depending on the vehicle,mini bus being the cheapest ,then white bonnet(local) taxis and finally the most expensive,the blue bonnet(peaugot,long distance) taxi.Not content with just lying to get more money from the passenger the mini bus and white bonnet taxi drivers have now resorted to putting a tariff sticker from the more expensive blue bonnet taxi on display in their windscreens.Take no notice of the tariff sticker if it is the wrong one.The mini bus sticker is green,the white bonnet taxi one is blue and the blue bonnet taxi one is red.
Here is the official(prices correct june 07) tariff list,for journeys not specified just add the legs together.
http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/53487/1e93d1/9/
The trick is to look and sound like you know what you are doing.If they think you are a tourist they will rip you off. Leave a Comment
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