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Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt
Often called "The City of Peace," Sharm El Sheikh is a splendid beach community that gets right down to the basics-sun, sea and sand. The town's cluster of beachfront hotels are surrounded by colorful Bedouin tents, mountains, and sea. Temperatures are typically hot in the summer but it is quite warm and pleasant in winter, and year-round Sharm El Sheikh offers enough activities, sports, shopping and entertainment to guarantee no visitor will ever find himself bored. No wonder it's considered one of the most accessible tourist destinations on the Sinai peninsula.
Don't Miss
Because of its crystal clear waters and beautiful coral reef, Sharm El Sheikh is a popular destination for scuba diving, but its premier diving site is just to the South, at the very southern tip of the Sinai peninsula in Egypt's oldest and mostly underwater protectorate, Ras Mohamed. Here, in the warm, pristine waters of the Red Sea, divers can get an up-close view of nearly 1000 unique species of fish. Visitors more comfortable on land can explore the park's many desert habitats, including mountain trails, valleys and sand dunes.
Sporting Adventures
Name a water sport, and there's a very good chance you'll find it here. However, Sharm El Sheikh is host to just about any other activity you can imagine, from off-road safaris, to championship golfing, go-cart tracks, horse riding-believe it or not, even ice skating.
Local Flavours
Since Sharm El Sheikh is such an international tourist destination, there are hotels and restaurants that can accommodate any taste, from Italian to Thai, and fine dining to popular fast food chains. However, if you want some real local flavor, try Torly, a mixed-vegetable casserole or stew typically made with lamb or beef, or Kafta-ground lamb rolled into long narrow "meatballs" and roasted like shish kebab over an open flame. Most meals are accompanied by rice or aysh, a popular Egyptian bread.
Currency
Sharm El-Sheikh's currency is the Egyptian pound. (EGP) Currency is printed in bills of various sizes according to their denominations, and ranging from the 25 Piastres (quarter pound note) to the 1,000 pound note.