THE MOST CORRECT REVIEW + PRICES FOR EVERYTHING

22 March 2018 • Travel time: with 08 March 2018 on 18 March 2018

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- When are you planning your next vacation?
- During the previous vacation!

This time we decided to rush to Egypt - we were in Turkey last time, so we decided to alternate.

Of course, I would like to alternate through Tunisia, Sri Lanka, Oman, UAE, Zanzibar, Morocco, Europe, Rome, Venice, Paris, Paris ...oh, they dreamed of something, and so: they opened their eyes, looked into the wallet - Egypt!

How we have been waiting for this vacation - even " tooth crumbled"!

Therefore, we chose the dates, the hotel too, the country - on our pennies, but in order for everything to be "all inclusive", they blew a dolphin, took slippers, let's go!

There was no departure from Odessa to our Hotel (CATARACT LAYALINA RESORT NAAMA BAY SHARM EL SHEIKH EGYPT) - only through Kyiv, and the funny thing is that on the day of our departure there were tickets from Odessa without transfers, but a little more expensive, so even taking into account the tickets for the Odessa-Kyiv train (and back), we did not fail, otherwise the toad would choke the whole vacation!

Like they say: "You want to take over the WORLD? Take over the COFFEE first! "

So TIP - bring it with you from home on a trip:

first of all - money in reserve and good mood

chocolates, seeds and vodka are good for souvenirs

ear plugs (may come in handy)

those who do not want to spend money - take tar soap (for the body, head and soul, for the soul, in short)

and you can also grab a band-aid (regular) or medical glue - they have problems with this, as, in fact, with brilliant green

who smokes - it is better to buy at home (cigarettes there from $ 2)

and, if you plan to rent diving masks, then don't forget to take some kind of antiseptic (disinfectant)

and also a remedy for flies and, especially, mosquitoes (in the evening you will understand us there ... )

And the same TIP - immediately buy on the spot when you check into the Hotel:

Day&Night tablets (Farmacia only) - $1 (£.20)

Vatika Shampoo (also only at Pharmacia) - $3.71 (£.65)

Solaire Tanning Oil - $3.71 (65 lbs) or Keratin (Carrot) - $6.85 (120 lbs)

Eva Cucumber Cream (Green Lid), Small $1 (£.20), Useful for the first day if you sit out in the sun, otherwise: be a cucumber in the morning!

just a shower towel - $3-$5

or buy a good towel for the beach - $10-$15 (Karkoucha store / House of Cotton (to the right of McDonald's (leave the Hotel from the side of Central Street (Reception), turn right and go almost to the end of the street and there go to another side)) or for $25 at the dive shop (MaisonDeLaMer store - located on the Beach side, if you leave the Hotel from the Sea side, turn left and go to the first lane)

So, we got to Kyiv, we run through the Central Railway Station to the Yuzhny, after all, on MARCH 8 - there may be traffic jams and departure in 3 (three) hours, we ran, there are minibuses (travel costs 100 (one hundred) hryvnia, by the way , and when is the fare to the Airport on a minibus so expensive then?!!! ), everything, you can load.

But no: there is a KFC fast food restaurant right next to the stop, and what kind of traveler can live without ~~boiled chicken wrapped in a newspaper,~~ that is, without a hamburger, and McDonald's is left with another side of the Railway Station!

They thought and thought and decided to grab some hot tea with sea buckthorn and potatoes and something else in their pita bread and so on. For those who travel in the winter, I can tell you, a cup of tea at KFC is a credit! Recommended.

TIP - if at home you yourself do not pack your bags there (to Egypt), then at the South Railway Station in Kyiv, before the bus stop to the Airport, you can pack your bags in the same way as at the Airport, but at 2 (two ) times cheaper - for 50 UAH, because this service at the Airport costs 100 UAH, the same applies to the set (package and adhesive tape) with you to pack your suitcases in Egypt when returning back, namely: at the South Railway Station the set costs 50 UAH, at the Airport – 70 UAH.

BORISPOL AIRPORT:

Everything is standard, we are waiting for registration, there is nothing to do, only smoke on the street, every time we go back through the metal detector frame, it was not cold inside the Airport. Until the suitcases are packed, we are waiting ...

But when the suitcases were packed, there are several cafes inside the Airport and there is draft beer, for example, in the Bar "Elephant Pub" there is Guinness beer (120 UAH for 0.5l), and there is also also blueberry cider on tap (59 UAH per 0.5l): we recommend this and that - everything is great.

Also, there is an ATM and a PrivatBank Terminal inside the Airport hall - we topped up our phones, got ready to turn off mobile data and went to check-in. That's it, we passed, then we climbed all the Duty free - because we read the reviews, and we ourselves know about their local alcohol in Egypt, so we stocked up on a standard set plus took perfume for $20-$30 (share) for change and went on a plane.

PLANE (FLIGHT):

No food!! !

We ate everything we had with us. Fly about 4-4.5 hours.

The plane is very large - in the middle there are 4 seats, two aisles, several toilets, it's good to fly, we got seats on the first row, everything is ok!

SHARM EL SHEIKH AIRPORT:

ATTENTION - visas are needed if anyone plans to leave the territory of the Sinai Peninsula, by the way, on the stamp itself it is indicated that the permit is valid on the territory of Sinai and the Monastery of St. Catherine.

So, as usual, someone takes a visa for $25 and doesn't stand in line. By the way, we didn’t take a visa as usual, we stood in line, filled out the cards, passed passport control - they took our suitcases (everything was relatively fast) and forward to the exit and then a surprise awaited us - all the girls were given roses! So nice…

The meeting buses are quite comfortable, it takes about 10-15 minutes to get from the Airport to the Hotel.

ATTENTION - in Naama Bay hotels with the same name 2 (two): one is located immediately behind the Hard Rock Cafe, that is, one is further from the Beach< /strong> and the second on Central Street, i. e. closer to the Beach. We took exactly the one that is closer to the Beach, but when we were dropped off near the second one (that we don’t need), our mittens, of course, opened up for us. Therefore, CAREFULLY check the name of the Hotel when buying a tour.

TIP - in many places it is better to pay in pounds, for example, in Pharmacies (Farmacia) they accept only pounds, so upon arrival at the Hotel, you can immediately change $10-$20 to pounds (everything is very easy and understandable and, if anything, any local or seller from the nearest store will help). When we were there, the exchange rate was about 17.55 pounds to one US dollar.

HOTEL - CATARACT LAYALINA RESORT NAAMA BAY SHARM EL SHEIKH EGYPT:

So:

Discover CATARACT LAYALINA RESORT!

The hotel is located on Central Street, almost opposite the large Naama Center Shopping Center. On the other side of the Hotel there is a Restaurant, a summer terrace of the Restaurant and access to the Beach. The hotel has a very compact area. The hotel pool is big enough. There are several Bars on the territory of the Hotel, including those near the Pool. Everything is very clean, a lot of greenery and if you need cats, then the Hotel has them.

RESEPTION & WI-FI:

Ask for a Room closer to the Reception, because their WI-FI is already weak and, even when you are at the Reception, the connection often breaks.

TIP - if you have $5 with you, then Vodafone cards are sold throughout Naama Bay almost everywhere, the closest point is that you left the Hotel on Central Street, immediately to the left (if you stand with your back to the Hotel) or to the right (if you stand facing the Hotel ) there is a small grocery store and you can easily buy a sim card there and the Internet will be everywhere and always, well, or do not turn off mobile data and tariffs according to the conditions of your mobile operator (we did not turn it off - there was a connection and everything worked fine), if you take they have a card - take it for high-speed Internet.

OVERALL WI-FI RATING: 3+ (ALMOST GOOD).

STAFF The hotel is very friendly. We were met by the manager Ali Mohamed - a nice young man and the photo turned out to be good.

OVERALL MANAGER ASSESSMENT Ali Mohamed: 5 (GOOD FELLOW).

By the way, when we checked into the Hotel, we were late for dinner, but, without any reminder from our side, something like a dry breakfast was brought to the Room, in our case, a dry dinner, unexpectedly and pleasantly.

Animators on the Beach are also trying very hard. It will not be boring. They also hold evening shows and take them to discos, by the way, we even participated in the show "GUESS THE MELODIY" and won, however, the promised prize (we don’t even know what it could be) we never issued ...

OVERALL STAFF RATING: 5 (GOOD WORKERS)

Also here, at the Reception, they issue a Card for towels on the Beach. ATTENTION - loss of the Card or Beach towel costs $10.

The reception is quite spacious, there are soft sofas, and when we were there, there were always empty seats.

OVERALL RECEPTION RATING: 4 (GOOD).

TIP - there is an Instruction in the Issue (what and how) - we recommend reading it!

TIP - the general Schedule of events at the Hotel is located at the exit from the Hotel from the Beach side, we also recommend reading (by the way, the Hotel Staff adheres to this Schedule, so knowing the Schedule can be useful).

NUMBER:

We got one of the closest Rooms to the Reception (No. 132) - this is the first floor with a small balcony / veranda.

TIP - when entering / exiting the Room, if you don’t leave yet, but come in to put or take something, then it’s better to ALWAYS leave the key in the door - we managed to slam the door ...

BED - fresh / clean.

TIP - We have read from previous reviews that the Rooms are not well soundproofed and require ear plugs.

Of course, we did not believe it, but we still took the earplugs with us and now we advise everyone: IT IS BETTER TO TAKE, because you can hear the music from the discos very well and if someone stayed at the pool for the night!!! !

SHOWER / TOILET - interior for an amateur ...Shower towels - for a specific amateur! Toilet / Shower / Washbasin - a small repair would be very helpful ...

At the same time, the hairdryer in the Shower Room for some reason works no more than 2-3 minutes, we don’t know why. But we are not very picky and read about all this from other reviews of the Hotel, that they have a problem with towels and soap, so they took everything calmly. The main thing is that there was always hot water, and we took some of the soap and soap accessories with us, and some we immediately bought on the spot, namely: shampoo and towels.

Shampoo, for example, can be bought immediately upon arrival at the Pharmacy (Farmacia) directly opposite the exit from the Hotel from the Reception side to the Central Street in the alley on the right side of the Naama center Shopping Center (minus the first floor).

REFRIGERATOR - there is a small one and it freezes.

TV - there is a remote control and everything works, but only 2 (two) Russian-language channels, although it is very fun to watch their local ads on other channels and there are several English-language channels that almost always play only films.

A CABINET (with hangers and blankets), a bedside table, a TABLE and 2 (two) CHAIRS in the Room and 2 (two) CHAIRS and a TABLE on the balcony - there is, just enough.

SAFE - available, but NOT open, so what you want to store - bring it to the Reception, well, we are like turtles: we carried everything with us.

OVERALL RATE OF THE ROOM: 4 (GOOD) or 4– (NEARLY GOOD).

CLEANING:

They came to us every day, the floors, of course, were not washed, but the bed was made, soap was added in the Soul, paper was reported and carcadils with swans and baby elephants were spinning.

Yes, and one more thing, fresh flowers were brought to the room every day, it’s niceoooo, really, it’s a pity for the ficus, it must have been torn off by the end of our vacation ...

OVERALL CLEANING RATING: 5 (EXCELLENT).

TERRITORY / POOL:

The territory of the Hotel is cleaned twice every day (early in the morning and late in the evening), the floor is washed with mops, but the marble does NOT become slippery and everything dries quickly in such heat.

OVERALL ASSESSMENT OF THE HOTEL AREA: 5+ (SUPER).

POOL: Large enough for the Hotel grounds. The pool was cleaned every evening.

Around the Pool, in addition to sunbeds, there are several gazebos, they are probably very comfortable to sleep on - we saw many times when we went to breakfast at 7 in the morning that people were sleeping on them, who, judging by the appearance, had been sleeping there since late at night ...

From the Reception side near the Pool there is a Bar, open from 10-00 to 17-00. We took only beer, as we poured not draft, but from a bottle. ATTENTION - drinks are poured only into plastic cups (50g), but the number of cups is NOT limited, so go back and forth, back and forth ...We walked and walked, and then they began to give us two or three cups to each at once.

OVERALL POOL RATING: 5 (EXCELLENT).

Towards the Beach there is a Restaurant and a Summer terrace of the Restaurant and, in fact, access to the Beach. There is also another bar.

Between the Hotel and the Beach, parallel to the Central Street, there is a beautiful Embankmentalong the Sea with a VERY funny name (… street), ask on the spot, if it hasn't been renamed yet, of course.

If you go to the right (standing with your back to the Hotel), you will see the most beautiful view of the entire bay of Naama Bay.

And, accordingly, if you go to the left from the Hotel along the Sea - you can enjoy a beautiful view of the Sea, admire the palm trees rushing into the bright blue sky, see all the shades of red, yellow, purple flowers of local flowers against the backdrop of emerald green grass.

Moreover, the Animators at work from 10:00 am to 10:00 pm and at dinner meet guests and once again (after the Beach) remind them of the program of the show for the evening, which they themselves host.

That is, it is clear that everyone is really doing their job.

The food was very good and tasty. Soups were changed every day and during the 10 days of our vacation, not once was the same one prepared. Every day there was meat and fish. Salads were varied every day, mostly a lot of greens and vegetables, and they were offered separately with sauces, oil and vinegar, so that everyone could choose a salad for themselves to their taste.

There was even grilled tuna once. Fresh. Tasty. Perfectly!

Drinks during the day (breakfast-lunch) WITHOUT any restrictions. In the evening they offered red or white wine. Sometimes poured into small plastic glasses, but more often into large glass glasses.

ATTENTION - water 0.5l in a plastic bottle is issued ONCE upon check-in, then either water from the boilers or UPI with water or beer or drinks (cocktails) with their local alcohol.

Knowing this, we immediately went to the Carrefour Supermarket and bought local juices and water in reserve.

Supermarket – Carrefour is located on the left side of the Hotel if you go along the second Central street towards the taxi rank and turn left, on the minus first floor (do not ask anyone - everybody knows). There is water, juices, halva, fresh fish, in general, a supermarket. And they always have promotions on natural juices - they are all without preservatives and therefore they have a short shelf life, so prices can drop from 25 to 9 pounds per 1 (one) liter.

ATTENTION - there is NO alcohol in Carrefour Supermarket at all! But the cheapest cigarettes, for example, Marlboro Gold for 34 pounds (just under $2).

What I did not really like about the Hotel Restaurant was their sausage, although the same sausage in the form of fried sausages is very good.

I also liked their simple fried potatoes, feta on the salad bar and bread like pizza with cheese.

There were also several types of cheese.

There were fruits every day.

TIP - in the evenings, the Grill bar is open at the Summer Place of the Restaurant, so before picking up salads in the Restaurant itself, you can run to ask what is on the grill today (every day there was a new dish, such as chicken, then fish, then liver, then there was tuna and so on). In the same place, on the Summer site opposite the Grill bar, pasta (pasta) and pizza are prepared every evening.

OVERALL RATING OF THE HOTEL GRILL BAR: 5+ (SUPER).

By the way, the sweet table has always been very diverse, for our taste, there were very tasty cakes like "potato" and jelly cakes, as well as dates and fruit cocktails.

OVERALL NUTRITION RATING: 5+ (SUPER).

BEACH:

Immediately opposite the Hotel is the entrance to the Beach.

The beach is compact. Clean. At the entrance on the right - the issuance of towels (from 10-00 in the morning), on the left - a mini Dining Room and Bar, also on the right (behind the issuance of towels) - a volleyball court and there is a shower.

There are mattresses on the sunbeds!!! ! I can tell you that the presence of a mattress is a BIG plus!

OVERALL ASSESSMENT OF MATTRESSES - e-Mayo, how they should be!! !

WARNING - the umbrellas above the sunbeds are woven from hard vines and some umbrellas are not high enough above the ground so that you can hit your head or cut your hand when you take off your T-shirt, which, in fact, we did - that's where the medical glue and band-aid came in handy taken from home.

The only MINUS of the Beach is the Pier for boats and boats (when there is no wind, sometimes there was a strong smell of fuel) and the entrance to the Sea is shifted to the right of the Beach, again because of the Pier: motor boats and a banana are parked here!

But the entrance to the Sea is SANDY, and this is a BIG PLUS, at least for us.

And there are 3 (three) Corals with fish, some bite, some are very sad, but there are a LOT of them, fish.

Oh, and the Star Wars Darth Wader type swimming mask came in handy - just super: May the fish come with us! ".

Feeding fish in Egypt, as far as we know, is prohibited not only in nature reserves, but also on the beaches of hotels, by the way, in the Instructions at the entrance to the Hotel Beach it is written that it is forbidden not only to feed, but also to eat fish ...whatever it is what does it mean and how is it to be understood?

In general, everything is fine with the living creatures on the Beach: crabs, ibis (as it is sung in the songs: "...two funny...ibis lived with my grandmother: one gray, the other white..." ), there are also crows, dogs, cats ...Crow, by the way, tried to listen to the music, standing on our sunbed and dancing to the beat of the melody.

We didn’t know about the rules about feeding the crow, so the last one got melon, orange and bread, but didn’t eat the candy, such pampered crows in Egypt ...

Animators on the Beach are VERY trying, the program is varied from water aerobics to yoga and oriental dances. You won't be bored. We participated to the best of our ability in everything, only the belly dance coach, when we danced, for some reason, looking at us, laughed all the time ...

There is also a tent on the Beach where they do Massage, there are three places / beds, everyone is covered with towels, the procedure lasts at least 45 minutes, in general, they try, there are several programs, they rub with different oils and creams, we didn’t go, costs something around $10-$15.

Bar and mini dining room on the beach is open from 10-00 am to 17-00 pm.

The food is the same as in the Hotel and brought fruit. Everything is free, but beer is again poured into plastic cups of 50g each. If you want to take a 0.5l bottle right away, pay $2.

To the left on the Beach near the Sea there is a booth of partisan guides.

From the booth of partisan guides there is a boat mooring in the form of floating cubes, it is not very convenient to walk on it, but in the morning, when there are few people from it, it is convenient to look at the fish until they are fed and the water is still cold. At the same time, a poisonous rooster fish swims in the morning, so it’s better not to swim early in the morning, and in the afternoon this fish sleeps on coral - we saw it.

And in general, how long have we not met the dawn in Egypt, so we went to the Beach early in the morning, but what a beauty!

TOTAL SCORE OF THE BEACH TOGETHER WITH LIFE, FISH AND ANIMATORS: 5 (EXCELLENT), no, even better - EVERYTHING SUITED US.

FINAL RATING OF THE HOTEL: solid 4 (GOOD), and specifically for this HOTEL: 4+ (VERY GOOD).

TOURS:

I would like to immediately draw your attention to the fact that everyone decides where, for how much and from whom to take excursions!

We decided this: long-distance trips - only from the official (we had AnexTour), and the rest we decided to take from the partisans. As a result, we got 5 (five) excursions at an average of $20 each.

You have to bargain with the partisans, as they say " to the snot".

I won’t write about the conditions of the official (you will be told in great detail at the first meeting with your guide), I will only say that we had someone Abdel Kade Ismail - a very rude person who was rude to us tourists who bought the trip from AnexTour, where he still works.

Regarding partisans: we chose 2 (two):

The first one is Bebo from CATARACT TRAVEL, because we are still resting at the CATARACT LAYALINA RESORT Hotel of the same name and because its office is immediately to the right ( if you stand facing the Hotel) from the entrance to the Hotel and he is a normal type and speaks good Russian and is very responsible.

The second guerrilla is Karim Rabeh from TASNEEM ACQUA SPORT, firstly because he is from our Beach Hotel and secondly because we we know from our last trip to Egypt and we got discounts from him and he also gave us a swimming mask for rent for free.

In the end, what they took:

Tour "JERUSALEM, BETHLEM and JORDAN RIVER" (from AnexTour official), oh, why I’m telling you, they didn’t let us in at the border to Israel, so this tour is called “EGYPT SIGHTSEEING TOUR (from Naama bay to the border in the city of Tabo) BREAKFAST (we but they gave us a dry breakfast from the Hotel) ON THE TERRITORY OF ISRAEL (we still crossed the border of Egypt until they drove us away) OVERLOOKING TO JORDAN (on the other side of the Jordan) AND MEETING THE DAWN (because they stood in line from 12-00 at night to 06-30 in the morning)”.

Cost (official AnexTour) - $110 (refunded $85 due to refund), total - $25.

Cost (Partisans) - $75 (after return - $67).

ATTENTION - when you pass the Egypt-Israel border, it is better not to take arafatki with you, not to take more or less things, not to put in your wallet a little or a lot of money, and if you are traveling with a group, let everyone have their own Voucher in their pocket, and not how are we…

MORE ATTENTION - when you go through border control in Israel, they may ask for a phone, so when they return IMMEDIATELY turn off MOBILE DATA or turn on FLIGHT MODE, because we didn’t look and money was debited from our mobile phones ...

AND ANOTHER ATTENTION - if you are traveling with an official, then they will charge you only about $25 (some say that this is the cost of the transfer, others say that this is the cost of documents), but still $110 minus $25, it turns out you will get back $85 (that is, spend only $25), but our friends decided to save money and paid $75 against our $110, but with a refund they got back only less than half - only $35, and at the same time, when returning back by bus, they also paid $20 for the return transfer and another $7 duty and in total they got $75 plus $20 plus $7 and minus $35 (that is, they wanted to save money and spent $67 through partisans against our $25).

So, PASSING THE BORDER OF EGYPT WITH ISRAEL:

TIP - you need to stock up on water, for example, with a dry breakfast they give only 1 (one) bottle of 0.5l, and this will not be enough.

(Other tips on what to take with you will be told when selling the tour)

You will be brought to the border by a comfortable large bus and given badges on a string around your neck, by the way, you can immediately write the number of your bus on it, which will pick you up on the way back when you return from Israel.

TIP - you need to go faster than others when you get off the bus in order to get to the border crossing faster.

As a result, you reach a narrow gate, above which is written: "WELCOME TO ISRAEL" and this is where your adventure begins:

Only stand - there are no benches, they let you in in small groups and you have to hold your passport in your hands, some are asked to present, the rest, basically, are immediately let through.

First control post: here you can stand from 15 minutes to 2 (two) hours, so if you see that the case is "kebab", immediately take a seat on the bench. Then a label is attached to each package / bag, like at the airport, and you run on.

The second control post: it’s more or less fast here, because the conveyor (machine) is working and the queue is moving normally, things - on the conveyor, watches, belts, and so on, you need to remove, go through the frame, pick up your bags and move on.

Next level (plus 50 points): "Snake", just like in the game "Mario Bros", this is where your trip to Jerusalem can turn into a Sightseeing tour of Egypt. By the way, you can’t replay after saving - they will put a stamp directly into the passport.

So, you stand, you stand, you stand, you stand, as they say in kindergarten: “ Pencils stand evenly”, you can’t move away from your bag, you can’t laugh, you can’t speak loudly, you can’t look at officers at the post, you can’t be indignant, that you can’t let the locals through without a queue. Although, if it suits you to return to the previous level, that is, back to the Hotel, then, of course, in general, everything is possible. By the way, you can’t go anywhere from here: neither forward nor backward. At least there is a toilet. We stood here last time for 2 (two) hours, this time for about 3 (three) hours. And now an officer is calling you to his place. It has its own jokes and unwritten rules. Not even like that, it's better not to listen to anyone, but just behave naturally. They can ask about everything and nothing, show your voucher, where do you live at home, where do you live in Egypt, show your wallet, but you were in Israel, why do you need to go there again?
And once again I pay attention, they ask for a phone, poking around in it, and then, oops, money was debited from the account (we had about $ 20 written off from two phones). SO CHECK YOUR PHONE AND TURN OFF YOUR MOBILE DATA IMMEDIATELY!! ! Wives and husbands, fathers and children are not always allowed together, in general, family separation is a common thing here. Many do not like those who were divided, and those who see it all. So, no one explains anything, but IF they didn’t give you your passport, you’ll wait on a chair for interrogation, and IF your passport was given, you’ll have to wait for your bus for an excursion to Israel.
Here (for those who WITHOUT a passport, that is, have not yet passed) also has its own characteristics: you can already go outside - smoke, there is a coffee machine, the toilet is also outside. But DO NOT take pictures! And now there are not enough chairs for those who are waiting for interrogation.
In principle, a mixed feeling: you seem to be good (note: a few years ago we were quietly allowed into Israel) and did nothing wrong and you go as a pilgrim to Jerusalem, Bethlehem and the Jordan River, but for some reason they don’t tell you anything without explanation but they just won't let you!
THIS PLACE IS A SEPARATE QUESTION to ALL tour operators - why, if the guide knows from experience that you no longer have time even for interrogation, that is, you no longer get on the last bus to Israel, WHY do you cheat and say: "Wait"? WHY are they not immediately sent back to their native Egypt? WHY from 3 to 7 in the morning we stood in line for interrogation, just stood: there were only 5 chairs for 30 people waiting for interrogation?

In addition, please note that when selling an excursion, they will tell you that an excursion from an official differs from partisans in that the official receives something like an electronic visa, but in fact it is a LIE, because we are talking about a completely different procedure, namely: the coordination with the Egyptian Police Department of your trip outside Naama bay and this permission has NOTHING to do with customs!
As a result, we have the ONLY MINUS from this trip - this is when they were waiting for interrogation, no one had vodka, and when they returned back to Egypt, the Duty free store in Egypt starts working from 10:00 in the morning, that is, on 3 (three) hours later than our passage.
In short, the main result of such a trip as ours is extreme stress and the absence of any apologies from anyone and, as a “bonus”, moral damage, aggravated by lies in the sale of the tour and assurance that everything is caught and everything is agreed, and if you don’t pass, they won’t leave you and will IMMEDIATELY quickly return you back by the same bus that you arrived.
Therefore, another TIP - when buying an excursion, do not ask about when everything is fine, but ask about when everything is bad and what and how it will be and who will do it and what guarantees? ! And it’s better to ask again 2 (two) times about what will happen if everything goes as we told, so that you don’t have the same as ours, and if it does, then who and what and how and when and for what money will fix everything and WHAT GUARANTEE?
: when selling this tour, for example, the representative of Anextour simply deceived us, assuring us that we would be returned by the SAME BIG COMFORTABLE BUS on which we arrived, but in fact we were driving back with a SMALL minibus WITHOUT air conditioning and WITHOUT security!! ! The driver did NOT speak Russian or English, so even a simple request to stop for a toilet had to be begged "on the fingers". And NO ONE APOLOGIZED FOR ANYTHING, and the guide from Anextour was a certain Abdel Kade Ismail when he returned the money, he was simply HAML!

CONCLUSION - we personally had a VERY fun time at the border, visited Israel (to the gate), met the dawn with a view of Jordan and we were returned almost all the money for the tour without any problems, BUT if you want to more or less guaranteed to visit Israel, then fly directly by plane, for example, through Tel Aviv, but a tour on 5 (five) buses will pass in a crowd - I won’t pass and not yet from the official - we DO NOT recommend!
OVERALL RATE OF EXCURSION TO ISRAEL BY BUS for $110 – 0.0 (NO COMMENTS).
OVERALL ASSESSMENT OF THE SIGHTSEEING TOUR IN EGYPT for $25 - 5+ (SUPER).
Tour « BOAT & DISCOT" :
Cost (partisans) - $20.
This is something like a bar at the exit (on the swim), beginning in the evening, for several hours, they are taken from the Hotel, brought to the Port (Marina), then on the boat, the boat runs about 500 meters from the shore, there is a presenter, artists ( singer, magic tricks, belly dance, etc. ), if there are birthday people, they take out a rubber cake (it doesn’t look like rubber, namely rubber), they took a photo and the cake was taken away, and then the disco and they are fed (soup, salad, rice, potatoes and seafood), then back by bus to the Hotel.
What was our interest - there were people from Kuwait, Egypt, Jordan (total, 30 (thirty) people) and we ...
See how the locals relax. Some of them even talked. In general, it was a lot of fun and a lot of impressions.
And what we found out for ourselves, so to speak, took with us from the evening: how local men take care of their women - they just tremble over them! And yet, their girls have fun no worse than ours, and makeup and hairstyles are not like in films or books, but everything is very modern and fashionable.
And then there were dancing!
TOTAL EVALUATION OF THE EXCURSION BOAT & DISCO - 5+ (SUPER), at least clapped for a year in advance (clapped their hands for everyone and for all the songs).
Tour « COLOR CANYON BY JEEP, CAMEL RIDING, DAHAB AND SWIMMING IN G . NUWEIBA" :
Cost (partisans) - $20.
In our case, it turned out to be Dahab, Colored Canyon, swimming and evening-night-morning at the DANIELA dive hotel overlooking Saudi Arabia.
The total cost is $30 (that is, a tour for $20 for one plus $30 for three for a room at breakfast).

So, we were very lucky - we had a real excursion in the style of "under ground": A trip in the back of a jeep. A rundown cafe. Well-worn fins and a wetsuit. Camels. Terrible shower. But the freshest juices, a delicious hearty lunch, swimming in one of the most favorite dive sites for divers, a trip to the mountains in a jeep, a jeep breakdown right in the mountains and an overnight stay in a hotel for divers overlooking Saudi Arabia, and the sky, and the sea, and the air!
TIP - if you don’t have a mask with you, then before swimming you can rent a mask, fins and a wetsuit for $10, so it’s advisable to take any disinfectant (antiseptic) with you and wipe at least the tube on the mask after 100.000 (one hundred thousand) previous tenants.
Another TIP - in addition to sneakers, take slippers with you.
In slippers you will need to get to swimming and then your slippers will be transported by local trifles (it’s a pity to look - the child drags tourists’ slippers) and they (slippers) will meet you when you go ashore after swimming.
The transfer of slippers is INCLUDED in the price of the tour.
So, they pick you up from the Hotel in the morning, we were picked up in a jeep.
Other groups were less fortunate - they traveled in a brand new air-conditioned minibus.
Then the first stop in the desert is a cafe, coffee, a toilet, you can stretch your legs and take good photos against the backdrop of the mountains and the interior of the establishment. Everything is very stylish, for example, instead of a bench - a palm tree trunk. Natural coffee is brewed right in front of your astonished eyes. Toilet free.
IMPORTANT - you can't go out on the road, there are a lot of prohibition signs, but when you can't, but you need a photo, then what to do? ! In general, be CAREFUL.
Near the cafe there is a police post, all with automatic weapons.
IMPORTANT - taking pictures of the police is FORBIDDEN.
Next - WELCOME TO DAHAB!
Mask, wetsuit and fins rental - $10.
IMPORTANT - Dahab usually has cool water, so we took a wetsuit and did not regret it and we advise everyone.
We carry everything up to the jeep ourselves.

You can ride camels to the bathing place. The cost of skiing is INCLUDED in the price of the tour. Easy to get on and easy to get off. There is a crowd of helpers around - small Bedouins (from 5 years old). And then the main thing is to fight them off: give me something to eat and give me a dollar. We gave them our breakfasts and $1 each and were immediately left behind.
IMPORTANT - there is always a strong wind in Dahab, so when riding camels, keep caps, glasses and phones. We almost became "Mismatched Mashas", everything almost flew away.
We arrived at the place, again fins, a wetsuit and our bags we drag ourselves to a cafe, where you can throw everything off, change clothes, drink juice (juice) - the cost of drinks is for a fee. An average of 35 pounds ($2).
Juices are super - we recommend taking a mix (guava, mango and strawberry). The foil on the glass is a protection against flies, and there are a lot of flies.
We've had a lot of pleasure, or a lot of pleasure, or even the ocean: you don't care about the interior of the cafe or the shower or the dressing room at all - you only care about the exterior: The sky! Sea! Smell! The sun! The air is just full of energy.
There are divers and tourists around, but tourists are no longer tourists, they already look differently and you can see that the spirit of freedom, rebellion is waking up inside - class!
Bathing: they will tell you a lot, but swimming is very little, however, it is still enough. Everything is very beautiful. We did NOT take the dive. Especially for beginners, like a cooling shower - tablets on the rocks in memory of the dead divers (they said that the Egyptian government forbade placing new ones, except for those that already exist, but there are already quite a lot of them).
Then rest and a hearty lunch.
And as soon as you start to relax, you get up, you carry flippers back into the jeep, and so on, and then a trip to the mountains.
The sea is the sea, and the mountains are mountains!
We were in colored mountains: red granite and black basalt. They said that there was an earthquake and the mountain split in two.
It is very beautiful and what is interesting is that the ground is very wet, there are even small puddles.
And we found, here it is, city "N" - carved in stone!

Then the jeep broke down - the wheel fell off. Out of nowhere, the local public appeared (Bedouin children, again: give me something to eat and give me a dollar), we don’t know what happened to the broken car, when these young people realized that the car would remain at their disposal – we were taken by another jeep: we only drove down the mountain so quickly in Vorokhta or in Slavske in the Carpathians ....
Fun!! !
We decided that today we had enough extreme sports and decided not to return with the group and along the way we stopped in the same hotel for divers DANIELA VILLAGE DAHAB.
The hotel is located directly on the coast near the famous and favorite dive site of the Blue Hole.
The price for a room is $30 per room for breakfast (they didn’t count people, they just counted for a room - the hotel was almost empty: we, two divers and two more tourists, so we got $10 per person).
A very beautiful cat lives on the territory of this hotel - multi-colored eyes!
The rooms are on two floors. The style of the hotel is just an oriental fairy tale, somewhat similar to buildings in Tunisia, for example, in Sidi Bou Said, only the roofs of the hotel's houses are not blue, but white.
The hotel is class, the beach is class, the sea view is class (the mountains of Saudi Arabia are visible from the other side).
What else to tell?
GOODBYE DAHAB!
OVERALL EVALUATION OF THE EXCURSION COLORED CANYON ON JEEPS, CAMEL RIDING, DAHAB AND SWIMMING in NUWEIBA and evening-night-morning at the hotel for divers DANIELA overlooking Saudi Arabia - 5+ (SUPER).
Excursion « ST CATHERINE MONASTERY» :
Price (unofficial) - $20.
We do not quite agree that this is an excursion, because tourists go on excursions, and this, rather, is a pilgrimage. True, we read somewhere that the pilgrims were the first tourists, but still ...
Collect your thoughts and choose a trip only to the monastery of St. Catherine or make a decision with climbing Mount Moses.
This time we were only in the monastery.
In our opinion, it is very good that you are driving through the desert - the landscape does not distract and you have time to think.
TIP - bring plenty of water with you, it can get hot in the desert.

There will be a stop along the way with a view of the Bedouin settlement: on a plateau in front of immaculate mountains, small houses can be seen and a thin thread is barely visible - this is a new road that the Egyptian government has built for the villagers, so it’s a little enviable when you see with what care in others countries treat all citizens equally.
Also along the way, you can see very strange little houses just in the middle of the desert - this is again a government program to build housing for the Bedouins, but, according to the guide, they refuse to move from tents to newly built houses, because during the resettlement it is necessary to give names family members, including their wives, and the Bedouins treat their women like flowers (and the names are the same - they are associated with the name of the flowers) and protect them to the point that they do not even reveal their names to anyone, so these houses are empty . Directly, some kind of oriental tale. E-e-e-h!
So, when entering the territory that belongs to the monastery of St. Catherine, there will be several checks of the contents of bags / things and you will need to go through the metal detector frame. In front of the territory of the monastery there is a military post.
In front of the monastery itself, an anti-aircraft gun is hidden in the stones - we noticed it only when returning back.
Before you go up the road towards the monastery, opposite the bus stop, there will be a shop with icons, where you will be briefly told about the architectural ensemble of the monastery, a little about its history and about religious attributes that you can buy in the shop. Anyone who buys something in this store will be presented with a ring with the symbols of the monastery (the seal of St. Catherine). The smallest icon costs $10 and, if you're lucky, it can be consecrated on the relics of St. Catherine in the monastery.
Then you go uphill towards the monastery (the slope is not strong), enter through the main entrance, your guide will be with you all the time.
First, we were led through the Orthodox Church, presented with candles and a ring with the symbols of the monastery (the seal of St. Catherine) as a souvenir, and those who are Orthodox Christians were allowed to serve and we were very lucky - we were able to bow to the relics of St. Catherine.

The schedule of the morning service, according to the guide, at 11-00 in the morning (they may be allowed to attend) and 12-00 (in Greek), as we understand, they are not always allowed.
When leaving the Church, you will be able to inspect the well, from which, according to the legends, the prophet Moses watered the goats.
Further along a narrow street, go to the observation deck, you need to climb the stairs, from which the Burning Bush will be better visible.
Then, if you have time, you can go to the courtyard to the right of the monastery, where there is another monastery shop on the next level.
Then you go up the path above and if they collect water from the source, then you can ask for water from the monastery with you.
There is also a side entrance to the monastery, but pilgrims are usually not allowed through it.
After there will be about half an hour to descend back to the bus stop. On the way back you will be offered to buy souvenirs from $1 by the locals, mostly plant fossils (sellers will repeat the word "Kupina") and rounded stones, inside of which are droplets of rhinestones - we heard that they are called "tear of Moses" .
When leaving the complex, you may be offered to inspect a mosaic panel with tablets with the Ten Commandments placed on it.
As our guide said, "Through suffering comes enlightenment... ".
And home.
A trip to the MONASTERY OF SAINT CATHERINE: WE LOVED IT VERY.
Excursion « RAS MUHAMMED RESERVE on BUS" :
Cost (for partisans) - $20.
Immediately, we draw your attention to the fact that an excursion on a BUS is fundamentally different from the same excursion on a BOAT.
We can say with authority that the BUS is much more interesting and you will see much MORE!
TIP - again, if you don't have your own mask, fins, and wetsuit, you can rent them all for $10, so don't forget to bring antiseptic to sanitize your mask and snorkel.
Half day trip. Very well. It is better to take a wetsuit and fins - there is a strong current and throws at corals, 18% -20% of which are poisonous.
A guide and an animator, who is also a photographer, will be with you all the time.

IMPORTANT - at the entrance to the reserve there will be a police post - it is FORBIDDEN to take pictures of the police post or police officers!
Then there will be several stops, swimming, the mangrove forest, the so-called "earthquake site" and Lake of Desires.
We read a lot about the mangrove "forest" and "colored" crabs and our opinion on the tour has not changed - there is nothing to see ...
Here, probably, we got the most beautiful photos of the sky, sand and water, however, when we look, although we know for sure that we were there, but is it really not a photoshop, but is it really such a beauty? !
Swimming for an hour is enough, even a little too much. Everyone who was not in wetsuits was taken ashore earlier, and we swam more and even froze.
The underwater world itself amazes with the variety and color of the brightest corals and fish. THIS IS A MUST SEE!
IMPORTANT - you are still in the reserve, so do not take off your flippers until the very exit from the water - in the water a lot of stingrays bask in the shallows and who knows if they are dangerous or not!
TIP - you will be offered professional photos and a video CD for $10, but we were shy about something, and then, when we looked at the photos, we immediately agreed to buy the CD, so we recommend everyone to spend this little money - you won't regret it. The photos will be brought to the Hotel, first you look at them, and only then decide whether to take them or not, but most likely, to make it easier for you, you will be asked for a 50% prepayment (that is, $ 5) on the tour.
According to local beliefs, if you take 3 (three) pebbles from the fault ("earthquake site"), looking at the "lion's head" (the mountain is very similar), and take them to the Lake of Desires, then throw them into the lake, while the guide will perform a certain ritual, then these wishes will come true!
Go ahead!
TOTAL EVALUATION OF THE EXCURSION RESERVE RAS MUHAMMED by BUS: 5+ (SUPER).
Tour (self-guided) " OLD TOWN" / " OLD MARKET" and " SOHO" : < /p>
Cost (taxi) - $5 one way for ALL who fit in the taxi.
Cost (minibus) - $1 one way for 3 (three) people.

Let's start with Soho - if you want to calmly walk down the street and not be pestered by sellers running out of every store you pass by, watch the show for free, make a wish on the wishing bridge and maybe maybe something to calmly choose in the store for yourself, and not what you need to sell to the seller, then you should go to Soho.
Both taxis and minibuses are brought only to the Arch at the entrance near the highway. But an electric tram runs from the arch. Even though it's not far to walk, only a couple of minutes.
At the entrance to the main street, you will need to go through a metal detector and show your bags / backpacks for viewing. We were not upset by this - safety is important. On the way back, it is better to take a taxi there, without going back to the Arch at the entrance. The guys are generally great - they dressed taxi drivers not in uniform, like, for example, taxi drivers in Naama Bay, but dressed them like Bedouins, only these taxis instead of camels. What else we saw in Soho that we didn’t see in Naama bay or in the Old City is Arabic perfume / oil from the United Arab Emirates (10mg - $10.50mg - $25 and so on), it smells for at least a day, and the “trace” of the smell remains for three days, and also in the middle of the street there is a building with an escalator and an elevator to the second floor, where there is a souvenir shop selling high quality leather bracelets at an affordable price ($3).
Old Town / Old Market worth a visit, firstly, for some reason, so many reviews indicate that it is cheaper there than in Naama bay, which we don’t we can confirm that it was just the other way around and, secondly, because you can look at the most beautiful mosque, drink sugarcane juice for $1 or order shrimp, which will be fried right there on the spot for you (about $11 per 1kg) or go to Fares restaurant, where you can eat a wonderful seafood soup for only $3, as well as a large selection of fresh fruits in the Old City and, in general, how is it to be in Sharm El Sheikh and not visit the Old City?
It is better to go to the Old Town in the evening.
So, you arrive at the Old Town stop - everyone is let out in front of the central square (there is a new mosque) - they opened about a half ago. You will not pass - the building is very high, everything is illuminated.

There is a police post at this stop (5 people all the time). Opposite is a taxi and bus stop. Generally calm. Back there, you don’t have to go anywhere - taxi drivers stop by themselves and you can be picked up and returned back to Naama bay. If you look at the mosque, then to the right of it there are 2 bars with juices, by the way, this is the only place where it is fashionable to drink sugar cane juice. Also in the Old Town there are restaurants where fresh fish and seafood are at the entrance and they can cook it all, what you show. The price for dinner will be around $25 for two (soup about 50 pounds, a set plate for 185-200 pounds, juice 35-50 pounds). Also on the right hand side of the mosque is a restaurant / disco with a show program.
BE AWARE - the cost of the music / show program and service is included in the price of your order (plus about 40% of the bill), so ice cream and coffee can cost $ 40, like my friends.
Regarding shopping: it seemed to us that the prices in the Old Town are higher than in Naama bay, and the choice in Naama bay is better.
OVERALL STRING OF A INDEPENDENT TRIP TO THE OLD TOWN or SOHO: 3+ (NORMAL, ONE TIME TO GO).
SHOPPING IN EGYPT. SHOPING EGYPT.
SHOPPING IN SHARM EL SHEIKH. SHOPING SHARM EL SHEIKH.
SHOPPING OLD TOWN and SOHO. SHOPING OLD CITY AND SOHO.
SHOPPING NAAMA BAY. SHOPING NAAMA BAY.
In March 2018, compared to last year (April 2017), the prices became completely illogical, but there are also pluses, for example, they finally sold out all the junk that we saw last year.
Moreover, what is interesting is that now, when we were now, and according to our feelings (both when we walked the streets and when we were taking tourists on excursions) and what we heard from tourists from other hotels and from partisan guides - there are almost no tourists, namely: out of 150 hotels in Sharm El Sheikh, less than a third (something about 45 hotels) are working, which are 25-30% full. At the same time, one gets the impression that the sellers raised prices for cheap goods and threw off for expensive ones, while they want to earn money from the sale of 2-3 towels immediately for an apartment - some are very reluctant to bargain, while others, starting to bargain from $25, at the end of the auction, when we already left without buying anything, they drop the price to $ 7-8 ...
Another advantage of shopping in March 2018 compared to April 2017 is that they are less rude in stores and even more afraid of the tourist police (Tourist Police).

With all this, if last year almost all sellers told about the crisis, then this year, when we reminded them about the crisis and thus motivated them to make bolder price offers, that is, give us discounts, almost everyone told us that there is no crisis and "business is good".
It's all strange somehow ...
C'mon!
Let's start with a very funny shopping on excursions, for example, you can be brought to Dahab in the store "TURQUOISE CENTER".
What is the anecdote of this shopping - you will be told that this is a state market and prices here are 4 (four) times lower, for example, than in Naama bay. Laughter and nothing more. To reinforce the officiality of this event, at the entrance you will be given a leaflet describing the oils that are produced at the factory directly in Dahab and therefore without extra charge and of high quality, and another leaflet is an order, only thanks to which you participate in the promotion and only today, for example, a discount on diamonds as much as 5-10%.
But if you don’t buy anything, you need to return these magical leaves!
The presentation of perfumes/oils is fun, I guess...In general, you can go and laugh.
Shopping in the Old Town - we did not find anything that is not in Naama bay or was cheaper or would be of some quality that is not found anywhere else.
Shopping in Soho compares favorably with the previous two - it feels like you are in a very large supermarket, where you can choose goods of decent quality at an affordable price. Prices are about the same as in Naama bay. What is the advantage of Soho is that some sellers do not even notice you until you contact them, which distinguishes Soho, for example, from the same Naama bay, where everyone considers it their duty to meet you in every store with a standard set Questions: What's your name? where are you from? why so evil? buy for a dollar?
and then the standard set of pulling into the store: I'm not a stinger, just look, I need your advice, only information, and so on ...What we saw in Soho, which we didn’t see in Naama bay or in the Old City, is Arabic perfume / oil from Arab Emirates manufactured by Maa Al Thahab and leather bracelets by Kanz type.

Shopping in Naama bay already has a certain scheme / treasure map for us, which has not changed much since the last trip, for example:
A shop you should NOT go to under any circumstances EXCEPT for $5 women's scarves and $5 natural white musk, located on Central Second Street across from (Across the Road) from the Hard Rock Cafe, and when these 2 (two) goods in this store run out, then generally FORGET about this "shop".
The owner of the store behaves very strangely and does not evoke positive emotions and likes to sell to drunk Belarusians everything that he has stale, while the prices for food in his store are at least 30 percent higher than the rest. As we understood, he allowed two tenants into his store: one sells towels at 2 (two) prices, and the second sells oils in the back of the store. For example, camel milk at a price of 140 pounds ($8) per 1 kg in the Pharmacy (Farmacia) sells for 600 pounds ($33), that is, a 300% markup or 4 (four) prices. And the owner of this store pesters almost everyone to sell him vodka, and if he is refused, he calls him a miser and goes almost to cry that he was deceived! In general, except for lovers of Dubious pleasures, DO NOT recommend ANYONE to go to this store!
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OINTMENTS, OILS, SHAMPOO and so on - only in Pharmacy (Farmacia), in the end we chose two: one immediately opposite the Hotel on the right side of the Naama center Shopping Center on the minus first floor and the second from the Hotel to the left towards McDonald's in the passage under the Mall Shamandoura sign. Let me remind you that in Pharmacies (Farmacia) only pounds are accepted. We took Solaire tanning oil, local Egyptian EVA cosmetics for the face - green cap (cucumber) - very good for sunburn (before going to bed after a shower), Vatika shampoo is generally super (65 pounds - $ 3.71), sandalwood oil (for rheumatism) $5, black cumin oil (great pain reliever) $1-$2, Jonson & Baby shampoos, $1 black cumin extract tablets, Moroccan argan hair oil, $0.5 Day&Night pills/prophylaxis, and so-called "camel milk" are just some kind of hocus-pocus, fantastic: a cool thing ($8 per 1 kg).

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Shop "Hard Rock Cafe" - located on the main street, in the same place as the Cafe / Bar "Hard Rock Cafe" itself: everything is super, key chains are simple super-super and if you have $25 not that superfluous, but for a good thing, then you can buy something in this store.
Shop for divers "MaisonDeLaMer" - located on the Beach side, if you exit the Hotel from the Sea side and turn left to the first lane and a few steps down and there will be a shop. There are very good beach towels here, however, they are kind of expensive - $ 25 and there is an antiseptic for cleaning snorkels and masks for swimming, there are also silicone laces for $ 4 sunglasses (very useful in Dahab with the wind there) and there are cool openers for cans of beer at $10.
Shop « Karkoucha» / « House of Cotton» (to the right of McDonald's, if you exit the Hotel from Central Street, then you need to turn right and go almost to the end of the street and cross to the other side - you won’t get through: a two-story store and a large yellow sign, opposite it there is a building that is sheathed with silver glitter. Compared to last year, they have updated almost all the products in the Karkoucha store, moreover, everything is almost flawless and everything is of very high quality. Why are we talking about defective products - because, as far as we know, this is a store from the Karkoucha factory, which is located in Cairo and produces products exclusively for export to Europe and neighboring countries, for example, to Jordan, so the goods that are not sold or accepted by the customer are taken to this store in Naama bay.

Plus, brand new towels have appeared for $5-$6 (and not like last year with the inscription Sharm El Sheikh’ 2013), including chic beach towels, but more expensive than bath towels, at about $10-$11. Sufficient selection of children's clothes ($3-$5) and, WARNING, you can find products that look very much like they are made for chain stores, such as Wrangler, Polo, Nike, Adidas or the same Hard Rock Cafe ($3-$7). There are 2 (two) problems in this store: firstly, there are fixed prices, that is, it is practically useless to bargain, and the second problem is that almost all things are, as they say, “one size”, that is, there are only what is available.
Shopping Center "Naama center" - located opposite the Hotel, there are good shops with watches (through the main entrance on the left side), sunglasses (1st and 2 -th floor), a store with only El Hardy products (for example, a belt for $20), an Armani stock store (2nd floor), on the left side on the 1st floor there is a papyrus store (maybe it sells the artist himself, not a dealer) and if you go through the main entrance and exit through the exit on the left, then at the exit on the right of the Shopping Center building (2nd or 3rd) there will be a good store with replicas of women's and men's shoes of famous brands ($35-$40), bags and men's belts ($15-$20).
Not far from the Karkoucha / House of Cotton, right at the crossroads, there is a tray of handicrafts made of stone and the so-called "Egyptian wax". This tray is not visible when you walk along the avenue. Here you can choose a worthy souvenir, for example, figurines-caskets made of stone or just some beautiful dust collector on a shelf. The prices are acceptable. A father and son trade. It's easier to bargain with your son in the evenings.
FRUITS to the beach and to take with you on the road can be found right there, near the Karkoucha store / Cotton House, namely: on the minus first floor of the McDonald's building there is a small supermarket, which has a fruit shop. The second place is if you go through the Naama center Shopping Center from the Hotel and cut off to the left, exit the Shopping Center you have a mini bar (cafe) on your left, and across the road (towards the Hard Rock Cafe) there is a dumb man with a small trailer and a flashlight. He has the freshest mangoes (when in season), and now he has delicious dates and melons.

Before departure, you can buy fruit, having previously told the seller that you don’t have to eat right now, but you need to take it home with you - they will pick you up greener. We drove and brought almost everything without damage. There is a little trick: how to drink water or juice in a tetra pack - do not throw away the bottle / bag, but use it as a packaging for fruits.
SWEETS - this time we found a store on the second Central Street, if you walk from the Naama center shopping center towards the taxi stand, pass the Hard Rock Cafe (on the right side of the path) and go further on the left side along there will be a crossroads in the direction of movement - go a little further along Central Street for another 25 meters and cross to the other side, pass on the side of the dance floor and there will be two shops: a watch shop and a sweets shop.
IMPORTANT - look at the date of manufacture, otherwise you will not buy Turkish delight, but bricks for a LEGO set, although, it seems, they (in Egypt) have now become even stricter with food quality control, as, in fact, with medicines in Pharmacies (Farmacia).
SPICES / TEA - this time we bought everything in the Old Town: when you get out of the taxi / minibus, there will be a mosque in front of you, and on the left hand the first passage (street) and a little further (10 meters) another narrow street (this is the entrance and exit of the same street, in the middle of which there is a very good shop with spices and tea). You can also buy spices and tea in Soho, because everything is somehow neater there: everything is stored not in the open air, as they say "in bulk" / "in bulk" , but in large closed glass jars.
ORIGINAL HANDMADE SOUVENIRS can be purchased at the ALADIN" gallery shop: one is in Naama bay just opposite the Hotel and the second one was seen in Soho - oh, there are things and products and so on, all handmade and all made in Egypt! Prices bite a little, but there are completely inexpensive souvenirs, for example, a wish ball - from 40 pounds ($ 2.3) or, for example, a shark tooth bracelet for 85 pounds ($ 4.8) and this is the only store, except, for example, Carrefour supermarket, where you can pay VISA / MASTERCARD card.

EXCHANGE (EXCHANGE) - everything is very simple: there are quite a lot of ATMs in Naama bay (“ATM” inscription) where you can perform basic operations on your card (like our ATMs) and there is an EXCHANGE menu (on the screen there is one button "EXCHANGE" ).
For example, there is such an ATM right in front of the Hotel under the sign of the Bank and there is in the Naama center Shopping Center opposite the Hotel (almost immediately at the main entrance on the left). The instruction is very simple - an interactive screen. You are asked several times before the operation whether everything is correct and if so, the ATM makes an exchange and gives a check with your operation and exchange rates. All this is very convenient. We changed at $10, and suddenly "eats" and does not change, but there were no problems.
And one more thing - remember the BASIC RULE of shopping in Egypt:
The price depends on the tan - the blacker the tan, the lower the prices!
PRICES (as of mid-March 2018):
$0.00 - WI-FI at the reception at the Hotel (or $5 - sim Vodafone)
$0.00 Beach Animation
$0.00 - show in the evenings at the Hotel
$0.00 Beach beer in a plastic cup (or $2.00 Beach beer for 1 0.5L bottle or $1.6 for 0.5L bottle or can in Bacchus Market)
00 – cleaning of the Hotel Room
$0.00 - 0.5 liters of water once (at the bar on the first day when you check into the Hotel)
$0.00 - water from the cooler in the hotel dining room (do not advise ...)
$0.00 - beach towel (on the first day when checking into the Hotel (or $10 - losing a beach towel or losing a card on a towel))
$0.3 - jar of jam / jam 7 types: strawberry, date, raspberry, cherry, apricot, orange and so on in small jars in glass (in Carrefour supermarket)
$1 - the same jam, but a large jar - 340 grams in glass (in a Carrefour supermarket)
$0.5 - drinking water 1.5 liters (in the Carrefour supermarket)
$0.5 - 0.6 liter Aquafina water (in Carrefour supermarket)
$0.5 - Orientiy natural juice in a 0.4 liter glass (to the left of the Hotel, a mini-supermarket Market - daily fresh)
$0.5 - local natural juice in cans (in stores and supermarkets)
$0.6 - natural juice Lamar limon mint 1 liter (in Carrefour supermarket)
$0.7 - Lamar guava natural juice 1 liter (in Carrefour supermarket)

$0.7 - natural juice Lamar mango juise 1 liter (in Carrefour supermarket)
7 - canned tuna meat 150 grams (in the Carrefour supermarket)
$0.8-$1 - natural juice from the UAE and Thailand in a glass (to the left of the Hotel is a mini-supermarket Market - daily fresh)
$1 - (small jar) ointment for joint pain in the Pharmacy (Farmacia)
$1 - one glass of sugarcane juice (only in the Old City)
$1 - one bag of strawberries
$2 - 1 kg of melon
$4 - 1 kg guava
$4 - 1 kg mango (Now the season)
$1.4 - blue cheese (roquefort) 100g. (at the Carrefour supermarket)
$1.5 - feta cheese 0.5kg (in Carrefour supermarket)
$1.7 (£.25) - one glass of juice (on the Beach)
$1-2 - tea per 100 grams (that's a good price)
$2 - (large jar) ointment for joint pain in the Pharmacy (Farmacia)
$2 per pack (Marlboro Gold cigarettes at Carrefour)
$2 - souvenir at the Airport (magnet or small camel)
$2 (£.35) - one glass of juice (at Dahab)
$2 - one glass of juice (in the Old City)
$2 - juice at a restaurant
$2 and more - sweets per box (minimum prices at Carrefour supermarket and Sweets store opposite Hard Rock Cafe)
$2-$5 bracelets
$3 and up - figurines made of alabaster (neatly, there are a lot of fakes made of plastic)
$3 Seafood Soup at Fares Restaurant (Old Town)
$3 - local rum 0.5 liters (per thrill-seeker)
$3 - women's flip flops
$3-$5 - children's things (Karkoucha store / House of cotton)
$3-$5 - Bedouin tea for one tourniquet
$3.71 (£.65) Solaire Tanning Oil
$5 is the standard price of a taxi (for all) one way or $1 for 3 (three people) on a minibus
$5 - women's leather slippers (like sandals)
$5 - women's scarves (cashmere)
$5 - men's beret / small backpack (fake brand name)
$6-$8 - like a real good cotton towel (Karkoucha store / Cotton House)
$5-$10 sunglasses
$5-$10 - slippers for corals (like Czech shoes)
$5-$10 - normal quality men's flip flops
$5-$10 - men's leather house slippers
$5-$10 - a box for branded watches, very similar to the original
$5 - $10 standard swimming mask
$6.85 (lb 120) - Solaire Keratin Tanning Oil (Carrot)

$7 - trousers / jeans (Karkoucha store / House of cotton)
$7 - sports leggings (Karkoucha store / House of Cotton)
$7 - sports blouse (Karkoucha store / House of Cotton)
$8 - for 1 kg Camel Milk Face Cream (Farmacia)
$10-$15 - a set (plate) of seafood in a restaurant (do not take crabs alone - there is nothing to eat)
$10 - rent of a mask, fins and wetsuit (from the partisans) or $0.00 - if the boat trip is from the official
$10 - professional tour photo
$10 - women's bloomers "Aladins" (cotton or silk)
$10 beach bag or canvas backpack
$10 - fashion jewelry (steel) - nice shop on the left side of the Naama center Shopping Center (outside the street, almost immediately behind the ice cream parlour)
$10-$15 men's beret/small backpack (leather)
$10-$15 - fake brand scarves for women and men
$11 - 1kg fresh shrimp (in the Old City)
$14 - long (full-length) women's dress
$15 - a normal leather men's belt (like a copy of the brand)
$18 - NOT women's leather backpack
$20-$30 non-standard swim mask (like Star Wars Darth Wader)
$20 Ed Hardy belt at Naama center
$20 - replica Casio G-Shock (quartz) (seems like a good store to the left of the main entrance to the Carrefour supermarket)
$20 (landmark) - silver bracelet (many stores - large selection)
$25 - ORIGINAL T-shirts, swimwear (2nd floor at Naama center Mall) there are two stores: a stock store (Armani, Lacoste, Tommy Hilfiger, Philipp Plein) and a type of store with only Ed Hardy products
$25 - actually a really good cotton towel for divers (MaisonDeLaMer store)
$25 - REAL Egyptian cotton scarf (available in one place - Aladin store)
$25 (landmark) - watch (quartz) (at Naama center Shopping Center (on the right hand side of the center)
$35 (landmark) - watch (quartz) (seems like a good store to the left of the main entrance to the Carrefour supermarket)
$40 and up - Kanz camel leather women's bags / backpacks (we didn't like everything else) - found one store in the square (on the left) near the Carrefour supermarket

$50 and up - brand name original sunglasses - stock store (2nd floor (on the right hand side of the center) in Naama center mall)
$90 and above - watches (sapphire crystal, mechanics - Japanese movement) (there in the Naama center Shopping Center (to the left of the main entrance))
$100 airport fine for 1 cm of coral
And, as we usually write in our reviews, remember one more RULE:
A tourist who has not been deceived is not a tourist!
And after this trip, you can say this:
A tourist in Egypt who has not been shod (in slippers) is not a tourist!
When departing at the Airport, you can buy a small souvenir, for example, a small camel for $2.
TOTAL SHOPPING ASSESSMENT - 4+ (ALmost EVERYTHING WAS WHAT YOU WANTED), here, just bought a few bracelets ...
The evening before parting was hot, both literally and figuratively, and at the same time, as if on purpose: how to leave, the temperature in Egypt creeps up, and at home - for some reason, down!
Returning back, the sadness of parting with the sea and the sun smoothed out the seats on the plane a bit - we got seats in the aisle, even though you can stretch your legs!
And they did a good deed - they made another deposit to the bank.
So, that's about it!
TOTAL HOLIDAY RATING – DIRECTLY DEPENDS ON REVIEW RATINGS!
THANKS!

Translated automatically from Russian. View original

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