Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt: Chillin’ on the Red Sea Coast
I went to Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt in December 2011. Earlier that year, hundreds of thousands of Egyptians protested the 30-year autocratic rule of Hosni Mubarak. Civilians occupied government buildings, protested in the streets, most notably at Tahrir Square in Cairo, and faced violent resistance from Mubarak forces. Heeding to domestic and international pressure, Mubarak resigned 18 days later, leaving at least 846 civilians dead and more than 6,400 injured.
This was the beginning of the Arab Spring that would spread throughout the region. I feel so fortunate that I was able to visit Egypt when I did: after the uprising and before the presidential election six months later when chaos and violence reared its ugly head again, and continues as the country tries to rebuild. When I was there it was a time of hope, pride and peace.
I was living in Ukraine when I booked an all-inclusive getaway to Sharm El Sheikh, an Egyptian resort town between the desert of the Sinai Peninsula and the Red Sea. It was insanely cheap for 5 nights during Christmas, food and drink included in the price.
We stayed at a now closed resort (even when I went, tourism was declining, and now more resorts have closed than have stayed open in Sharm El Sheikh). The place was magnificent, opulent and pure relaxation. It was located at the tip of the Suez Peninsula, right on the Red Sea coast.
Three small pools to compliment the massive pool in the middle of the complex where you could take water aerobics in the morning and sip on Mai Tais in the afternoon.
A short 2-minute walk from our room and we were sitting on white sandy beaches, our toes warm in the Red Sea. The water is so shallow you can walk almost half a mile from the beach and be no deeper than your waste. With activities like paragliding, wind surfing and snorkeling, you'll keep busy, if you want.
I made friends with one of the resort workers, who didn’t really have much work to do, and we chatted about everything from politics to music to religion. I was the first American he ever had a conversation with and the cultural exchange for both of us was moving. Every day I looked forward to heading down to the beach and chatting with him. He helped my friend set up paragliding and hooked me up with his friend for a deep tissue massage at the spa.
There couldn’t have been a better escape from Ukraine in the winter than a relaxing beach getaway to Sharm El Sheikh.
