Sam Rkaina
Sharm El Sheikh is back open for business. That’s the message coming loud and clear from the Egyptian holiday hotspot, a long-time favourite for Brits in search of sun.
UK flights resumed to Sharm last month following a five-year hiatus after the tragic events of 2015.
And with TUI offering direct fivehour flights from the UK, a family break to the glamorous Red Sea resort is very much back on the travel agenda.
With its year-round sunshine, sweeping landscapes and worldrenowned dive spots, Sharm offers pretty much everything you might want from a beach holiday.
Right on the seafront and shaded by swaying palm trees, TUI’s five-star Magic Life Sharm El Sheikh hotel is in a top location.
With two swimming pools, four restaurants, eight bars, as well as easy access to a colourful coral reef, it’s a superb choice.
The round-the-clock, all-inclusive dining concept makes your stay super-indulgent. The excellent Magico buffet restaurant is the venue for breakfast, lunch and dinner, with dishes from around the by camel world. At the specialist restaurant Sofra, traditional Egyptian fare is served in beautifully lavish surroundings.
Friendly staff speak good English, so Sharm is as easy to navigate as any foreign holiday destination.
The hotel offers a full programme of activities including archery, tennis and beach volleyball, as well as outdoor yoga and Zumba classes, plus aerobics and dance sessions. To help guests keep track of what’s on offer, TUI has the Magic Life app – a calendar of everything that’s going on at the swipe of your phone.
Evening entertainment is provided all week from impressive stage performances to the everpopular silent disco.
When you feel the need to get super-chilled, there’s an impressive range of affordable treatments at the hotel spa, but the Moroccan-style hammam is a great choice, especially if you like your massages on the firm side.
While there’s certainly enough to keep you busy within the hotel, if you don’t venture outside you’d be missing the best Sharm has to offer.
The lively downtown area, spectacular shoreline and rugged, mountainous landscapes are all within a
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