Hi Doe

I will give you a full reply in a day or so but please excuse me for the moment as I am struggling with a chest infection that started in Egypt, I have had a course of antibiotics out there but feeling a bit rough today so not been on HT much.

I promise I will reply shortly

Graham

I had a chest infection also a really bad cough, had to have steriods and on an inhaler now because of it I hope you feel better soon

There's a lot of it about.

We also have the "bug" in Cyprus.

I was bad after New Year starting with blocked sinus infection that went straight to my chest (after mixing with holidaymakers at the hotel a friend of ours was staying in Limassol). Hey, but at least I missed the Gastroenteritis bug that was spreading around the place!!

I've been bad for almost 3 weeks and had to have antibiotics and was given an inhaler (that's in addition to the two I already have). I was an asthma sufferer in UK from being about 20 years old but since moving permanently to Cyprus I've only had to be prescribed inhalers for the first time in May 2011. Not bad, that's 7 years without them!

I still have a bit of a "rattle" now and that's almost 4 weeks down the line.

I used to find that whenever we went away on holiday, either me or my husband would pick up some kind of cold/sore throat symptoms and we reckoned it was probably due to being confined on an aircraft for 4 or more hours (Cyprus and Egypt were our most favoured destinations) with other people who had some kind of an infection.

There's no escaping germs in an aircraft!

Hope you recover soon.....

Shell
Limassol, Cyprus

Hi Graham

Sorry you are feeling so rough take care of yourself and hope you feel better soon.

Doe

Hi

Just a quick update, still not feeling just to great, I have had Viral Pneumonia which has knackered me :D, still on a course of Clarithromycin horse tablets, like you Michelle and Shell I have been given steroids and 2 inhalers, still very breathless but getting better slowly.

Doe just a very brief reply, Sharm and Naama Bay were VERY quiet, very few visitors and nationalities, the majority were made up of Russians which to be honest, this time I found them to be mannerly and non pushy or greedy, no problems with them whatsoever, also quite a lot of Scandinavians.

Walking along the promenade you noticed just how quiet the beach is during the day, the area directly on the sea is the only part that has people on it, there is VERY little hassle walking along it from the restaurants, many of which had next to nobody in them, some have closed down although this might just be for winter, other restaurants are fighting back by getting renovated and modernised.

Hassle, I think this shows just how bad it is for the Egyptians, there is still hassle although mostly not nearly as bad as on previous occasions and I thought it was done only in a half hearted fashion, it is as if they are resigned to lack of tourists and business.

The Egyptians are with out a doubt finding it tough

Hi Graham

Sorry to hear you are still struggling healthwise hopefully another week & you will see the back of it, fingers crossed for you.

From what you are saying it's similar in Namma Bay to how it was when we visited in mid October. If you walked along the prom, past the Jollie Ville frontage, Hilton F, Gazala Gardens etc all the way up to the end to the Sonesta Beach & Oonas there was restaurant after restaurant with empty seats.

There must have been 1000's :que. We did this 4 nights out of a 7 night holiday so don't think it was a one off & it was at about 9pm which you would think would be the peak for custom.

I think it is only the Russian Tourists that are keeping the place ticking over, with as you say the odd Brit & Scandinavian party as well.

There were still plenty of locals hanging about as they do, but the hassle wasn't too bad.

Don't engage with them anyway which does seem rude to me as our culture is to be polite, but it isn't worth it as it only gets their hopes up that you are going to buy & apart from food & drink we don't. I can get all the Chinese tat I need here or in Europe in the summer anyway - not that I want it.

I don't think the situation is currently being helped by these localised incidents that are taking place, yesterday I think there was an armed hold up in a bank in NB & a Policeman was shot. I know this could happen anywhere in the world, but it wont attract the tourists back, especially first timers.

I did feel bad for the Egyptians though as without tourism there is no economy in Sharm and it has a knock on effect for all their families back in Cairo

doe

Apart from the onset of my illness towards the end of the holiday we had a great time and the lack of hassle was a bonus, so to help the Egyptian economy we have just booked to go back again to the same hotel over New Year and in to January 2013

glad you liked the hotel, forgot to ask how it was. It often comes up as one of the first options when you do a general search on the Thomson web-site. I'm thinking of giving El Gouna a try for a change.

Doe

The hotel was nice, not over fancy in anyway but in an ideal and quiet location, just a few minutes walk on to the promenade and then just about 5 minutes in to Naama or 5 minutes straight along the Peace Rd.
The staff were excellent, they couldn't do enough for you and it didn't feel as if they were expecting a tip for it

The Tropicana hotel is actually split in 2, the Rosetta is down at the main road and has the reception and the Jasmine behind it, some people with mobility problems requested a swap down in it to the Rosetta which was not a problem.

The Jasmine has 2 pools (5 pools between both hotels) a large pool which is beside the older part of the Jasmine and a smaller pool down in the new part where most of the British are given rooms.

I have included a link at the bottom if you want a look at pictures of the Jasmine.

Here are some picture taken in Naama during the day and evening which show how quiet it was



Tropicana Jasmine pictures http://travel.webshots.com/slideshow/582330593nDtdAF

OMG Graham, what time were the pictures taken in NB ? Its devastating. We went in November last year and it was quiet, hardly any hassle. I found the Egyptians always pleasant, but the general atmosphere we have felt for several years has dwindled. How times have changed, we were having a quiet drink in the gardens smoking a shisha, two lads came up to ask us if we would like drugs to put in it. Told the Manager at once. I realise this goes on, but 10 times we have been to sharm since 2005, and never been approached like that.

Sad times

The 2 pictures on the promenade were taken at separate times, the beach was at about 3:00 - 3:30 (1500 hrs ) the promenade was at about 11:00 ish, the night pictures were taken between 7:45 - 9:00 ish, we then went up to Soho Square which was a bit busier but not what you would call bustling

Beautiful photos Graham. That really is quiet, it was busier than that in October, maybe January is a little more off-peak than October.

Doe

Just came across this whilst reading 'new posts' as I don't normally visit the Egypt forum, having never been before. Just wanted to wish Graham a speedy recovery

Great pics but the place does look a bit like a ghost town.

Ive just had a look at your photos of the hotel on web-shots Graham and it looks very nice. I had always thought that if we wanted to stay in a small hotel in Namma Bay it would probably be the Iberotel Lido (Maybe because it is the only one I know as have eaten at 'on the deck') but the Jasmine looks good too.

The pictures of the prom are a good example of how clean it is, I think people who haven't visited have the misconception that it is a dirty place, but they show otherwise.

Doe

Lovely photo's Graham

The pictures of the prom are a good example of how clean it is, I think people who haven't visited have the misconception that it is a dirty place, but they show otherwise.

That's a good point Doe, the public areas as are most of the other areas very clean, the promenade and resort centre are spotless