"Sunshine Smiles" a Sharm El Sheikh Travel Page by SabrinaSummerville

In the constant search for a year-round sunshine destination, I hit on Sharm in September 2004 and fell in love with the area.

The page title, "Sunshine Smiles," refers to the fact that whenever I'm there I find myself smiling every single day. For me that's unusual, particularly at the start of any holiday, because I'm always stressed and it takes me ages to unwind. Sharm, however, does something really positive to your psyche. I am currently putting it down to that fact that it's hardly ever cloudy, Winter or Summer, and the people are just so friendly.

I was a great Canary Islands fan for many years, but lost interest lately as the weather seems to have disimproved, the resorts have become overcrowded, and the larger resorts can be tacky beyond belief.

There's little to beat sitting in the wonderful Al Fanar in Sharm at sunset, sipping a cocktail and watching the magical twinkling lights turn this incredible outdoors bar and restaurant into a veritable fairyland.

Yes, I'm heading back there later this Spring. I'll be looking for my periodic injection of sunshine:-)

So what's this place about? What attracts people in the first place and why do they keep coming back?

Sharm is a place that can be many things to many people.

Firstly you have that incredible weather. OK, it does get too hot in August, but it's eternal Summer.

It's an absolute paradise for divers and snorkellers - most of the seafront resorts adjoin the coral reefs and all of those hotels have private floating jettys out to the diving/snorkelling areas. I have a feeling that it's the second best diving area in the world, but don't hold me to it as I don't know a thing about diving. If, like me, you don't fancy strapping on all those gas and air bottles (or whatever they are) and a wetsuit, you can always drift off into the sea in a glass bottomed boat and watch the colourful underwater world from there.

For the culture-vulture there is a myriad of historic and religious sites within a few hours drive. There are day trips to Cairo by coach or by plane where they include a visit to the Pyramids and a mini Nile cruise; you can also fly to Luxor for a day and visit the temples there; and the religious buffs and bibliophiles can take a two and a half hour drive to St. Catherine's Monastery (which houses the world's second largest library - the largest is the Vatican library) and climb Moses mountain.

Then again, you could just laze; you could lie on your sunbed in your five star hotel and call for yet another Red Sea Sunset (cocktail) and try to strain your brain to remember what time you booked that manicure for. Aaah, bliss..........

I guess every resort has it's down sides, and the lovely Sharm is no exception.

The big baddie for me is the airport - it's always crazily overcrowded. They don't even have proper checkin areas. For instance, on my last visit they checked in people for Dublin and Gatwick at the one desk. There was almost a riot, not to mention the fact that luggage was tagged for the wrong destination in a number of instances.

I also hate the haggling and bargaining in many of the shops, but I know that for many of you that's all part of the fun of the trip.

It can get too hot in mid and late Summer, and when it does it's almost impossible to breathe. If you haven't been in that part of the world before, nothing can prepare you for the heat. It completely envelopes you, surrounds you, and sucks at your soul; but then again, all you need to do is find one of the many shaded courtyards and order another cool drink, absorb yourself in that trashy novel...and smile:-)