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After the minimalist nature of the hotel in Marsa Alam, parked myself in the luxury of the 5 star Hyatt in Sharm el Sheikh on the Gulf of Aqaba. Has the best house reef in all of Sharm which, sadly, due to circumstances beyond my control, I never got to even dip a toe in.
While in Sharm, I booked a back to back trip to Israel & Jordan (Petra). My advice is not to do what I did & book based on price. The first half of the trip to Israel was a nightmare when they stuck 4 of us who spoke English on a Russian ONLY speaking tour. First, I have no idea what all I saw except when I could catch a marker & second, they lied & only took us to less than half the spots they advertised in their itinerary. I'm still fighting it out in emails with them.
The trip itself is an exercise in frustration. We had a bus from Sharm up the Sinai to the border at Taba for the crossing into Israel. We arrived late at night, bored single guard meant it took hours for the couple hundred people to cross (multiple tour buses), then we had to cross into Israel & go through it all over.
It was about 2 in the morning before we finally boarded buses on the Israel side & set out for the Dead Sea.
The Dead Sea, which is really dead but crystal clear. Doesn't smell but has an odd taste to it. The Dead Sea is rapidly dropping in size.
From there, thanks to this being a Russian tour, we made a side trip to the River Jordan so they could jump in the muddy mess & do a baptism. Not on my original itinerary & cost valuable time.
Seriously, these people dunking themselves in the muddy River Jordan.
Then on to Jerusalem
We drove straight through Jerusalem & cross through the wall to the Palestine side & Bethlehem. Must admit, it wasn't scary but you realized you were in a potentially volatile area.
The Church of the Nativity.
Inside the Church of the Nativity
We headed to the Jaffe Gate, Western Wall & Church of the Holy Sepulchre
Church of the Holy Sepulchre
The Wailing Wall, men's only side.
Mount of Olives area
Looking back toward the city of Jerusalem. You can see how hilly it is. We walked up & down them all day.
Do not do what I did. Hire a good company that guarantees an English guide. Better still, don't try to do Jerusalem/Bethlehem in a day. Just too much to see. Take a minimum of a week & stay in Jerusalem.
While in Sharm, I booked a back to back trip to Israel & Jordan (Petra). My advice is not to do what I did & book based on price. The first half of the trip to Israel was a nightmare when they stuck 4 of us who spoke English on a Russian ONLY speaking tour. First, I have no idea what all I saw except when I could catch a marker & second, they lied & only took us to less than half the spots they advertised in their itinerary. I'm still fighting it out in emails with them.
The trip itself is an exercise in frustration. We had a bus from Sharm up the Sinai to the border at Taba for the crossing into Israel. We arrived late at night, bored single guard meant it took hours for the couple hundred people to cross (multiple tour buses), then we had to cross into Israel & go through it all over.
It was about 2 in the morning before we finally boarded buses on the Israel side & set out for the Dead Sea.
The Dead Sea, which is really dead but crystal clear. Doesn't smell but has an odd taste to it. The Dead Sea is rapidly dropping in size.
From there, thanks to this being a Russian tour, we made a side trip to the River Jordan so they could jump in the muddy mess & do a baptism. Not on my original itinerary & cost valuable time.
Seriously, these people dunking themselves in the muddy River Jordan.
Then on to Jerusalem
We drove straight through Jerusalem & cross through the wall to the Palestine side & Bethlehem. Must admit, it wasn't scary but you realized you were in a potentially volatile area.
The Church of the Nativity.
Inside the Church of the Nativity
We headed to the Jaffe Gate, Western Wall & Church of the Holy Sepulchre
Church of the Holy Sepulchre
The Wailing Wall, men's only side.
Mount of Olives area
Looking back toward the city of Jerusalem. You can see how hilly it is. We walked up & down them all day.
Do not do what I did. Hire a good company that guarantees an English guide. Better still, don't try to do Jerusalem/Bethlehem in a day. Just too much to see. Take a minimum of a week & stay in Jerusalem.
