At Ease In The City Of Peace Can a city be all things to all people? Sharm El-Sheikh definitely comes close.

ask a 20-something Cairene about his weekend plans: “We’re going to Sharm.” Newlyweds picking out a honeymoon? Odds are Sharm El-Sheikh is on their shortlist. You need to hold a summit to resolve thorny regional issues? Sharm. When not at the negotiating table, princes and presidents play in this Red Sea resort town, which was named a UNESCO City For Peace in 2001. Pretty impressive for what was little more than a fishing village 25 years ago.

Beaches are definitely one of the first things that come to mind when you think of Sharm El-Sheikh. Many international resorts have staked out waterfront property, including Marriott Renaissance, Sheraton, Conrad, Ritz-Carlton, Four Seasons, Sonesta and many many more. The beaches are varied - some have the traditional flat patch of sand, but other properties have kept the coastline as natural as possible, with chaise chairs arranged on semi-private sandy terraces overlooking the sea. One of the newer seaside venues is Santana, an exclusive club-style beach with food and beverages. To use Santana’s facilities, you can either sign up for a membership or pay a daily entrance fee.

courtesy Sheraton Sharm El-Sheikh

With all that coastline, you can’t miss out on the water. There is no debate about diving in the Red Sea - it has some of the best sites in the world. A reader’s poll at SCUBA Travel’s website put 11 Egyptian sites on the map of top 100 dive sites around the world. And many of those dives are easily accessible from Sharm El-Sheikh, including the ‘Tiran four’ (Jackson, Woodhouse, Thomas and Gordon Reefs in the Straits of Tiran) and the wreck of the Thistlegorm.

The City of Peace attracts not only professionals, but would-be divers who come to get their fins wet for the first time. Many people learn to overcome their doubts about the underwater world, starting first by snorkeling. If you’re staying close to the hotel, the best times to visit the house reef are early in the morning and late in the afternoon, when the fish are coming in to dine.

courtesy Sheraton Sharm El-Sheikh Sharm El-Sheikh is famous for its beaches

Many boat-dive sites are also suitable for snorkelers, and you’ll find a much better range of fish away from heavily trafficked shores. There is a resident Napoleon Wrasse (Cheilinus undulatus) for instance, in a small bay off Tiran Island; the massive fish with the square forehead watches the snorkelers and divers exploring the reefs.

If you fall in love with snorkeling, it’s easy to take that next step below the surface, for Sharm is awash with dive centers. You can take an introductory dive, where you descend about 10 meters closely supervised by an instructor, or go directly for your open-water qualification, which can be completed in five days.

courtesy Four Seasons Resort Sharm El-Sheikh The Red Sea has some of the best diving in the world

Dive centers and hotels can also set up adventures on the surface, including parasailing, wakeboarding, windsurfing, and rides on banana boats, sea kayaks and canoes. A drier option is reef-viewing on a glass-bottom boat.

Mohsen Allam/IBA Take a desert safari in the Sinai

If you’re looking for an adrenalin rush on land, there are several outlets for thrill-seekers. Ghibli Raceway is a kart-racing facilty geared for both amateurs and professionals. Walk in, suit up, get your safety briefing and you can be on the track within a half an hour. Four different track circuits and karts with a range of horsepower make this outing suitable for racers age six to 65. Ghibli is the only kart racing facility in the Middle East licensed to host a world championship; in 2004 it was the site of the Rotax Max Challenge World Finals.

Practically next door to Ghibli is the Sinai Extreme Park, where you can stretch yourself to the limit on the bungee slingshot, have a paintball battle with your buddies, or hit the dunes with a sandboard. Youngsters (and the young at heart) will reach new heights on the bungee trampoline. This entertainment complex also hosts parties, concerts and holiday events.

Ashraf Talaat/IBA Ghibli Kart Racing

The Concorde El Salam Hotel complex at White Knight Bay has an ice skating rink and Edelweiss Equestrian, which offers horse riding and jumping lessons. The Sofitel in Naama Bay also has an equestrian center.

Safaris allow you to venture further afield, with your choice of camels, jeeps, beach buggies or quad runners. Spend as little as an hour, a full day or even multiple days in the surrounding desert, ending the trip with an evening of traditional Bedouin food and dancing.

courtesy Ritz-Carlton Sharm El-Sheikh

Catering to an increasing demand, hotels in Sharm El-Sheikh are adding spas to the existing array of onsite facilities. Taking advantage of their prime Red Sea locale, the majority of these spas offer thalasso therapy treatments, which utilize seawater, seaweed and algae for preventive and curative purposes.

Ashraf Talaat/IBA Nightlife at Na’ama Bay

At the Sheraton Sharm Thalasso Spa, they firmly believe that the sea can truly cure your ailments. The many treatments on the menu have one purpose: to harmonize the body’s internal rhythms, alleviate stress and build a better physique by focusing on improving the flow of blood throughout your body.

By the same token, the Novotel’s Accor Thalassa Beauty & Spa offers the full line of Accor brand spa treatments merged with oriental therapies. Their health and beauty packages are customized for people who spend all day basking in the sun and swimming in the Red Sea, focusing on hydrating the skin. The pre- and post-sun care primes your skin for sun exposure and then cool it down, preventing peeling and sunburns.

courtesy Sonesta Sharm El-Sheikh Romance on the Red Sea

The Four Seasons Sharm El-Sheikh features Daniela Steiner’s Care Suite Spa, known for sophisticated skin care methods and refined wellness programs. Creams, oils and essences from Steiner’s exclusive Care Suite line are complemented by treatments that renew the body and soul. Candlelight and soft background music create a relaxing ambiance in each treatment room, eliminating stress and bringing you back to life.

Meanwhile, the Ritz-Carlton Spa specializes in Thai massage, one of the few massages where oil is not used. The body is manipulated using yoga-like stretching, pummeling, kneading and pressure along the body’s energy channels. The resort’s signature feature is an outdoor massage tent on the beach, so the sights and sounds of the Red Sea can play a part in the overall healing process.

Club Olympus at the Hyatt Regency offers a Personal Service Program customizing the spa’s many treatments to suit your special needs. Specialists at the Hyatt focus on Massotherapy, which refers to the extensive selection of massage therapies available, all of which are intended to reduce tension, improve circulation, eliminate soreness and promote an overall feeling of well being.

Grand Rotana Resort’s state-of-the-art spa pampers you in every possible way with holistic therapies from around the world including the four-hands massage, traditional Thai massage, body wraps and Hydrotherapy.

At first, Sharm lovers were people who came to enjoy diving, water sports, swimming and outdoor adventures. Over the years, the resort town has developed a nightlife so eclectic that it has its own dedicated crowd. For these people, daylight hours are for lazing by the beach, storing up energy for when the sun sets and the night starts.

There’s no shortage of places to dine at, and the cuisines on offer are as varied as the nationalities of tourists who frequent Sharm El-Sheikh. Each major hotel has its share of restaurants - with Italian, Asian and international the most popular menus - but if you want to go where the crowd is, Na’ama Bay is the place to be. The cobblestone strip, once just lined with cafes and outdoor restaurants, has grown up to include clubs, shopping outlets and little alleyways leading to bazaars set up like Khan El-Khalili.

Seafood, of course, is a specialty on the Red Sea Riviera, and is best served at Dananeer, an oriental restaurant located at the beginning of the strip. Lebanese and Italian cuisine is also on offer at Na’ama Bay’s eateries, and it’s a great choice if you’re looking for a sidewalk table in the middle of all the action. After dinner, have tea, desert and shisha at one of the nearby cafes, watching the bustling nightlife flow past.

Fishawy Cafe is as legendary in Sharm as it is in Cairo. Its central location plants it firmly in the heart of all the fun, in front of one of Na’ama Bay’s hottest nightspots, Bus Stop. Club goers usually make this open-air cafe their pit stop to re-energize with some shisha and traditional mint tea. Even more traditional than Fishawy’s are the Bedouin-style cafes where the waiters don galabeyas and you can get a henna tattoo right there on the spot. Some of these are located on the exciting strip; others are on the boardwalk overlooking the Red Sea. The latter are much quieter, so you might want to head there after you’re done partying.

You can’t speak of partying without mentioning Pacha, a relatively new addition to the Red Sea resort club scene. This is not your typical club - more like a massive house party where everyone lets loose. The main attractions: foam parties, dancers and acrobats practically hanging from the ceiling, laser shows, wild decor and world-renowned DJs specializing in trance and house music.

Every great city has a Hard Rock Café and Sharm El-Sheikh is no exception. You can start your night here with an early dinner first, then stay for the party. The crowd is smaller and tamer, jamming to a different style of music: Hard Rock is one of the few places that actually play hip-hop and R&B for at least part of the night.

The latest hotspot on the Na’ama Bay strip is Little Buddha, a sushi restaurant, bar and lounge in one. The ambiance here is perfect for a more sophisticated evening, with, of course, Buddha Bar music for your listening pleasure. There’s space on the upper level for dancing, but this isn’t really a club so much as it is a lively lounge.

For a different experience, buy tickets for the weekly Desert Party held every Friday. You can party deep in the Sinai Mountains with a lot of music and dancing around the huge bonfire.

Some parties are meant for just two people. Sharm El-Sheikh has a more than a few cozy corners where couples can enjoy each other’s company.

A day at the spa is an especially romantic experience, and most of the spas have special suites and cabanas for couples to enjoy the sensuous experience together. The Ritz-Carlton resort even offers an in-room bath service, drawing a tub of warm water scented with oils and flowers.

The Four Seasons resort is another romantic hideaway, with a private gated entrance to every room, plunge pools screened by hedges and outdoor dining by candlelight next to the Red Sea.

In Na’ama Bay, Panorama Sharm El-Sheikh lets you get above the crowd. Built into the side of a large hill, this cafe has terraced seating areas with cozy couches under low lighting. On the very top level, you have the lights of Na’ama Bay below you; a daytme visit reveals a spectacular view of the bay and mountains.

For that very special occasion, you can arrange for a dinner by moonlight in those mountains. A guide will take you up the mountain to an overlook, with a blanket already spread out for you. (The guide waits discreetly by the vehicle.) There you can picnic under the night sky, candles forming constellations around you. Ask your hotel or tour agent about how to arrange this getaway.

That final special touch is up to you. Stop by the florist in the Old Market; not only does it have an impressive selection of real and artificial flowers, but they have free delivery to anywhere within Sharm El-Sheikh. Red roses by the Red Sea, anyone?