Hadaba (El Hadaba) is one of the areas of the resort giant Sharm el-Sheikh. It is located between Naama Bay and Sharm El Maya, close to the famous Old City and Ras Umm El Sid bay. Once upon a time, this area was occupied by a military town, but now civilians live here and, lined up in several lines, there are hotels. Tourists willingly come here to get the maximum holiday benefits “in one bottle.” Hadaba Um Sid, as the area’s full name sounds, roughly translated as “rock above the bay”, has a wonderful deep sea, coral reefs, nightclubs and shops.
Shopping and stores
About the shops and shopping and entertainment complexes of Hadaba need to be discussed separately. In addition to the Old Market, which is, as they say, within walking distance from the area, there are a lot of food tents and shops with various goods that are indispensable on vacation, from souvenirs to masks and breathing tubes. And there is also an amazing shopping complex, rather, even a whole street – Il Mercato. Mall “Il Mercato” consists of neat cafes, a variety of shops, beauty salons, ATMs, pharmacies and similar establishments important for tourists. It pleases with unusual neatness and the absence of the classical color of the oriental bazaar: everything here is not in the Egyptian decorum. See ANDYEDUCATION for education and training in Egypt.
Another shopping and entertainment complex, “1000 and 1 Nights” or Alf Leila wa Leila, is responsible for the national flavor, after the name of the hotel located here. True, it has a more “entertainment” bias: a large selection of restaurants, various shows are held. But souvenirs can also be bought here. As a rule, prices in Hadaba for products of this kind are slightly lower than in the Old City, it is necessary to bargain – a tradition. You can forget about it only in 24/7 and Metro supermarkets, which are also located in this area of Sharm el-Sheikh.
The beaches of Hadaba
Each hotel is assigned a territory of the beach, the entrance to which is free for its guests. It is not long to go to them even from second-line hotels, but since walks in the heat are often not encouraging, free transport links are provided with the coastal strip. By tradition, it is best to come to the sea early in the morning, and not leave on the last bus, so as not to end up in a crowded cabin. To the sea line from many hotels you have to go down a staircase 300 meters long. If for some reason you don’t like your beach, you can always go swimming in the city or neighboring one, but already for a fee, about 5 USD. However, almost all the coastal areas of Hadaba are similar to each other, they differ in equipment (sunbeds, cabins, showers) and the color of umbrellas and sun loungers.
But the sea itself and coral thickets, starting very close to the coast, fully justify the effort. It is difficult to swim up to them only at low tide, usually the depth begins immediately from the shore. For greater convenience, pontoons are installed on some beaches, from which it is comfortable to enter the sea at any water level above the reefs. In some places, such platforms are the only chance to enter the water normally, since there is simply no sandy entrance. Therefore, families with kids, going to rest in this area of Sharm el-Sheikh, need to carefully study the information regarding the beaches. But for everyone who is confidently riding the waves, swimming in Hadaba simply cannot but be liked, because tourists from all over the resort are brought to admire the local coral gardens.
Entertainment and attractions in Hadaba
Young people love Hadaba because it’s quite difficult to get bored here. Even if we assume that watching the most beautiful reefs and an abundance of marine life can get boring, the usual animation and more interesting entertainment will always come to the rescue. And we are not talking about boating with a transparent bottom, visiting Turkish baths and tennis courts at the hotel, but about nightclubs (Toda Joia, Dolce Vita) and entertainment programs in the 1000 and 1 night complex. For 10 USD, you can watch a beautiful and bright light show that tells about the love of Leyla and Mahmud. Another 4 USD – and you enjoy oriental dances.
Do you think that this can be seen everywhere in Egypt? Then welcome to the dolphinarium, located at the intersection of City Council Street and Sharm El Isee Street! The tricks that marine animals demonstrate can only be seen here. Or a crocodile show – the program is original and impressive. And you can also go back to childhood for a while and visit the Albatros Aqua Park, where you can ride the slides and all kinds of water attractions.
Diving in Hadaba
Diving here is attractive because for the first dives you do not need to go anywhere else. On the contrary, tourists are brought here to admire the underwater world of Hadaba. Coral reefs, teeming with fish and other marine life, start almost from the coast. These are a kind of hills, flat plateaus, over which colorful living creatures scurry. This arrangement of corals opens up great opportunities not only for diving, but also for snorkeling. Even just snorkeling along the pontoons is a great experience, so be sure to buy or rent the equipment you need.
