My most recent memorable trip was to Sharm al-Sheikh in Egypt. I loved Egypt and can’t wait to go back.

Sharm al-Sheikh is situated on the Southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula - with the Red Sea on one side and the mountains of Mount Sinai on the other. Our trip was for 10 days which was ideal because there is so much to do there. It was nice to do a couple of the excursions and have some time to just enjoy the facilities on offer in the resort.

Sharm al-Sheikh is a six and a half hour flight from Dublin and a number of tour operators offer direct charters there throughout the year. We travelled in early May and the weather was a very pleasant 28C. It did cool down a lot in the evenings when the sun went done and you do need a sweater. The temperature during the summer months can go as high as 50 C so unless you can tolerate these high temperatures don’t go then!

We stayed All Inclusive in the Reef Oasis Beach Resort. This was a first for me and I loved the idea of not having to carry any cash - eating and drinking anything you wanted, at any time. There was a choice with four restaurants and the standard of food was very high. There was a huge variety on offer with much of the food cooked fresh in front of you.

There are lots of activities organised during the day by the entertainment team but most people go there for the snorkelling and diving. The resort has its own private beach with a jetty. You can simply walk to the end of the jetty jump off and snorkel. Truly out of this world.

Of course the excursions in Egypt are spectacular. I have to start with Cairo and the Pyramids. We flew from Sharm to Cairo very early and went to see the Pyramids and the Great Sphinx which was something I had wanted to see for a long time. I found it really interesting but it is necessary to have a guide to bring the place to life and explain the history of the tombs unless you know this already - I certainly didn’t. After the Pyramids we were brought to the Museum of Cairo to see the Mummies. My daughter loved this part and still talks about them.

Be prepared to be approached by beggars and children since Cairo is a third world city and they don’t have social welfare payments there! Many of the other people on the tour found this very difficult to witness and it did affect their enjoyment of the tour.

Another fantastic excursion is a trip to St Catherine’s Monastery which is about four hours drive from Sharm inland. I found this to be a very spiritual place and very popular with Irish tourists.

Some of the other people in our party did an excursion to Luxor to view the temples but I hope to return and spend some time exploring the temples of Ancient Egypt.

In my opinion Egypt has a huge amount to offer - Great value for money particularly in the All Inclusive options - Some of the finest diving and snorkelling in the world and straight off the beach - Friendly and hospitable people - And one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World - all in the one holiday.

Now that’s hard to beat!!