[Sharm El Sheikh] How to enjoy the popular Farsha Cafe

When you think of Egypt, you likely think of the pyramids, but there is a hidden resort that is almost unknown to Japanese people.

That is

That isSharm El Sheikhwhich faces the Red Sea at the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula.

This place is also known as one of the world's leading diving spots.

In this post, I will introduce a very popular cafe that you must visit when you come to Sharm El Sheikh✳︎

Farsha Cafe

Farsha Cafe is one of the spots you absolutely want to visit when you come to Sharm El Sheikh. It is bustling with many tourists every day, and it seems there are not a few cases where people couldn't get in despite making the effort to go.

The reasons are,
1. Arriving right at the time of the light-up, only to find it already full
⇨ Because many people come to see the moment of the light-up after sunset. *Advance reservations are not accepted.

If you want to avoid the crowds or ensure you get a seat, it is recommended to go during the day or late at night, avoiding the time around the light-up.

2. Being refused entry for being only men or a solo visitor
⇨ It seems that entry is conditional on being a family, a couple, or a group of two or more including women.

For those who came alone or are in a group of only men, there is a trick where you can ask other groups outside the cafe to join them to enter together.

From here, I will summarize my own experience✳︎

I visited in early September and arrived at the cafe around 16:30. There were plenty of empty seats, and we were able to choose our favorite spot.

About 30 minutes to an hour later, the seats were almost full, so if you want to see the moment of the light-up (which was at 19:30 at the time) from the best spot, I think it is better to arrive at least2 hours earlythan not.

The entrance is free, but once you are seated, you are required to order something.

Fresh juice was 170 EGP (about 500 yen), so it is 3 to 4 times more expensive than usual, but there is no time limit, you can relax, and the atmosphere at the moment of the light-up is so wonderful that it is well worth the visit.

If you just want to soak up the atmosphere or take photos, you are free to enter and exit without being seated. However, as mentioned earlier, it gets very crowded around the time the lights are turned on, so entry restrictions may be imposed.

When we left the cafe shortly after the lights were turned on, the area outside was overflowing with people waiting in line.

In summary, if you want to see the moment the lights turn on, aim to arrive two hours before sunset. If you don't have a specific preference, try going during the daytime or late at night.

▽Supplementary Note▽

Travel from Cairo to Sharm El Sheikh

The most common ways to get from Egypt's capital, Cairo, to Sharm El Sheikh are by plane or bus.

To save time & prioritize comfort ⇨ Plane (approx. 1 hour)
To save money ⇨ Bus (approx. 7.5 hours)

Getting around Sharm El Sheikh

Uber is not available in Sharm El Sheikh. Instead, you can use a ride-hailing app called InDrive.

The usage is basically the same as Uber, but you can set your own price. However, it is cash-only, and even after matching with a driver, you often have to negotiate again after meeting up, so microbuses or hailing a taxi on the street are more convenient for getting around the city.

Taxis are difficult to negotiate with, and the market rate is 2-3 times higher than in Cairo.

On the other hand, microbuses are recommended as they are cost-effective, allowing you to travel around the city for 5-10 EGP (approx. 15-30 yen) depending on the distance.

The buses don't have their destinations written on them, but you can find out by asking the driver, and since there is only one main road that microbuses travel on in Sharm El Sheikh, I don't think you will get lost.

SOHO Square (Shark Bay) next to the airport, Naama Bay in the center, the Old Market in the south, and the Hadaba area at the bottom (where Farsha Cafe is located) can all be reached by taking a single microbus.

Since almost everyone in Sharm El-Sheikh speaks English, you can just tell the minibus driver the destination name mentioned above in English!

*There is no bus that goes directly to Farsha Cafe, so you will need to get off at the nearest bus stop and walk the rest of the way.

Some hotels offer a shuttle bus to Farsha Cafe, so please check with yours.