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ABOUT UMBI SHARKS BAY

Traditional Bedouin Hospitality Since 1983

The perfect place to experience Red Sea and Sinai

Umbi Sharks Bay is a picturesque bay with everything on-site – its own private jetty, dive center, boats, restaurant, Bedouin cafe, and 3 types of accommodation – making it the perfect resort for your next holiday. Unique in the area, Umbi Sharks Bay manages to retain a friendly village feel whilst still being only ten minutes from the bright lights of Sharm El Sheikh. Sharm residents describe the bay as having the feel of how Sharm used to be before the arrival of large scale tourism.

since 1983

Umbi Sharks Bay is Sharm el Sheikh’s oldest Bedouin-owned dive centre and the hotel was created over 30 years ago by Umbarak, known to all as Umbi.

At a time when Sharm el Sheikh was nothing more than some sheltered sandy beaches and just a few basic huts and tents for accommodation, Umbi created his original dive centre with a few huts on the beach to attract some of the first divers to Sharm el Sheikh.

umbi

Umbarak, known as "Umbi"

Copy-of-Umbarak1

Umbarak was born and raised on the shores of the Red Sea. When he was young and the Sinai was still occupied by Israel, he worked as a fisherman until divers started travelling from Israel and asked him to take them diving on his boat. To begin with he would take divers out during the day before going fishing at night, but by 1982, the diving took over full time from fishing and he set up his first dive centre – initially with just 6 tanks, a portable compressor and 2 fishing boats.

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Video Interview with "Umbi"

Now Umbi Sharks Bay has grown from a Bedouin tent on the beach into a diving village that includes a dive centre with 3 daily and safari boats, a boutique hotel built into the cliff with 3 different types of accommodation, a seafood restaurant, a beach bar and over 100 employees.
Importantly it still manages to maintain its friendly and laid-back atmosphere that defined it from the beginning and many Sharm residents describe the place as still having the feel of how Sharm used to be before the arrival of large scale tourism.

What do our guests say about us?

Luis Guillermo
Luis Guillermo
2 March 2023
It is a spectacular site on the edge of the Red Sea with an incredible view: delicious food and beautiful architecture and environment. I loved this place ❤️❤️❤️
Jim Laurin
Jim Laurin
20 February 2023
Beautiful this time of year. Cheap chairs and a very uncrowded beach. Alot of free time activities.
Alyaa Salem
Alyaa Salem
19 February 2023
This place is a comfort zone, decent not very loud beach where you can enjoyem the sound of waves and the sun, comfortable seating, lovely service and people are always nice and helpful especially Alaa, Shika and sherif, pizza & Bedouin bread is A Must Try also the creamy soup was wow … very convenient for families
aida sheta
aida sheta
16 February 2023
خدمه ممتازه والأكل بيتزا وشوربه الماشروم وعيش الفراشيح طعم رائع والمكان منتهي الخصوصيه والهدوء ، اجازه سعيده ♥️
LDarian
LDarian
9 February 2023
Verified
Simple, laid back, and very relaxing A friend and I just stayed here this week and had an absolutely fantastic experience. She had a small beach cabin, and I took a room up high with a terrace (room 404 was lovely). The staff here was so friendly and helpful and helped us to book the ferry to Aqaba and arranged for a driver to Nuweiba. If you are a cat lover, there are very sweet kittens that will snuggle up on your lap. And the dinner was very good.This place was very quiet and relaxing- nothing fancy- but holds the charm of what Sharm used to be like.
Luc R
Luc R
9 January 2023
Verified
you really come as a guest and leave as a friend this is egypt the way we like it: real, with people with warmth insideVery good diving centerwith excelent dive guides, quaint, but comfortable, rooms .A very good restauran,t and bedouine caféO Yes I almost forgot EXCELLENT dive guides
LGDunblane
LGDunblane
26 October 2022
Verified
Perfect for us and Brilliant value for money. We had a beach hut (aka our hippy hut). Basic. But absolutely brilliant! Very clean, clean bed linen and towels, comfy beds, full size fridge, excellent ac. Ensuite perfectly adequate! My husband has mobility issues and being a few steps to the beach was bliss…not to mention Umbi restaurant….which absolutely has to be not only some of the best food in sharm, but the best location too. Honestly, this place is just perfect. The accommodation although basic is great, the food and location couldn’t be better. I write this with some fear that everyone will come here and spoil the blissful, peaceful, chilled evenings sitting reading or playing cards on the comfy sofas just feet away from the sea! If your looking for “all abusive”, “entertainment “ and loud guests…it’s not for you. But if you’re a keen diver, snorkeller, old hippy or just love chilling and peace and calm…it’s a little piece of heaven.
Olga S
Olga S
16 October 2022
Verified
Верь в мечту и она исполнится Мое знакомство с Египтом произошло не так давно ,всего три года назад.И с первых дней отдыха мое сердце отдано Шарм-эль-Шейху ❤️Как и у всех отдыхающих у нас были обычные экскурсии ,квадрациклы ,снорклинг ну и конечное дайвинг ) .Именно с этого момента начинается моя страсть к дайвингу и погружениям ! И мне теперь не достаточно просто нырять как туристу на 10 метров . Теперь у меня появилась мечта получить сертификат Open Water …В Шар-эль-Шейхе есть много дайверских школ ,но мой выбор остановился именно на Sharks Bay Umbi и я об этом нисколечко не пожалела . Здесь работают очень замечательные люди . Здесь вам всегда и во всех вопросах идут на встречу. Я не говорю по Английский и мое пожелание было обучаться на русском языке .Мне предоставили русскоговорящего инструктора .Сказать что мне понравился инструктор это ничего не сказать . Только благодаря ей я сразу закончила и второй курс Advanced Open Water . Юля ,огромное тебе спасибо за твой труд и профессионализм ,ты мега крутой инструктор . Отдельное спасибо всем сотрудникам дайвцентра Sharks Bay …Вы все без исключения профессионалы своего дела и просто замечательные люди ❤️Я очень рада что выбрала именно вас … На этом мое знакомство с морем и дайвингом не закончилось … И когда моя мечта исполнилась ,появилась новая мечта ….побывать на сафари …4 дня в море на яхте ….Я верила что скоро вернусь в такой уже родной Sharks Bay …
Manuel P
Manuel P
11 October 2022
Verified
Awesome place to dive and stay Great place to stay and dive. All the village lays is on the beach and the diving center too, there is also a Bedouin restaurant, some shops and a minimarket (there are only some soft drinks and a few snacks, don't expect a complete supermarket)The rooms and the restaurant aren't fancy, but the are very clean and convenient.The food is good enough, but that's it. But we experienced the same in all Sharem restaurants we have been. We did two initial diving courses with Natascha, she is simply THE BEST! She had more than 40 years of experience diving and teaching. She was so kind and patient, we all fell in love with her. So if you're planning to do some diving courses, do not asitate: Natcha is your best choice.
Lea Boublil
Lea Boublil
11 October 2022
Verified
Amazing experience The hotel is not a luxury one, but their slogan is "you come as a guest and leave as a friend", and they're right!The ambience was super chill and friendly. The staff are very friendly.Beyond, the place is calm and beautiful.We did there a diving course, with the BEST INSTRUCTOR EVER, Natascha Scheffler. She was like our diving mum! Firm when needed, caring, supporting us in the fun dives and also when we had some difficulties. This is a big THANK YOU.
charmaloo88
charmaloo88
5 October 2022
Verified
Fantastic dive trip for our honeymoon! We booked the 5 day/4 night liveaboard trip and it was simply fantastic. We stayed on the Freedom III and it was extremely comfortable and spacious for a small boat. The cabins were kept immaculately clean by the wonderful Tyson, and the showers were pleasantly warm with great pressure to wash the Red Sea off. The food was OUTSTANDING. I’m vegan and whilst I appreciate that can be a little tricky to cater to at times, chef Samir did an amazing job. What made our trip even more special is he made us a cake on our last night in the boat to celebrate our honeymoon! Whilst we are relatively experienced divers we still rent equipment wherever we go, the dive shop made this process very easy and all equipment was in fantastic shape, making all our dives comfortable and safe. Our dive guides were Mahmoud and Mahmoud, both were incredible, giving clear briefs before each dive, pointing out marine life (I still have no idea how they spot stone fish!) and keeping us safe throughout. The diving itself was beautiful, the visibility was so clear it was like diving in HD! The water is pleasantly warm, even on the night dives, and whilst a couple of dives we came up against some current, most dives were very relaxed and easy. We were meant to dive Thistlegorm but the itinerary changed, initially we were a little disappointed but appreciate schedules have to change beyond anyone’s control. Instead we went to Dunraven and that was a brilliant wreck dive! My only criticism: lose the plastic cups! We would only use mugs for our soft drinks but plastic cups were always on offer.
Danc2324
Danc2324
16 September 2022
Verified
Fantastic 2 week stay with Umbi Sharks Bay Umbi was everything that I hoped it would be. I spent 2 weeks at the village, including 5 days in a liveaboard, and absolutely loved it. Before my trip, the communication from Sharks Bay Umbi was great as I had quite a complex itinerary to ask for a quote on. They were really helpful and everything was set up and organised for my arrival. I stayed in both the beach hut and Bedouin accomodation. The beach huts were basic but still clean and had all the facilities needed, with the Bedouin huts more luxurious albeit up 100 or so steps in most cases. The diving school was exceptional and I absolutely loved all the instructors that I dived with (Natascha, Mahmoud, Kemo, Fahd). The school had a great balance of maintaining safety and responsible diving whilst always ensuring the absolute best experience for their divers. The attached restaurant was also great, with a good variety of options and excellent service at a fantastic price relative to other nearby options. The whole resort is very chilled out and relaxed, and has a small community feel which I enjoyed and preferred to what I imagine other resort areas may have been like. The only few things that I would say could be improved are the use of plastic in the restaurant which remains very high and could be reduced quite easily, and also the payment process for those from outside of Egypt. I had hoped to pay via bank transfer in advance to avoid card charges, but I wasn't provided an invoice in advance and would have needed to be in the UK to make a payment to an Egyptian bank account. As a result, I paid a good chunk more than was on my final invoice in charge fees. That said the overall price for the amount of time was still very reasonable and a lot better than elsewhere. Overall the experience with Sharks Bay Umbi was wonderful and I would recommend a stay for anyone looking for amazing diving and a great dive centre! Needless to say we will return in the future.
shobhitgupta123
shobhitgupta123
23 August 2022
Verified
Great liveaboard experience I booked a liverboard with Sharksbay Freedom III to dive in different dive sites across Ras Muhammed, Straits of Tiran and some local sites. It was a great experience and really enjoyed my dives. I also did an enriched nitrox course (wet). Really liked my experience with the diving company and found them very professional. They also prepared lot of vegetarian food as per my dietary requirements and the liveaboard was also very well maintained. Being my first one, I am totally excited to go on the next one very soon!
lee H
lee H
4 June 2022
Verified
Special place Umbi really is a special place. Sharm can be busy and hectic, but not Umbi- the pace and the atmosphere of the place is just heavenly. It it a little place of peace and beauty, one of those places you don’t want too many people to hear about haha. I have now recommended Umbi to several of my diving friends who have all enjoyed it as much as me and have returned several times also. The rooms are basic, but more than adequate and comfortable. Perfectly located on a private beach which is a an ideal spot to chill and chat with fellow divers after a day on the boat. The diving in sharm is excellent, but made better with experienced and knowledgeable guides such as the legend Mr Adel. I will be back there soon for sure.
Pagona
Pagona
18 March 2023
8.0
Verified
Very good
Shir
Shir
13 March 2023
10
Verified
☺האנשים והצוות מקסימים!!! ארוחת בוקר מעולה!! ממש על הים חוף מושלם!! מועדון צלילה של המועדון היה חוויה
Bulgakov76
Bulgakov76
7 March 2023
10
Verified
Тихий отель в потрясающем месте ☺Очень комфортно. Собственный пляж, от домика до моря 2 мин. Тишина по вечерам, как будто у тебя дача на море. ☹До автобуса 15 мин пешком по не самой тенистой местности, такси Индрайв ни разу вызвать не получилось.
Monika
Monika
5 March 2023
10
Verified
Exceptional ☺ Quiet location
Birgit
Birgit
3 March 2023
10
Verified
☺Es war ein fantastischer Urlaub ! Wundervolle Lage,freundliches Personal, keine aufdringliche Animation,Musik etc. Traumhaft schön! ☹Mir hat ALLES gefallen
Grzegorz
Grzegorz
22 February 2023
10
Verified
☺Super Tauchcentrum. Neue Tauchausrüstung. Toller Tauchlehrer. Gutes Restaurant.
Petra
Petra
22 February 2023
8.0
Verified
☺Ligging en ambiance ☹In de houten hut de geluidshinder en stank van de renovatie die gaande was
Pascale
Pascale
18 February 2023
9.0
Verified
Superb
Sabina
Sabina
18 February 2023
9.0
Verified
een ontzettend gezellige en warme plek. ☺je in echt zo leuk snorkelen bij het strand van het hotel en de mensen waren ontzettend vriendelijk! ☹de omgeving is een beetje gek. er zijn alleen maar hotels en gebouwen onder constructie.
Brendan
Brendan
15 February 2023
10
Verified
only one word needed amazing!! ☺ everything ☹ nothing
Merve Ocal
Merve Ocal
24 September 2022
recommends
Very nice diving resort and helpful and friendly people.
Elisa Roncallo
Elisa Roncallo
22 September 2022
recommends
One word.... Amazing!!!The diving center is great and the hotel is a magical place to stay! We can't wait to go back there!
Joe Mönius
Joe Mönius
20 September 2022
recommends
Ausgezeichnete Riffe und gut organisiert .tolle klasse Crew 👍😎
Babi Tdm Wwt
Babi Tdm Wwt
5 September 2022
recommends
Clean, cool, nice! Dive masters, instructors, crew, and boat are 🔝🔝🔝🔝🔝🔝
Bahaa Baheeg
Bahaa Baheeg
7 July 2022
recommends
Friendly , cozy , nice beach , good sea food .. reasonable prices
Nir Lavion
Nir Lavion
3 June 2022
recommends
had 4 days diving Safari with UMBI in Tiran straights and Ras Muhamad area. equipment was good, and Karim the diving instructor was a pro and helpful. its location at the Sharks Bay resort is convenient and pretty at night as well.
Károly Neubauer
Károly Neubauer
19 May 2022
recommends
A konyhájuk kiválló, a személyzet segítőkész.
مي يحي
مي يحي
15 March 2022
recommends
You are the best people 👍5*****
Turkka Kirjavainen
Turkka Kirjavainen
13 March 2022
recommends
Pro service. Beautiful corals.
Dennis Moss
Dennis Moss
27 February 2022
recommends
Everything is absolutely amazing.

Have any questions?

Talk to us

+20 127 724 4001

Meet at

Sharks Bay, Sharm El Sheikh
South Sinai, Egypt

Connect

info@sharksbay.com

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