The Old Market in Sharm El Maya, down near the port, is the town's most local and atmospheric quarter, an antidote to the polished resort strips. Its main lane and the alleys off it are lined with spice sellers, souvenir and perfume shops, jewellers, clothing stalls, shisha cafes, and a run of no-frills seafood and grill restaurants where Egyptians and in-the-know visitors eat for a fraction of Naama Bay prices. In the evening it comes alive with the smell of grilled fish and shisha, vendors calling out, mounds of coloured spices and dried hibiscus, and a genuinely Egyptian buzz. The hard-sell is real and bargaining is expected, so it helps to arrive in a haggling mood. It is the best place in Sharm to buy spices, karkadeh (hibiscus tea), and souvenirs at something close to fair prices, and to eat a cheap, good fish dinner among locals rather than tourists.
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