Why dive when the snorkelling is so good?

Four Seasons Sharm el Sheikh

Egypt's Sharm el Sheikh and Red Sea riviera are renowned for their diving, but many of the dive sites can nowadays resemble Piccadilly Circus at rush hour so there are two alternatives - splash the cash and get away from it all on a liveaboard, or stay at the immaculate Four Seasons Sharm el Sheikh, wander along the jetty and plop into the water alongside the edge of the house reef.

Meet George

At the Four Seasons Sharm el Sheikh, you'll see huge numbers of fish and coral types, and there's none of the hassle and paraphernalia involved with diving. Here's the observation list from one Original Travel staffer's 20 minute snorkel last month: 1 x crocodile fish, 3 x stingrays, 1 x lion fish, several masked and blackspot puffer fish, a scribbled filefish, endless trivially and bluefin and finally George, the resident (and enormous) napoleon fish.

The perfect intro for youngsters

Incidentally, the hotel is fa for families, and snorkelling here could just be the perfect way to introduce the next generation to the wonders beneath the waves.