The Egyptian Red Sea resort of Sharm El Sheikh has quickly earned a reputation as one of the best value destination holiday resorts in the world, with great deals on offer for couple, groups and families looking to escape the unpredictability of the British spring. Sharm is also a great place to enjoy luxury accommodation, excellent food and superb amenities, all for a fraction of the prices you would pay at home. But one of its best kept secrets is that it is a shopper's paradise, with shops offering bargains on the latest designer good and busy souks selling amazing local crafts and produce.

Your bargain-hunting can begin long before you set foot in Sharm El Sheikh. In light of the recent political upheaval in Egypt, many travel operators are offering package deals that include a week of 4 star accommodation, return flights and, in some cases, meals and a range of activities at reductions of greater than 50%. The Sinai Peninsula where Sharm is located has been largely untouched by the struggles in the rest of Egypt and the British Foreign Office has advised that the region is safe for holidaymakers.

Sharm El Sheikh's bars, restaurants and activities ranging from scuba diving to quad biking are considerably cheaper than they are in Britain, making Sharm El Sheikh holidays an ideal time to live it up and try a new experience. The reefs off the city's coast are some of the world's most popular and spectacular diving spots and the warm waters and gentle currents are an ideal place to learn to dive. Lessons and equipment hire are available locally and seasoned divers are free to bring their own.

The souks - or markets - of Sharm El Sheikh are an excellent place to find a bargain, especially if you are on the hunt for gifts to bring back home. Jewellery, pottery, leather goods, silks, rugs and more are all popular choices and may be available for much less than their equivalents at home. Remember that bargaining is something of a way of life in the Middle East and almost all shopkeepers will expect you to engage in a bit of haggling. While this can be a fun way to get the best price possible out of a particular eager seller, never feel forced into a purchase.

Sharm El Sheikh is home to two large Western-style shopping malls of the type that have been springing up around the Persian Gulf in the last half decade, as well as a modern shopping area around Naama Bay. Il Mercato and the Viva Mall contain numerous familiar high street and designer stores as well as popular fast food outlets. While these don't tend to offer much of a saving over prices back home, the boutiques and some of the designer outlet stores are well worth investigating in search of bargain top class goodies.

As a final bonus, remember that Egypt lies outside the European Union, meaning that you will be able to buy duty free goods at the airport. This can result in substantial savings over high street prices on goods such as perfume, electronics and selected spirits.

Jennifer is a part of the digital blogging team at digitalcrosstalk.com who work with a growing number of travel brands. For more information about me, or to keep up to date with the latest in travel news, check out my posts at digitalcrosstalk.com or visit my Twitter account, @dcrosstalk