I have a special place in my heart for deserts, and I love scuba diving but even that couldn’t make up for the noisy, over developed disappointment that is Sharm El-Sheikh. Thinking of visiting? Think twice – then think twice again.

Perhaps things would have gone differently if we had stayed at one of the international resorts around Sharm but we booked a decent looking four-star hotel in the heart of Naama Bay (the beating heart of Sharm) since that gave us the easiest access to the dive shops. I also ordinarily like to experience an area and its people by taking part in daily life, as opposed to spending the majority of my time in a hotel resort but in the case of Sharm el Sheik, I would have preferred the latter.

Naama Bay was noisy. I’m not talking about normal life hustle and bustle – I wish. I’m talking about too many hotels stuffed into too small a space, with many of those hotels having ‘entertainment’ from late afternoon to morning hours. Blaring music, each speaker doing its best to out-blare the humongous speakers of its neighbours. Think Western, Arabic and Russian pop, all around 100 decibels, coming from everywhere. The stuff of nightmares.

Russian pop, you ask? Yes, when we were there, around 80% of visitors were Russian, and speaking to staff, it seems that it has been that way for years. After the Arab Spring in 2010, Western tourists stayed away. Therefore, Sharm started to actively market all-inclusive deals in Russia. Nothing wrong with that, but the place has lost all balance, so much so that when I bought an authenticated artwork, the certificate was only available in Arabic or Russian.

Foodies will be disappointed too. Plenty of hotels offer all-inclusive packages but we prefer to get to know local cuisine and had breakfast only at our hotel. It was okay but most definitely left me grateful for not having to eat more than breakfast there. Consequently, we tried a number of restaurants in Naama Bay; unfortunately, I can’t recommend any. Desperate, we thought we would try Hard Rock Café where they, of course, also had their own entertainment – a bad singer butchering old classics so loudly that the waiter got my order wrong. I politely asked him for the right order and he seemed livid. I had stomach issues for the next two days. Coincidence? I suspect not.

The diving was meant to be some of the best the world has to offer but in reality, it was slightly disappointing. Perhaps I was expecting too much, having listened to stories of fabled diving over the years.

There were plenty of colourful clown fish, angel fish and other pretty little creatures but we didn’t encounter much of the larger sea life I was expecting. There was plenty of coral but colours were subdued with a layer of what surely had to be builders dust smothering the life out of them.

Sharm el-Sheikh is basically miles and miles of over-development. Miles of monstrous hotels, many of them seem to have been left halfway built while others continue to mushroom. I can’t for the life of me imagine that all those rooms will be occupied but still, on goes the building and the polluting.

The diving improves the further you move from the coast meaning that Ras Muhammed and the Tiran islands still offer good diving. As far as snorkelling goes, you’ll find good snorkelling by taking a boat trip to the best spots.

We had hired a car, intending to explore the area. We would have liked to have visited Sharks Bay but it was completely closed off due to the development of a massive marina, with plans showing even more hotels. Sharm’s Old Town has also had a refurb so it’s hardly recognisable as an Arabic old town. The El Sahaba Mosque was worth it though.

I regret not having booked an excursion to St Katherine’s Monastery, on Mount Sinai. By all accounts, it is very special and I would have gotten to explore more of the Sinai desert. There are plenty of excursions available, from visiting a Berber camp to a one-day trip to Jordan to explore Petra – all at very reasonable prices.

I would definitely say that the number and variety of excursions from Sharm El-Sheikh is a big positive, as well as the absolute guaranteed sunshine, of course. If you are considering going, make sure you don’t book a stay in Naama Bay and that you choose your resort very carefully. Plus, don’t expect much culture.

• Return flights from Gatwick to Sharm El-Sheikh are around £400 in June.