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Marsa Alam Egypt

Marsa Alam

Marsa Alam is a fishing village which also depended on phosphate mining. It is currently developing as a new seaside resort.
In ancient times, the mountains concealed gold and emerald mines. Under Ptolemy II, a road was built linking Marsa Alam and Edfu and is still in use today.

Lying between sea and desert, the hotel complexes offer a level of comfort and leisure facilities on a par with the majestic surroundings.

790 km south of Cairo.

Since the opening of the international airport in 2001, this small fishing village has become the new top Red Sea destination for diving enthusiasts. Lying between sea and desert, the hotel complexes offer a level of comfort and leisure facilities on a par with the majestic surroundings.

The village

Marsa Alam stands at the crossroads of the road from Edfu to the west and the road running the length of the Red Sea coast. The village itself is a small fishing port with a bus terminus, a few grocery shops and some restaurants.

Tourist complexes

For a long time tourists were accommodated in Bedouin-inspired encampments comprising environmentally friendly ecolodges but equipped with all modern facilities. Now luxury tourist complexes stretch along more than 80 km of coast from Port Ghalib in the north to the Wadi El Gemal National Park in the south.

Port Ghalib Marina

Opened in December 2005, Port Ghalib Marina offers facilities for up to 1 000 boats. Port Ghalib aims to become the leisure boating gateway to and foremost yachting port in the Middle East. Its proximity to an airport has convinced a number of hotel chains to open up establishments here, each rivalling the next in Middle Eastern-style sumptuousness.

Diving

Dive sites accessible from Marsa Alam number among the most attractive in the Red Sea for experienced divers. The preserved state of the coral reefs and presence of pelagic species are the principal draw factors. For less experienced divers, in-shore coral reefs offer the chance for hours of marine wildlife watching.

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El Gouna Egypt

El Gouna

El Gouna prides itself on being Egypt's only fully intergrated town on the Red Sea Coast.

El Gouna is the first tourist development reached when heading to Hurghada from the north. Built along 10 kilometers of beachfront and spreading across a myriad of islands interlinked by beautiful lagoons, the resort's unique architectural styles offer six luxury hotels, a golf course, shopping mall and an open-air amphitheatre. Services and activities are centered round the immaculate downtown village and the marina harbour town. Countless opportunities for fun, wellness, fitness and chilling out are scattered throughout the resort to satisfy each age group and personal inclination. In short, it is a pleasant place to holiday for those happy to settle for sun, sea and sand.

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Nuweiba Egypt

Nuweiba

This is one of the largest oases in the south.

Between Nuweiba and Taba stretches a wonderful coastline of unexplored creeks and long beaches.

This is one of the largest oases in the south, providing excellent access to Aqaba in Jordan. The town falls into three parts – the port, tourist village and, to the north, the Bedouin town of Tarabin where, among its palm groves, are the ruins of a Mameluk fortress. At first glance the town is not much to look at, appearing to be no more than a Bedouin village with low houses, deserted streets and scraggy gardens created out of sand.

Deserted beaches and the sea are however just a short distance away along with seafood restaurants where freshly caught lobster can be savoured under the stars. There is the sight, too, of the timeless and legendary mountains of Saudi Arabia on the far side of the Gulf. Siestas under palm trees, diving around coral outcrops where fish and (small) sharks mess about and village feasts also number among the attractions. Between Nuweiba and Taba stretches a wonderful coastline of unexplored creeks and long beaches. The mountain sometimes seems to recede from the sea and at other times seems to go on the attack against the waves, the harshness of the rock softened by the turquoise waters.

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Egypt Marsa Matruh

Marsa Matruh

The city is a convenient stop-over for travelers on their way to Siwa.

Lies 295 km west of Alexandria and 510 km northwest of Cairo

Marsa Matruh is the last town before the Libyan border and shares its history with some famous figures. Alexander the Great is said to have stopped here on his way to the Siwa Oasis and Cleopatra is reputed to have come here to bathe. It was here that General Rommel set up his field headquarters and directed German troops in the decisive Battle of El-Alamein in 1942.

The beaches

Marsa Matruh lies on the edge of a large lagoon protected by a Corniche along which tourists are ferried in local donkey-drawn carriages known as caretta. Whilst the most beautiful beaches are located outside the town, it is advisable to stay within the built-up areas. Among the most amazing of the beaches is that of Agiba (28 km west) with its natural caves. On the edge of the desert, the place known as “Cleopatra’s bath” is a wonderful bay, its clear waters surrounded by rocks giving the impression of a vast, square pool in which, according to legend, Cleopatra came to bathe. The ruins of one of her palaces were uncovered on the hillside opposite the pool.

Libyan Souk (market)

Nowadays the market sells goods from Libya, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and Europe as well as local produce such as wool, olives, barley, sheep, dates and watermelons.

Fortress and temple dating from Ramesses II

The ruins present today are proof of a time when the walls of the pharaonic Temple of Ramesses II stood here. Built at the end of his campaign against the Libyans in 1200 BC, the complex was used as a stronghold to defend the frontier with Libya.

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El Alamein Egypt

El Alamein

Winston Churchill knew El Alamein's charms well, describing it as having the best climate in the world.

Those who fought and died in the battle are commemorated in several locations.

Site of a fierce battle between British and German forces in October 1942, El-Alamein now welcomes tourists from Egypt and abroad to its luxury marina with numerous Venetian-style canals and moorings set by a turquoise sea. The site’s history is not forgotten, however, and there is a museum as well as memorials to the 80,000 war dead. 

Porto Marina

Stretching along 11 km of beach, Porto Marina is an exclusive complex reserved for the villas and chalets hidden amongst luxuriant plantings. The resort hotels offer a wide range of water sports, leisure activities and options for eating out. Porto Marina was opened in summer 2005 and its canals and luxury shops have now made it one of the hottest holiday spots in the Middle East.

Recent excavations beside the sea have uncovered a historic Roman villa and Hellenistic cemetery.

Battle of 1942

October 1942 saw one of the most famous and bloody battles of the war in the desert. Around El-Alamein, the British troops under Montgomery, superior in numbers and equipment, defeated Rommel’s Afrika Korps. At great deal was at stake as they were fighting for control of the route leading to Alexandria.

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Taba Egypt

Taba

Set against ancient mountain ranges, this magnificient destination lies nestled at the crossroads of three continents,
where untamed desert and cinnamon mountains are quenched in one of the world's most vibrant coral seas.

The silence of the stones speaks louder here than anywhere else.

Taba’s exceptional geographical location between Africa and Asia at the head of the Gulf of Aqaba facing Arabia made it a stopover on the caravan route from the fourteenth century onwards. The last part of Sinai to be handed back to Egypt by Israel in 1989 and now a frontier post, Taba is today a favourite destination for Israelis and tourists from around the world since the opening of the international airport 45 km away.

Taba Heights

19 km south of Taba.
Taba Heights is a rapidly expanding seaside resort much prized by the large international hotel chains for its beaches and exceptional coral reefs. Taba Heights is a breathtaking year-round resort ideally situated in one of the most beautiful spots of Egypt's Sinai Peninsula.

Leisure activities

In addition to the traditional activities of tennis or golf, the hotels provide a wide range of water sports so that visitors can make the most of what the Red Sea has to offer – windsurfing, water skiing, sailing, sea trips, fishing and sea kayaking. The wealth of things to see on the seabed make it essential to go equipped with a mask. The shallow depth at which the reefs lie and the absence of drop-offs make it possible to enjoy the beauty of life on the coral reef with the minimum of equipment. The variety of creatures and the chance to observe endemic species, such as the toadfish, as well as the well-preserved state of the reefs are some of the great advantages of this area.

Numerous diving clubs offer courses and daily outings. Instructors take divers to the most suitable sites to dive in complete safety. Outings last a maximum of an hour and a half, and often much less. The dive sites feature a sandy seabed dotted with coral outcrops and contain a rich selection of marine life from seahorses to dolphins. The absence of currents makes these sites perfect for beginners, as well as fulfilling the highest expectations of photographers and divers of all levels. Among the best-known sites are the Fjord with its well-like topography, the Aquarium and its variety of species, and Mersa el-Muqabila where there is the chance to spot an eagle ray. For those who find boats a nuisance, lovely dive sites teeming with marine life are accessible from shore, such as the House Reef and Marina Bay, just two minutes away in a 4x4.

The Bedouins

Beyond the Taba Heights hotel complexes lie numerous Bedouin encampments. The Sinai desert belongs to this people who carry on the centuries-old nomadic traditions of rearing livestock and trade. Around 70,000 Bedouins divided into thirty tribes live here as they have done for thousands of years – without running water, electricity, telephone, television – and respecting their elders and clan chiefs who take the important decisions. They are Muslim and speak Arabic, often Hebrew and sometimes English learned from tourists. The Bedouins are the many-faceted soul of this desert world between the wadis and the high plateaus.

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The Holiday Inn, Safaga, Egypt

By Jimmy Dunn

To me, the name Holiday Inn still invokes the classic 1942 film with Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire which made this hotel chain famous. Don't worry, I'm not that old, but I am an old movie buff.  And of course, I am also reminded of the moderately priced family hotels in which we often stayed while I was growing up.

There are not many Holiday Inns in Egypt, and it seems almost strange to find one in such an exotic location as Safaga.  Entering Safaga, one thinks gets the image of an industrial community, and indeed, Safaga is a commercial sea port.  But it is also a scuba diving resort, just far south enough from Hurghada to seem a little isolated, yet close enough to find a party if one really wishes to do so. But Safaga itself is a scuba diving and water sports center.  Indeed, there is little else in the area save the drive to Hurghada.

The Holiday Inn in Safaga carries the tradition of Holiday Inns well.  For the area, it is moderately priced, and caters more to families.  All sorts of sports are available.  Besides popular water sports such as scuba diving and windsurfing, there are tennis and basketball courts, valleyball, handball, a billiards room and table-tennis. Of course, there is also the beach, more beach, and the sparkling blue Red Sea. There is also a complete health club, with sauna, whirlpool and steambath, and a comprehensive kid's Fun Club.

Kid's Fun Club

Discotheque

Entertainment is daily, and throughout the day, with an animation team, a discotheque and an English style pub.

The hotel's 327 standard rooms, 2 presidential suites and 6 executive suites have all the amenities, with balconies, individual air conditioning, mini bars, direct dial telephones, satellite TV and private baths. They are all bright and modern and anyone who has stayed in Holiday Inns in the past will feel right at home.

Admittedly, places such as the Safaga Holiday Inn find a large share of German tourists, as it is a rather inexpensive choice for their beach vacations.  But there are some great scuba diving sites in the area, and for those not wishing for the helter skelter of Hurghada, this is an ideal place to blow some bubbles, dance the night away and even bring along the whole family crew.

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The Auberge du Lac Hotel, Fayoum Oasis

By Jimmy Dunn and Diaa Khalil

With appreciation to South Sinai Travel for some of the pictures.

The Fayoum Oasis is often advertised as a quieter, more relaxed, less crowded destination in Egypt, but it is not really an oasis at all. Rather the water from the Nile is diverted there, as it has been for many centuries, to create a rich agricultural area. But surprisingly, the Fayoum will not be found n many tour itineraries, despite its rich pharaonic and Greco-Roman heritage and attractions. While well known in Egypt, and to Egyptian enthusiasts, casual tourists to Egypt probably hardly know of its existence.

Like the Fayoum itself, we were surprised when we sent our roaming reporter, Diaa "Eye Candy" Khalil, out to find the famous Auberge du Lac Hotel, and no one seemed to be able to direct him to its location. While it is, hands down, the best hotel in the area, it is nowhere to be found on the Internet, and few guide books to Egypt even mention it. Many that do, ignore its rich history.

The Auberge du Lac was built as a hunting lodge by King Farouk, and in its hayday, having been converted to a hotel, has seen many famous personalities cross its threshold, mostly for hunting parties. But it also became a favored retreat for political figures, and so, history tells us that King Ibn Saud and Winston Churchill met at the hotel in 1945. Today, the hotel is a four star resort, with many amenities that can only be found at the Auberge du Lac while visiting the Fayoum area.

These include bars and a snooker lounge, four restaurants, a discotheque, tennis and squash courts, a fine health club with a Turkish bath, both loofa and dry oil massage, and not one, but two large swimming pools. It sits on Lake Karoun, said to be the oldest lake in the world, but truly the oldest man made lake, on which the hotel maintains its own port.

La Brasserie & Les Rois Restaurant

Rooms are comfortable, rather than luxurious, and include air conditioning, private baths, minibars, color TV with in house video, satellite connection and direct dial telephones. However, it is not a bad idea to take a look at the room one is supplied prior to moving in, as some appear to be better than others.

The hotel will also set up extensive tours of the Fayoum, both by land and boat, and if for some reason one is not inclined to seek out the many monuments in the area, the Fayoum is also well known as a bird reserve.

Looking out past the Pigeon House to Lake Karoun

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Arabella Iberotel in Hurghada

by Jimmy Dunn

Today, Egypt offers a huge variety of hotels, many of which are very luxurious. There are literally thousands of facilities to choose from, in many different locations, that cater to a vast array of tastes. We have reviewed a number of individual hotels, from one star to extremely fine five star accommodations, but in order to simplify matters a bit, we will take a look a number of facilities operated by some well known chains.

The first hotel we will investigate in this series is the four star Arabella located in Hurghada and operated by Iberotel. Hurghada is a very popular beach resort community located on the Egyptian mainland Red Sea coast. For many Europeans particularly, it is one of the most economical choices for a warm beach vacation. This is a city that is not only known for good Red Sea scuba diving, but also carries a bit of a party town reputation among the younger set. Therefore, a wide variety of hotels exists covering the complete price spectrum. Some facilities are very normal, offering standard but reasonable accommodations to those who will most likely find their entertainment elsewhere.  On the other extreme are the hotels that offer simply everything, and where guests have very little inclination to leave the facility grounds. Regardless, hotels in Hurghada in general range between three and five-plus stars.

Interestingly, the Iberotel chain offers a mix of hotels in or near Hurgada that fall into the four and five star ranges. This is interesting because many chains build hotels, for example, that are exclusively five star, but with Iberotel, one has a choice.

While some of our readers may have never heard of Iberotel hotels, we should first note that the company is a part of the world's largest tourism corporation, the TUI Group. The chain originally began doing business in 1970 and expanded their operation to Egypt in 1994. By the year 2000, they were operating twelve different facilities in Egypt and Turkey. Today, Iberotel operates four hotels in Sharm el-Sheikh, one in Marsa Alam, the Arabella in Hurghada, and five more hotels at Makadi Bay near Hurghada.

A standard room

Providing superior holiday destinations in Egypt, Iberotel effectively blends traditional hospitality and local structural design with a very high level of luxury. Furthermore, In all its establishments, Iberotel strongly emphasizes environmental protection and quality
standards. Winning several prominent green awards, Iberotel's unceasingly eco-friendly efforts have, at numerous times,  bore fruits.

The Arabella, Iberotel's first hotel in Egypt, is located directly on the beach of the Red Sea about three kilometers from Hurghada's city center and about ten kilometers from the local airport. A fair sized hotel, this four star facility includes 294 double rooms and a wide variety of entertainment and sports diversions.

The Arabella private beach

While many vacationers may not see much of their rooms for all the available outside activities, nevertheless the accommodations feature most every convenience one might expect in even a five star hotel.  All of the rooms at this hotel are well air-conditioned, and include a telephone along with a private bathroom with shower, and for that evening in, satellite color TV. Each room also features a balcony or terrace with either a sea pool or garden view, great for an morning breakfast or a late evening libation. But for many, little time will be spent sitting about in the room.

Doubtless, many people will spend some of their time at this hotel along their private beach amongst the thatched huts, soaking up sun with a drink in hand.  But getting active is easy, with two tennis courts, four squash courts, a fitness room, a volleyball court, and any number of water sports, including surfing, sailing, snorkeling and of course, scuba diving. The scuba diving center is operated by Blue-Water-Dive, where one may also receive instructions leading to PADI, SSI and CMAS certification.

If somewhat less strenuous activities are called for, there is also table tennis, billiards, and of course, the two large swimming pools.

But don't head back to the room yet. As the evening casts a warm glow on the gentle Red Sea, the evening entertainment is just beginning. After a day full of activities, perhaps a relaxing dinner with a number of restaurants to choose from.  Four different buffet restaurants, called the Obba, Caio, Grill and Cateanos await you, or you may also choose from the Little Venice pool restaurant, the Oasis beach restaurant or the Bierkeller, offering German cuisine.

One of the main restaurants

Now its time to choose between live music, dancing and various shows including folkloric and an animation (stage) show. If a little less structured nightlife is in order, rather than the disco, one may also choose the pool bar, the beach bar, a reef bar or the main El Khan Bar.

A pub in the Arabella

In addition, there is no need to worry about bringing along the whole family.  For smaller children, there is a children's swimming pool, a mini-club, playground and various programs for children during the day, as well as an available babysitting service.

Putting it all together, the Arabella Hotel is a reasonably priced complex where one may spend a few days or a few weeks with never a hint of boredom. Certainly one may venture into the nightlife of the main city, but for many, there will be little reason to do so, as this hotel provides just about every sort of entertainment.

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The Abu Simbel Seti Hotel

By Jimmy Dunn

Until recently, the selection of hotels in Abu Simbel where rather dismal. At best the Nefertari Hotel, owned by the government, has been the hotel of choice. But a relatively new hotel, the Abu Simbel Seti, now provides travelers to this remote region with fairly luxurious accommodations. I was really impressed with the well landscaped facilities.

This is a reasonably large hotel located in between the town of Abu Simbel and the Temple complex. It sits on the shores of Lake Nasser. It's "rocky" architecture blends in well and it is clear that considerable effort and care went into the hotels construction. The hotel grounds are large, and the garden landscaping is nicely done. Rooms have nice details, including engraved wood and are reasonable large with new fixtures and furnishings. Rooms have direct dial telephones, private baths, individually controlled air conditioning, minifrigs, terraces and satellite color television.

The hotel has several different restaurants and bars, basically set up to provide entertainment and facilities to guests in a location where there are few other sources. There is a nice roomy bar just off the main lobby, as well as a garden bar near the swimming pool. The hotel also has a an adult and children's swimming pools which are very nice, as well as a few shops and though I may not have exactly figured out its purpose, a nice meeting room.

Simply put, this is the best hotel in a region that is often visited as no more then a day trip. However, with the new light show at the temples, and their grandeur as several of Egypt's finest temples, perhaps more travelers will wish to come and spend a night or two, particularly now that the Abu Simbel road is again open for travel.

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