SteveI love Egypt. Me and Amy have been to the Red Sea in Egypt three times now, and I’m hoping to be able to go again. There are some that are not too keen on a visit to Egypt, so let me explain why you should pick a Red Sea All-inclusive holiday!
For context, we’ve always stayed in the Marsa Alam area so our experiences are based on this. Whilst it does have its own airport, Marsa Alam can also be reached from Hurghada airport but it’s a long transfer. Marsa Alam is actually a small fishing village. There are many hotels scattered around a long stretch of empty coastline that are very well spread out from each other. In fact, even hotels north of Port Ghalib are counted as being in Marsa Alam!
The Weather
Egypt is a hot country, no doubt about that. Most of Egypt is in a desert too, and with dry air and low humidity, it’s a great choice for all year round visits. On the Red Sea coastline, you can expect average winter temperatures of low 20oC to average summer temperatures of high 30oC. Of course, there are extremes to consider too and in the summer months, the temperatures can rise even higher on occasion.
As for rain – what rain! Parts of the Red Sea coast get as little as 3mm of rainfall per year. A suntan is guaranteed, and that being said it may be worth wearing a t-shirt if you are doing a lot of snorkelling too!
Red Sea All-inclusive Hotels
Generally speaking, the hotels on the Red Sea coast are fairly new (say built within the last 20 years or so) and are of a high standard. They have to be, as tourism is one of Egypt’s main sources for its economy. Most hotels are 4* or 5* and have all the facilities that European and American hotels have too. In fact, some hotels go the extra mile, especially the all-inclusive ones. For instance, we were offered a free laundry service at the hotel we last visited. Normally this kind of thing is chargeable.
As you would expect, they all have at least one pool and plenty of loungers. From our own experience, the pool area is designed in such a way that there is plenty of room for everyone, and there is not a fight for grabbing a lounger first thing in the morning.
With regard to the rooms, we found these to be of a decent size with everything you need in them. They have air conditioning, a safe, a patio or balcony and a good-sized bathroom. The TV channel choice can leave a bit to be desired, but hey – you’re not there to watch the telly! Turndown service was also included for us in the hotels we chose, as well as daily bottled water delivery.
The Beach
One of the reasons why the pool area is never oversubscribed is that most of the hotels on the coastline around Marsa Alam have their own private beach. Once again, the loungers are well spread out, so plenty of room for everyone.
Some hotels even provide small cabana’s for use too and guess what – no extra charge! I should also add that parasols are also free as you’d expect, unlike some hotels in America. Just one of the perks of a Red Sea All-inclusive hotel.
We found that waiters roam constantly attending to your need for cool drinks. I mentioned earlier that Egypt is a hot country, so I recommend taking advantage of the parasol whilst chilling out! Also, one point to note is that some hotels have a jetty that leads out to sea. This is used to gain entry to the sea for the purposes of swimming and snorkelling. Quite often the coral reef can reach right up to the shoreline, so if you attempt to get into the sea this way you may find yourself damaging it. Worse still, you are likely to cut yourself.
The Food and Drink
From our own experiences in Red Sea All-inclusive hotels, the food has been brilliant. The properties we stayed in had a main buffet restaurant used for breakfast, lunch and evening meals. This was self-service, although they had stations where chefs would cook things to order, such as omelettes in the morning (with many ingredients to choose from), and fresh pasta in the evening (again, with your choice of ingredients). This was in addition to the usual fare of starters, mains, and desserts on offer. In fact, the choice of meals was huge, and they varied daily. All tasted great too. Soft drinks and wine is usually available for self-serve here, although there are many waiters on hand to get other items if needed.
In addition to the main buffet restaurant, most hotels have a beach bar to serve lunch. On the menu, you may find things like pizzas and burgers, plus ice creams, and handy if you are spending a day by the beach and don’t want to get changed to go to lunch. The hotels we stayed in had an a la carte restaurant on site that was chargeable, although one visit was included for free as part of the all-inclusive package. It’s best to book an evening for this when you arrive at the hotel, as it gets oversubscribed quickly in our experience.
As there’s not too much to do in the evening apart from eating and drinking, the hotels tend to have bars that cater to the guests well. On our last visit to Egypt, our hotel had a main bar on the terrace outside of the hotel close to the pool, a rooftop terrace too, and an indoor music bar that didn’t get used much. The pool bar was also open, and there were plenty of seats to use.
A final note on the drinks, they tend to be local versions of whisky, gin, vodka, beer etc. Premium brands and cocktails are available at a cost, but most people get on with the free stuff OK. This is pretty typical for Red Sea All-inclusive hotels.
The Service
Probably the most impressive thing we’ve experienced in Egyptian hotels is the service. Whilst we’ve not yet stayed in an Egyptian city hotel, I can certainly say the service at the hotels we’ve been to on the Red Sea coast is second to none. The better hotels offer a turndown service as you may expect, but they also deliver bottled water to your room for the day.
Unlike some all-inclusive hotels in Europe, there are waiters everywhere as well. Whether you are by the beach or the pool, they will come around every so often and offer to get you a drink. A proper drink too, in a proper glass. I’ve visited some all-inclusive hotels in Europe and they prefer guests to queue up at a bar to be served, and often only serve drinks in disposable plastic cups.
Now, part of the reason why the service is so good is that the staff are looking for tips. Egypt is a poor country, and staff wages reflect this too. Whilst tipping is not expected at an all-inclusive hotel, it really does go a long way. No matter the currency either, staff are always very grateful. Even a couple of pounds or a dollars at the end of the night to your waiter is a huge deal to them.
The Red Sea
Kind of obvious really, but if you are into snorkelling (like me) or diving then this is the place to go. Most hotels on the beach have their own reefs just off the coast, and the hotels have built jetties to get out to the sea. The sea temperature is also really warm. In the summer months, this can be as high as 29oC, whilst in the winter it only drops to 23oC on average.
The coral and marine life are simply amazing, so don’t forget to take your underwater camera! The variety of marine life is so diverse. Some hotels also have an on-site dive centre, where you can arrange to go diving or take lessons (there will usually be a charge for diving activities). What better place to get your PADI certificate than the Red Sea! The dive centres also hire snorkels and masks for those who want to have a go at snorkelling.
One word of warning though, and that is to be aware of the flag system on the beach. Green flags mean the sea is calm and safe to enter. Yellow flags mean moderate currents and/or dangerous marine life. Red flags mean rough currents and/or dangerous marine life. We’ve never seen a green flag ourselves and can testify the currents in the Red Sea can be quite strong. If you are not in a bay, it’s wise to have a set of fins on.
As for dangerous marine life, I would argue that the coral can be equally dangerous. Despite looking pretty, brushing past coral can be like getting shredded to ribbons as it’s very sharp in places. Fire coral can also be dangerous. Brushing against this can cause a burning, itchy rash. You have been warned!
On the subject of marine life, there are pretty fish all over the place. There are sharks in the Red Sea too, but if you are in a bay or close to the shore it’s fairly uncommon to see one. However, there are Moray Eels, Lionfish and Pufferfish to keep an eye out for. I’ll let you google those yourself, but I try to steer clear of them!
Excursions
Most Red Sea All-inclusive hotels and tour operators offer a solid excursions pack in order to relieve you of your money and to give you a trip to remember. On our visits, we were able to book excursions for a snorkelling trip, Luxor, the Old Town at El Quesir, and a quad bike safari.
Amy and I quite fancied the Luxor trip, but it was an extremely early start (hardly worth going to bed) and a very late finish. We felt it would be too rushed, so we didn’t bother. We did choose a snorkelling trip at another bay that was good, and we also visited the Old Town of El Quesir one evening. Outside the safety of your hotel, the hassling can be pretty bad by the local Egyptians. One to be aware of.
So why should you choose a Red Sea All-inclusive holiday?
Comparatively speaking, we’ve found that pound for pound an all-inclusive holiday in Egypt is good value. Throw in the Red Sea, perfect weather, great food, and it’s hard to choose elsewhere! I guess the only downside is that on some parts of the Marsa Alam coastline the hotels are literally plonked in the desert on their own. Therefore without transport, there is little point in leaving the hotel and so exploring is a bit pointless. Even if you are not a fan of swimming, as long as you are happy to be hotel-based I’d definitely recommend a stay in Egypt. It’s amazing how quickly you get into a routine of chilling, eating, swimming – rinse and repeat!
This is the reason why you should pick the Red Sea for your next all-inclusive holiday!