Exploring Egypt the Compact Travels Way...by VINI MOTWANI... Director Compact Travels

From Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea

We had not realized that so soon the Nile Cruise was over and we left for Hurghada on day 8 of our tour and our vehicle was part of a convoy which took us to Hurghada in about 4½ hours from Luxor. Hurghada is known for its azure clear water and white sand and is a diver’s delight for snorkeling located on the Red Sea.

From Hurghada, there are excursions to Giftun Island or you can take the glass bottom boat to see the deep sea corals. Hurghada once was a fishing village with crystal clear water, untouched reefs and there were quite a few ship wrecks in the earlier times. However, today it is one of the finest beach holiday destinations on the Red Sea. Lying 395 kilometres on the south of the Suez, Hurghada has an ambient climate.

In November, it was extremely pleasant in the evening and we checked in at the Golden 5 City Hotels and Beach Resort which has 5 hotels in one complex. The children were quite excited as at last they felt that they were free from visiting temples. However, their misfortune was that the water was a little too cold for their comfort.

The Golden 5 complex has plenty of activities and there are lots of activity to do in and around the beach - You can go on quad bikes, ride camels or horses or just spend the entire day on the beach enjoying the sun, sand and the sea.

We were scheduled to stay for 2 nights and the day of arrival we just had a quick dinner and crashed to bed. The following morning, the children enjoyed themselves at the pool side for a while swimming and using one of the many water slides and later in the day we went horse riding in the desert which was a very chilly experience as it was extremely cold in the middle of the desert.

Although the website of Golden 5 looks quite impressive, unfortunately from my personal experience, it is not a very well maintained property. There are much better properties in Hurghada with better amenities. The most disappointing aspect was the limited choice of meals. The hotel was flooded with Russian tourists and by the time you would sit on your table for dinner, you would always find it impossible to find the cuisine of your choice. The hotel claimed to also have a cable car , however, it never functioned. However, it wasn't bad for the kids and they really enjoyed the musical fountain late in the evening which was undoubtedly the highlight of the stay at Golden 5.

How the day flew by was very difficult to decipher and lo, it was already our last day at Hurghada and we took the Aquascope which costed 30 US dollars per adult for a 3 hour tour from our hotel. The coach picked us up and we were taken to the Red Sea from where we boarded the panorama submarine which took us to the middle of the sea

to see the beauty that exists under water in the middle of Magawish Island. Through the transparent glass, we could see colourful fishes, coral reefs and the beauty of nature. I am sure if the water wasn't as cold, we could probably have ventured out and done some snorkeling. On our return we took our flight back to Cairo later in the evening and we were back where our trip had started, Le Meridien Pyramids Hotel.

The next morning we visited the modern city of Cairo including a visit atop the Cairo tower where you get a bird’s eye view of the entire city including the Nile river. The Cairo Tower is 187 metres in height and has two storeys atop. At the first level there is a cafeteria and a restaurant whereas the second level provides one of the best views of the city and its suburbs.

Thereafter we went to Khan el Khalili bazaar which is Egyptian's oldest market and is in existence since the 14th Century. It is well known for its small cheesy souvenirs and you have to be very good in bargaining in order to get the best deals. Opposite the bazaar there was a majestic mosque and alongside a Cathedral as there are quite a few Coptic Christians in Cairo.

There was a festive mood all around as it was Ramadan and we could see at the street side restaurants where a lot of locals were feasting on stuffed pigeons which is very popular especially around the festive time.

Later we went to City Star Mall in the Heliopolis area where we had an interesting variety of food at the food courts. Unfortunately it was the first day of the festival of Ramadan and it was closed. Later in the evening we walked down to the Mena Oberoi Hotel which was in close proximity of Le Meridien Pyramids to try some Indian cuisine at the Moghul Room.

We relished the Indian food which we had for the first time on our tour. We had an early night as the following morning would be our last day in Egypt and we were to visit the Pearl of the Mediterranean, the city of Alexandria.

For more details on this wonderful city, look out for the June issue of Opportunities Today

Vini has been one of the Faculty Members for the IATA/UFTAA and IATA/FIATA qualifications offered by IHCTM for over 10 years and she is also Director of COMPACT TRAVELS and part of the research team in planning unique itineraries for various clients. Here she narrates her first hand experience of Egypt as a family destination.

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