Hurghada, Egypt pt 1
Where: Hurghada
Time of Year Visited: July
Weather: Very hot, dry and sunny. In the evenings/night hot and humid
Flights: London Luton- Hurghada with 1 stop in Prague. £876 (3 adults- £292 each)
Accommodation: Sol y Mar Paradise all inclusive resort. Currently known as Balina Paradise Abu Soma Resort. A 4* resort located right on the beach in Soma Bay; it includes an outdoor swimming pool, onsite spa, games room, gym and onsite restaurant. We had a triple room, it was spotless and spacious- we were provided towels and the sheets were changed every day.
The restaurant follows set times for breakfast, lunch, snacks and dinner- the food is freshly cooked every morning. There are stations at breakfast for things like omelettes and pancakes which are cooked to order, while the fruit, cereals and breads are laid out in the dining area (buffet style). The bar is outside, so although drinks are refillable, it can be annoying having to go in and out while eating.
We opted for the all-inclusive option for our stay and did not regret it- £195.80 (triple room with en-suite) between 3 adults for 4 nights.
The resort is a 45-minute car journey from Hurghada airport.
Currency: Egyptian pound (£1 sterling= £19.55 Egyptian/ £100 Egyptian= £5.08 Sterling)
Getting Around: You will need either a driver, a rental car or to get picked up and dropped off for excursions. Public transport is famously unreliable, and walking is very difficult due to the heat/sun and the desert surroundings.
Excursions: Our aim for this trip was to do as much as we could cram into the time we were here. With Egypt being such an amazing destination, we knew there was far more to experience than just the pyramids. Our first adventure was quad biking across the desert to the Bedouin Village- £68.25 (for 3 adults). We were picked up from our hotel and driven to the edge of the desert, had a quick lesson on how to use the quad bikes safely, had our scarves tied for us and we were off!
The experience of driving through the desert with nothing but sand and sun around you was exhilarating; once we made it to the village we were greeted by the children and women of the village for a camel ride. Although not my first time on a camel, it was my favourite, my sisters young guide was a little boy maybe 7/8 who was so sweet; he had such a way with the camel and kept the ride smooth.
We then had some time to learn from the villagers about their lives and how they survive in the desert, one of the women in the village showed us how to make flat bread and let us have some once it was cooked (I had more than one piece as it was so good).
One thing to note is that the ride through the desert is not a steady or short one, it is speedy, quite a drive and can be bumpy. If you are not comfortable enough to drive the quad yourself ask to buddy up with someone. I rode with my brother and my sister with one of the tour guides, as I could not keep up with the speed required to cross the desert. Get your guide- Safari Quad Bike, Bedouin Village
Our next adventure was swimming in the Red Sea with dolphins and snorkeling- £69.33 (for 3 adults). We did a full day excursion where we were picked up from our hotel, driven to the boat pier and was provided equipment for snorkeling. NOTE: a deposit and a tourist tax are taken before boarding the boat- make sure you carry cash on you for this, deposits are refundable at the end of the day. Once on the boat we were told the schedule for the day, was provided with water bottles (included in the price) and music played as we sailed. We visited a few spots, one for dolphin spotting, one for snorkeling and watching coral reefs and one to swim with the dolphins. All the staff were amazing, they were attentive and took quite a few precautions for the less confident swimmers. Life jackets were provided (if requested), and a swim ring as also used for those who wanted to still see the coral but wasn’t confident in open waters- I used the ring while I psyched myself up to swim alone. While on the ring the tour guide provided so much information on the reefs and how they’ve changed over time, he also was great with story telling and keeping everyone relaxed and amused. Nothing can really prepare you for the beauty of the coral reefs or the dolphins, but it is an experience I would recommend and would do again in a heartbeat! Get your guide- Dolphin and Red Sea Tour
After so much adventure we opted to spend our last day at our onsite spa. We paid £1000 Egyptian (around £45-50 Sterling) each and had the full works!! First, we were left to chill in the jacuzzi, then we were given a salt body scrub and left to relax. Once the scrub was washed off, we had a full body massage, a face mask was put on while we relaxed. The fish foot spa was the last part of the day, done while we waited for each other's massages to be finished. Overall, we were in the spa for about 3.5- 4 hours and it was well needed. The staff were so lovely, the spa manager gave us a discount on our treatments and threw in the face masks and fish spa for free (it pays to be nice).
Food: The food on the Red Sea/ Dolphin tour was some of the best food we had for the whole trip. The food at the hotel was good every night, even down to the snacks. The breakfast food was my favourite during my time at Sol y Mar- the made to order omelettes were just melt in the mouth (and it helped that the chef remembered my order for the whole time so I did not have to que 😄).
Overall: Hurghada was the perfect mix of relaxation and adventure and I am planning to go back. I would recommend to anyone. I loved my time here!
Time of Year Visited: July
Weather: Very hot, dry and sunny. In the evenings/night hot and humid
Flights: London Luton- Hurghada with 1 stop in Prague. £876 (3 adults- £292 each)
Accommodation: Sol y Mar Paradise all inclusive resort. Currently known as Balina Paradise Abu Soma Resort. A 4* resort located right on the beach in Soma Bay; it includes an outdoor swimming pool, onsite spa, games room, gym and onsite restaurant. We had a triple room, it was spotless and spacious- we were provided towels and the sheets were changed every day.
The restaurant follows set times for breakfast, lunch, snacks and dinner- the food is freshly cooked every morning. There are stations at breakfast for things like omelettes and pancakes which are cooked to order, while the fruit, cereals and breads are laid out in the dining area (buffet style). The bar is outside, so although drinks are refillable, it can be annoying having to go in and out while eating.
We opted for the all-inclusive option for our stay and did not regret it- £195.80 (triple room with en-suite) between 3 adults for 4 nights.
The resort is a 45-minute car journey from Hurghada airport.
Currency: Egyptian pound (£1 sterling= £19.55 Egyptian/ £100 Egyptian= £5.08 Sterling)
Getting Around: You will need either a driver, a rental car or to get picked up and dropped off for excursions. Public transport is famously unreliable, and walking is very difficult due to the heat/sun and the desert surroundings.
Excursions: Our aim for this trip was to do as much as we could cram into the time we were here. With Egypt being such an amazing destination, we knew there was far more to experience than just the pyramids. Our first adventure was quad biking across the desert to the Bedouin Village- £68.25 (for 3 adults). We were picked up from our hotel and driven to the edge of the desert, had a quick lesson on how to use the quad bikes safely, had our scarves tied for us and we were off!
The experience of driving through the desert with nothing but sand and sun around you was exhilarating; once we made it to the village we were greeted by the children and women of the village for a camel ride. Although not my first time on a camel, it was my favourite, my sisters young guide was a little boy maybe 7/8 who was so sweet; he had such a way with the camel and kept the ride smooth.
Our next adventure was swimming in the Red Sea with dolphins and snorkeling- £69.33 (for 3 adults). We did a full day excursion where we were picked up from our hotel, driven to the boat pier and was provided equipment for snorkeling. NOTE: a deposit and a tourist tax are taken before boarding the boat- make sure you carry cash on you for this, deposits are refundable at the end of the day. Once on the boat we were told the schedule for the day, was provided with water bottles (included in the price) and music played as we sailed. We visited a few spots, one for dolphin spotting, one for snorkeling and watching coral reefs and one to swim with the dolphins. All the staff were amazing, they were attentive and took quite a few precautions for the less confident swimmers. Life jackets were provided (if requested), and a swim ring as also used for those who wanted to still see the coral but wasn’t confident in open waters- I used the ring while I psyched myself up to swim alone. While on the ring the tour guide provided so much information on the reefs and how they’ve changed over time, he also was great with story telling and keeping everyone relaxed and amused. Nothing can really prepare you for the beauty of the coral reefs or the dolphins, but it is an experience I would recommend and would do again in a heartbeat! Get your guide- Dolphin and Red Sea Tour
After so much adventure we opted to spend our last day at our onsite spa. We paid £1000 Egyptian (around £45-50 Sterling) each and had the full works!! First, we were left to chill in the jacuzzi, then we were given a salt body scrub and left to relax. Once the scrub was washed off, we had a full body massage, a face mask was put on while we relaxed. The fish foot spa was the last part of the day, done while we waited for each other's massages to be finished. Overall, we were in the spa for about 3.5- 4 hours and it was well needed. The staff were so lovely, the spa manager gave us a discount on our treatments and threw in the face masks and fish spa for free (it pays to be nice).
Food: The food on the Red Sea/ Dolphin tour was some of the best food we had for the whole trip. The food at the hotel was good every night, even down to the snacks. The breakfast food was my favourite during my time at Sol y Mar- the made to order omelettes were just melt in the mouth (and it helped that the chef remembered my order for the whole time so I did not have to que 😄).
Overall: Hurghada was the perfect mix of relaxation and adventure and I am planning to go back. I would recommend to anyone. I loved my time here!
5 of 5
★★★★★
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