Egyptian Marvels.. My travel to Marsa Alam, on the coast of Red Sea, Egypt

First time in Egypt, the first time in the Red Sea. We shot the tropical seas far and near, and there seemed to be having to go at least once in the nearby Red Sea. The first objective was to avoid with absolute Sharm decision because we did not want to, given the period of August, to run into hordes of Italians caciaroni and rude. For this reason we decided, thanks to a last minute package rather convenient for the less well-known resort of Marsa Alam.
We opted for a resort but not Italian international. In the end it seemed like a good solution and we can safely say that he spent a week of relaxation and fun without any problems (but not without its own!).
We flew with the company in Livingstone and direct flights from Heathrow to Marsa Alam. The outward flight was quite timely and peaceful after four hours of flight we arrived at night out of private (owned by a sheikh of Kuwait) to Marsa Alam. The tour operator in which we supported was Alpitour (you can not go to the Red Sea resort of tour operators without considering the absence of scheduled. The customs formalities are fast even if workers are not very nice. Passed the 'immigration flow to pack already on the tape (!) and we can expect a girl dell'Alpitour that directs us to our bus. The destination we chose is the Marina Lodge at Port Galib a few minutes by bus from the airport. For example, the Veratour village is located about an hour's walk.
The resort seems quite new and fairly maintained. Formalities to entry are pretty fast even if indoor air conditioning is just too high and the thermal with the outside is strong (and causes severe stomach ache!). The hotel has a gym, two swimming pools plus a rather large pool used for diving school, two bars, a restaurant area, a terraced area where you can get something to drink while admiring the view. For a leisure pool table, darts and various shops (most of them closed, seemed quite abandoned).
The rooms are quite spacious with a large sitting area that includes a sofa, a television with channels including Italian ones, small desk, minibar (soft drinks which are not expensive ... 1.5 euro a pint of water, soft drink 2 €). Separate from the bathroom sink, shower. The only flaw is the absence of a cupboard if there is an area used their clothes with hangers and shelves but not closed. There is also a convenient safe, air conditioning and telephone. Complete the work has a balcony as we were concerned overlooked the main pool.
The main meals are buffet style: breakfast from 6.30 am to 10.00 am Lunch from 12.30 to 15.00 and dinner from 18.30 to 22.00. Abundant food, but rather repetitive. A couple of times they have turned on the barbecue but in the end have only cooked sausages and liver. Inside the restaurant there are two chefs who cooked pasta and some expressed particular dish: sometimes the kebab, sometimes grilled chicken or pizza (rather painful). Good selection of desserts very good. We had the all inclusive so all drinks were also included in the bar. In particular, it could take all the local spirits and soft drinks (such as rum, vodka or beer) or some simple cocktail (cuba libre, gin fizz, etc..) Water is available from distributors instead spread a little 'everywhere. Drinks are served only by the glass and bottles or cans are just a fee. This is a bad thing because we saw during our week of the glasses, even plastic ones, are carefully recycled by washing them with just a bit 'of water ... and when I say recycled means that I have seen them take their glasses thrown at' Internal litter bins and wash them to use them again ... so from that day we will have broken their glasses before throwing them ...
The room is cleaned at least once a day and towels changed on request (just leave them on the floor) while they have never changed the sheets. The resort also offers beach towels and pool: the yellow ones are swimming around and take the bar while the blue sea and are taken directly from the beach. To take the towels just to show the special card that is issued to a reception at the time of registration.
To reach the beach enough to leave the hotel and walk about 200 meters under the scorching sun oppue take the free hotel shuttle which passes only on request (just do this at the reception). The hotel beach is not very big but the sea is very beautiful. On the beach there are a dozen umbrellas for beach umbrella and two chairs. They are all exhausted and have the system of "first come served". Considering that it is really hard to resist the many direct sun quite early and then go to the beach around 8:30 it's all sold out. In fact we have seen virtually all the Italian for a group of Milanese (all women in their fifties) who gave a tip to the boy to get hold of the beach chairs and parasols with towels, masks, fins and fake ... amazing, we had a discussion and also denied the evidence ... a scene truly shameful!
there is a shower on the beach, the bar is where the all inclusive (11.00) and bathrooms. To access the sea from the rocks I highly recommend the shoes otherwise you're wrong. You can make a wonderful snorkeling on the reef rather than delineating the nearby deepwater channel that allows access to vessels at the port of Port Ghalib. Snorkeling is possible until 13.00 when the tide retreats quickly exposing the whole length of procedure. Bathing becomes very difficult and dangerous it becomes covered by the barrier if you are out. So be careful. On the beach there is also a soccer field and a volleyball net ... but the sand is kind of hard rock and play without shoes is really difficult. Security Council to make very high (at least 50) if you do not have nasty surprises in the evening: the sun and the wind is tremendous and continuous stretch weakens the direct heat but can cause burns. The temperature of the day is about 47 degrees and at night around 30. The dry heat is quite bearable, and then even if you stay still during the middle to soak!
To avoid fossilization we made some excursions organized by Alpitour although the times to meet with representatives of tour operators (only way to buy) is truly in hell: day and often at the center are usually anything but cute. To make a booking you need a lot of time and often have to wait until they end the "briefing" of welcome to newcomers. ... Is really annoying and do not understand why we did not put a book at the front desk to register for trips as it has toured foreign operators ...

 

Among the trips that we have proposed we did:
- Super Safari. Cost per person: 55 €. It lasts half a day leaves at around 13.30 (with an abominable hot) and makes an initial tour by jeep in the desert (all stony). The guide speaks Italian and explains the various things in the desert: the acacia tree, as is water, construction Bedouin. Very interesting, even if the heat is unbearable (bring hat, water and cream!). The tour lasts about an hour, maybe more. Then we arrive at the Bedouin village, very, very cleaned up do not worry. There, even the water is served with sterile bottles! At the center are a fire and offer tea and coffee (with cinnamon and / or ginger) very good and the famous kakadè cold, very refreshing and invigorating. The guide in the interim will continue to explain the various custom and after you go on a quad ride (too funny!) And then with the dromedary (also really cool!). Attention because for the ride on a quad will tell you that there is a lot of dust and will offer a keffiyeh but will charge you € 5 (a blunder). Each tour lasts about an hour is very funny. We arrive at dusk, you see a short documentary (useless) and then a shop (breaking up having to buy something) and get the dinner that is not typical because it is carried by a catering to a nearby hotel. The evening is to watch a show (indecoroso!) Bedouin (it looks really improvised, only to then ask for a tip) and see the stars in the darkness of the desert. Back in the hotel at 21.30.
- Sharm El Luli and Awlad Baraka. Cost per person: 45 €. It starts at about 8:00 and ends around 18.00. Trip for those who love the sea. It is an hour's bus (at breakneck speed!) And if you arrive safely in Awlad Baraka is waiting for a boat that takes you on a tour to the reef, and the return is made via snorkeling (one hour, not fatigue). There is always a guide with you and the boat is always nearby in case someone needed help). If you do not have the equipment you can rent it at reasonable prices (6 € complete) and also are given free use of sun loungers and umbrellas (in amounts greater than the Marina Lodge!). There are two free soft drinks and around 12.30 we eat buffet (with exactly the same shrewdness of Super Safari). Then half an hour in the bus to get to the wonderful Sharm El Luli (also known as the Blue Lagoon) ... really seems to be in the Maldives, and considering that this is a protected area can not be built and the entrance is limited on a daily basis ... we were on the beach 20 .... a marvel. In this case there are the tents to allow you a makeshift shelter from the sun and there are some men who offer free soft drinks.
- Abu Dabab. Cost € 17.00 per person The tour lasts half a day and at lunch it was back to the village. The goal is to swim with the turtles and try to see the dugong. After an hour's bus arrives at a beautiful beach but very crowded, truly beyond belief! You are obliged to rent the jackets (cost of 4 € scary!). Council not to rent the equipment absolutely here because the cost is 4 € per piece, cost far too high. Walk along the reef, perhaps the most beautiful and richest among the fish that we saw at Marsa Alam but surely we must be careful not to take (or give) a fin to the next ... there is also an indescribable crowd below you with a bustle of divers who are school ... then you go in the middle of the bay to see the turtle that his goodness had decided to take a breath of fresh air and almost ends raped barbarian horde that was waiting in surface ... of course the dugong with all those people will migrate to the preferred Seychelles! Offered a soft drink and then run you are returned to the hotel to make way for hundreds of other people ... one thing that really agghiacciante.Peccato beach and sea are really beautiful!
At the end of each tour without shame and with a straight face will make a pouch or envelope deliberately seeking to tip. Once we have given to us many times have we pretended that it just can not really seen the prices at which services are offered, and especially in some cases (Abu Dabab all) the guide told us it seemed really painful (he weighed 150 kg and was the expedition leader of the free single snorkel vest and did not even know salavataggio kicking ...)
A few words on Port Ghalib
You can not walk because the port is not connected except by channels. There is a free water taxi ride from every 10 minutes until one o'clock at night goes from Port Ghalib and the resort. Very good so we really want 5 minutes of easy crossing of the main channel. Port Ghalib has absolutely nothing to offer but a couple of places to eat / drink (prices are still accessible but be aware that if you pay in euro will make a change from armed robbery!) And then there's a really sleazy suk the real hardware store where they sell at prices that you absolutely have to deal with (I recommend it without shame!). In short, Port Ghalib is really nothing, we often see in hotel we stayed in the little show (the only of the day) offered by the soul, sometimes even rather cute!
I must say that due to climatic fluctuations, glasses and perhaps some food (although we have always carefully avoided raw vegetables) we took a good intestinal problem ... Imodium but thankfully the last day (as required for the cream!) and even a preventive treatment of enterorgermina (though we did not solve the problem ...) are strongly recommended.
Inside the Navy Lodge is a small and squalid SPA (so called). Prices for a one hour massage is 50 € but there are subscriptions (3x4) and other less expensive but less long massages. The guy who runs it is really scary (we have nicknamed the Scampia) but the girls are working pretty well and we gave him a tip. Council? Forget it.
Interesting but the Emperor diving center is located inside the hotel. It seems to be handled very well, the guys who work there are all British and all shipments depart and return at 8 to 16. There is also the possibility to do the diving courses for almost 500 € (including equipment) you can take the patent Padi Open Water (Official). I have expectations and offer numerous excursions and even courses. Take a tour to get information http://www.emperordivers.com/marsa_hotel1.php
All payments in euro, or if sometimes you can change in Egyptian pounds (but you can not take them away then all you have to spend during the holidays). If you pay in euro will give change in euro wisely is the only damn sure that they exchange and in the case treated (not always treat you stand in awe.)
The flight of the expected return for the 20 started at 03.00 but fortunately we were spared the tragedy of waiting at the airport and left us in the hotel (paying 20 € for extrathymic the room).