Egypt in December

MrsB2004

Hi,
I am really hoping for some help/advice.
My husband and I both need to take holiday before the end of the year otherwise we lose it (we can't carry forward to next year). We are taking 2 weeks from the 4 December and want to go away for 10 days.
We are thinking of Egypt as we want some sun and both love scuba diving - plus there seems to be some really good deals!!!

Only problem we have - is where in Egypt do we go? Our main concern is location, whilst we want to do an all inclusive package, we do not want to be stuck at the resort every night and would like to go out for dinner/drinks in the evening without a long taxi ride.

can anyone offer ideas? Our budget is £400 - £600 per person (the cheaper the better as we want money left over for diving). It does not have to be Sharm El Sheikh as long as there are places to go outside of the resort.

All ideas will appreciated!

needanewjob

• Hilton Nuweiba
• in Nuweiba, Egypt - Red Sea
• 

• Per Person £410
• Total Price £820
• Includes web saving -£360

Price includes

• 7 nights accommodation
• All Inclusive
• Return flights from
  London Gatwick
• Coach transfer
• World Care Donation (Optional)
• All applicable taxes & charges

From Thomson, don't know where you're flying from....

MrsB2004

needanewjob wrote: »

• Hilton Nuweiba
• in Nuweiba, Egypt - Red Sea
• 

• Per Person £410
• Total Price £820
• Includes web saving -£360

Price includes

• 7 nights accommodation
• All Inclusive
• Return flights from
  London Gatwick
• Coach transfer
• World Care Donation (Optional)
• All applicable taxes & charges

From Thomson, don't know where you're flying from....

Hi needanewjob, thanks for this.
Have you been to Nuweiba? The deal sounds good, I will have a look on Thomson. Any London airport is good for us so this would work. I just wondered what Nuweiba is like if we want to leave the hotel?

Cheers

kaspar

check out dahab,

very good for scuba diving and less resorty than sharm.

its a few hours up the coast from sharm.

i was there for over a month in the summer.

KimmyCustard

We stayed at the Dreams Beach resort in Sharm in Aug 2004, it was a lovely hotel but was about a 15 min taxi ride (ish) to Naama Bay. Dreams Beach was good but v v busy, although not so much in Dec I would think! There were around 4 pools, the beach and a jetty to walk out on to reach the sea. There was diving available as well.
The food was good although we both and almost everyone we spoke to got the dodgy belly but think this is a given in Egypt wherever you go. Service was great also but beware of the very 'chatty' men in Naama selling papyrus pictures, we were taken to a store where they locked the door and refused to let us out! Husband got his stroppy head on and luckily they let us go without a fight, it was scary tho!

bcl999

There is nothing at Nuweiba. It is a port town for ferries/jetfoil to Aqaba in Jordan-popular crossing for pilgrims doing the Haj who don't want to go round by land & through Israel.

I stayed at the Hilton about 10 years ago before it went all-inclsive and started appearing in all the package company deals. I enjoyed my stay there. I took a bungalow room which was large & quiet with a swimmin pool just outside shared by about 6 other bungalows. Most rooms are in a block. I never saw inside them so can't comment.I expect the hotel is ver different now. It was very quiet before. The only tour which was there was a Voyage Jules Verne going on to Petra.

Although there is nothing at Nuweiba ( and i do mean NOTHING). There are quite a few places to go on trips - the cOloured Canyon, St Catherine's Monastery, Eilat (Israel).

I aws traveling independently and enjoyed the peace at the Hilton so much after hectic Cairo that I stayed longer than I initially booked for. I went on from there to Aqaba (Jordan) on the jetfoil to go to Petra. Although I spent a month in Egypt and saw all the sights, Petra was the outstanding place. The view of the Treasury from the Siq is unforgettable. If it holds any attraction for you at all, try & make a visit. I think threre are even (very long) day tours bookable through the hotel although I did mine myself and spent two nights in Jordan.

JUst read over your origianl post again and saw your comment about being stuck at resort. i think you will find Naama Bay more to you liking. It's a purpose-built resort and the nearest you will get to a european style resort in Egypt. I spent time there as well and I liked it. The hotel prices are a bit dearer than Nuweiba or Taba. Also, a lot of the hotels describe their location as Naama bay but they are actually a taxi ride outside it. There are many hotels actually in Naama Bay proper. I've stayed at the Hilton Fayrouz and at the Sonesta Beach and both were fine though i preferred the Fayrouz. They are both on the pedestrian prom that runs along the length of the beach and have their own private bit of the beach.

PM me if I can be of any further help.

Added
Just some more thoughts.
You could look at Hurghada (Been - didnt like it so much but hotels cheaper than Naama), Marsa Alam (not been but sounds nice in reviews, appears more expensive), Taba Village (Been- nothing there- it's just border crossing between Egypt/Israel. Crossing used to be free if you were staying at Hilton Taba which was useful as you could go into Eilat, which is much more European in style, but think they now charge for crossing over), Taba Heights (Been & cannot personally recommend. Very little there other than the resort hotels. Also, it's the only place in Egypt I have been ill with the dreaded "gippy tummy" and I've been to Egypt numerous times and stayed in everyhting from 5-star hotels down to no-star local guest houses. I was at Hyatt Regency and the illness was rife. Other people may have different experience - I am just telling my own.)

lewroll

Hi there,
Sorry to hijack this thread but could you give me some advice on how you went about getting to Petra independently (agents you used, how you chose where to stay etc) and about how much it cost please?
I will be in Sharm in about 2 weeks time and Petra sounds very appealing for a couple of nights!!!
Cheers

random132

Last Dec we stayed in Royal Albatros Moderna AI for two weeks for £425 each in Sharm. Nice hotel with evening bar on the beach and a Shisha tent. We only went a couple of times but think around 15min taxi to Naama Bay. Know this isnt your exact requirement but the ones weve stayed at before didnt have bars on the beach so we liked this as didnt seem like we were stuck in the resort. There is a jetty off the beach here and my partner (who dives) went snorkelling off it every day, you can also swim to a wreck a 500m or so away. The problem with going out to eat is i think most the hotels are AI so wasting money a little eating out, but we went for drinks in Naama bay a couple of times (love the bar with peanuts on the floor!). Not a huge fan of Naama bay though as get soo sooo hassled but loads of dive shops there.

lowbrim

I can well recomend either of the Hilton Sharm Dream Hotel in Naama Bay beaches excellent with snorkeling and it is like swimming in an aquarium just 2 metres into sea. It is only a 5 minute walk into Naama bay (Along the promenade)

I was wary of Egypt having been before but having found this hotel both for location and the sea/beach we will be going again this year. Look at Trip advisor it says it all. Good deals on the internet we went with A1 travel.

AI deals available but I personally would stick to B&B there are loads of places to eat in Naama bay and cheap. I also did not think there was too much hassling especially after you had been there a couple of days and knew you was not new.