Marsa Alam: The Red Sea Holiday Alternative
For those who have ever browsed through an Egyptian holiday brochure, the resorts of Sharm El Sheikh and Hughada will no doubt be familiar. With their collection of five star hotels, casinos, discos, nightclubs, restaurants, beaches and water sports, these perennial favourites have long provided luxurious Egyptian holidays for tourists the world over.
All set to rival the popularity of these illustrious Egyptian retreats however is a largely undiscovered jewel on the Red Sea's western coast. Until recently a small fishing village, Marsa Alam is developing in to a premium holiday resort popular with divers and sun worshippers alike. Thanks to the development of a nearby international airport, some even speculate that Marsa Alam will one day be as popular as its luminary northern counterparts.
With a tropical appearance akin to paradise, the resort of Marsa Alam sits amidst a backdrop of sands, mangroves and palm trees. Lined by the beautiful Red Sea and its bountiful collection of coral reefs, the secluded resort is a desert oasis on the northern fringes of the Tropic of Cancer.
Yet to be overrun with eager holidaymakers, it is for now the relative quiet of the Marsa Alam resort that sets it apart from its contemporaries. For dive enthusiasts, the surrounding Red Sea area is nowhere near as crowded as the busier northern diving spots, allowing divers to explore the coral reefs and sea life at a relaxed pace. For those who simply need to recharge their batteries in the desert sunshine, Marsa Alam is a sanctuary of peace and quiet: a magnificently tranquil place to bask in a sun lounger and sip a local cocktail or two.
As with all modern Egyptian Red Sea holiday resorts, Marsa Alam is serviced by a collection of high quality beachfront hotels, of which the Brayka Bay and the Iberotel Lamaya are perhaps the finest. Beautifully landscaped and imaginatively designed, the complexes offer an assortment of swimming pools, bars, à la carte restaurants, on site entertainment and sporting facilities to please the widest variety of visitors.
For those eager to venture outside their hotel complex, desert safaris provide an exciting opportunity to explore the local area. For a reasonable price, tour guides escort adventurous holidaymakers through the surrounding sand dunes by jeep, attempting to catch a glimpse of the wild gazelles and foxes that inhabit the neighbouring deserts. For traditionalists, guided camel rides provide an authentic alternative.
With its magnificent climate, Marsa Alam is a year round destination. In the period between late winter and early spring, the weather is at its most temperate with averages the comfortable side of 20 degrees Celsius. Throughout the period of mid spring to mid winter however, temperatures soar to in excess of 35 degrees Celsius with over 12 hours of sunshine every day. Happily for sun worshippers everywhere, rainfall in Marsa Alam is a rare event restricted to the winter months.
All set to rival the popularity of these illustrious Egyptian retreats however is a largely undiscovered jewel on the Red Sea's western coast. Until recently a small fishing village, Marsa Alam is developing in to a premium holiday resort popular with divers and sun worshippers alike. Thanks to the development of a nearby international airport, some even speculate that Marsa Alam will one day be as popular as its luminary northern counterparts.
With a tropical appearance akin to paradise, the resort of Marsa Alam sits amidst a backdrop of sands, mangroves and palm trees. Lined by the beautiful Red Sea and its bountiful collection of coral reefs, the secluded resort is a desert oasis on the northern fringes of the Tropic of Cancer.
Yet to be overrun with eager holidaymakers, it is for now the relative quiet of the Marsa Alam resort that sets it apart from its contemporaries. For dive enthusiasts, the surrounding Red Sea area is nowhere near as crowded as the busier northern diving spots, allowing divers to explore the coral reefs and sea life at a relaxed pace. For those who simply need to recharge their batteries in the desert sunshine, Marsa Alam is a sanctuary of peace and quiet: a magnificently tranquil place to bask in a sun lounger and sip a local cocktail or two.
As with all modern Egyptian Red Sea holiday resorts, Marsa Alam is serviced by a collection of high quality beachfront hotels, of which the Brayka Bay and the Iberotel Lamaya are perhaps the finest. Beautifully landscaped and imaginatively designed, the complexes offer an assortment of swimming pools, bars, à la carte restaurants, on site entertainment and sporting facilities to please the widest variety of visitors.
For those eager to venture outside their hotel complex, desert safaris provide an exciting opportunity to explore the local area. For a reasonable price, tour guides escort adventurous holidaymakers through the surrounding sand dunes by jeep, attempting to catch a glimpse of the wild gazelles and foxes that inhabit the neighbouring deserts. For traditionalists, guided camel rides provide an authentic alternative.
With its magnificent climate, Marsa Alam is a year round destination. In the period between late winter and early spring, the weather is at its most temperate with averages the comfortable side of 20 degrees Celsius. Throughout the period of mid spring to mid winter however, temperatures soar to in excess of 35 degrees Celsius with over 12 hours of sunshine every day. Happily for sun worshippers everywhere, rainfall in Marsa Alam is a rare event restricted to the winter months.
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