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Tim Wellock mixes with the haves and the have-yachts on a two-centre holiday in Egypt
LUXOR Airport styles itself
"the modern gateway to an ancient
civilisation", which
might equally apply for those
arriving via the Red Sea into El
Gouna. The modern resort's twinkling
new marina - no berth pains here - provides
a sharp reminder of the have and
have-yacht existences which colour a
visit to Egypt in such a startling variety
of shades.
To those intrepid trippers who wish to
sample the real Egypt, El Gouna may be
a plastic paradise. Conscience pricking
is readily available elsewhere, but for
most of us a holiday provides a welcome
escape from reality, so what does it matter
if a place lacks soul?
A week in pretty and pristine El
Gouna, 20km north of the well-established
resort of Hurghada, combines
brilliantly with a week on the Nile to provide
the perfect holiday, which can be expertly
tailored to your tastes by travel
company Discover Egypt.
They offer a fortnight's blend of relaxation,
informative sight-seeing, plus
recreational activity. All in guaranteed
sunshine - well almost.
When we flew out of Luxor on January
21 it was raining steadily for the first
time in five years, but the previous fortnight
had seen midday temperatures
hovering around 80 degrees. In summer
it's a good deal hotter, which is why
many of the Red Sea's visitors will spend
their time underwater.
El Gouna may or may not have a soul,
but it certainly has everything else and
has won awards for its environmental
friendliness and architecture. There are
14 hotels from three to five-star, a golf
course, with a second in the making, gokart
track, camel and horse riding centres,
tennis academy, kitesurfing centre,
desert safaris, art and craft village, internet
cafes, shopping arcades, casino,
disco and all types of restaurants.
Built around a series of sparkling
man-made waterways, it is also a watersport
paradise and the beautifullystyled,
colourful buildings lend a Disneyland
feel to the nine million square
metres so far developed.
That's only a quarter of the land available
to the development company Orascom,
whose funding of all the infrastructure
apparently allows them to
make their own rules, one of which forbids
shopkeepers from hassling tourists,
as happens everywhere else.
Development began 17 years ago and
continues apace. There is an obvious
danger that it will be over-done, with no
worries that it will be limited by water
supply, some of which comes more than
200 miles from the Nile and some from
desalination plants.
The main restricting factor might be
whether the place pays for itself. While
it is home to a permanent population of
10,000, it was pleasantly quiet during our
visit. But once word spreads about El
Gouna's delights it seems destined to become
a very large dot on the tourist map.
It will certainly become a popular destination
for winter golf as, taking in
Hurghada, there will shortly be six
courses in the area.
El Gouna's attractive eight-year-old
course is fairly forgiving, as befits a holiday
lay-out. Water is almost always visible
but rarely comes into play, and, not
surprisingly, there is plenty of sand,
both in bunkers and off the fairway,
where cacti and general shrubbery add
to the hazards. But you'd have to be very
wayward, or unlucky, to lose many balls.
THE only two good reasons not to
visit Egypt are health and safety,
but security is tight everywhere,
even to the extent of tourist buses travelling
across the desert in convoys, while
hygiene is paramount. On the Nile boats
everyone is required to rub antiseptic gel
onto their hands before each of the allyou-
can-eat buffets which are served for
breakfast, lunch and dinner. There's also
afternoon tea.
At around £500, including flight and
all meals, a week's Nile cruise offers exceptional
value given that it incorporates
ten guided visits and surprisingly
good evening entertainment. Of the optional
extra trips, the most questionable
value is offered by the Temple of Karnak's
Sound and Light Show, which
drags on far too long.
Our itinerary with Discover Egypt involved
a couple of very early starts, but
the chance to watch the sun rise in exotic
locations, plus the promise of a full
afternoon relaxing on deck, made it well
worthwhile.
On the first morning we rose at five to
visit Luxor's Valley of the Kings, the
stunning site of the tomb of Tutankhamen
and many others, where we
were told there would be 7,000 visitors by
mid-morning.
Then it was on to the Temple of Hatshepsut
and the Valley of the Queens before
sailing downstream after lunch to
join the queue to get through the lock at
Esna. As soon as we moored we were surrounded
by men in rowing boats who
threw their wares on deck in plastic
bags, hoping to make a sale.
The following day we visited the temple
at Edfu, said to be the best preserved
in the world, then after sailing overnight
to Aswan, it was another early start to
see the Unfinished Obelisk, which at 41
metres would have been the highest in
the world. But it cracked and still lies in
its granite quarry. One of the most stunning
sights is the temple of Abu Simbel,
close to the shores of Lake Nasser, three
hours south of Aswan.
There was an additional charge of £60
to visit by coach what is sometimes described
as the eighth wonder of the
world, or you can fly there from Aswan
for £105.
Our guide said the three essentials in
Egypt were Abu Simbel, the pyramids
and the hypostyle hall, with its 134
columns, at Luxor's Temple of Karnak.
The latter is on the standard tour, but
the pyramids are not, as they are 400
miles north.
It's feasible to fit them in on a day trip
from Luxor by flying to Cairo, or you can
take the train and stay overnight. Basically,
Discover Egypt will put together
whatever itinerary you require and you
are guaranteed to feel greatly enhanced
by the experience.
Travel facts
Discover Egypt: 80 Borough High Street, London SE1 1LL. 0870-755-
8480. www.discoveregypt.co.uk.
A week's Nile cruise, including flights, all meals, transfers and ten
guided tours costs £499. Flight from Manchester £40 supplement.
Second week available at Luxor's four-star Mercure Hotel at £149
(bed and breakfast), or in El Gouna's four-star Sultan Bey Hotel,
half board, from £249.
Visa necessary, but easily obtained at Luxor airport for £10.
El Gouna golf course is at five-star Steinberger Hotel. One-off
green fee is £50, but good-value packages are available.
11:01am Saturday 12th April 2008
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