Hi all thanks for your imput and I will research the First Choice Holiday village and the Sonesta beach resort, researched the hiltons hotels and some very cheap rates booked direct.

I might be looking octorber,the reason why both my daughters have exams next year and both will be finished their GSCE's and A-levels by next july, thought it was not a good idea to go when they will have exams coming up. I would still like to go early

The flies, we had that in cyprus one september, we thought I was in the exocist or some devil/demon film.

What are the flies like in octorber around the red sea. The Sonesta beach resort could appeal because its a short walk into the resort and not miles away like most of the hotels, can you enter the sea directly from the beach or by jetty from either the Sonesta beach resort or first choice holiday village.

Not sure about the Sonesta Beach (Michelle will know), but you can enter the sea from the Red Sea Holiday Village it is at Nabq which is to the north of Namma Bay, and this is probably the best part of the resort if you want a kind of traditional beach, although that said even at Nabq I think the sand is gritty.

If the Sonesta beach actually fronts Namma Bay then it may have access to the beach there although from what I saw that beach is pretty narrow, and can get quite crowded.

If you go south from NB you dont really get beaches at all, they tend to carve sunbathing terraces down by the sea end of the hotels and you often have no shallow entry into the sea at all. You need to enter from Jettys and platforms and drop down into deep water. Obviously this is done to protect the reefs which come very close to the hotels, down at Ras um el Sid and Habada.

Hi Mike .

Not too sure how the setup is at the sonesta . At HSB there are sunbathing terraces (made from sand ) and a smallish beach . Access to the water is via a short Jetty to protect the coral. Some hotels have a fairly long jetty.
We dont really spend a lot of time on the beach now , prefering a nice pool but we did spend several days on the terraces and I always enjoy a stroll to the end of the jetty to perch my behind and watch the snorklers.

lyn

Hi

Yes you can enter from the beach into the sea. Best at low tide because of the coral and 'rocks' as they say, quite nice because you have access you walk all around the other hotel beaches and have a neb as one does As soon as the tide comes in, it is better to go off the jetty, this has steps either side to get into, with all water sports at the sides.

It isnt one of the biggest beaches, that said though, we have been on the Hilton and Marriott and Jolieville beach and you are so far apart from anyone to talk to, you are really on your own.

What i like about the Sonesta personally though is you can sunbathe up in the quaint rock areas over looking the bay and it is beautiful. They started adding this feature last November. It means you up off the beach, but still on it, if that makes sense. So there are loads and loads of sun-beds available. The guy on the beach will 'save' you your chosen beds should you wish to come down later in the day.

From reception it takes 2 mins and you are on the beach, no walking 2 miles to get to it from some hotels in the sticks. Yes it can get crowded, but not in your face stuff, we like the feel of holiday makers around us so we can chat.

All the pools are open and some are heated. The Cactus is the quietist with swim up bar, the blue wave pool where we go cos we like loud music and aeobics and again a big bar . With 6-7 pools to choose from in gorgeous grounds, its hard to choose which one. Again the pool boy will save you your beds if you wish for a quid etc.

HTH

Michelle x
sonesta beach resort queen

Ps the walk into NB is very nice passing lots of restaurants and cafe places on the beach, also little bazaars and shops.
Thomas cook have better rates thanThomson at present, but for the best and biggest rooms i would go with thomson/portland as their large rooms come in a lot cheaper at £14pp per week(large room excess). The larger rooms have a 7ft bed, the small bedroom has bunk beds and a lounge, dressing room and bathroom. We paid £750 each for two weeks on November 16th.

Also if you take excess out on your insurance, should you require the doctor in resort, it doesnt cost you anything for treatment

Thanks Derwentrocker

What is the grub like, keep reading the red sea A/I's are not the best compared to other destination.

Well to be perfectly honest i have nothing to compare it with as usually go HB or BB, but prices are getting more expensive to eat out so decided on A1, plus my hotel is all A1 now. Last year it was new, and i didnt like it very much, but having gone back last Nov, it was lovely and i came back a stone heavier. Lots of choice and the best restaurant is the Dome, not the Citadel where the entertainment is, that restaurant is sooooooooo busy. I am a fussy eater, so if i am eating anything and everything, then it must be good

If you decided to go to SBR get the right hotel, the Sonesta Club isnt as good and a small trek to the beach

Thanks Derwentrocker

Its going on my short list.

At this rate i am going to ask SBR for free rooms

By the way if you go on the thomson web site or portland, you can see videos of the rooms and surrounding areas eg, restaurants etc

sonesta beach resort video, or any of the others that thomson do.

Hi Derwentrocker

I have narrowed my choice down to 2 hotels, Hilton Sharm El Sheikh Fayrouz Resort BB or your sonesta beach resort A/I. both are in a good position and only minutes walk from naame bay, I have heard A/I the food is not good, but should I go A/I for the free drinks and pay to eat in the speciality restaurant or outside restaurants for the evening meal, take the BB option with having to pay for drinks?

I am not going to book anything until the 2010 summer brochures come out because I have decided on oct 2010 because of the children exams. The Hilton Sharm El Sheikh Fayrouz Resort I priced up with libra holidays for this oct and they wanted £970 pp for 1 week, on dIY next october I can book the hotel for £1080 for the week and some of the other hilton what are A/I I can book for £600 for the week, this is for 4 adults, and it would just be the case of booking the flight when they first come on sale to get a cheap price, I reckon I could do the Hilton Sharm El Sheikh Fayrouz Resort for 4 of us for less than £2K.

I have looked at the thomson video and the hotel looks very nice. Did you say you haven't stay at the hotel since its gone A/I or did I mis-understand.

It will be my 7th time this November, we tend to go once or twice a year.
When we first went there it was B & B, so we ate out in NB. But last year the hotel changed to A1. When we went last June there was teething problems, but then going back in November 5 months later it was gorgeous. I look forward to eating there, and the drinks are pretty good two

Thanks for all your help Derwentrocker

I think on the reviews people mix up the beach resort with the club hotel, but I am giving the beach resort serious consideration, will have to for summer 2010 to on sale.

Yes i agree they do get mixed up with sonesta club, trip advisor are always mixing them up, i have complained about this in the past. There is also a sonesta beach in Taba, so there again can be mis- leading for customers.