Dont know if you've looked at this website Chris . It always makes me want to book . Click on sports > then excursions

http://www.elgouna.com/Home~SectionID~17~Lang~en.html

I'm biased but love El Gouna...............

Have a look here
http://www.protourstravel.com/English/CityPrograms.php?city=El%20Gouna

Brilliant, thank you so much both of you, it looks like there is loads to do, Ive only had a brief look at both the links, but will read properly in a moment.

I am sure wherever we go we will just end up relaxing and eating for the week, But I just like to know that there are other options should we get itchy feet after three or four days. Dont particularly want to hike to Cairo or Luxor, but a boat trip or similar would be great to break the week up. If I book something I will post.

Thanks again, Doe

Probably won't be much help Chris because I think all we did was eat and relax. Hubby and kids went on a snorkeling boat trip from the hotel. They honestly didn't think it was as good as what they saw in Sharm. There may be more to see if you go from Hurghada marina. OH missed just being able to walk off a jetty and see amazing fish.

What I did really enjoy was being able to have a wander round of an evening. Downtown seemed to have more atmosphere than the Marina but I did enjoy having a good nose at all the luxury yachts. It is so easy to get around with a weekly bus/boat ticket. The Dine Around option is good if you want to try eating in different places.

Good luck.
Lesley x

Thank you. That is really helpful Lesley. I was a bit sceptical because I had heard that the snorkelling from beaches wasn't a patch on Sharm, but TBH if DD can go diving for a couple of days the rest of us can probably manage without the snorkelling. Diving seems possible albeit by boat not shore diving.

I'm thinking of going to the Sheraton Bed and Breakfast as it sounds like there will be enough restaurants for a different one for all 7 evenings and it will make a change from AI. Although I did consider the Rhiana.

My other dilema is if to go at Feb half term or in Easter school hols. Fancy going sooner rather than later, but am worried that it will be coolish in February with darkness coming very early, the sun seems to disappear between 5pm and 6pm in April so am thinking it will be even earlier in February.

Decisions, decisions xxxx

can be chilly in Feb as El Gouna has quite a stiff breeze year round - lovely in the summer but can push air (and water) temp down in the winter.

Has been 18 degrees in the water for us in Feb which is really heading towards drysuit temperatures - especially on the second dive. Gets a bit rough too. Sunbathing fine during the day (the hotels have plenty of wind breaks) but from 5pm onwards in Feb you'll need a woolly or two.......

Easter is my favorite time of year to be in Gouna.

BTW - plenty of dive operators in Gouna - we use & recommend http://www.divetribe.com.

All diving is dayboat (2 dives, leaving at approx 9am and returning for about 5.30pm) and it is excellent with quiet sites - everything from wrecks to reefs. Gouna is the closest resort to the wrecks at Abu Nuhas and at Easter diving with Dolphins at Dolphinhouse Reef is as reasonably well assured as it can be with wild animals!! The vast majority of our diving there has been less than 3 boats on the moorings rather than the diver soup you often get from Sharm. They also run snorkelling trips (full or half day) as the only snorkelling in the resort is from a 400m long jetty at Zeytuna Beach - and not highly exciting at that!!

Thank you again. It does sound very promising. Another regular on here's family went diving from Namma Bay this year and mentioned the 'dive soup' situation there. Fortunately for my DD her first experience of red sea diving was further up the coast at Nabq (think they were diving somewhere off of the Conrad) and she found it a great experience.

It's sounding better by the minute Chris
Interesting stuff there TAH especially with the diving . My hubby hates that dive boat carnage down at Naama bay .They enjoy it in sharm but as Chris says direct from hotels along the coast a bit . They loved it in nuweiba too . Hopefully will get to El gouna sooner rather than later.

I had a look round at the Sheraton Chris. Has a lot of grounds and looked very good.

Thanks Lesley. Sheraton does look nice in the brochure (but then don't they all lol). I just thought it might make a change from Sharm. I had been looking at Taba Heights, but I thought that might be just that bit too quiet, whereas with both the downtown area and the marina El Gouna seems to have that little bit more to offer. The other option was Luxor for a week and see the sights.

Too many lovely places and not enough time.

ive just returned from the three corners riahanna in el gounna and loved it, the hotel was nice the food good.the best part was being able to go out in the evenings to down town or the marina,wesawafewshows at both these places for free, drinks out and about were a bit pricey, but it was great.

Agree there - but if you do decide on Three Corners Rhianna - I personally would go for Rhianna RESORT and not Rhianna INN. We stayed in the Inn the first time and the Resort the last twice and found the rooms there far superior. All in the same complex mind.

We are having a change this year though and fly to Three Corners Ocean View on Xmas Day