hi there, regarding board basis, we find that the price isnt much different if booking b&b or a/inclusive. It seems to work out better to go a/inclusive and then if you want to eat out you can go into na'ama bay to one of the restaurants. There are a variety of restaurants to choose from. Drinks aren't that expensive, they are average prices in na'ama bay itself but not sure how prices compare in the hotels that aren't a/inclusive.

when we have gone to greece in the past sc or b&b we tend to allow up to £50 per day for food/drink so even if you are going for 7 nights I doubt you would get b&b £350 cheaper. If you choose a good hotel they normally have several restaurants to visit.

thank you.
I thought that might be the case, go AI and choose to eat out.
I will have to do some more research on this!

Hi Del .

Yes the price difference is usually what you are up against .sharm is a huge stretch of coastline and most hotels are outside of the main town Naama Bay and on an A/I basis . You can get a cab easily and cheaply .The alternative would be to go for one of the B&B hotels /half board hotel's in NB but of course these come at a premium due to location and as sutty says often costs as much as an A/I.

lyn

Yes everybody is right, not much difference in price between a decent BnB hotel and a decent AI hotel. The only thing to reckon in is that most of the nice AI's are a cab ride from Namma Bay where all the good restaurants are.

Might be an idea to go AI and try eating out of an evening at the begining of your holiday and then if getting cabs in and out of NB proves too much of a fag, use the AI dinners towards the end of the holiday. I guess a bit will depend on if you are going for one or two weeks. Cabs are easy to get, they stop for you all the time (even when you don't want them to lol !)

Doe

Hi and welcome to Holidaytruths

Although at present i go to the same hotel once/twice a year, when we started it was on a b&b basis, we liked this, i was horrified it going to A1. Mainly because we didn't want to be chained to a complex all day and night and not move. I might add that i hadnt tried a/1 either at that time ever.

When sonesta beach changed a few years back we had a free upgrade to a1, it didnt cost us anything more. I didnt rate the food very much at that time when it went a1, there was a lot of people to cater for and most of them wasn't British.

The next year we priced up along the prom, the jolie-ville hotel beach view, the marriott and sofitel. All were either b&b, HB or a1. But the prices were outragous It was more money to stay bed and breakfast than a1.

We went back the next year twice, i complained to management that most of the food is geared towards Italians, Germans etc and we found going back later in the year that it had improved 100% and keeps improving.

I have eaten in the majority of restaurants in and around Naama Bay and the food is very reasonable from mcdonalds to 3 course meals with a good wine. The only place i would give a wide birth for food is fridays, that gave a whole party of six food poisoning, and the toilets were swimming on the floor with, well er everything, and hard rock although the food is lovely to look at, i always get the squits so i dont bother there now, drink is very OTT on prices there as well !

So to conclude, i would always go A1 now, but a few times a week/fortnight eat out and see different entertainment.

Happy holidays.

Many thanks to all for replies, I will do research and let SWMBO make the decision.
A lot depends on if we decide to go back to Goa for an extended hol in 2012, we are having a month there in 2011 and are not sure if a month maybe too long. If it's not then will probably have 4-6 weeks in Goa,
if so we will probably have to give late summer a miss.

Derwentrocker, thanks for the welcome but we have already shared posts on the Goa forum

just wondered, mentioning Goa, does anyone on here go there and is able to give me a comparison etc.'tween
Goa and Egypt

I know chilly went to sharm earlier in the year Del and she spends a lot of time in goa from what I understand . i should imagine it's very different .

you're right Lyn,I''ll ask her!!!!
I'd forgotten about her going.

I still think it all depends on which part of Egypt you are looking to take your holiday.

If you are looking at the Red Sea resorts then it seems to be AI comes out on top most times but if you're looking at holidaying in Luxor, I would recommend BB or at a push HB as it's very cheap to eat out of the hotels and there are a multitude of restaurants to choose from.

We always go BB and have only ever had 2 meals in our chosen hotel in all the years we've been travelling to Luxor.

Also worth a look could be El gouna (flights into Hurghards ) or Dahab

del949 says

Derwentrocker, thanks for the welcome but we have already shared posts on the Goa forum

I did mean to write welcome to the egypt forums, of course you are in our bestest forum.

Hope you like Egypt, its always nice to have a break.

del949 was in sharm in may was AI but it was our silver wedding while we were there so went out for a meal there was 8 of us we had starters main 6 bottles of wine beers and cokes for the kids and it was £ 135 i thought that was really cheap that was at ali babas in naama bay it was a lovely meal xx

Thanks TOTT,
just the kind of info I needed.
Certainly seems reasonable.
sadly kitchen refurb has taken Egypt money

del