HI

Im no expert as only been to egypt the once, we stayed in Hurghada this summer and it was lovely its not to lively and you could walk around without being hassled. I also visited Marsa Alam though didnt stay in a hotel so cant really say what that is like but marsa alam was lovely, We visited the wadi el gemal (valley of camels) which was amazing we visited a bedouin tribe who were really lovely and stayed there till late when it was pitch black all but the full moon it really was a memorable trip as we spent the night in a traditional hut didnt sleep much though as no air con in those , also while there we visited Samadai (also called dolphin house) which is a protected reef which the dolphins are regually seen though not on the day we were there , the reef is amazing and great for 1st time snorkelling as we were, loads of fish to see. Luxor would probably be nearer but all trips are done in armed convoy so its another early start but worth it to see the temples(karnack temple and luxor are really worth the visit.,I dont know about aswan as didnt go there, .
I hope this helps sorry i couldnt really tell you much, as i say Hurghada was nice infact weve just booked to go again next summer. Wherever you choose im sure you'll have a great time.

As Hurghada has branches of the dreaded burger restaurants with the Scottish sounding name ,why not consider El Gouna ?

No such downmarket establishments there . Its not brash or rowdy but there are still plenty of things to do and you can do your Luxor trip too .

Their website is

http://www.elgouna.com

just because the so called burger chain is their doesnt mean the place is awful though does it. Personnaly we never went to the burger chain or even saw it, its not as if it covers the whole resort. Our two kids came with us and they didnt even know it was there, i much prefer to try other food, though they have visited it since weve been home

I was only responding to the OP and was having a bit of fun .

Ok I admit I have ate in McDonalds too

Doesn't stop El Gouna being much nicer than Hurghada though

Hi Kim

Sounds like Makadi Bay would be perfect for you. It's a small peaceful and friendly resort without a McD's or KFC in sight
We don't drink much, are not into clubbing etc and the resort suited us perfectly.
Trips to Luxor etc. are available but we only did the Cairo trip because we spent the first 4 days of our hols on a Nile cruise from Luxor to Aswan. They also had quad bike trips and evening star gazing with dinner in bedouin tent nights.

I would highly recommend Sol Y Mar Makadi Marine. We spent a very enjoyable week relaxing there last summer after our nile cruise. The diving centre is about a minutes walk along the beach from the hotel and there is a nice reef to snorkle around just in front of the hotels beach.

I posted reviews on this site last July for both the hotel and the resort if you are looking for more info.
Hope this helps
Leanna

Thank you all, I too have enjoyed a burger from there.

BUT when I'm abroad I don't wish to be surrounded by the fast food chains I see at home.

ANY resort I've ever been to with those chains, I've not liked.

So Hurghada is a no-go from that alone. I'm glad I found out now that its that big. I think thats what it is actually, it takes a certain size of resort to support those sort of chains & I don't like resorts that big.

Makadi Bay sounds good, as does El Gouna & Marsa Alam.

I know Marsa Alam is much further south that to first two. Can you tell me how far Makadi Bay & El Gouna are from each other & Hurghada.

I wouldn't want to stay in Hurghada, but I wouldn't mind being close to it. Nice to have it nearby for a day trip

I would say that El Gouna and Makadi are both similar distances from Hurghada .

El Gouna is 22km or 30 minutes North the other to the South . I have not been to Makadi but I would imagine it is merely a collection of Hotels ,whereas El Gouna is a fully fledged town , with downtown and marina areas .

There is an in resort bus ,taxi and water taxi service .An astounding selection of restaurants and a no hassle policy which makes it great to walk around . There are 14 hotels and also a large choice of privately owned apartments and villas making it an easy DIY destination (PM me for details), a first class hospital and centralised customer service department .

I have visited many places in Egypt but El Gouna is my second home.

Hi kimevans,
I wouldn't limit your resort just because there is a fast food place in it.
Enjoy your hols and just ignore them. You'll have a great time.

baz

I have nothing against fast food chains.

The point I make is a resort needs to be a certain size to support those sort of chains. I DON'T LIKE RESORTS THAT BIG, thats all honestly.

I like small or small to medium resorts, not medium to large or large.

I didn't realise Hurghada was that big, until I found out it was big enough to have a macki Ds & now I know its way to big for us.

Thank you, El gouna, Makadi or Marsa Alam it is.

Apart from Marsa Alma having outstanding natural beauty & coral reefs and El Gouna being a town in its own right, is there anything else I should take into consideration?

How far south is Marsa Alam from Hurghada? I'm guessing a lot, otherwise they would use Hurghadas airport & they don't they have a small one.

Portland have some great prices on these hotels for next May 08

Makadi - Hotel Sol y Mar Makadi Marine £659
Marsa Alam - Brayka Bay Hotel £605
Marsa Alam - Iberotel Lamaya Resort £709

The last one, claims to be a 5*.

Any thoughts on these?

Marsa Alam was a good 5 hours drive away from Hurghada, but it really is beautifull and if you want a quiet resort then it would be ideal, cant rate the hotels as didnt stay in one, if you do go there i really do recommend visiting wadi el gemal it is really eye opening

Is Marsa Alam much closer to Luxor & Aswan for the trips than Makadi?

The Portland map is hopeless, its so small you can hardly make out whats what

If Marsa Alam is much closer than Makadi then that would temp me there as I want to see Luxor.
BUT if they are about the same then I'm thinking Makadi sounds good.

I like to stay somewhere quite, but I like to be in reasonable reach of somewhere to go to for the day & mooch around the shops or markets. It doesn't sound like Marsa Alam has any of that at all.

I need to buy one of those little guide books with the tourist maps in.

Thank you all.

I'm backtracking now , but this hotel is 20 kms outside Hurghada so its not going to be stuck in a busy area

Hurghada - The Hilton Hurghada Long Beach £679

Any thoughts on this one?

So far I'm really liking Makadi - Hotel Sol y Mar Makadi Marine. Seems to have the best reviews.

One last thing, A GREAT BEACH IS REALLY IMPORTANT, as is a that the hotel is beach front.

I'm guessing all these resorts have great sandy beaches?????????????????????????

Sol Y Mar Makadi Marine is right on a spotless sandy beach and across the street at the front of the hotel are the souviener shops and resturaunts of Souk Makadi.

I just wish I could afford to go back right now! (can't really complain 'cos I am off to Tunisia in 5 weeks and 3 days )

Leanna