Egypt: from Carol Reefs to Cairo Roads
“They should make a TV programme just showing this street, I’d sit and watch it all day,” I hear one of our fellow tour group saying, as a young boy around 12 years old negotiates his camel across a busy dual carriageway, throbbing with cars, mopeds, tuk-tuks and horse drawn carts.
To our left, the side street ends with a view of the Great Pyramid of Giza, which we’ve just visited, but watching the street on our right is far more captivating at the moment. The street is utter bedlam, but what looks like complete chaos to us is obviously timed to perfection by those involved in it, and thanks to some supernatural special awareness everybody seems to get within millimetres of each other, at speed, without ever actually colliding.
It’s hard to believe that the Jaz Aquamarine – our hotel back in Hurghada – is on the same planet as this scene, let alone in the same country, and it suddenly occurs to me that until this day trip to Cairo I haven’t actually seen a car for the last five days. The nearest thing I can think of seeing since arrival at the Aquamarine was the golf cart used to ferry us and our luggage from reception to our room on arrival. I couldn’t understand why this was necessary at first and I asked reception to just “point me in the right direction”, but after several turns and passing at least five huge swimming pools and two different waterparks, I quickly realised that our room wasn’t exactly just round the corner.
Between then and our trip to Cairo, the only other forms of transport I’ve noticed have been boats in one of the hotel’s lagoons, heading out to the world class coral reefs offshore. I did also notice a couple of children learning to windsurf in a separate shallow lagoon on one of the days – if that counts.
We tried to convince our own two children, aged eleven and eight, to take windsurfing lessons but we’re already on a pretty tight schedule as it is spending time in various waterparks, swimming in the huge pools and snorkelling on the house reef.
The house reef, which sits at the end of a spur of beach separating two lagoons, is the highlight of the day. Here we find the perfect introduction to the life aquatic for our children, and our eleven-year-old Harrison is in heaven every time he steps into the water. A helpful billboard guide to Red Sea fish is erected close to the reef, and he’s been ticking off all the different species he’s seen since we’ve been here. His personal favourite is the pipefish, which looks like a really long seahorse. The coral at the Jaz Aquamarine is in pretty good shape too and has plenty of colour in many parts.
Of course, the best spots are still offshore, and boat trips leave right from the hotel for serious divers and snorkellers. But eight-year-old Ella is more comfortable splashing around in the shallows and letting the curious angel fish come to her, so we’ve opted to stay put in the hotel, apart from the trip to Cairo.
Ella and Harrison have both given scuba a trial in one of the hotel’s seventeen pools, thanks to the dive centre offering free short trials there on an ad hoc basis. They both loved the experience and seeing them underwater confidently blowing bubbles was one of the highlights of the trip for me.
Most hotels on Egypt’s Red Sea coast are all-inclusive affairs and the Jaz Aquamarine is no exception. I can’t speak for other hotels but the food at the Aquamarine is sensational. I usually tire of buffets after a couple of days, but the food at the Aquamarine has been first class since we arrived. Besides the buffets a stay also includes one free dinner at the premium a la carte restaurants. There are several of these, including an Arabic restaurant, an Italian restaurant, a seafood restaurant and more. Drinks are free in all the bars until midnight and include international branded beers, cocktails and local wines, as well as all the usual branded soft drinks and juices.
It’s easy to see why Egypt remains popular with British, German and Italian tourists, and our hotel is full of very happy holiday makers. The exceptional value for money, guaranteed sunshine, excellent amenities and the warmth of the staff see visitors return year after year. Many never venture beyond the gates of the palatial compound, but for me, if you’ve flown all this way you might as well take a day trip to see this crazy dual carriageway in Giza. Maybe even have a look at the Grand Pyramid at the same time.
We stayed at the Jaz Aquamarine, which shares facilities with the Jaz Bluemarine and booked with TUI to benefit from the services of a rep, as well as pre-booked excursions. Prices at the time of writing could be found for as low as £2859 for seven nights all-inclusive for a family of four in June. Prices in the Bluemarine were from £569pp all-inclusive in June for seven nights. Day trips by air to the pyramids and Museum of Cairo can be added to a TUI holiday, the trip includes the services of a guide and lunch. They also run day trips to the Valley of the Kings by coach, which include a Nile cruise and lunch.
I’ve always wanted to go to Egypt, it looks amazing, will for sure look in to this more, kids would love it!
I have a precious photo of my Dad in his RAF uniform stood next to the Sphinx during the second world war. I have wanted to visit and stand in the same spot bu sadly spare funds have never been available.