Marsa alam

[greatwhite]

I've thought a lot about this and I would rather be searched and groped than blown up. It's close, it's a short flight and it's warm water diving. It's the price you pay. It's annoying that when you are with "officials" they are really rude. When you are in tourist spots you are charmed and flattered. It is just the way it is. Accept it and get a cheap warm water holiday or reject it and go further. It has changed a lot in the last 20 years - just got to accept you can't change some things. The diving is still good.

How cheap is a warm water holiday there these days?

[wildjetskier]

Can anyone please help with some advice on whether and if so how to get from the UK to Egypt in a few weeks time. I want to take a 16 year old for a week to learn to dive. Ideally I would complete the outstanding bits of BSAC dive leader in the first 2-3 days. 16 yo did seal team etc and is very good at physics so should manage no prob. I don't know if I should be aiming for sharm (been many times but not for quite a few years now, poss 8 ish, in fact said 16 yo was on a sharm Emperor boat aged 10 months... ) or marsa (no experience at all, so I don't know how suitable) or elsewhere ? Advice greatly appreciated..... am in Bristol if that makes a difference

Im in Shagra 1/2 the year teaching so if I can help then more than happy to just PM me

[smileydiver]

Can anyone please help with some advice on whether and if so how to get from the UK to Egypt in a few weeks time. I want to take a 16 year old for a week to learn to dive. Ideally I would complete the outstanding bits of BSAC dive leader in the first 2-3 days. 16 yo did seal team etc and is very good at physics so should manage no prob. I don't know if I should be aiming for sharm (been many times but not for quite a few years now, poss 8 ish, in fact said 16 yo was on a sharm Emperor boat aged 10 months... ) or marsa (no experience at all, so I don't know how suitable) or elsewhere ? Advice greatly appreciated..... am in Bristol if that makes a difference

Currently still no direct flights from UK to Sharm sadly. There are a variety of options to fly to European countries and fly on from there or via Istanbul. I just got back from Sharm and the same as last year flew with EgyptAir via Cairo. You get decent luggage allowance and although they changed my flight times a bit, they were very good at then moving me to a different flight when the new times didn't suit (free of charge). I will be writing a full trip report soon but I had a great time. Yes we had a lot of security checks in Cairo and Sharm airports but staff were friendly and helpful and we had no issues at all.

[Georgina]

https://www.thomascookairlines.com/en/cheap-flights/egypt/hurghada/from-bristol/

From Hurghada Airport you have the choice of many resorts. 24 km to the north is the private town of El Gouna (where I live). Hurghada town stretches for miles south then you have Makadi Bay, Soma Bay. Marsa Alam has its own airport and is about three hours south of Hurghada Airport starting at Port Ghalib then running south. You have the lovely dive camps of mentioned above with the choice of tents or chalets with house reefs.

Guess it depends if you want to be inside a big bustling city with lights and action, peace and quiet further south, or the in between of El Gouna: http://elgouna.com/ for which I can answer any questions as a resident of 14 years

[purple vonny]

We got back from Marsa Alam last week.
Batteries are not a problem any more, take a case full.
Security coming home was a freakin nightmare again. Searched at first security (where bags are scanned)
searched at second security after going through passports
Flagged down randomly by a man at a desk in the shopping area to sign a book with my passport number and name. I asked why and got a frown in response
searched again before boarding the plane.

And as we arrived at the airport, we were told we could not go through security for another hour but for 27 Euros we could go through to the VIP lounge . We sat for a hour and waited.

The airport staff made sure that I don't feel very valued as a tourist in a country that desperately needs tourists.

The diving was nice though. I might do a report.

[David D]

The airport staff made sure that I don't feel very valued as a tourist in a country that desperately needs tourists.

This was my thought also, though through a red haze.

The place is truly a dump, and I'd never go near the place, but had a great whaleshark encounter out on Little Brother, first whale shark I've seen in the Red Sea in 18 years of trips, so I'll probably go back

[purple vonny]

This was my thought also, though through a red haze.

The place is truly a dump, and I'd never go near the place, but had a great whaleshark encounter out on Little Brother, first whale shark I've seen in the Red Sea in 18 years of trips, so I'll probably go back

It's near, it's reasonably cheap and the diving is great so I'll keep going and curse at airport staff under my breath.
It was worth it this time...... actual dolphins on Dolphin House !!

[smileydiver]

The security checks at Sharm and Cairo seemed to largely involve me and my bag going through scanners 4 or 5 times, a good inspection of my toiletries bag and an explosives / drugs swab of my kindle. Everyone was nice enough and it didn't bother me at all. I haven't been through Hurghada or Marsa Alam for a while, are they a lot more aggressive there then?

[purple vonny]

Certainly Marsa Alam is very unfriendly. Airport staff are very grumpy and I think that 4 x security checks (body search, swabbing with that and held scanning machine and putting bare feet on a scanner) is very OTT. It seems as though they wish you would never come back. I thought that arriving 3 hours before check in and being made to sit in the entrance hall for an hour whilst being harassed to pay 27 Euros to check in early (for VIP check in) was ridiculous.
It was like this last time but previous to that we were there when Morsi was deposed in 2013 think, and no one checked anything.. all staff were glued to the TV and rejoicing, oblivious to whatever we carried through security.
This time, we were so glad to land in the UK where we were met with smiles and welcomes.
As far as Marsa Alam goes, they really need to train their staff to at least smile and be polite.
There are so many resorts that look empty and they rely on tourism - I would not return for a "sunshine holiday" - but I will return for diving as it is so good.

[purple vonny]

Just back again from Marsa Alam. At the airport on return we had three full bag scans and body searches. Bags get scanned as you enter the airport followed by a rub down - every bloody nook and cranny of your body including standing on one leg with your other leg on a stool so they can grope your inner legs and beyond. Then check in, then another security frisk and bag scan. feet on stool again, groped again. then a third body search, but I ran past to the loo and escaped this one. And finally as you enter the departure lounge, most people were groped and frisked again and had all hand luggage emptied.
I'd like to see all airport staff get frisked throughout their shift. It could be them who are the security risk.
Once more, no one was treated politely, all security staff were rude and grumpy.
Still, the holiday was very good!!!!

[greatwhite]

Certainly Marsa Alam is very unfriendly. Airport staff are very grumpy and I think that 4 x security checks (body search, swabbing with that and held scanning machine and putting bare feet on a scanner) is very OTT. It seems as though they wish you would never come back. I thought that arriving 3 hours before check in and being made to sit in the entrance hall for an hour whilst being harassed to pay 27 Euros to check in early (for VIP check in) was ridiculous.
It was like this last time but previous to that we were there when Morsi was deposed in 2013 think, and no one checked anything.. all staff were glued to the TV and rejoicing, oblivious to whatever we carried through security.
This time, we were so glad to land in the UK where we were met with smiles and welcomes.
As far as Marsa Alam goes, they really need to train their staff to at least smile and be polite.
There are so many resorts that look empty and they rely on tourism - I would not return for a "sunshine holiday" - but I will return for diving as it is so good.

You mean they are more rude than the security staff at Birmingham airport? lol - for sure they looked well pissed off when dealing with the public the last time I was there.