The first time I decided to start my review while still in Egypt. On September 2.2008, we flew to Hurghada on a Boeing 747. We bought the tour from Teztour.
About the plane:
The Boeing turns out to be a very comfortable and well-thought-out aircraft - it has more space between the seats and the seat backs are wider than in the IL-86. The flight went smoothly and not once, during the flight, did my ears get stuffy. However, flying on our Ilahs is somehow calmer psychologically!
About the airport and meeting:
At the airport, buying visas is faster than before, as it seemed to me. We went to the Tez-tour counter and we were offered to purchase visas for 17 bucks, so as not to stand in the general queue, where visas cost $ 15... we agreed without hesitation... I personally don’t feel sorry for 2 bucks and where they are then go - in whose pocket - I'm not deeply interested! And if you ask yourself the question: where would I put the saved $ 2? For me and my companions, it was more important at that moment to go through border control as quickly as possible and get on the bus of a travel agency, hiding from the heat that was not yet familiar. Everything at the mes-tour was perfectly rehearsed - it would be superfluous to add something here.
Check in hotel:
Upon arrival at the hotel, our guide quickly fulfilled his duties and literally half an hour later we were already on our way to lunch, leaving our things at the reception. After the meal, the rest of the issues were settled and we received the keys to the rooms. We did not pay extra and our whole company was located in one building (1000) on one floor (second). Gave 5 pounds to the porter - this is their usual fee.
Rooms:
For me personally, the view from the window is of secondary importance, because. I never spend much time in my room. Our window overlooked a lawn with flowers and palm trees, further to the horizon the rest of the hotel buildings and even further the sea... the sea itself was not visible, but the direction of the windows was approximately on it. The window also opened a view (if you look to the right) of the Golden Five Hotel - in the evening they turned on a singing fountain - it was visible well and looked beautiful. The rooms themselves are clean and tidy, cleaning and change of linen every day.
They cleaned up well. Tipped the cleaner about 1-2 pounds a day. Once they left a dollar and received the next day swans from blankets as a token of gratitude.
The general impression is that it was always a pleasure to enter the room. The air conditioner worked properly. Refrigerator and safe also did not cause any complaints. All without problems.
Accommodation:
The territory of the hotel is very large - there is enough space for everyone - this cannot be taken away. The area itself is quite beautiful and well-groomed. An artificial lagoon before going out to the open sea is a great idea, because due to the lack of waves and corals, you don’t have to worry about the kids. About food. I thought it would be monotonous, as it was in Ali Baba last year - but no - the food is excellent: there is a lot of everything, something is constantly being added, changing - you can always choose something to your liking. Someone says that the cuisine is not very... here I don’t agree - everyone has different tastes and it’s pointless to argue. Of course, there is not enough bacon, herring and borscht in the end, but you can eat it at home =). We didn’t go to paid restaurants - it didn’t make sense, because. more expensive than in the city, and since we went to the city almost every day, we ate there at normal prices. There are plenty of restaurants and cafes in the city - everyone has about the same prices and cooks quite tolerably, but somewhere it’s very good - everything is on the main street of Hurghada, you have to walk far or you don’t need to drive. But I digress. . .
Pools on site, as elsewhere in Egypt - clear blue water... and what else do you need? =0) But we didn't swim much in the pools, because the sea is much more attractive to us. By the way, right on the beach you can order a pizza for 25 local pounds. We liked being on the left side of the lagoon, next to the bar and shower. It turned out that everything was close by, both water and beer and washed from sea water =) By the way, beer... beer there is lively and weak - about 4%, but no matter how much you drink it - there will be no hangover in the morning and this cannot but rejoice. The rest of the drinks were of little interest... because. everything was from duty free. There is also a windsurfing school on the beach of the lagoon. I must say at first I was skeptical, but after trying I got carried away - walking on a board with a sail is an awesome feeling. A local boy who calls himself Jamaica is doing a very good job of teaching tourists this, in principle, a simple task. For a price of about $200, you can get a full 12-hour course and a certificate that gives you the right to ride anywhere (valid not only in Egypt). My friend and I did just that - and we do not regret it - we got a lot of new sensations and a few lost kilograms - the sport is still extreme. I won’t describe our other hobbies - I’ll just say briefly that 4 people received driver certificates from us (were trained), we chartered a yacht for the day, where we were alone - scuba diving and fishing. Snorkeling… about this separately:
There are places to go in for snorkeling - after passing the lagoon we find ourselves at the exit to the sea... probably no one needs to be reminded that there is nothing to do there barefoot - either beach slippers (you can buy in any store in Egypt or a hotel) or flippers. Neglect can be costly. Cut the skin on your legs - half the trouble, cut it deeper - you suffer, like my friend, who managed to cut his heel to the bone....then a couple of operations... and limped for a long time (it was in Sharm El Sheikh). So. We go into the sea and beauty awaits us right at the doorstep - there are quite a lot of "home" corals near the hotel and they are located at different distances from the shore, but if you start swimming from the pier (you need to swim forward about 20-30 meters) and then swim parallel to the shore in side of the right edge of the beach on the territory of the hotel (towards a building resembling a lighthouse), then your eyes will see a lot of species of both corals and fish (and clown fish, butterfly fish - girls, - lionfish, - surgeons, - parrots, moray eels , barracudas (you need to be able to find the latter =))... and many, many others), there are a lot of hedgehogs - diadem hedgehogs with long black needles - I don’t advise touching them. And in general, if you are a beginner and don’t know for sure which coral or which hedgehog or which shell you can touch, then it’s better to watch the beauty no closer than half a meter - it’s safer.
I’ll also immediately make a reservation that it’s not worth breaking corals, because they grow for decades... but break in seconds. There was a case when weighty aunts kicked their feet in the water in search of support, found corals and broke them... it was painful to look at this picture, because. this hotel has the richest reefs of the three hotels on this coast that I have seen with my own eyes (the other two are Sunrise Garden Beach and Ali Baba). And I’ll also explain why you shouldn’t get carried away with feeding fish with bread - as my friend an experienced aquarist said, bread is not suitable for fish to eat and they can either get sick or die from this - we won’t be able to see this with you and control it too. I chose to believe him.
Staff:
At first it seemed to me that the story with the staff is repeating itself (Ali Baba), but then I understood the essence! It turns out that having arrived in Egypt on September 2, we got to the beginning of their holy month of Ramadan, when from sunrise to sunset they can’t eat, drink or smoke... nothing at all, so while I was trying to understand why they are so “sour” during the day, I thought that the staff here is not very good. But I was wrong. When they smiled, they found the strength to smile back (I imagine myself....if I had not eaten all day... someone would smile at me... yeah! ) And even joke! The bartender on the beach even told jokes in Russian! In general, it turned out that the staff of this hotel for the most part - well done. Of course, there were comrades who were not in the mood for smiles, but they also behaved tactfully and did their job with dignity.
I won’t say anything about animation - because. our team did not use their services - we did not need it, but they say that they are not bad guys.
Departure:
Since we are not in Egypt for the first time, we left for the airport in two taxi cars (12 bucks each). Previously, we naturally handed over the rooms, thanking the cleaners with a tip (5 pounds). We arrived at the airport, slowly went through registration and border control, ate in duty free and flew to Moscow.
In general, the holiday turned out great!
A couple of tips:
1. If you are walking around the city and do not want to buy souvenirs, etc. - just answer the offers of merchants with thanks and move on. You don’t need to say anything, you don’t need to explain, more tourists are following you - the merchant will still earn his money!
2. If you are polite with the staff, the reaction will be adequate - it has been checked a hundred times.
3. All Egyptians are brought up in such a way that almost the only income is the money of a tourist - do not blame them for this - they have such a mentality.
4. If in a minibus you paid the driver 20 pounds (two pieces of paper for 10), and he shows you with surprise on his face that you actually gave him two pieces of paper for 50 piastres (their pennies), then just tell him that this you know the joke and calmly get off the minibus and walk to your health without worrying about anything. It’s not worth getting angry at them for this, and it’s not worth wasting time either. You can avoid this scam by showing the bills to the driver and saying, "See - I'm giving you 20 pounds? " Answer Yes - give the banknotes, does not answer - ask again. By the way, all drivers need to pay only at the end of the trip and the amount should be negotiated in advance. Those. five of you are going from the hotel to Hurghada... well, let's say to McDonald's. The fee is approximately 20 pounds (if there are no stops and no additional passengers are picked up). We tell the driver 20 pounds for 5 people - he agrees - let's go, he does not agree - the other will agree. And choose payment without change. By the way, you may not come across rogue drivers there. Most are normal guys. You can ride a taxi - 25 pounds or 5 dollars.
5. There is no need to call the Egyptians names - they remember this and then very often misuse the learned material.
By the way, all this information can be asked in more detail from your guide.
Have a good rest everyone.
About the plane:
The Boeing turns out to be a very comfortable and well-thought-out aircraft - it has more space between the seats and the seat backs are wider than in the IL-86. The flight went smoothly and not once, during the flight, did my ears get stuffy. However, flying on our Ilahs is somehow calmer psychologically!
About the airport and meeting:
At the airport, buying visas is faster than before, as it seemed to me. We went to the Tez-tour counter and we were offered to purchase visas for 17 bucks, so as not to stand in the general queue, where visas cost $ 15... we agreed without hesitation... I personally don’t feel sorry for 2 bucks and where they are then go - in whose pocket - I'm not deeply interested! And if you ask yourself the question: where would I put the saved $ 2? For me and my companions, it was more important at that moment to go through border control as quickly as possible and get on the bus of a travel agency, hiding from the heat that was not yet familiar. Everything at the mes-tour was perfectly rehearsed - it would be superfluous to add something here.
Check in hotel:
Upon arrival at the hotel, our guide quickly fulfilled his duties and literally half an hour later we were already on our way to lunch, leaving our things at the reception. After the meal, the rest of the issues were settled and we received the keys to the rooms. We did not pay extra and our whole company was located in one building (1000) on one floor (second). Gave 5 pounds to the porter - this is their usual fee.
Rooms:
For me personally, the view from the window is of secondary importance, because. I never spend much time in my room. Our window overlooked a lawn with flowers and palm trees, further to the horizon the rest of the hotel buildings and even further the sea... the sea itself was not visible, but the direction of the windows was approximately on it. The window also opened a view (if you look to the right) of the Golden Five Hotel - in the evening they turned on a singing fountain - it was visible well and looked beautiful. The rooms themselves are clean and tidy, cleaning and change of linen every day.
They cleaned up well. Tipped the cleaner about 1-2 pounds a day. Once they left a dollar and received the next day swans from blankets as a token of gratitude.
The general impression is that it was always a pleasure to enter the room. The air conditioner worked properly. Refrigerator and safe also did not cause any complaints. All without problems.
Accommodation:
The territory of the hotel is very large - there is enough space for everyone - this cannot be taken away. The area itself is quite beautiful and well-groomed. An artificial lagoon before going out to the open sea is a great idea, because due to the lack of waves and corals, you don’t have to worry about the kids. About food. I thought it would be monotonous, as it was in Ali Baba last year - but no - the food is excellent: there is a lot of everything, something is constantly being added, changing - you can always choose something to your liking. Someone says that the cuisine is not very... here I don’t agree - everyone has different tastes and it’s pointless to argue. Of course, there is not enough bacon, herring and borscht in the end, but you can eat it at home =). We didn’t go to paid restaurants - it didn’t make sense, because. more expensive than in the city, and since we went to the city almost every day, we ate there at normal prices. There are plenty of restaurants and cafes in the city - everyone has about the same prices and cooks quite tolerably, but somewhere it’s very good - everything is on the main street of Hurghada, you have to walk far or you don’t need to drive. But I digress. . .
Pools on site, as elsewhere in Egypt - clear blue water... and what else do you need? =0) But we didn't swim much in the pools, because the sea is much more attractive to us. By the way, right on the beach you can order a pizza for 25 local pounds. We liked being on the left side of the lagoon, next to the bar and shower. It turned out that everything was close by, both water and beer and washed from sea water =) By the way, beer... beer there is lively and weak - about 4%, but no matter how much you drink it - there will be no hangover in the morning and this cannot but rejoice. The rest of the drinks were of little interest... because. everything was from duty free. There is also a windsurfing school on the beach of the lagoon. I must say at first I was skeptical, but after trying I got carried away - walking on a board with a sail is an awesome feeling. A local boy who calls himself Jamaica is doing a very good job of teaching tourists this, in principle, a simple task. For a price of about $200, you can get a full 12-hour course and a certificate that gives you the right to ride anywhere (valid not only in Egypt). My friend and I did just that - and we do not regret it - we got a lot of new sensations and a few lost kilograms - the sport is still extreme. I won’t describe our other hobbies - I’ll just say briefly that 4 people received driver certificates from us (were trained), we chartered a yacht for the day, where we were alone - scuba diving and fishing. Snorkeling… about this separately:
There are places to go in for snorkeling - after passing the lagoon we find ourselves at the exit to the sea... probably no one needs to be reminded that there is nothing to do there barefoot - either beach slippers (you can buy in any store in Egypt or a hotel) or flippers. Neglect can be costly. Cut the skin on your legs - half the trouble, cut it deeper - you suffer, like my friend, who managed to cut his heel to the bone....then a couple of operations... and limped for a long time (it was in Sharm El Sheikh). So. We go into the sea and beauty awaits us right at the doorstep - there are quite a lot of "home" corals near the hotel and they are located at different distances from the shore, but if you start swimming from the pier (you need to swim forward about 20-30 meters) and then swim parallel to the shore in side of the right edge of the beach on the territory of the hotel (towards a building resembling a lighthouse), then your eyes will see a lot of species of both corals and fish (and clown fish, butterfly fish - girls, - lionfish, - surgeons, - parrots, moray eels , barracudas (you need to be able to find the latter =))... and many, many others), there are a lot of hedgehogs - diadem hedgehogs with long black needles - I don’t advise touching them. And in general, if you are a beginner and don’t know for sure which coral or which hedgehog or which shell you can touch, then it’s better to watch the beauty no closer than half a meter - it’s safer.
I’ll also immediately make a reservation that it’s not worth breaking corals, because they grow for decades... but break in seconds. There was a case when weighty aunts kicked their feet in the water in search of support, found corals and broke them... it was painful to look at this picture, because. this hotel has the richest reefs of the three hotels on this coast that I have seen with my own eyes (the other two are Sunrise Garden Beach and Ali Baba). And I’ll also explain why you shouldn’t get carried away with feeding fish with bread - as my friend an experienced aquarist said, bread is not suitable for fish to eat and they can either get sick or die from this - we won’t be able to see this with you and control it too. I chose to believe him.
Staff:
At first it seemed to me that the story with the staff is repeating itself (Ali Baba), but then I understood the essence! It turns out that having arrived in Egypt on September 2, we got to the beginning of their holy month of Ramadan, when from sunrise to sunset they can’t eat, drink or smoke... nothing at all, so while I was trying to understand why they are so “sour” during the day, I thought that the staff here is not very good. But I was wrong. When they smiled, they found the strength to smile back (I imagine myself....if I had not eaten all day... someone would smile at me... yeah! ) And even joke! The bartender on the beach even told jokes in Russian! In general, it turned out that the staff of this hotel for the most part - well done. Of course, there were comrades who were not in the mood for smiles, but they also behaved tactfully and did their job with dignity.
I won’t say anything about animation - because. our team did not use their services - we did not need it, but they say that they are not bad guys.
Departure:
Since we are not in Egypt for the first time, we left for the airport in two taxi cars (12 bucks each). Previously, we naturally handed over the rooms, thanking the cleaners with a tip (5 pounds). We arrived at the airport, slowly went through registration and border control, ate in duty free and flew to Moscow.
In general, the holiday turned out great!
A couple of tips:
1. If you are walking around the city and do not want to buy souvenirs, etc. - just answer the offers of merchants with thanks and move on. You don’t need to say anything, you don’t need to explain, more tourists are following you - the merchant will still earn his money!
2. If you are polite with the staff, the reaction will be adequate - it has been checked a hundred times.
3. All Egyptians are brought up in such a way that almost the only income is the money of a tourist - do not blame them for this - they have such a mentality.
4. If in a minibus you paid the driver 20 pounds (two pieces of paper for 10), and he shows you with surprise on his face that you actually gave him two pieces of paper for 50 piastres (their pennies), then just tell him that this you know the joke and calmly get off the minibus and walk to your health without worrying about anything. It’s not worth getting angry at them for this, and it’s not worth wasting time either. You can avoid this scam by showing the bills to the driver and saying, "See - I'm giving you 20 pounds? " Answer Yes - give the banknotes, does not answer - ask again. By the way, all drivers need to pay only at the end of the trip and the amount should be negotiated in advance. Those. five of you are going from the hotel to Hurghada... well, let's say to McDonald's. The fee is approximately 20 pounds (if there are no stops and no additional passengers are picked up). We tell the driver 20 pounds for 5 people - he agrees - let's go, he does not agree - the other will agree. And choose payment without change. By the way, you may not come across rogue drivers there. Most are normal guys. You can ride a taxi - 25 pounds or 5 dollars.
5. There is no need to call the Egyptians names - they remember this and then very often misuse the learned material.
By the way, all this information can be asked in more detail from your guide.
Have a good rest everyone.
Translated automatically from Russian. View original
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OTHER REVIEWS ABOUT THE HOTEL
- Powerfully rested in Egypt with the whole family
- Mediocre hotel for the price of 5*
- Great hotel for families
- Great stay
- Food is terrible, service is good
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