Незабываемый отпуск в Марса-Алам Unforgettable holidays in Marsa Alam

I rested at the Shams Allam hotel from 24.11 to 07.12. 2013, tour operator Pegasus.
The flight with Nord Wind was excellent. New aircraft Airbus A-321, friendly stewardesses. The flight time flew by quickly. The big disadvantage is that Pegasus does not fly to Marsa Alam, so I had to fly to Hurghada, and from there it took 4.5 hours by minibus to the hotel. As a result, I spent half the day allotted for rest at the hotel on the road. The same on the way back.
Upon arrival in Egypt, the representative of Pegasus was very helpful. It turned out that all my currency was in my luggage and there was nothing to buy a visa for. He helped me get my luggage before buying a visa - the problem was solved.
Next - transfer by minibus from Hurghada to the hotel. Travel time is 4.5 hours, which is quite difficult after a 4-hour flight. Arrived at the hotel at 10 pm.

The check-in went quickly, without an additional fee, in a standard room, where it was clean, fresh linen was laid and everything worked right away. Rumboy took things to the room, politely asked if everything was in order, and wished him a good rest. The room has two beds, refrigerator, air conditioning, TV, safe, balcony. The refrigerator, however, rattled like a tractor, so I turned it off at night so as not to interfere with sleep. Air conditioning is also quite noisy, but it was not necessary, as the weather was comfortable. Room on the 2nd floor of a 2-storey building, sea view from the balcony.
Meals: in the restaurant breakfast - 4.5, lunch and dinner - 3.5, sometimes 4. The breakfast menu includes scrambled eggs, pancakes, boiled eggs, cottage cheese, corn flakes, coffee, tea, juices, fruits. For lunch and dinner - mashed soups, rice, stewed vegetables, two types of pasta with vegetables and sauces, potatoes, chicken, sometimes goulash, fried fish, various sauces, fresh vegetables, fruits, in general, the usual set. You definitely won’t stay hungry and you won’t get poisoned, but you rarely experience the pleasure of food, although the taste and color.....
Of course, one cannot fail to note the work of the restaurant staff. The chef personally greets everyone with a smile. The cooks and waiters are also very friendly, smiling, they will definitely ask if everything is in order, and will help if something happens.
What was unusual was the lack of juices and tea in the restaurant for dinner. No, of course they were, but in the bar, which is 80 meters from the restaurant, if you want - good luck. Beer and wine were quite good for "all inclusive".

Sea at the hotel: beach line - 800 meters, the middle part of the beach - sand, left and right - reefs. There is a surf center on the left side of the beach. On the right - a pier and a diving center. The outer reef of the hotel, especially the right one, is very beautiful, there are coral trees, sponges, pipes and other beauty. In the bay of the hotel, 5-7 large turtles are constantly grazing with fish-sticks in the kit. Small barracudas chase every little thing, sometimes stingrays swim. On the outer reef there are a lot of small and large fish of all colors of the rainbow. I tried to pass the left reef to the end, but about 200 meters from the pier of the neighboring hotel, patience ran out, and due to the lack of a passage in the reef to the shore, I had to wade through shallow water over the reef. The right reef is much longer than the left, at times, and more diverse in terms of vegetation, it also did not pass to the end due to lack of time. I must say that I had to visit several bays, including Sharm El Luli and the Sataya Reef on the high seas, but I have not seen such a variety of living creatures (that is, fish) anywhere in our hotel.
Excursions: the hotel, of course, is cheaper than the tour operator. But the tour operator conducts a tour, that is, there is a guide who will definitely tell you something interesting
about Egypt, its history, culture, about the Bedouins, etc. This is a plus. In addition, if the guide promises a meeting with the Bedouins, a meeting with camels or other animals, it will definitely be, unlike hotel excursions.
Diving. Most Marsa Alam hotels have their own diving centers, professional instructors, a full set of necessary equipment, boats (boats) and motor boats. However, all of them are tuned to the Italian-German-English-speaking audience. That is, there are almost no Russian-speaking instructors. And when diving, especially when learning, it is extremely important to understand the instructor.
Diving training was the main purpose of my holiday, as well as snorkeling and diving trips to various beautiful places. Two wonderful people helped me a lot in this: Olga Terekhina and her husband, diving instructor Rami. They live in Marsa Alam and organize boat trips and diving lessons. Prices are lower than those of tour operators. I contacted Olga by email in advance. mail and agreed on everything. For training, they kindly provided me with a textbook and a laptop with video materials. Helped with a wetsuit and mask (my mask was unsuitable for diving). Training began immediately in open water - theoretical classes + 2 dives per day (5 in total) + self-study of training materials in the hotel. In the course of training, it is mandatory to pass tests, and at the end - the final exam. Everyone is very professional and serious.

The entire learning process with the exam took 4 days. As a result, I learned how to assemble, prepare for diving and disassemble scuba gear on my own. I did all the necessary exercises underwater, learned to breathe correctly, move correctly, studied the system of conventional signs for communicating with a partner, etc. A few additional dives at the end of the classes consolidated my skills, I began to feel freer at depth, I began to notice more interesting things around. As a result, I get an Open Water Diver certificate and can dive up to 18 meters.
It should be noted that diving is not only an exciting activity, but also a serious job that requires good health, concentration, and the ability to quickly pull yourself together in a stressful situation.
I think that open water classes can be started if you feel confident in your abilities, have at least some minimal diving experience (for example, hand in hand with an instructor) or a clear idea of ​ ​ ​ ​ what awaits you. If not, it's best to start with a pool or a small enclosed lagoon. In general, with strict observance of the instructions of the instructor, this wisdom can be mastered without any problems, the main thing is perseverance and perseverance in achieving the goal.
We also managed to visit bays with beautiful corals and various living creatures, and most importantly, swim with dolphins in the open sea. Perhaps this is the strongest impression, even stronger than diving. There were a lot of dolphins (according to the instructor, up to 70 individuals), with cubs, while they allowed to approach them at arm's length and behaved friendly. Sometimes they swam next to me, cut circles around, and played with each other. Feelings are indescribable. It can not be described in words, emotions go off scale.
But every vacation comes to an end sooner or later. Now I'm looking forward to my next vacation, I miss the underwater beauties of Marsa Alam, sometimes I dream of corals, turtles, dolphins. It looks like the sea is a lifelong hobby.