Turtles do exist. For eight days, once I was lucky to meet two at once. I also recommend taking a walk to the right towards the ghost hotel along the way there are very beautiful coves and beaches.
We had a superior room with a small bedroom with a TV and comfortable mattresses and a second large room with a kitchenette without dishes and a kettle and a sagging sofa, with a terrace overlooking the garden. The water pressure was good in the shower, but sometimes there was no hot water.
The food is quite acceptable, two types of meat dishes, one fish and vegetables, sliced fruits and not always enough for latecomers. Two vending machines with different types of coffee drinks and cocoa.
For those who are too lazy at lunch or feel sorry for the time to go to a restaurant, you can have lunch on the beach. True, the food is the same every day: french fries, pizza, sausages. Drinks are poured into plastic cups not to the brim, sugar for tea, in order to be given, must be reminded every time.
But all this is nonsense and I would be quite satisfied with the rest. But she left with a heavy heart. The fact is that four charming puppies have found a haven on the beach. They are very shy and thank God they don’t let you near them, they are almost invisible, they hide in the gorges in the corner of the beach and sometimes appear if someone leaves food.
In the harsh conditions of the desert, they cannot survive, but here some kind people pour water and sometimes some of the food falls out. But there were probably "Guardians of the order" among the tourists, to whom their presence seemed undesirable, and maybe for another reason, but on the penultimate day of my departure, leaving the beach in the evening, I witnessed a raid. Five beach workers, armed with plastic boxes, climbed the hill trying to catch the unfortunate puppies from the gorges. When they spotted me with a phone filming them, they stopped the raid and left the beach. I was still shaking from what I saw for a long time and the feeling of anxiety for innocent animals does not leave me until now.
I think animal lovers will understand me.
It is possible that there will be a re-raid, usually in the evening when people disperse, so it is better to linger at this time and follow in order to prevent them. Unfortunately there are no animal protection laws in Egypt. On the Internet, I found only one organization and shelter, which is located in Cairo. Cruel treatment, poisoning, killing of cats, dogs and donkeys is not uncommon in Egypt and is completely unpunished.
Hope the puppies are ok.
There are no problems with nutrition, there is at least one meat dish in every meal. The only thing is that the coffee in the vending machines is instant - you need to take ground coffee with you: the restaurant has a boiler with hot water. The staff does their best to resolve any issues. Animation level, there is a kids club. Mostly Germans, Poles, Czechs, Ukrainians have a rest. The hotel has shops where you can buy anything you want. Excursions are more expensive than in Sharm, but it's worth it. If you want to enjoy the untouched nature, this is the place for you. Once again, the bay is the best in every sense. There are excursions to places where dolphins and turtles live en masse, you can swim with them. And be sure to take mosquito repellent with you, they are poisoned in the hotel with some kind of gas, but this does not help much.
The room has a large kitchen (unclear purpose - except for 1.5 liters of water (we did not have enough water for 3 adults, there are no coolers with water in the hotel, had to bottle in lunch or dinner), kettle and a set of coffee / tea / sugar (nothing more) .
The bedroom has a double bed with a new orthopedic (very comfortable) mattress, the other room has a double sofa bed, with a very crowded bed (sleeping was very uncomfortable). Bedding, towels are clean - there is almost no cleaning (make the bed, take out the trash). There are also problems with hot water. Two-room family rooms are divided into two double standards with a shared kitchen and a balcony into two rooms, so when paying for the standard, be prepared to live with neighbors.
The hotel does not have internet, seven bought from a 16GB guide for $ 20. Special thanks to the guide - the meeting was no more than 20 minutes (everything is clear, fast, clear) - the tour did not "steam", who is interested in the tour - talked to everyone separately. We took a trip to Luxor ($ 90. Approximately 6.5-8 years. One way, tired, but really liked whether to go, the story floats before our eyes.
) The deciphering word "understandable" - communication in the hotel in English, mostly vacationers British, Germans, Austrians, Poles, Czechs, Italians - aged 50+, very few Ukrainians. You will not be hungry for standard food, one type of soup: for lunch-carrot, for dinner-spinach, and it is 5 *. Local alcohol (arrived with their own), white and red wine very diluted, I liked the beer, coffee machine (took hot milk for croissants). Pleased with the "pre-quarantine" service - you put all the dishes yourself, there are no queues. I was especially disappointed by the presence of fruits - there were dates, oranges, grapes, melons, pears, pomegranates - all green, only persimmons and guavas were edible (were 1 time). There's not even a word about ice cream at the pool bar with ice water and cocoa grinders. There are no complaints about the staff, waiters, bartenders - they run, very friendly and polite, always ready to help.
I will not write much about the sea - it is beautiful, the beach across the street from the hotel (the road is not very active, translate employee). The sunset is comfortable, sandy, you can without corals, the beach in the bay, so even in strong winds you can swim and watch the marine life, especially children. The best time to observe is in the morning (you can swim from 6 o'clock), in the afternoon the water becomes muddy (tides) and visibility is very poor. In the morning we watched in the bay, on the ground for turtles (saw 5 pieces, in my opinion you should not spend $ 50 on a tour of the bay turtles), waited for them to rise to catch their breath, saw squid, great octopus, lionfish, fish- crocodile, flounder, moray eel, stingrays, sea urchins and many colorful fish.
In the afternoon we sailed into the open sea - there is a brighter coral reef and turtles that gnaw corals, but are very bothered by big waves.
Visited the Spa - I recommend on arrival Cleopatra complex - sauna, coconut peeling, massage, hammam, jacuzzi, price $ 15. There is almost no animation in the hotel (charging, aqua aerobics, volleyball, etc. , very primitive evening programs, disco for children), very boring, especially young people, a hotel in the desert, nowhere to go. Up to 5 * hotel Aurora Bay Resort does not live up to, but given the price of 15000.00 UAH (for two), which we paid, we did not expect much luxury. In general, satisfied with the rest, flew for the sea, turtles… The hotel can be considered for a budget holiday at a price of not more than $ 500-600 for two.
PS Our compatriots can be found even in Egypt.
It was very unpleasant at six o'clock in the morning to watch the picture of busy deckchairs in the evening, unfolded T-shirts and crushed by stones (as in the Gulf), and this despite the fact that there are enough deckchairs. We always had a beach worker with a smile found free sunbeds at 10 o'clock and at 13.00.
This is not the first time in Egypt with my husband. The hotel was chosen deliberately.
Firstly: Marsa Alam is a windy coast, the strength of the wind and its direction changes during the day, and in this hotel the beach is in the bay! For all 7 days of rest, even with a strong wind, there was a green flag.
Second: turtles! They are here, you don't have to go anywhere. I have personally seen five. Between the two reefs is sand and algae, which turtles like to profit from. Two turtles - with fish - stuck. And there is one old turtle that gnaws on corals. Do not rush to dive to them, wait a bit, they periodically emerge to take in air. And then you can swim a little with the turtle, even stroke it. It's very funny to watch them. We also saw a crocodile fish, a black triangular stingray, my husband saw a huge, according to him, 2-meter moray eel.
The third reason: nearby, within walking distance, is Braika Bay, according to tour operators, there is the best reef on the coast, where I also wanted to swim. (But my husband and I went only 1 time, there are really two beautiful reefs, but smaller and, unfortunately, you don’t have time to enjoy it, because there are sooooo many people, like in Zatoka or Gribovka in July, you constantly bump into or hurt someone last, it was very annoying).
A few tips.
- Be sure to purchase special shoes, even if you choose another hotel, 90% of the entrance to the sea is rocky. (There is no pontoon here, and this is good, because if there is a pontoon, then the entrance to the sea is only from it, and since, I repeat, it is always windy there, the entrance to the pontoon is often closed and a red flag is hung out).
- Buy fins with an adjustable heel that can be worn over your shoes. You will have to walk 40-50 meters, and only then put on flippers. There are two reefs and they are long. And it will be difficult to swim with turtles without flippers.
- Don't be lazy, get up early. The best snorkeling is from 7 am to 9 am. After lunch, the sea is cloudy. At 18:00 it is already dark.
- Swim in a T-shirt or special clothing, no super waterproof cream with 50 protection will save you. The sun is ruthless and you can't feel it in the water!
- Don't buy a waterproof case for your mobile phone. Under water, the sensor does not work, it is impossible to take a photo, the screen is black under water, nothing is visible, all buttons are pressed in a row, except for those that you need. I managed to shoot a couple of videos, but, you know, fish, turtles and dolphins do not wait until I set up the phone. Buy the right equipment for underwater photography or just watch and enjoy!
Tours. Another one of my goals was dolphins! They are near Sataya Reef and at Dolphin House. The last one is farther, more expensive and travel on certain days. To Sataya - in a day, if there is no strong wind! (I bought at a diving center for $75, and met a family from another hotel, the three of them bought for $180, so be sure to bargain). Our group was lucky, we swam with several flocks of dolphins, there were dolphins with cubs, it is very touching. It seemed that the dolphins also had an excursion to people)). I got great pleasure, it's an indescribable feeling! Too bad it's not enough.
It is worth considering that the road is tiring, from the hotel to the port is about 110 km, then on the yacht it takes 2 hours 20 minutes, where the rocking is sooooo strong! Take water in a bottle so that it is nearby (there is water on the yacht, but it is not easy to get to it - strong pitching! ), It is hot, you want to drink all the time. On the yacht they offer pills to prevent motion sickness. Take a hat and windbreaker. It's hot to go there, but back - the sun sets, the wind is colder, and you have a wet head. I didn't regret taking the windbreaker.
(By the way, we were frozen on the plane, the air conditioner was working, it was blowing from all the cracks, many flew to Hurghada with snot. So take a couple of warm clothes with you on the plane too).
Also on the yacht you will be forced to buy a ticket to the National Park for $ 3, check with those who sell you an excursion (I suspect this is another scam from the locals). And then they will still collect tips for the captain)). Many got off the green yacht, do not take the children.
The animation there is boring and it seemed to me paid! Every evening they begged us for money either for a disco or for some contests.
Food. Local, monotonous, in all hotels the food is the same. We weren't hungry, we had everything!
Internet is paid. In the diving center we bought an excursion to the Sataya reef, there is Internet there, but you have to ask for a password, we were not refused. We checked the mail, contacted the relatives.
TV. There are no Ukrainian or Russian channels. We watched one channel in English.
Finally, I want to describe a funny incident that once again amused me and my husband. Oh those locals! I repeat, this is not the first time in Egypt, there have never been problems with settling in a room. Neither the view from the window, nor breakdowns, did not spoil our rest. (The hotel really needs a refurbishment, but we are not one of those tourists who take pictures of stains, cracks, toilets)). When we went to this hotel, we were warned that the room would be small and the hall and balcony would have to be shared with someone else. It didn't scare us as we only sleep in the room. But at the reception, we were immediately offered a super large room, in which we will be alone and for only $ 10 per night, that is, $ 70. I said that the last night we do not spend the night, they threw off up to $ 60.
We asked to see the room, we were refused. Bargained for $35. As a result, they brought me to a room on the 1st floor with a huge hall (why do we need it? ), Where is the kitchen (which we don’t need), a bar counter, a sofa, two chests of drawers, no TV, no balcony, view from the window - bushes, shower +toilet and a small cozy bedroom with air conditioning and TV. Of course, we didn’t like it, we returned to the reception, they gave us the same room, but in another building, with check-in after 18:00, it is lighter, but we don’t need this huge hall, kitchen !! ! We returned again, at the reception the guy tried to persuade us for a long time, but he returned the money with displeasure and settled us in a small cozy bright room on the 2nd floor, overlooking the bay!! ! So do not overpay, small rooms are also good with all amenities. Egyptians are just such a people!
Have a nice holiday!
If you are going to Marsa Alam, I already kindly envy you! )
We arrived early in the morning and were seated quickly. An hour after checking in, I realized that the location of the room was not entirely successful, or rather, quite unsuccessful) - the first floor, without a balcony, windows on a blank wall and under the windows there is a path along which tourists and staff constantly walk. I asked for a replacement and they did it without any problems and without any extra charges.
Sea. You have to walk quite a distance to the beach. But that didn't bother us one bit. Pierce is not here. The entry into the sea is very smooth, the bottom is sandy. Go to the depth, to the corals for a long time. As for me, it's inconvenient. The reef is beautiful, a lot of living creatures and sea turtles! We were in late March - early April, the water temperature is comfortable, but it can not be called warm. A wetsuit won't hurt. Definitely need fins! The length of the bay is decent and the farther to the open sea, the more beautiful the corals and without fins it is simply tiring to overcome such distances.
On the other side there is a small beach. Don't be lazy and go there! There is a soft white sand on the beach and the reef there seemed to me more beautiful!
Hotel. Everything is very old and beat up. But! Everything is washed, cleaned, cleaned, cut, in a word, kept in good shape, in any case, they try very hard. The pools are clean. One of them is heated. And it's very cool! Since the water in the main pools is cold (end of March, beginning of April).
The staff is polite and smiling. Requests are responded to quickly. No complaints.
Hotel guide. We had a fight with the guide on the first day. We overslept a little for the information meeting and came later. After a portion of noodles on the ears about all sorts of police registrations and other nonsense, he began to sell excursions, as all guides usually do. Realizing that we are not going to buy anything from him, the conversation turned into a scandal and swearing!
With excursions, or rather with prices for excursions, everything is bad here (. The hotel is in the desert, there is nothing nearby! Excursions can only be bought from a reptile guide or on the beach (they are under the stairs to the restaurant). Prices are high, as this is not for you Charm from Hurghadry, where there are a lot of agencies and competition! Therefore, it is more profitable to order via the Internet. By the way, about the boarding school. It's just a rip-off! Hotel wi-fi - $ 30 a day !!! ! Egyptian sim card with mobile Internet in the shop at the hotel costs 20 euros per 4 gigabytes! I had to buy! At the airport, the desks of mobile operators were closed (about 7 am).
Food. The food is delicious and there is plenty to choose from, there is always meat and chicken and fish. Lots of sweets and fruits. Another smiling Egyptian girl bakes delicious hot cakes! Before leaving, I read frightening reviews about food. But it turned out to be completely different! No complaints about the food!
In general, I liked the hotel, and also considering the price for which we came here, everything is super! Would you come here again? I don't know . . For the same price - probably yes. For more, no. By the way, we went to this hotel as five stars, and some tour operators sell it as 4 stars (and rightfully so).
1. Hotel 4+
2. Number 4+
3. Nutrition 4
4. Personnel 5
5. Hygiene 4
6. Beach 4
7. Sea and Laguna 5+
8. Marine life 3+
9. Marine life 5
10. Animation 4 (Thanks to Nastya from Chelyabinsk-Umnitsa, which are not so many)
And a little about the cost:
1. Flight LED-PRG-HRG and back 900€ for 2, bought in August
2. Hotel tour "all in" 730 € for 2 of them, bought 3 days before departure
3. Tea present about 100 €, in life it is not often possible to thank the staff for worthy fulfillment of the client's wishes without "tension and ostentatious smile"
P. S. I am 55, constantly outside of Russia, but I will not change my homeland. If AURORA does not lower the bar below the current level, I recommend relaxing here.
. . .