I’ve always wanted to visit Egypt. Tales from colleagues about balloon flights over the pyramids, visits to see the Sphinx and happy afternoons spent bartering for spices in the souks have always made my travel bug wiggle with excitement writes Jon Fraser.
So it was with a mixture of excitement and disappointment that I accepted the invite to fly across and explore one of the country’s key resorts. Excitement because travel is exciting; especially if you’re going somewhere sunny when at home you’ve got the heating on full blast, and disappointing as I was, unfortunately, going nowhere near Cairo.
Sharm El Sheikh
My trip was to the well-known resort of Sharm El Sheikh, one of the island’s Red Sea resorts and top holiday destinations. It’s a place where you’ll apparently find around nine thousand British tourists on any given day but, thanks to its desert location, it’s unlikely you’ll bump into them all at the beach! The sheer number of tourists to the area (it’s not just us Brits that love the resort, Sharm El Sheikh welcomes around three million international tourists each year) should act as a measure of how safe a place it actually is. At the time of my visit and as I write this, travel to Egypt is only advisable for those that avoid the North and South Sinai regions of the country with special care being advised for those wishing to travel to areas such as Cairo and Luxor. Within the Red Sea resorts, however, the Foreign Office are satisfied that there is no threat to visitors and security at and surrounding resorts is excellent. CLICK HERE for more details.
The Royal Savoy
This was in evidence as we passed through security and arrived at our hotel for the trip, The Royal Savoy. Voted in the top 20 out of 157 other hotels in Sharm El Sheikh by reviewers of Trip Advisor, The Royal Savoy Hotel oozes exceptional customer service and attention to detail from the moment you check in over a welcoming drink. Positioned directly on the waterfront with its own private beach, The Royal Savoy features four swimming pools, a leisure suite and spa as well as some amazing rooms, suites, and villas to stay in. All the staff are incredibly attentive and friendly without being intrusive, ‘another drink Mr. Jon? Can I clean your sunglasses, Mr. Jon? Let me freshen your towels for you, Mr. Jon’, ‘Oh go on then’ said Mr. Jon! CLICK HERE for more details.
We experienced the hotel as part of the Savoy’s premium S class scheme; an all-inclusive package which includes drinks, meals and some activities such as scuba diving and a pampering massage. If your experience of all-inclusive has been something inedible at breakfast, reheated for lunch and curried for dinner; all served with local wine that could take the paint off a Mondeo, then think again. The Royal Savoy has no less than six restaurants on site that serve delicious food cooked to order and five bars that serve a range of branded drinks with branded mixers. There are, of course, local delicacies and drinks to enjoy and there are some exclusions; you want to eat Lobster every night and wash it down with Hennessey XO? Then expect to pay a reasonable surcharge, it’s only fair.
The experience is definitely one of choice though, rather than restriction and the quality of all is excellent.
Soho Square
S class benefits are not just restricted to your hotel though. Simply walk out of the gates onto the surrounding Soho Square and you will find a whole host of restaurants, bars, cafes, and nightclubs where your food and drinks are included, meaning that there’s no need to eat at the same restaurant twice during your trip! Choose from Italian, French, Chinese, Indian and Egyptian cuisines. Enjoy a pint at the Queen Vic pub, a blast of oxygen at the Oxygen Bar or even an ice-cold cocktail in the Ice Bar. Yes, that’s right, there’s even an ice bar in the middle of the desert. Other activities within the stunning Soho Square include a cinema, bowling alley, shopping complex and even an ice rink so there is something for everyone.
Unforgettable Experiences
For those wanting to explore further afield, the hotel’s concierge service can organize multiple trips and activities on your behalf, allowing you a bespoke holiday experience without the stress of having to organize it. We opted for a day’s scuba diving around the island of Tiran, which allowed for a thorough exploration of the protected coral reefs. Inhabited by a vast number of stunning fish (yes, you should find Nemo) the instructors are first class and really help you to get the most of your time in the water. CLICK HERE for more details.
Other experiences we opted for, and a definite for adrenalin junkies, was a quad bike ride through the desert; a stunning way to experience an epic landscape and a huge amount of fun. CLICK HERE for more details.
For those who like their travel more relaxed, a sunset camel ride, followed by tea in a Bedouin camp, is a truly magical and humbling experience. CLICK HERE for more details.
Everything about Sharm El Sheikh, as part of the Royal Savoy experience, feels cosseting and easy. There’s no stress, no hassle, nothing to worry about once you’re ensconced in the sunshine on your lounger and surely that is what a holiday is supposed to be? The lure of the pyramids may well linger but for me, that adventure would only be right after a spot of R & R, S class style.
