Discover The Secret Egyptian Paradise – Marsa Alam

With its fabulous year round weather, tropical appearance, fantastic diving and ethereal tranquilty, Marsa Alam is a little piece of heaven on earth. Largely undiscovered by all but a few intrepid scuba enthusiasts and the more adventurous sun worshipper, Marsa Alam is located on Egypt’s South East coast, just off the western shoreline of the Red Sea.

While anybody who has ever flicked through an Egyptian holiday brochure will be familiar with the popular resorts of Sharm El Sheikh and Hurghada – complete with their collection of five-star beach hotels, casinos, restaurants and water sport facilities – few have heard of Marsa Alam. Until recently a sleepy backwater fishing village, Marsa Alam is gradually being developed in to a world class holiday retreat popular with scuba divers from all over Europe.

Boosted by the development of an International airport in 2003, Marsa Alam now welcomes around one million visitors a year. Set amidst a backdrop of sand dunes, mangroves and crystal waters, Marsa Alam is a desert oasis on the northern fringes of the Tropic of Cancer. Ask holidaymakers why they’ve chosen to visit this hidden North African gem and you’ll generally here the same response: to recharge the batteries in a desert paradise.

Then of course there are those who visit to experience the breathtaking coral reefs of the Red Sea. Unlike Egypt’s busier Red Sea diving resorts, Marsa Alam offers an opportunity to explore the magnificent local seascapes, reefs, wrecks and sea life at a relaxed pace without the hassle of overcrowding you tend to find elsewhere in the Sinai Peninsula.

As with its more illustrious northern counterparts, Marsa Alam is serviced by a variety of high-class beachfront hotels. Beautifully landscaped and imaginatively designed, the complexes offer a host of luxurious facilities including spacious swimming pools, a la carte restaurants, saunas, bars and private beaches complete with sun loungers and straw parasols.

For those willing to venture outside the luxury surroundings of their hotel complex, desert safaris offer an exhilarating opportunity to explore the local area. For a few Egyptian Pounds, tour guides will escort adventurous holidaymakers in to the surrounding deserts, negotiating the undulating sand dunes by jeep or a convoy of quad bikes. For traditionalists, guided camel treks offer an authentic Bedouin alternative. When out exploring the surrounding sands, there’s always the opportunity to catch a glimpse of the wild gazelles and desert foxes that inhabit the imposing golden landscape of the Wadi Gamel.

With its impressive climate, Marsa Alam is a bonafide year round holiday destination. Rarely troubled by rainfall, Marsa Alam is at its most temperate during the period between late winter and early spring when average temperatures sit the comfortable side of 20 degrees Celsius. Things heat up substantially in the period between mid spring and early winter when you can expect around 12 hours of sunshine a day and temperatures above 35 degrees Celsius.

With the recent development of Port Ghalib – a world class marina close to the International airport – Marsa Alam looks ready to continue its rapid ascent to the top of Egypt’s tourist ladder, and with an 18-hole golf course also in the pipeline, the future certainly looks bright for this once sleepy fishing village on the western coast of the Red Sea.

RB:
Check out marsaalam.co.uk for more information on Marsa Alam. You will find all the resources you need to book the perfect Marsa Alam Holiday.