Egypt at Easter. Would you recommend?

[PoshPaula]

We want to get away to somewhere hot at Easter. DH fancies Sharm. I've been there before, years ago. Am wondering how safe is it? I haven't kept up with the news much recently....

We went last Easter and stayed in the Sensatori hotel. We went into Soho Square a few nights and felt totally safe. Trips to Cairo to see the pyramids were cancelled because of what was going in there but otherwise it was fine.

Thanks! We've been on Sensatori hols to Tenerife but we're thinking of the
Grand Hotel for this Easter, in Egypt. Hopefully it will be a similar standard. Cheers for the reply.

We went to Egypt last Easter.. Cairo, Aswan, Luxor and Hurgurda. We did the pyramids, Egyptian museum next to Tehrir square, travelled down the Nile on a felluca and all the temples and tombs. We felt very safe but the sights were very quiet, the hotels even quieter- about 20% full. The AI we stayed at in Hurgurda was like a ghost town. The local people are lovely and desperate for tourists to return. Weather fab at Easter, very good value holiday... I would not hesitate to go back.

I stayed at Fort Arabesque in Makadi Bay at Easter and the weather was perfect. You could stick your head under water and see all the amazing fish. It was a really good trip.

Thank for all these replies. I think we'll book it.

Can I tap onto this thread please?
We've never done an all-inclusive holiday and we've never been to Sharm El Sheik. We're also thinking of going at Easter, but I'm a bit worried that it may be huge resorts heaving with people and serving average food.
Now after years of self-catering around Europe with average weather, but we really fancy a proper holiday where it's not same old sh1t - different location.

how about choosing an in between option nothingbutboys and choosing a smaller hotel?

The Novotel at Naama Bay, Sharm El Sheik served fantastic food - superb - and the whole resort was just pleasantly busy. I am going back a few years, admittedly.

I was thinking about Easter but am thinking it may not be warm enough for me then - might go in October as I usually do. Personally I wouldn't go to Sharm as I don't think it is for me. I loved Marsa Alam though that may be too quiet for some. I have had good reports about the Makadi Bay area though from some very well travelled friends.

Why don't you fancy Sharm,ranout?

My relatives have been and described it as a concrete jungle, lots of hassle etc outside of hotels. Pity as I hear the snorkelling is very good.

Marsa Alam is very quiet and the hotel we stayed it was in the middle of nowhere. Consequently when we ventured out of the hotel to go to a nearby snorkelling/dive site, there was no one to bother us. Swam with turtles there every day.

I wouldn't go to Marsa Alam at the moment because I think if things did deteriorate in Egypt, it's better to be somewhere a bit more established so would probably go to Makadi Bay if we book again this year.

I hated Sharm. I loved our hotel and the beach attached to it, but outside the hotel I thought the place was a filthy hole full of people who were either very rude, or smarmy, pushy and money grabbing.

I would not go again.

I don't know what to do, now. I've said let's think about it over the weekend.

There are enough other nice warm places to go at Easter that I wouldn't take the chance on Egypt at the moment. Honestly, it's not great - you won't be missing much.

Unless you are mad keen on scuba diving or desperate to see the pyramids there are far, far nicer places to go.

I did really like it, we usually go to the Caribbean at Easter so it made a nice change. I went 3 nearly 4 years ago so it was a lot safer to see the sights. The Spynx in the afternoon with sand lightly blowing around and prayer music in the background was an amazing experience.

We did a family adventure holiday to Egypt with Explore last Easter. It was one of the best holidays we have ever done. The country is amazing, but I must say the part we enjoyed the least was the Hurgurda part as the resorts are soulless. Give me a hotel in Aswan on the edge of the Nile, camel trekking in the morning and a meal in a traditional Nubian home in the evening any day.

I would add that it is one of the best places in the world for snorkelling and the sunsets are amazing. If that sounds like your cup of tea, you will love it. It's true that most of the natural wonders of Egypt are below the surface of the water but you don't need to scuba dive to enjoy them.

mad could you suggest a few other places? I do scuba dive, but DH doesn't, so it's not a deal breaker!

Creamycoolerwithcream Did Makadi Bay give direct access to the reef from the beach or jetty? I've got my eye on it, but I need to be able to put my mask on and go, not catch shuttle buses and stuff. I did Marsa Alam in Sept and it was amazing, but very choppy with too many red and black flag days, so no entry to sea was allowed.

Yes you can swim from the hotel (lovely and not very busy) beach.

Love Sensatori in Sharm . They we're reopenibg the trips when we were last there in October. Didn't partake as I wanted to lie down.

Hi, I've booked us a holiday to Egypt for August 2014, but in laws are concerned re recent news and want me to cancel it and change destination.
Any views?

I wouldn't.

You wouldn't cancel or you wouldn't go?