A Marsa Alam Adventure

Marsa Alam is located in the south of the Eastern Desert in Egypt on the Red Sea. It is 790 kilometers south of Cairo and about 300 kilometers from Hurghada. Marsa Alam is an old, small town famous for diving, fishing, and for its international port. However, in the past few years, Marsa Alam has become an important tourist destination, especially after the opening of the Marsa Alam International Airport. Many people, tourists and Egyptians alike, believe that Marsa Alam in the coming few years will become another Sharm El-Sheikh.

There are many reasons behind this belief but in order to understand them, we first need to understand the nature and conditions of Marsa Alam.
Marsa Alam is located in a very special place on the Red Sea. This is why there are so many coral reefs there that attract tourists from all over the world. Marsa Alam itself is a tiny primitive town with the international port four kilometers north of the town. The town consists mainly of two or three Oriental cafes and four small supermarkets. This is in addition to the bus station, a fuel station and a motel called Negmet Marsa Alam.

This motel is suitable for tourists who prefer cheap prices with average service.. A double room in the motel costs less than ten dollars per night with a private bath. Negmet Marsa Alam or Marsa Alam Star Motel provides some services like laundry, room cleaning, and they can organize some excursions. The only problem is that they have no air conditioners and the weather, even in the morning, is quite hot.

Though there is little in the town itself to allure tourists, the main attractions of the city are the many resorts spread on the Red Sea to the south and north. There are many three and four stars resorts, with five star facilities on their way. The Cataract, Sahara Resort, Breaka Resort, Amaraya, Kahramana, Shams Alam, and Ibortel are all examples of good resorts that offer proper services with reasonable prices.

Communication

All of these resorts have good telephone services with international lines and phones in each room. You can call anywhere in the world and the resort will charge you per minute. For the cell phone users, Marsa Alam is connected to the two mobile networks in Egypt, Vodafone, Mobinil, and Etisalat. Most of the resorts have fax and telex services as well.

Reception

All the reception areas and the rooms are air conditioned and the front desk in the resorts provide accurate information about everything in Marsa Alam. They have buses to the airport and back to the resorts. The front desk also can organize all sorts of tours for groups and individuals.

Methods of Payment


In the resorts, you can pay with US dollars, Euros, Pounds Sterling and of course Egyptian pounds (LE). You can also use Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and travelers checks. The resorts also provide money exchange service in case you want to have some Egyptian money for tips.

Medical Services

There is a small hospital in Marsa Alam with some simple equipment. In addition most of the resorts have professional doctors that are available 24 hours per day.

Water and Sun

It is not recommended to drink the tap water. Mineral water is sold everywhere. One should drink an average of three liters of water a day in order to remain healthy in the desert climate. The sun is very hot, even in the morning. Tourists should always use sun block lotions to protect their skin, but part of the fun of Marsa Alam is baking on the beach.

Other Services

The resorts offer great laundry services with good prices. Your clothes will be returned to you ironed and cleaned within 24 hours. Most of the rooms have safety boxes in the closets with a private key for the guest. Room service is operates 24 hours a day. The resorts also provide many other services from pool towels to business services.

How to Reach Marsa Alam 

Most of the tourists take airplanes from different European countries like Italy, Spain, Russia, and England straight to Marsa Alam International Airport. Some groups go to Hurghada by plane, spend a few days there, and then go to Marsa Alam by bus. Egypt Air now also offers some flights to Marsa Alam. Misr Petrol Company also has a flight from Cairo to Marsa Alam and vise versa every Monday and Thursday. Many of the flights coming from Europe are charters, bringing tourists on all-inclusive vacations. Other than that, there are air conditioned buses provided by South Egypt Travel. A bus goes from Cairo to Marsa Alam every night at 11:00 pm. East Delta Travel provides another bus every night at 9:00 pm. These buses have comfortable seats and they show films on the way. The prices range from 10 to 12 dollars from Cairo to Marsa Alam. The problem is the trip takes from 11 to 12 hours with rests in the middle and the bus stops at every city on the way like Ras Ghareb, Hurghada, Safaga, and El Quseir.   I took the South Egypt bus on my way to Marsa Alam. I went to the station 15 minutes before 11:00 pm and I was happy the bus left at the scheduled time. Although I thought the bus would be empty, the bus was full of people and there wasn’t a single empty seat. I was lucky to have a seat at the front of the bus in order to watch where we were going. The seats were big and comfortable with air conditioning and private light for each passenger. The man who sat next to me is an Egyptian working as a human resources specialist in Ibortel Resort. He gave me a lot of info about Marsa Alam as I told him this is the first time for me to go there. They showed two modern Egyptian films on our way that I really enjoyed. There were also four check points along the way where police came aboard the bus to check everyone's IDs. We stopped four times for rest but the longer stop was at a rest house called Zaafarana Star, which is a huge Oriental café that offers food and barrages. There were many other buses going to different Egyptian regions like Qena, Hurghada, and Tanta. The waiters there bring the food hot and very fast because they know the guests want to catch the buses. I enjoyed two sandwiches of Oriental sausages and a cup of tea. The prices were really cheap. My bill came to less than six Egyptian pounds, are a little less than one US dollar. The bus stopped in so many cities to take passengers but it was a good chance for me to get off the bus and smoke, because smoking isn’t allowed inside the bus. With the sunrise I started to enjoy the ride very much. I was able to watch the sea and the rise of the sun over the sea and the mountains. The view was amazing. When we reached Marsa Alam, we began passing many resorts. Some of them had classic decorations while most of them were in the Bedouin style. Many of the passengers on the bus worked at one or the other of these resorts, so the bus slowly emptied. Finally we came to the town of Marsa Alam, were I to got off to begin my adventure. Transportation Inside Marsa Alam All, all the resorts have air conditioned buses to take their guests to different places in Marsa Alam. The buses have schedules with specific departure times. Public transportation is also available with microbuses and taxis that you can take one from town to any of the resorts. Distances of 20 to 30 kilometers cost only about three Egyptian pounds. Otherwise, one can rent a private car at very reasonable rates. Big Complexes While on my way in the bus I noticed a resort called Balbaa. What caught my eye is that it is really a complex of three resorts, consisting of the Kahramana, Amaraya, and Calmera. I had to stop at the security gate and the security guy had to check my luggage. Everybody is being cautious now days and the security is very strict. The reception of Amaraya was a big hall with many cozy sofas to sit on. I talked to the receptionist at length about what where and what to do in Marsa Alam, and he was very helpful and patient. This guy, and all the staff, were exceptionally friendly and knew a lot about the city and the resort. The receptionist printed me a guide to everything in the resort and in Marsa Alam, so off I went. The Balbaa Resort has two swimming pools and three different beaches. Two of them are in the resort and the other is ten kilometers away. There are buses that go there all day long. The hotel has 98 rooms with controllable air conditioning, satellite TV, safe boxes, international telephones and private bathrooms with hair dryer. Morning Activities Most of the people awake in the morning at Marsa Alam wind up on the beach, and they are indeed some of the most beautiful in Egypt. The water is crystal clear and the air is clean and refreshing and although the weather might get hot, a jump in the sea makes one forget about all the world's woes. Many Italians, the main tourist population in Marsa Alam, were enjoying the sun. Some were reading, chatting or just catching some rays, while others were snorkeling among the colorful fish and corals. The moment I reached the Balbaa resort I wanted to visit the beach, for which Marsa Alam is famous. Although the weather was hot I was enjoying the walk because of the many roses and plants spread in the resort and on the way to the beach. From afar, the sparkling water seemed to be an amazing baby blue. was two in the afternoon when I reached the beach. There weren’t many people there. Perhaps, many had gone on to lunch, but soon the beach began to fill back up. The beach was indeed gorgeous, and it is always times such as this when I regret being alone. It would have been nice to have a friend with me and even magnificent to have my girlfriend along. Everything there is so romantic and calm with only the sound of the waves as if they are whispering to you. Than a clever Italian girl caught my attention, as she positioned a chair in the water for a cool afternoons nap. I looked around the beach and decided to take a walk. There were many tourists doing different things but they all seemed happy and relaxed. While buying a cold bottle of water from the beach bar, I had a short talk with the vendor. He was a young Egyptian man called Esam. He seemed like he wanted to chat in Arabic because all day long he has to speak Italian with the guests. He told me he has been working here for more than five years and that he likes it here, as the place is calm and the guests are friendly to him. He told me that the Balbaa group is building a new resort called Habiba that should be finished in six months time. We spoke a bit about Marsa Alam and how it will grow in the coming few years before I thanked him and continued my walk. I noticed a small hill at the end of the beach with some decorations on top. Of course, I had to climb up to the top, where I found a grand view of the beach. In front of you there is the most amazing looking water with different shades of blue. To the left there is the Amaraya beach with huge mountains surrounding it. To the right, there is the Kahramana beach with a view straight off of a post card. The decorations on the hill itself including a big door locals call the time gate. This is because one can walkthrough it and view the sea as as it was 100 years ago. Kahramana has a nice seafood restaurant on this hill that opens in the afternoon and closes at midnight. Diving in Marsa Alam Diving is one of the major activities that brings people to Marsa Alam. This is because the Red Sea wears her finest clothing in this remote spot. Some of the fish and corals that are extremely rare. Especially some shark breeds can be found nowhere else. There are more than ten diving centers in Marsa Alam with the best imported equipment. Many European diving centers have branches in the city. Deep South, Wadi Gimal, Ocean Pro and Aquarius are probably the most popular and important diving centers in Marsa Alam.

Another diving center is Pioneer Divers, the oldest diving center in Marsa Alam. I visited this center, and found that, while they were one of the first to open in Marsa Alam, they have all kinds of modern technologies because they import everything from Europe. They have professional diving instructors that speak Italian, English, German and Spanish. Obviously, they are very experience. These guides are certified by major diving federations like PADI, SSI, and CMAS. The center provides all kinds of diving lessons and trips. There are many diving spots in Marsa Alam and Pioneer Divers organizes trips to all of these places. The most famous spot in Marsa Alam is Shaab Samadai or the Dolphin House. It is an all day trip with two dives viewing some of the oldest formations. There is also a high probability to snorkel with the dolphins. Another very famous diving spot in Marsa Alam is Elphinstone which is an offshore site for advanced diver. This is the best place in the world to swim with the sharks! Afternoon Activities