El Gouna, Egypt: The hidden winter sun resort you didn’t know existed – until now
When you think of winter sun destinations, you imagine along the lines of the Canary Islands or the likes of Barbados in the sparkling Caribbean Sea.
But what about Egypt? In the summer months, British tourists flock to Sharm El Sheikh and Hurghada but what about if there was another Egyptian seaside destination that might have passed you by?
Well, when I was invited out to sample the modern lagoon resort of El Gouna, a mere 30 minutes from the extremely popular family resort of Hurghada, I was slightly apprehensive.
As a single man, I didn’t really fancy spending a week away at a family resort, bombarded by lots of British tourists. But after a quick search, my interest peaked. There was such little information about this curious town, I needed to find out more.
Getting there was very easy. You can fly straight into Hurghada from pretty much anywhere in the UK. then *top tip* pre-organise a transfer with your hotel. I found Hurghada airport extremely stressful so do plan ahead to make sure you can spend as little time as possible there.
But from the moment I left the airport and finally found my transfer, it was probably one of the last times I saw another British tourist on my trip – you can make your own mind up if you see that as a plus or a negative but for me, it was just what I needed.
What’s El Gouna resort actually like?
El Gouna is a modern resort nestled on the coast of the Red Sea. It was originally developed in the 1980s by the Switzerland-based company Orascom Development and has grown ever since. So you’ll be forgiven for thinking that there’s much more of a European vibe to the resort compared to Hurghada.
El Gouna is made up of around 18 hotels and hideaways (all rating between three to five stars) that are formed around several man-made islands, separated by channels and connected by bridges over the lagoons where you can swim straight out from your hotel into the crystal blue waters.
When you think of man-made lagoons, you might think about Dubai or Maldives but there’s absolutely no commercialisation here. Instead, I very much got the vibe that this was designed to be the county’s very own hidden seaside gem with nods to an authentic Egyptian past but mixed with some modern European charm.
I was even told that in the winter months, many Egyptians flock to the town for a break after the tourist season and is extremely popular with the Egypt International Football team – yes, Mo Salah does come here for his holidays.
There are two vibrant areas of the town. The main tourist area is the Abu Tig Marina which has a selection of restaurants that are all extremely well-priced. I enjoyed a meal at the Captain’s Inn steakhouse where everything rang in at the equivalent of around £11-£15 per person.
There’s also the bustling Downtown area which really came alive in the evening and you really felt a mixture of cultures. I spoke to some younger Egyptian men and women who had moved down from Cairo for work and never looked back.
Another huge draw to the area is for thrill seekers, the fact you can walk directly into the Red Sea from your hotel means there’s a vast array of watersports you can try for yourself. There’s a plethora of activities you can take on from snorkelling right through to waterskiing and wakeboarding.
What hotels are on offer?
During my trip, I stayed at the five-star golf resort of Ancient Sands. It is one of the crowning jewels of the El Gouna resort but is set away from the main areas of the Marina and the Downtown areas. You won’t get bored though because there’re three restaurants, several shops, a bar and a variety of swimming pools – oh and the golf too if that takes your fancy.
You also shouldn’t worry too much about if your hotel is set away from the main tourist areas because you can very easily (and extremely cheaply) get a Tuk Tuk around the resorts – it costs about the equivalent of about 50p a ride.
If a family resort isn’t for you and you’re a single person (like me), you’ll feel much more at home in the Cook’s Club and Casa Cook resorts. The former is listed as a four-star resort but the quality was much more on par with a British five-star hotel.
Both hotels come with incredible poolside services where you could get food and drink on demand and a variety of DJs and other activities that go on throughout the day – and it’s affordable too. You can grab a room at Cook’s Club El Gouna currently for about £89 a night.
I think the real trump in the card for El Gouna is that there’s literally something to suit everyone. What I did struggle to find are many El Gouna hotels that are linked up with British all-inclusive package deals but no doubt this will expand in the coming years.
What else can you do here?
There are plenty of other things you can get up to in the El Gouna resort. If you’re someone that just enjoys sitting by the pool for a week then no problem but if you fancy more excitement, there are certainly ways you can go off for an adventure too.
While I was there, many people constantly headed out on excursions and nearly everyone was taking to the sea to get the thrill on the open water.
Because El Gouna is placed behind the Red Sea Mountain range, you have strong airflow that blows down to the Red Sea. This was perfect for two reasons. While I was there it was edging to around 40 degrees but you didn’t feel it at all with the calming breeze as you walked around the resort.
Secondly, the breeze makes it perfect for water sports. At any point during the day, you only had to look out the long stretch of the crystal blue beach to see what looked like thousands of kite surfers taking to the seas.
If that doesn’t take your fancy, there’s a huge range of other sea activities you can take on from glass bottom boat tours to sailing cruises and several diving centres that you can usually arrange from your hotel.
If staying on land is more your thing then you won’t be short of options here. While I was there I managed to organise a trip over to Luxor to satisfy my longing to see the River Nile and some of Ancient Egypt’s best artefacts.
Although you’re probably a bit too far away for an excursion to Cairo, trips to Luxor and the Nile can be easily arranged but you’ll have to get up early to voyage off via bus to the ancient city of Luxor which I can only describe as one very big open-air museum.
We stopped off at all the famous sites from the Luxor temple, the Valley of the Kings where you’ll find the tomb of Tutankhamun and the jaw-dropping Hatshepsut Temple.
It was a gruelling trip that started at 3am and I returned to the hotel at around 11pm but it was an experience that will stay with me for the rest of my life and is brilliant that you can easily access this from El Gouna.
So is El Gouna worth it?
There’s certainly a lot that El Gouna has to offer for families, couples and solo travellers alike. There are almost too many things to do in one week alone.
I came away a much better person from visiting what I now call Egypt’s hidden jewel. For my first time in this incredible country, I think I was extremely spoilt and I’m already planning my next trip back.
A highlight for me was a humbling visit to the Egyptian House just outside the main town. It’s basically a fair share craft house where women from a variety of underprivileged backgrounds make a variety of items which can be sold on to benefit those in need. I had to stop myself from purchasing some incredibly detailed Egyptian cotton bed sheets at a fraction of the price we see in the UK.
I think El Gouna offers an incredibly relaxed and peaceful alternative to its older brother Hurghada just down the road. You’re absolutely not going to find sprawling water parks and long strips of entertainment resorts here, but instead a more refined and relaxed approach to a seaside resort.
From what I gathered, there’s a lot in store for this lagoon getaway in the next few years so I’d book a trip soon before it becomes too popular because a gem like this won’t stay hidden for long.
