Marsa Alam

[Karen Aspinall]

Going on a live aboard out of Maras Alam soon. We will be spending out last evening and the following moring in Marsa Alam, Is there any thing to do?

[FionaB]

Going on a live aboard out of Maras Alam soon. We will be spending out last evening and the following moring in Marsa Alam, Is there any thing to do?

We were in Marsa for our last day in April and all I can say is an afternoon by the pool was all I saw. I am going again on Thursday and the last night is spent in a hotel I suspect it will be an early night, unless of course the Italians make too much noise.

[colin jenkins]

:=Going on a live aboard out of Maras Alam soon. We will be spending out last evening and the following moring in Marsa Alam, Is there any thing to do?

We were in Marsa for our last day in April and all I can say is an afternoon by the pool was all I saw. I am going again on Thursday and the last night is spent in a hotel I suspect it will be an early night, unless of course the Italians make too much noise.

No nothing to do except laze by the pool. It also depends on who you are with, and which boat you are on as to the standard of the hotel. Tony B, Hurricane uses Amaraya with a 17:00 check out included, but others use cheaper hotels with 12:00 we heard them bitching in the departure lounge.

[Jeanne]

:=:=Going on a live aboard out of Maras Alam soon. We will be spending out last evening and the following moring in Marsa Alam, Is there any thing to do?
:=
:=We were in Marsa for our last day in April and all I can say is an afternoon by the pool was all I saw. I am going again on Thursday and the last night is spent in a hotel I suspect it will be an early night, unless of course the Italians make too much noise.

No nothing to do except laze by the pool. It also depends on who you are with, and which boat you are on as to the standard of the hotel. Tony B, Hurricane uses Amaraya with a 17:00 check out included, but others use cheaper hotels with 12:00 we heard them bitching in the departure lounge.

Just as well you are going on a live aboard. I was there shore based in May, and can honestly say, that I will not do this again. The diving was great, can't fault that. But the hotels, which are in fact not bad per se, are cheap package destinations for the Italian tourist trade, and cater for a taste, well, which is best to leave to your appreciation.

I have done a report on this which hopefully will get posted on the reports page in the near future...

Have a great time,

Jeanne

[colin jenkins]

:=:=:=Going on a live aboard out of Maras Alam soon. We will be spending out last evening and the following moring in Marsa Alam, Is there any thing to do?
:=:=
:=:=We were in Marsa for our last day in April and all I can say is an afternoon by the pool was all I saw. I am going again on Thursday and the last night is spent in a hotel I suspect it will be an early night, unless of course the Italians make too much noise.
:=
:=No nothing to do except laze by the pool. It also depends on who you are with, and which boat you are on as to the standard of the hotel. Tony B, Hurricane uses Amaraya with a 17:00 check out included, but others use cheaper hotels with 12:00 we heard them bitching in the departure lounge.

Just as well you are going on a live aboard. I was there shore based in May, and can honestly say, that I will not do this again. The diving was great, can't fault that. But the hotels, which are in fact not bad per se, are cheap package destinations for the Italian tourist trade, and cater for a taste, well, which is best to leave to your appreciation.

I have done a report on this which hopefully will get posted on the reports page in the near future...

Have a great time,

Jeanne

Jeanne
I dont know what hotel you were in but the one we used was certainly not cheap. It was part of a complex with excelent facilities as the food was top class.

[Paul Leyland]

:=:=:=:=Going on a live aboard out of Maras Alam soon. We will be spending out last evening and the following moring in Marsa Alam, Is there any thing to do?
:=:=:=
:=:=:=We were in Marsa for our last day in April and all I can say is an afternoon by the pool was all I saw. I am going again on Thursday and the last night is spent in a hotel I suspect it will be an early night, unless of course the Italians make too much noise.
:=:=
:=:=No nothing to do except laze by the pool. It also depends on who you are with, and which boat you are on as to the standard of the hotel. Tony B, Hurricane uses Amaraya with a 17:00 check out included, but others use cheaper hotels with 12:00 we heard them bitching in the departure lounge.
:=
:=Just as well you are going on a live aboard. I was there shore based in May, and can honestly say, that I will not do this again. The diving was great, can't fault that. But the hotels, which are in fact not bad per se, are cheap package destinations for the Italian tourist trade, and cater for a taste, well, which is best to leave to your appreciation.
:=
:=I have done a report on this which hopefully will get posted on the reports page in the near future...
:=
:=Have a great time,
:=
:=Jeanne

Jeanne
I dont know what hotel you were in but the one we used was certainly not cheap. It was part of a complex with excelent facilities as the food was top class.

I have to agree with Colin. But.. the pool bar ran out of cold beer(could have been something to do with thirsty Boys back from a liveaboard ...)

[Jeanne]

:=:=:=:=Going on a live aboard out of Maras Alam soon. We will be spending out last evening and the following moring in Marsa Alam, Is there any thing to do?
:=:=:=
:=:=:=We were in Marsa for our last day in April and all I can say is an afternoon by the pool was all I saw. I am going again on Thursday and the last night is spent in a hotel I suspect it will be an early night, unless of course the Italians make too much noise.
:=:=
:=:=No nothing to do except laze by the pool. It also depends on who you are with, and which boat you are on as to the standard of the hotel. Tony B, Hurricane uses Amaraya with a 17:00 check out included, but others use cheaper hotels with 12:00 we heard them bitching in the departure lounge.
:=
:=Just as well you are going on a live aboard. I was there shore based in May, and can honestly say, that I will not do this again. The diving was great, can't fault that. But the hotels, which are in fact not bad per se, are cheap package destinations for the Italian tourist trade, and cater for a taste, well, which is best to leave to your appreciation.
:=
:=I have done a report on this which hopefully will get posted on the reports page in the near future...
:=
:=Have a great time,
:=
:=Jeanne

Jeanne
I dont know what hotel you were in but the one we used was certainly not cheap. It was part of a complex with excelent facilities as the food was top class.

My comment was not aimed at the food, nor did I say the hotels were bad or cheap. Ours was very average on food (catering for a vast majority of all inclusive clients) and average on facilities, and price, whilst the resort was well appointed accommodation-wise. It's the activities at the one we stayed out which were provided by Italian 'animators' for their clients, which gave the place the feel of a bad day at a '70's Butlin camp. Euro Pop blaring out all day long in the resort and on the beach for example, tannoy blaring out instructions for the pool aerobic sessions or beach volley ball, it was relentless, and well, call me a toff, very cheap in taste, as well as doing your head in after a day's full of it, let alone a week. Butlins is head and shoulders above today! I don't want to name and shame on the forum, but I give a fairly good descriptive of the hotel profile in my 'forthcoming' trip report, according to my experience.

The beach bar at our place was actually superb! and never ran out of cold beer either!

Jeanne

[steveowens]

:=:=Going on a live aboard out of Maras Alam soon. We will be spending out last evening and the following moring in Marsa Alam, Is there any thing to do?
:=
:=We were in Marsa for our last day in April and all I can say is an afternoon by the pool was all I saw. I am going again on Thursday and the last night is spent in a hotel I suspect it will be an early night, unless of course the Italians make too much noise.

No nothing to do except laze by the pool. It also depends on who you are with, and which boat you are on as to the standard of the hotel. Tony B, Hurricane uses Amaraya with a 17:00 check out included, but others use cheaper hotels with 12:00 we heard them bitching in the departure lounge.


Hi,

Can you tell me where you on Hurricane? If so what where the upper cabins like compared to the lower ones, often you get bigger beds but poorer showers/water pressure.
I have a party of 21 on hurricane from 7th oct.
cheers
steve

[Paul Leyland]

Colin was in Cabi 4, I was in cabin 3. These are midships on the dining deck. a little snmaller than the other cabins but had BIG windows! No problem with water pressure or hot water.
Cabins 1 & 2 are forward of these cabins. Slightly larger.
The rest are one deck below. Grant & Sonia have cabin 12.
The guys on our trip said cabin 11 was a nightmare. Next to the engine room; lots of vibration during the night passages. It didn't seem to bother Grant though!

Have a great trip and please say hello to the crew from Paul (Saudi National Guard towel!)

Paul

[steveowens]

Colin was in Cabi 4, I was in cabin 3. These are midships on the dining deck. a little snmaller than the other cabins but had BIG windows! No problem with water pressure or hot water.
Cabins 1 & 2 are forward of these cabins. Slightly larger.
The rest are one deck below. Grant & Sonia have cabin 12.
The guys on our trip said cabin 11 was a nightmare. Next to the engine room; lots of vibration during the night passages. It didn't seem to bother Grant though!

Have a great trip and please say hello to the crew from Paul (Saudi National Guard towel!)

Paul

Thanks Paul
I will make sure the heavy sleepers get cabin 11.
Regards

[Mark R Sims]

We were in the cabin on the lower deck at the bow. No problems at all.
Hotel at end is a big step down from being on Hurricane. Most of our group had problems of varying degrees with them. Essentially no one speaks English, or admits to it when you are trying ot sort something out. The 5pm checkout time is debatable unless you physically refuse to move out of your room when they do their upmost to get you out at 3pm. The place reminded me of a loud Italian Benedorm.
The place down the road where the '3 on 4 off' people stay is much nicer. We luckily got to wait there during the 2 1/2 hour delay as our coach was doing the pick-up rounds and got notified of the delay at an opportune time. The others spent it at the airport. I'm now waitng to see how John Bantin writes the trip up....

Apart from that Hurricane is excellent, Sonia is a star.

Regards,
Mark
NORAD SAC

[colin jenkins]

We were in the cabin on the lower deck at the bow. No problems at all.
Hotel at end is a big step down from being on Hurricane. Most of our group had problems of varying degrees with them. Essentially no one speaks English, or admits to it when you are trying ot sort something out. The 5pm checkout time is debatable unless you physically refuse to move out of your room when they do their upmost to get you out at 3pm. The place reminded me of a loud Italian Benedorm.
The place down the road where the '3 on 4 off' people stay is much nicer. We luckily got to wait there during the 2 1/2 hour delay as our coach was doing the pick-up rounds and got notified of the delay at an opportune time. The others spent it at the airport. I'm now waitng to see how John Bantin writes the trip up....

Apart from that Hurricane is excellent, Sonia is a star.

Regards,
Mark
Mark
Now after the first reply and now yours what Hotel were you at? We were at the Amaraya but we did drop off people from another boat at a hotel that did look a bit iffy I think its name began with C

[FionaB]

The 5pm checkout time is debatable unless you physically refuse to move out of your room when they do their upmost to get you out at 3pm. :=
Apart from that Hurricane is excellent, Sonia is a star.

Regards,
Mark
NORAD SAC

I have to say we didn't have any problems with regard to check out times, we were told by the agent who accommpanied us on the coach it was 5pm, so we didn't leave the room until 5pm, paid our bill, watch the exchange rate they seem to make up a number apart from that it was OK.

Buffet meal were sufficient and we also had the buffet lunch which I though was good value for about ?7.

If anyone is going on Hurricane Sonia is rather partial to Kitkats. We took her a couple of bags of mini ones.

[Mark R Sims]

Judging by the pictures on www.scuba.co.uk it was neither Kharamana Beach Resort, or Amaraya Club Hotel. I think it was Amaraya we waited at.

regards,
Mark


Mark
Now after the first reply and now yours what Hotel were you at? We were at the Amaraya but we did drop off people from another boat at a hotel that did look a bit iffy I think its name began with C