Not one for planning ahead? Rehab Saad guides you through the few Christmas holiday getaways still available Most hotel rooms in Egypt are booked for Christmas and the New Year. Sharm El-Sheikh in Sinai and Hurghada on the Red Sea are sold out, as are most cabins for Nile cruises. Most of the rooms of the big hotel chains in Cairo are also full. So if you have not booked yet, are you resigned to a holiday season at home parked in front of your telly? Maybe not. If you have Sharm El-Sheikh and Hurghada in mind but are unable to find a place for yourself, you can easily change your plans to nearby cities like Dahab, Nuweiba or Taba in Sinai, where there is a variety of water sports activities, including diving and snorkelling, in a serene atmosphere. From there, you can take an excursion to St Catherine Monastery at the foot of Mount Sinai or you could even take a day trip to Sharm El- Sheikh, which is a couple of hours away. The area south of the Red Sea, including Safaga, Marsa Alam and Qusseir, is also a good alternative to Hurghada. These are virgin areas with the best coral reefs in the world and ideal weather all year long. Al-Gouna, lying to the north of Hurghada, is another good option. Built on archipelagos, Al-Gouna spreads over 11 kilometres of pristine beaches. It has secluded beaches and exclusive hotels for those seeking a holiday getaway, desert safaris and great night life. If you couldn't find a cabin on a Nile cruise that operates between Luxor and Aswan, you can still book a cabin on one of the Lake Nasser cruises. Through their excursion on the largest man-made lake in the world, travellers can visit several Nubian sites such as Kalabsha, Beit Al-Wali, Kertassi, Temples of Wadi Al-Sebou, Amada and the famous Temples of Abu Simbel. And if you still want to include Luxor and Aswan in your itinerary, you can simply take a flight to Luxor, spend a night or two there, tour its major sites, then fly to Aswan and visit its historical sites before heading off to Abu Simbel where you can start your lake cruise excursion. There is still room available in Luxor and Aswan hotels at reasonable rates. In Cairo you can try some of the new hotels built on the outskirts of Cairo like Movenpick Media city, the Hilton Dream in Sixth of October City or the JW Marriott Hotel in Mirage City in Qattamiya. There you can enjoy vast green areas, clear air, numerous entertainment facilities and the most sophisticated amenities. Travellers are half an hour away from Cairo's major historical and cultural sites, shops, bazaars, restaurants, cinemas and theatres through the Ring Road. So act quickly to secure a place before they're all filled. FUN IN THE SUN: Hilton Nuweiba Coral Resort (00+ (2069) 520 320) in the city of Nuweiba in south Sinai offers Egyptians and foreign residents double rooms for LE280 per night on a full-board basis, that is, breakfast, lunch and dinner including service charge and taxes. There is an optional gala dinner on Christmas and New Year's Eve for $60 a head. Children under five can stay free of charge in their parents' room, while children from five to 12 are charged LE40 for meals. A non-resident foreigner would be charged for $170 per night for a double room on "all-inclusive" basis, which includes food, water, soft drinks, and alcohol. They would also have free access to the water sports centre, the billiards room and the mini- golf course. The gala dinner is obligatory for foreign non- residents. If you are looking for something cheaper, you can book a room in Domina Nuweiba Hotel (00+(2069) 500 401), that offers double rooms for LE240 per night on a half-board basis for Egyptians and foreign residents and $60 per night for non- resident foreigners. The season's gala dinner will be for LE100 per person. Children until six years are free of charge while those from six to 12 have to pay LE50 for the meal. For those who want to have a simple and untraditional Christmas vacation, Basata camp (00+(2069) 500 481) on the Taba/ Nuweiba road could be the right choice. For LE20 per night you can stay in a tent or pay LE30 per person in a hut. There are also chalets comfortably accommodating three guests for LE200 a night. All rates are subject to a 10 per cent tax and are excluding meals. The Basata philosophy is to avoid planned activities and let the guests set their own pace. For breakfast and lunch, guests go to the kitchen and cook for themselves whereas at dinner, the food alternates between fresh fish and vegetarian fare. Rather than boisterous revelry, there will be a campfire on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve. Alcohol is not available, but guests are welcome to bring their own. If there are enough people interested, Basata will organise a New Year's excursion into the desert where you spend the night in the mountains of Sinai for LE90 including food. Dahab is another nice option for a vacation with reasonable hotel rates. The four star Coralia Club Dahab (00+(2069) 640 301) offers Egyptians and foreign residents double sea-view rooms for LE300 per night and garden-view rooms for LE270 per night on half-board basis. Non-resident foreigners would pay $90 per night for sea-view rooms and $80 per night for garden-view ones. An obligatory gala dinner would be served for $40 per person on Christmas Eve and $65 on New Year's Eve. The gala dinner rates are the same for Egyptians and foreigners, resident or not. Lagona Village Dahab (00+(2069) 640 350) and Sarah Village (00+(2069) 640 315) are two options for budget accommodation. The former offers Egyptians and foreign residents double rooms for LE168 per night and non-resident foreigners for $26 per night on a bed-and-breakfast basis including service charge and taxes, whereas the latter offers Egyptians and foreign residents double rooms for LE80 per night on a bed-and-breakfast basis and non-resident foreigners for 28 euros per night. There are no obligatory dinner supplements for Christmas or New Year's Eve. Hyatt Regency Taba Heights (00+(2069) 580 234) on the border city of Taba offers double rooms for LE300 per night on a bed-and-breakfast basis. New Year's Eve dinner is obligatory at LE400 per room. The offer is restricted to Egyptians and foreign residents. More options are available in areas around Hurghada on the Red Sea. However, room rates might be significantly pricier than those of Taba, Dahab and Nuweiba. Sheraton Soma Bay Resort (00+(2065) 545 845) in Soma Bay, 45 kilometres south of Hurghada, offers double rooms for LE570 per night on a half-board basis for Egyptians and foreign residents and for $200 for non-resident foreigners. A $40 supplement will be added per person for the gala dinner. On New Year's Eve there will be a cocktail reception in the lobby and a gala dinner in the L'Emporio, L'Abydos and Star Studio restaurants. You can also dance the night away in the discotheque. Club Makadi Beach (00+(2065) 590 025) on Makadi Bay, 30 kilometres south of Hurghada, offers double rooms for LE450 per night on an all-inclusive basis for Egyptians and foreign residents. Non-resident foreigners will have to pay $75 per person per night in a double room on a half-board basis. A New Year's Eve gala dinner is obligatory, and a $60 charge per person will be added. The rate is the same for Egyptians and foreigners. If you go down to Qusseir, 135 kilometres south of Hurghada, you can stay in the picturesque Movenpick Resort El- Qusseir (00+(2065) 332 100) where double rooms run for LE360 per night on a bed-and-breakfast basis for Egyptians and foreign residents and for $155 per night for non-resident foreigners. The Christmas gala dinner is another $80 while $110 will be added for the New Year's Eve affair. Iberotel Coraya Beach Resort (00+(2012) 391 2055) in Marsa Alam, 60 kilometres south of Qusseir, offers double rooms for LE500 per night on half-board basis for Egyptians and foreign residents. A supplement of LE200 will be added per person for Christmas gala dinner and LE275 for the New Year. Non-resident foreigners are offered double rooms for 80 euros per night on a bed-and-breakfast basis. The Christmas gala dinner supplement is 65 euros per person and that of the New Year is 80 euros. Not to be missed is the area north of Hurghada, especially Al- Gouna, where hotels are offering special deals and programmes for the New Year. Steigenberger Golf Resort (00+(2065) 545 060) offers double rooms for LE410 per night on half-board basis for Egyptians and foreign residents only. The Christmas and New Year's Eve gala dinner are mandatory. A supplement of LE275 per person will be added for the Christmas gala dinner and LE385 will be added for the New Year. The gala dinner, which will have a live band, will be held in the desert with a Bedouin theme. Sultan Bey (00+(2065) 580 077) and Dawar Al-Omda (00+(2065) 580 064) have a holiday special. If you book three nights you will get a fourth one free and if you book five you will get two more nights free. The former offers double rooms for LE440 per night on a bed-and-breakfast basis whereas the latter offers doubles for LE420 per night on a bed-and- breakfast basis. Rates are only valid for Egyptians and foreign residents. For more modestly priced options, try the Captain's Inn and Turtle's Inn hotels. Each have double rooms for LE180 per night on a bed-and-breakfast basis, but the offer is valid only for Egyptians and foreign residents. CITY BREAKS: Since the Middle Ages, there have been many visitors to Cairo with its hustle and bustle, lively atmosphere, vibrant spirit and rich history. A prime option is the Sheraton Royal Gardens (00+(202) 781 2211), the former villa of late Egyptian actor Youssef Wahbi in the Pyramids area. It offers double rooms for Egyptians and foreign residents for LE400 per night on a bed-and-breakfast basis including service charge and taxes. Non-resident foreigners will get double rooms for $80 per night in addition to service charge and taxes. A supplement of $70 will be added for the New Year gala dinner. For LE1,499 you can enjoy the Conrad Cairo Hotel (00+ (202) 580 8000) fairytale package for the New Year. You will be escorted to the hotel by limousine and will stay in an elegantly designed junior suite. Drinks will be served in your room followed by a candlelit dinner at one of the hotel's restaurants with a background of light traditional music. After dinner you will be invited to a countdown celebration at the Atrium Lounge with music provided by the DJ. The following day you will enjoy breakfast in the comfort of your room. The rate includes service charge and taxes. Hilton Pyramids Golf Resort (00+(202) 840 2402), in Sixth of October City, offers double rooms for LE280 per night on a bed-and-breakfast basis for Egyptians and foreign residents and for $75 for non-resident foreigners. On New Year's Eve, a big entertainment programme will be held and a sumptuous buffet dinner will be served. The supplement for the gala dinner is $100 per person. If you are a golfer, you can ask for the golf packages offered by the resort in that period. NILE EXCURSIONS: Sonesta Sun Goddess and Moon Goddess (00+(202) 262 8111) are among the few cruises on the Nile that offer a package for the Christmas and the New Year. You can enjoy four nights aboard the Sun Goddess or the Moon Goddess for LE2,800 and LE3,200 respectively per double cabin on full-board basis, inclusive of sightseeing fees, service charges, and taxes. There is no supplement for Christmas and the New Year, but the offer is open only to Egyptians and foreign residents. On Lake Nasser, Eugenie and Kasr Ibrim (00+(202) 516 9656) cruise boats offer Egyptians and foreign residents double cabins for LE570 per person per night including full-board accommodation and sightseeing. Non-resident foreigners rates are $165 per person per night in a double cabin. There is no extra supplement for the gala dinner. Tania (00+(202) 735 4890), another option on Lake Nasser, offers Egyptians and foreign residents double cabins for LE350 per person per night on a full-board basis while non-resident foreigners have to pay $70 per person per night. The rate excludes the $80 sightseeing fees. HISTORICAL BREAKS: For LE200 per night, Egyptians and foreign residents can book a double room in the Hilton Luxor (00+(2095) 374 933) at Christmas time on a bed-and-breakfast basis. On the New Year rates rise to LE220 per night. Non- resident foreigners can occupy double rooms for $95 per night at Christmas time and $120 on New Year's Eve. Christmas dinner is optional for Egyptians (LE250 per person) but is obligatory for foreigners ($65 per person). The New Year gala dinner is obligatory for all guests, and costs LE500 per person for Egyptians and $90 for foreigners. Mercure Inn Coralia Luxor Hotel (00+(2095) 380 721) offers Egyptians and foreign residents double rooms for LE150 on a bed-and-breakfast basis while non-resident foreigners have to pay $80. An extra supplement of $60 will be added for the gala dinner. Pyramisa Isis Island Hotel (00+(2097) 317 400) in Aswan offers double rooms for LE380 per night on a bed-and- breakfast basis. The gala dinner is not compulsory. The offer is valid only for Egyptians and foreign residents. For LE250 per night, Isis Hotel Aswan (00+(2097) 324 744) offers Egyptians and foreign residents double rooms on a bed- and-breakfast basis, which go for $80 for non-resident foreigners. The New Year's dinner is compulsory at an extra cost of LE100 for Egyptians and $75 for foreigners. The rates in this article are for individual travellers. If you come through a travel agency, rates would be much less. All prices are correct at the time of printing. The newspaper is not responsible for any changes in price by hotels and resorts.
