This is First Choice Resort hotel on an all inclusive meal plan. I went there with my partner, elder son (12) and my youngest (1). We got a taxi from the airport cost 100 EYGP, negotiate before taking one. We organised one through the hotel. Fab hotel. We'd never done all inclusive before, so the rugby scrum at meal times took a little getting used to at first. There's food for every taste in the main restaurant but I would recommend you get there early doors. The BBQ on a Sunday night is wonderful. The Mermaid at lunch time is a good alternative and the burgers are great. Italian not worth the visit and neither the Mermaid in the evening, which you have to pay extra for. Make sure you get plenty of water at tea time, as the water in your mini bar is chargeable and from the dining hall it's free.
When we were there, there was plenty of sun beds around both swimming pools and on the beach, although it can be a little windy at times. The jetty from the beach is in need of repair but adequate and is the easy way to get to the swimming area. It's worth noting that you can paddle from the shore but to swim you need to walk out about 200 yards before it's deep enough to swim. Nabq Bay is surrounded by a protective coral barrier, which you can access from one of the other jetties. Each hotel along the beaches have their own and you might get charged. If you turn left out of the main entrance, there's a parade of shops with something similar to a Tesco express. It has everything you need at a fraction of the cost of the hotels mini bar, plus fresh fruit etc The Burger king across the road is cheap and the best I've had, that's if you don't fancy hotel food. Aquarius scuba club is really good. Prices in GBP so take cash, as they charge exchange rate + 2% tax. Go for the all day snorkelling trip or better still, try and hijack a diving trip, so you can follow the divers along the reef at your leisure. We bought food and drink to take with us. The hotel packups are disgusting. The snorkelling trips are ok but you feel like a herd of animals and aren't the only group there. To get the best from Tiran Island snorkelling, it isn't for beginners or novice snorkellers. Some people took small children but they couldn't keep up, tired out quickly and got cold. Also, the currents can be quite strong. We were warm enough in swimsuits and t-shirts. Watch out for jelly fish, so a rash vest is best. Also watch out for boats setting off when all parked up at the reefs. The wait to get back to the jetty is quite long and it's on a first come first served/push basis. It can be quite amusing when the Captain's are all shouting at each other. Expect some nudging going on, so hold on tight.
Make sure you use the bottled water for brushing your teeth. I took Mothercare Travel Sterilising Bags for the baby's things. I also packed a small kettle and additional food with antibacterial wipes for the high chairs. We didn't have any tummy problems and ate fresh food (no salad or fruit salad).
Bad points - 1. very noisy beach bar to the left of the hotel, which went on till 11pm some nights. This is not run by the hotel, so not their fault. 2. No lifts - anywhere. Not even on the 2nd floor accommodation. We had our 1 yr old with us and had to carry the pram up and down to get to reception. 3. Dirty floors in the room, even after mopping - we didn't realise until we saw the dirt from our 1 yr old crawling. 4. there's a tarmac path separating the pool area from the beach. You can walk down it either way to see other hotels but you may get run over by electric mopeds and small quad bikes. These you can hire and are lethal, as we'd seen crashes and wheels falling off.
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Advantages: Great Diving, Quality Hotels, Variety of Activities Disadvantages: Temperatures in the summer may be too high for some, Proximity of Hotels
maestro2001 06.02.2005 (06.02.2005)
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