Perhaps when you are in the first throws of a new relationship, there is very little a luxury holiday abroad can do to wipe the smile off your face. Maybe my boyfriend and I were both so tired that we were floating around on cloud nine without even realising it. However I prefer to think that our week at the four star SASRadisson Hotel in Taba Heights seemed perfect to us simply because it was.
The hotel is one of only four in Taba which is an up and coming resort on the east coast of Egypt just south of Eilat. It's position makes it convenient for day trips to Israel, Jordan and
Saudi Arabia and the reps are keen to emphasise that these are safe to do but you will spend a good few hours getting through the borders and it just doesn't seem worth it when you're only on holiday for a week. There are mountains everywhere you look which may not be to everyone's taste but if you are fed up with city life and the idea of lying on a beach with nothing but a couple of camels and a beach bar for company appeals then this is the place for you. The view from our room was of the Red Sea that for most of our stay was like a mill pond and it was so conducive to relaxation that we had no trouble settling in right away.
We couldn't quite believe that the package we had booked through Longwood Holidays (£449 each all inclusive) only six weeks in advance would be everything that it promised on the packet and yet it was. From the moment we touched down at Taba's sparkling new airport to our departure seven days later, we were treated like royalty. The guests at the hotel were predominantly British and the first England match of Euro 2004 was aired specially in the rooftop bar so that we could witness our disastrous defeat at the hands of the French. I can't say we found the Egyptian commentary helped much but even we were surprised to see the hotel's entertainments staff decked out in England shirts for the event. As with most of the staff, they genuinely seemed pleased to have us there and as most English tourists will appreciate, that's unusual when you travel abroad these days. The waiters, reps, barmen and male chamber maids (not sure what you'd call them!) were smiley and polite and nothing was too much trouble.
Our package was based on an 'all-inclusive' deal meaning that all the food we could possibly wish for was included in the price and most of the drinks. We only came unstuck when on the first night we ordered a glass of wine at the bar and got charged for it. In that respect it's a little inconsistent as the wine you are served in the restaurant is complimentary and after 11pm you must pay for everything but frankly by that time we were usually exhausted by our day of lounging around doing nothing and were ready for bed. The entertainment consists of little more than an enthusiastic but second rate crooner and his female side-kick in the hotel bar so you're not missing much by getting an early night! As for the availability of food, if you wanted to stuff yourself stupid around the clock, you could. Prone to oversleeping and missing breakfast? Then tea, coffee and snacks fill the gap between breakfast, lunch and dinner and for an ice-cream addict like me, it wasn't too difficult to justify three in one day. The food was of a higher standard than in most all-inclusive foreign hotels I've experienced and there was ceratinly a lot more choice. My boyfriend is possibly the fussiest eater in existence and even he could find something he liked every night. We only resorted to chips once and the meat was always of good quality and cooked well. On the last night we treated ourselvse to a meal in the Italian restaurant at which you have to pay a minimal supplement. We were two of only about six others there that night but it made a nice change and the pizza and steak was just as good as any Italian in London.
Having said all that, whether it is the food preparation or something more mysterious, there is undoubtedly something that causes almost everyone who visits Egypt to go down with some form of stomach complaint and we were no exception. I was fine for the first five days and then it hit. It didn't ruin the rest of the holiday or mean we were resticted in any way but I know that for some it meant daily visits to the hotel doctor, injections and days without food or fun. Possibly my mistake was to use the tap water to clean my teeth in (stupidly I didn't think we needed to be that careful and clearly you do) or the fact that I ate fruit with the skin still on but it is a drawback. For that reason alone I wouldn't advise it as a good place to take young children to although those that we saw seemed to be having a great time.
I can't say enough to praise this resort. We were prepared for the hotel to be not quite the four star luxury you might expect in other countries but actually it was. The whole place was beautifully maintained and safe and the staff were excellent if not always English speaking. Combined with perhaps a week's sightseeing in Cairo and Luxor, this could be the perfect holiday. I have done a lot of travelling and I would rate Taba as one of the most unspoilt, relaxing and peaceful destinations I have experienced. It won't remain like this forever of course but I for one will be returning and I can't wait!
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Aug 18th, 2004
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