My family and I had a most AWESOME time at Ain Sokhna. We had been in Egypt for five days, and after an intense set of days of exploring - Giza, Saqqara, the Egyptian Museum, Coptic Cairo, Islamic Cairo, Khan Al-Khalili - a slow and relaxing day at the beach was the PERFECT interlude to our trip.
A couple of days before the trip, Andrew (guide) reached out to me on WhatsApp, and asked me what time we would want to leave from my hotel in Cairo to drive to Ain Sokhna. Considering that it is about a two-hour drive, he suggested that we leave early. My family and I had been exploring for a few days already, and we were a bit tired and so were hoping to get up a little late. Andrew kindly accommodated, giving us an extra 30 mins to get our beach stuff ready as well as coffee. Sharp at 7:30am he and Raafat (driver) came to our hotel in downtown Cairo and kindly helped us and our bags to the minibus. After some pleasant conversation and leaving Cairo (it was Friday and traffic was a bit easier) they got us on the highway (w/ very skillful driving) and we were able to take a much-desired long nap.
Something my family and I LOVED was getting to see Egypt outside of Cairo. Once you leave central Cairo and make it about 40 miles out east, the landscape changes from slightly sloped desert and geography to this amazing rocky and dry mountain range. It’s such an awesome sight and there are such awesome spots on the road, with the imposing mountains making for a sweet set of views. As Raafat kept driving, we arrived at Ain Sokhna and took a turn south, where the road takes you parallel to the coast, at times literally right next to the water. We LOVED the scenery; on our left was the calm and light-waved ocean with color changing between dark deep and light blue, with some scattered palm trees and green spaces, and on our right were the awesome dry mountains just dramatically springing up from the ground. Raafat made sure to take a slow and scenic drive, and we were loving our time (by this time we were rested from our long naps).
Once we got close to the hotel where we would spend the day, Andrew kindly offered a couple of tours, one including a boat ride where you can see the coral reef; while it sounded fun, we really just wanted to rest that day, and he was so nice and understanding, as the best tour guides. We then arrived at the hotel - side note: they asked for our passports at check-in before they would let us in - and were taken to the beach with some nice beach umbrellas and we were given ample space to have some privacy. The beach is awesome, the hotel has a nice small area where they let ocean water in, and they have a couple of rock paths where you can go and mill around, making for some awesome spots for family photos. The hotel also has a nice swimming pool, and ample space for walking around, relaxing, and taking in the sun. The bathrooms were nice, the common areas clean, and the staff always attentive.
We had the most amazing time just having downtime, taking in the AWESOME natural scenery, jumping on the water for an hour, and taking such memorable photos. We then had lunch - kofta, chicken, rice, and the most awesome Okra with tomato sauce - combining perfectly with the nice fruit plates they had at the beach.
Late afternoon we started packing our stuff, with Andrew and Raafat being so patient and nice, not at all rushing us, and only caring that we have a good relaxing time and make the most of our day. Andrew and I had a nice conversation about one of my best topics- soccer/football. He is a soccer fan (as I am) and we spend a nice time discussing our favorite historical players/coaches and memorable games. After that, once again, Raafat skillfully drove us back.
This was such a memorable afternoon. My family and I LOVE the beach landscape, and we have visited several spots around the world, but this one on the Gulf of Suez on the Red Sea is ABSOLUTELY SPECTACULAR. There’s something special about the blue of the ocean throwing itself against the desert-colored sand and mountains, with a super clear sky above everything. This is surely one of my favorite spots now and I hope to see more of the Red Sea. Also, after a few days of getting to and visiting your historical Egypt sights and spots, a day trip to the beach will make a perfect vacation. I HIGHLY recommend this package, and GLADLY recommend Andrew and Raafat for this super memorable, one of my favorite days in Egypt.
Thank You Andrew and Raafat….!!!!