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Al-Ahram Weekly On-line 21 - 27 September 2000 Issue No. 500 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly On-line 21 - 27 September 2000 Issue No. 500
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Elections Development Region International Economy Opinion Culture Features Special Travel Living Sports Profile People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters Lost horizon
By Rehab SaadThese days peace and tranquillity often come at a price, so it's not surprising that one of the major complaints about the stunning northwestern coast resort of Sidi Abdel-Rahman is that it's too expensive. Pristine beaches and gleaming white sand don't come cheap -- but they used to.
"We used to rent the same villa for LE15 a day," recalls Mohamed Ghoneim, a businessman staying at the resort's only hotel, Al-Alamein Hotel. "Now the rent has gone up to LE1,050 a day -- but it's worth it." His wife Mona agrees enthusiastically, stressing that the weather is unparalleled and that the sea is safe for the kids. The couple stumbled on the resort some 30 years back and were immediately smitten, returning two or three times a year since. The loyalty of Sidi Abdel-Rahman's patrons is, to say the least, fierce; it is also harboured by only a select few, most of whom have been coming regularly since their youth.
About nine kilometres beyond the last marker of Al-Alamein battlefield, Sidi Abdel-Rahman has kept a low profile, shielding itself from the hordes of summer holiday-makers who invade other northern coast villages like Marina, Maraqiya or Abu Talaat. Consequently, this sleepy town lacks all the trappings of the inevitable over development that trails in happy tourists' wakes: no monstrous concrete complexes, artificial lakes or elaborate rental facilities. No beach buggies, motorboats and late nights out on the town. Party-starved beach bunnies and adventure-seekers need not apply here.
In her book The Western Desert of Egypt: An Explorer's Handbook, Cassandra Vivian recounts the myth of Sidi (saint) Abdel-Rahman, a Muslim saint who is said to have been murdered by fellow traders on this spot. Years later, the same traders passed by again and found a large watermelon, which they picked and took to the tribal leader. When he unwrapped it, he found the head of Abdel-Rahman, still bleeding from his murder. Pilgrims began travelling to the site to honour the saint, who was said to graciously grant their requests.
Now visitors come for the dry sunny weather, the unspoiled beaches and the well-kept greenery, but really it is what Sidi Abdel-Rahman doesn't have that has charmed so many. Mainly inhabited by Bedouins who settled in the area, the town of Sidi Abdel-Rahman consists of little else than the intersection of two main streets, lined with a pharmacy, a few grocers, an ahwah (local coffee shop), general stores, a telephone and telegraph office and a hospital. Closed off from the hustle and bustle of city life, Al-Alamein Hotel only comes to life for a few months out of the year, when its fans trek out to this secluded spot to wind down in its natural surroundings.
Which is not to say that facilities are primitive. Located roughly 130 kilometres from Alexandria, Al-Alamein Hotel is a four-star hotel boasting 92 rooms and 35 well-equipped villas. Most rooms and villas overlook the bay and three luxurious villas have private beaches. One villa stands out for its most illustrious regular -- Gamal Abdel-Nasser; in fact, Al-Alamein owes its prosperity to his foresight. Owned and run by the Egyptian General Organisation for Tourism and Hotels (EGOTH), the hotel was built at the behest of President Nasser, who used to visit the area.
"He liked the place so much that he asked Abdel-Qader Hatem, the minister of tourism at the time, to build a hotel on the spot," explained Hassan Abu Ferekha, general manager of Al-Alamein Hotel. Hatem subsequently asked Upper Egypt Hotels Company to build Al-Alamein and the hotel was inaugurated in 1964.
Though it was significantly smaller than its present state, foreigners kept the place full. "Our occupancy was 100 per cent," recalls Abu Ferekha. "This was natural as it [Al-Alamein] was the only hotel along the shore from Agami [just west of Alexandria] until Marsa Matrouh [near the Libyan border]. There was nothing on that road except King Farouk's rest house in Ras El-Hekma near Matrouh and the Beausite hotel. We really filled a gap." In its early days, Al-Alamein attracted more than a few celebrities, among them singers Abdel-Halim Hafez, Nagat El-Saghira and actress Faten Hamama. Field Marshal Abdel-Hakim Amer was a guest, as was Field Marshal Montgomery of Al-Alamein. Both of Nasser's daughters honeymooned there.
In the two-storey, six-room villa used by Nasser, Al-Alamein management held on to the original furniture as long as they could -- and probably much longer than they should have. Finally last year, the furniture was declared in terrible condition and the villa was refitted with new furnishings. Three months ago, two other luxury villas were built, each with its own garden, a large terrace and a place to barbecue.
Footprints in the sand: the unspoilt beaches of Sidi Abdel-Rahman are the playground for a loyal following, but this quiet north coast resort is still coming into its own photo: Khaled El-Fiqi
All the trappings of a beachside resort are still here: a children's playground, bicycles for rent, tennis and squash courts, even croquet. But for those grown accustomed to the comforts of more modern resorts, this is not always enough.
"The place is extremely nice, but I feel it is too expensive," remarks Rashda Madi, who works at the British Council. "A day use here costs LE162, without food. We paid LE420 a day for a double room, but I don't feel that the service here warrants that kind of money. The prices are those of a five-star hotel, but without the service and facilities of that category," she said, noting that neither the furniture in the rooms nor the plumbing has been updated. "There are many villages on the northern coast that are much less expensive and nearer. This place is too far and too expensive."
But on this Abu Ferekha of Al-Alamein Hotel is firm, explaining that, in fact, the current prices of the hotel have not changed since 1998 and just cover the hotel's expenses. EGOTH has spent more than LE17 million in restoring and updating the hotel, but unfortunately for the management, luxuries like a new power station and water plant are not readily visible to the typical guest.
Another problem that worries Sidi Abdel-Rahman's fans is that of the beach erosion, a problem that Abu Ferekha says is being studied in cooperation with the Suez Canal Authority. "The beach was bigger than this before. It is getting smaller every time we get here," notes Professor Abdel-Aziz of Alexandria University. "The sea is eating it up. There are also big rocks on the beach that could easily be removed with a bulldozer in one day," he said, adding that the hotel should be equipped with more facilities in order to be able to compete with other northern coast resorts.
The secret of Sidi Abdel-Rahman lies in its underdevelopment -- ironically, the very thing that some visitors lament, often with regard to Al-Alamein. But loyalists wouldn't have it any other way. For the most part, it seems to be memories that endear Sidi Abdel-Rahman to its visitors. "It is in that exact spot, in front of that hill, where my friends and I used to camp out," recalls Mazen El-Zarqa, an engineer. At the time, the western part of the hotel's beach was still public. "We used to camp there overnight and have parties and barbecues. There was one public rest room and a man who used to sell us water," El-Zarqa says, adding that the allure of the place can only be truly understood by those who knew it a long time ago. "I am a heavy traveller and I always try to go to different places, but I will spend any amount of money to come here."
El-Zarqa added it was important that the area remain simple and untouched. "This is its secret. I am afraid it will become something like Marsa Matrouh, which is ruined by all the concrete buildings and haphazard development. We want it as it is," he said.
El-Zarqa's fears may well prove founded; it seems that the area of Sidi Abdel-Rahman is destined for grander heights. A new project there will establish 60 new hotels, to be run by international companies, on an area of 1,500 feddans. The LE4.5 billion project will include the building of an international golf course, a marina for yachts; a casino and a centre for treating certain diseases with sea water. As if all this were not enough, a new airport at Al-Alamein is in the works, to be established in the coming years.
The project is sure to completely transform the area -- but what about the simplicity so dear to the resort's guests? No more will Al-Alamein hold the unchallenged title for unpretentious and private accommodation. Sidi Abdel-Rahman, it seems, will probably bow its head to the gods of tourist income. Can it retain its old-world flavour? The answer remains only to be seen.
