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Al-Ahram Weekly On-line 28 Sep. - 4 Oct. 2000 Issue No. 501 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly On-line 28 Sep. - 4 Oct. 2000 Issue No. 501
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Elections Region International Economy Opinion Culture Special Travel Living Sports Profile People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters Return to Ras Sidr
By Rehab SaadIt was not my first time to Ras Sidr, but this time, it was personal. I had been there over a decade ago, when my family used to holiday there and the town was nothing but a sandy beach, a few small shops, and turquoise waters as far the eye could see. I wanted to see what recent developments in the area had done for this Gulf of Suez spot, and whether it was still the place I had known.
There was a bite of autumn breeze as we took off early in the morning last weekend and headed along the Cairo-Suez Road toward the Ahmed Hamdi tunnel, which snakes under the Suez Canal. From there we dipped south along the west coast of the Sinai peninsula. One of Ras Sidr's biggest draws is its proximity; the drive from Cairo only takes about two and a half hours.
The drive to Ras Sidr also harbours a treat for those who are willing to stop along the way; the route passes by the site of Ayoun Moussa (Springs of Moses). Believed to be one of the places where Moses passed during the Exodus, legend says that in this exact spot, 12 springs burst from the ground while he was there. Today, it is an oasis of desert plants and palm trees. You can't miss it, given the number of billboards along the road announcing various projects -- tourist villages, health spas, etc. Apparently, the craze for restoring all things Biblical has not been lost on tourism officials in the area.
By this time of year, summer travellers are mostly back home shuttling their kids back and forth from school and most Mediterranean resorts are virtually empty, save a few determined followers of the sand and sea cult. But many resorts along the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aqaba and the Gulf of Suez operate all year round; places like Hurghada, Safaga and South Sinai are blessed with fine weather throughout the year. Ras Sidr -- until recently, a spot targeted predominantly by Egyptians -- falls under the same category, with consistently warm, dry weather.
When I visited the area with my family years ago, it was still an obscure destination, unknown even to most Egyptians. We used to rent one of the few chalets that dotted the beach alongside a modest hotel run by South Sinai Tourist Company. It was our only option then, but even so, it suited our needs amply. A lack of five-star service was a small price to pay for unpolluted beaches that seemed to exist for us alone.
As we drove through the city-centre that now occupies the stretch of beach I recalled from my visits past, I realised that Ras Sidr is no longer a place that is sheltered by its uncelebrated status. Shops, governmental buildings and local houses crowd the formerly bare town and the open desert stretch that used to face the beachfront villas has been filled with a coffee shop and a small amusement park.
Although tourist officials have piously declared that the area will not be overdeveloped -- that there will be "buffer zones" between the different resorts and room left for public beaches -- it seems that such postulations will go the way of other promises buried in the rubble of resort-building fever. Hotels and tourist villages are being built one beside the other, leaving no space untouched and suggesting little in the way of a master plan. Should developers have their way, no one will dare catch a glimpse of the water without owning a villa or paying for accommodation. It was once the case that from anywhere in Ras Sidr, you could always see the horizon; now four rows of buildings separate the town from the water and luxury establishments are elbowing out local coffee shops and vendors.
Most of the new hotels and tourist villages are being built to the south of Ras Sidr. As we made our way down to our hotel, we passed some of the old pioneers, including Daghash Land, Al-Mahrousa Beach and Al-Messallah Beach. Serious development took off in the mid-1990s, and only a few years later, these modest, camp-like resorts seem like relics of Ras Sidr's bygone era of simple living -- an evolution that these days can take place in a matter of years.
The Hammam Fara'oun (Pharaoh's bath), one of the attractions of Ras Sidr, will be turned into a heath spa as part of the growing health tourism trade
photo: Mohamed Mosa'd
We spent the weekend at the Belle Vue Hotel, a recently-opened four-star with all the essentials for a holiday on the beach. Though the atmosphere was pleasant enough, the hotel's main drawback is that it does not overlook the sea. There is just something about crossing the highway to spend the day on the beach that leaves one feeling somewhat cheated. I sidestepped the issue and spent the day by the pool.
A quick survey of the place and its facilities easily told the story of Ras Sidr today. Though development is on the rise, resorts are still catering to an almost exclusively Egyptian clientele, mostly weekend travellers. At Belle Vue, most satellite channels are Arab-oriented and rooms are not equipped with brochures or directories offering any information about the hotel. I found that all the hotel guests were Egyptians. There was not a single foreigner.
The distinction is even more evident in the entertainment provided by the hotel. In Hurghada or Sharm Al-Sheikh, where many European tourists clog the beaches, hotels have a discotheque or a night club. In Belle Vue, Arabic music is piped through loudspeakers at the pool during the day, while at night a big TV screen provides guests dining by the pool the chance to follow Arabic serials. After dinner, an Arabic singer performed and guests sang and danced through the night.
Though resorts have taken great pains to please the customers they are serving, the efforts are self-perpetuating; with accoutrements all geared toward domestic tastes, it is difficult to see why foreigners would choose this spot over other more internationally-minded resorts. Even breakfast was served later than usual, as most guests are not waking up early to go on a safari or a diving trip, as in Hurghada or Sharm Al-Sheikh.
"We once had an Italian group who came here for lunch on their way from Sharm Al-Sheikh to Cairo," noted Mohamed Abdel-Ghani, the general manager, summing up the situation rather succinctly. "Ras Sidr was a transit point for them."
But, as with all tourism endeavours, plans are being made to attract foreign travellers. An airport currently being considered under the BOT (build, operate and transfer) system would undoubtedly open up the possibilities of the area. And, of course, big hotel chains have caught a whiff of those prospects; Hilton, Sheraton, Sonesta, Accor and Holiday Inn are all constructing immense properties in Ras Sidr -- usually the first step to an international market.
But rather than feeling threatened, forward-thinking hotels are welcoming the expansion. "These big chains will help us a lot," said Belle Vue's Abdel-Ghani. "I believe this will revive the whole area, and could attract a number of tourists. We are waiting for them."
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