Holiday FAQs

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Q: I want to ask about the potential of Ain Al- Sukhna as a honeymoon destination. I need somewhere I can spend four or five days: what are the cheapest options? And what are the best means of transportation and the main attractions?

Abdel-Ghaffar Dawood
Cairo

A: Ain Al-Sukhna on the Gulf of Suez, 55kms south of Suez, could be an excellent option for your honeymoon, with its sandy beaches and crystal-clear blue water. Its greatest advantage is that it can be reached in slightly over an hour by bus, train or private car. There are no direct buses to Ain Al-Sukhna, so you have to take an East Delta bus (+202 576 2293) from Cairo to Suez (LE7.25), then a service taxi or bus from Suez (three buses daily, LE5) to Ain Al-Sukhna. Cairo-Suez buses leave from the Almaza terminal in Heliopolis every half-hour. Trains to Suez leave from Ain Shams station, next to the Ain Shams Metro stop, for LE4 at 9.20am, 1.20pm, 4.15pm, 6.45pm and 9.40pm, but they take more than two hours to complete the journey. The easiest way is to take your car and drive out along the Cairo- Suez road.

There are a variety of options when it comes to accommodation: Al-Sukhna Portrait Hotel (+2062 325 560) offers double rooms on a half- board basis for LE240 per night on weekdays and LE270 per night on weekends. The Mena Oasis Hotel (+2062 290 850) has double rooms for only LE215 per night half board, whereas the Amigo Resort (+2062 410 001) offers double rooms for LE190 per night on a bed and breakfast basis; lunch and dinner are served a la carte.

In Ain Al-Sukhna you can enjoy a variety of water sports activities, such as windsurfing, canoeing, waterskiing, and fishing. The resort is also famous for its desert safaris and mountain climbing.

For more details, please refer to our story in the November 2003 issue, 'The beach within reach'.

Write to "Holiday FAQs", Travel, Al-Ahram Weekly , Galaa St, Cairo, Egypt, or e-mail wtfaq@ahram.org.eg