El Gouna

So El Gouna is a strange place, Costa del Disney on the Red Sea coast. This was nothing 30 years ago just desert and coast.

An entrepreneurial Egyptian businessman purchased the whole area and transformed it into a series of man-made harbours and channels and also freshwater lakes. Check out the map to see what I mean! He then built a network of hotels shops and restaurants which he still owns and rents out. It is now a luxury resort for foreigners and Egyptians alike.

Because it has security to get in it is hassle free and we welcomed that after Cairo.

We have mostly chilled here after full on diving week. The breakfast buffet included in our hotel was something to behold.

We did try a bit of birding at 6am one morning but only added Eastern Olivaceous Warbler to the life list. All the potential Reef Herons were annoyingly Little Egrets. Oh we did have a pair of Osprey nesting around on the harbour markers outside our hotel too.Read more