"Little Venice on the Red Sea" - El Gouna, Red Sea

In today’s modern and sometimes stressful world what some of us need the most, is some peace of mind, tranquility and indulgence. In this month’s issue, Excel Travel features the “little Venice on the Red Sea” El Gouna with their motto: Life as it should be! 

This fully self-contained town located approximately 25 km north of Hurghada with its own 18 hole USPGA golf course, 16 hotels ranging from the luxurious 5 star hotels to the cozy and charming 3 star boutique hotels, numerous diving centers and kite surfing stations, offers everything a guest could need and want during their stay. This year round destination leaves no wish unfulfilled and offers something for every budget and desire. Whether you are looking to just relax on the beach, discover the spectacular underwater world, have some fun on the waves by kitesurfing or putting on your dancing shoes and listening to some great music by world class DJ and artists, El Gouna truly lives up to its slogan: Life as it should be!  

El Gouna has also become a permanent home for many residents, both Egyptians and foreigners, accordingly the resort is equipped with accredited schools, an up to date and world class hospital, nurseries, supermarkets, an open air cinema, and various institutions such as the German Hotel school, the soon to be opened Technical University of Berlin and a Nursing Institute.  El Gouna is a quaint and friendly neighborhood and whether you know someone or not, you are always greeted with a smile. With its dome shaped houses and beautifully rounded arches, which act as a natural cooling system in the summer, El Gouna is the flagship project for the Orascom Development and Holding company.  

El Gouna has been recognized as Egypt’s most environmentally friendly destination, thanks to its various environmental efforts such as regular beach and island clean ups, as well as all of the hotels being accredited with the Green Globe and the Green Star Hotel initiative. The Green Globe Award is a prestigious award from the Green Globe International, a non-profit organization that promotes environmentally and socially responsible tourism. The Green Star Hotel initiative aims to improve environmental standards in the Egyptian hotel industry through the minimization of environmental impact while maximizing the appeal to guests.

If you love food, El Gouna is a food lover’s paradise. Offering tantalizing and exceptional cuisines from around the world, you can enjoy a different dish every night of the week without eating the same thing twice. From French, Mediterranean, Egyptian to the exotic Asian cuisines such as Thai, Indian and Vietnamese, there’s something for everyone.  You can still sample different cuisines even if you are a half board or an all inclusive guest, as all EL Gouna hotels participate in a Dine Around program which allows you to have your dinner in different hotels at no extra charge.

Highlights:

Breakfast at the Steigenberger Golf Resort hotel:

One of the best breakfast buffets served in El Gouna.  

With a variety of freshly baked breads, jams, fruits, waffles and much more, it will satisfy any appetite whatever your food preference is. 

Segway tour:

A great way to see El Gouna is by using the Segway; a motorized vehicle compromised of a board, wheels and a handle bar. The vehicle is propelled by shifting your weight either to the front or to the back; to go forward or backwards respectively or by moving the handles to the side to move either to the left or the right. Anyone can do it and it just takes a few minutes to get used to it.   

Wine tasting at the EgyBev Winery:

Experience the journey of the Egyptian authentic wine, a process that starts from the plantation of grapes in the deserts of Egypt (organic grapes) to the labeling of the bottles until the final process of delivery. Free winery tours are organized Sunday through Thursday and guests can taste awarded wines such as the Jardin du Nil White 2010 and the Jardin du Nil Red 2009, both silver medal winners at the Challenge Millesime Bio 2011 and 2012 respectively in Montpellier, France.  

The El Gouna Golf Club:

Currently the only 18 hole USPGA championship course, designed by Gene Bates and Fred Couples was designed with every golfer in mind, whether you’re an amateur trying out the sport for the first time or a pro playing the tournament circuit. The course is surrounded by breath taking mountains and lagoons and is open all year round to all players with a handicap of 45. The Golf Club offers introductory courses three times a week for non golfers with a PGA professional. 

Lagoon tour:

Enjoy a beautiful and relaxing lagoon trip along the waters of El Gouna and discover how “the little Venice on the Red Sea” became El Gouna as it is today. Along the way see some beautiful villas and apartments, the Abu Tig Marina and some of the hotels. 

Lunch at the Captain’s Inn Steakhouse:

For all meat fans, the Captain’s Inn Steakhouse located at the Abu Tig Marina, offers mouthwatering steaks, cooked to your liking with a variety of sides. In the evenings enjoy the wonderful atmosphere the marina has to offer. 

The Abu Tig Marina and the New Marina:

Enjoy a stroll on the marina boardwalk and take in the atmosphere of the beautiful and exquisite yachts which are berthed. The New Marina, opened in 2009 can berth yachts up to 60 meters in length. The two marinas are connected to each other and offer a wide variety of restaurants, boutiques and bars. From spring until the beginning of winter, outdoor festivals at various venues at the marina offer free entertainment such as live bands, shows and singers.  

Downtown walk:

Take a walk around the down town and visit some of the shops, including the Artistic Village, or stop at one of the numerous coffee shops for a cup of coffee or even a hookah (shisha), and if you love sports, there’s a sports bar which shows live broadcasts of all sporting matches. 

Embassy of Knowledge:

The Embassy of Knowledge is El Gouna’s local library offering a calm and relaxing place for studying or simply picking up a new book to read. The library is connected to the Library of Alexandria with thousands of books available online as well as offering on a daily basis the Culturama show. On nine screens the history of Egypt is explained from the time of the pharaohs until modern times. 

Languages offered are in English, German, French and Arabic and Russian on request.

 

Book your holiday to El Gouna through us. You can even combine it with an Egypt historical tour or even a Nile Cruise. Have a look at our Coral Package.

El Gouna Steigenberger Golf resort Segway Tour Egybev Winery Jardin du Nil White 2012 Jardin du Nil Red 2009 The El Gouna Golf Club 18 hole golf course Egypt Lagoon Tour Red Sea Abu Tig Marina Captain's Inn Steakhouse El Gouna New Marina Artistic Village Embassy of Knowledge