In the public mind, Egypt has long been reduced to two points on the map — Sharm el-Sheikh and Hurghada, which tourists know almost by heart. But beyond these overheated destinations lies another, calmer and noticeably less worn-out Egypt. This is what Natalya Yakimenko, director of the travel agency “I’ll Fly Where I Want!”, told Wave RBC.UA in an interview. According to her, we are talking about two fundamentally different resorts — Marsa Alam on the Red Sea and El Alamein on the Mediterranean coast. Both answer the same client request: “I want to go to Egypt, but I don’t want the typical Egypt.”
Marsa Alam: The Red Sea for Those Seeking a Reef
If the goal of the trip is the underwater world, the expert recommends looking precisely at Marsa Alam. Here is one of the country’s most scenic coral reefs, the water boasts fantastic shades, and there are plenty of opportunities for diving and snorkeling. At the same time, there is an important nuance: the hotel must be chosen carefully, because in each resort complex the reef will not always be equally accessible and beautiful. The beaches are mostly sandy — some offer a gentle slope into the sea, while others require entering the water from a pontoon. Therefore, according to Yakimenko, when selecting a tour the agency always clarifies what matters more to the tourist: a beautiful reef, a comfortable beach, a gentle entry for children, or the ability to swim without a pontoon.
Atmosphere and Activities Beyond the Sea
A separate advantage of Marsa Alam is its atmosphere. There are noticeably fewer Russian tourists here and more Europeans, and the reason is simple: there is no direct air traffic with Russia. For many Ukrainians, this is today an important, and sometimes the main, criterion for choosing a destination. In addition to the sea, the resort offers diving, jeep safaris across the desert, and trips to Bedouin settlements. The hotel base is diverse: from family complexes with water slides and kids’ animation to calm options without extra noise or discos. The territories are mostly spacious, and the quality of food, as everywhere, directly depends on the hotel’s level. The optimal time to visit is April–May or September–October, that is, the beginning of the autumn season, which is just starting.
El Alamein: A Mediterranean Alternative
El Alamein is a completely different story: white sand, a blue Mediterranean Sea, beautiful modern hotels, and the feeling that you have arrived not in the familiar Egypt. There are no coral reefs here — this is a Mediterranean resort — but there are magnificent sandy beaches and a gentle slope into the sea, which makes the destination especially suitable for calm family holidays. The only nuance is that there are often waves here, although many children, on the contrary, love them. This is a resort less about active diving and more about the beach, the sea, comfort, and aesthetics. El Alamein also has a strong excursion advantage: it is closer to Cairo and the pyramids, as well as to Alexandria, which allows combining a beach holiday with a classic introduction to the country’s history. The hotel base is newer, but there are no typical “Egyptian” hotels with a large number of water slides — there are family options, kids’ clubs, and animation, and overall the atmosphere is calmer. The best period is June–September, when the Mediterranean Sea is already well warmed up.
Logistics and Seasonality
The question of accessibility, according to the expert, is asked most often. To Marsa Alam you can now fly on direct flights from Poland, as well as get there by transfer from Hurghada — for example, a flight from Chișinău to Hurghada followed by a transfer of about 3–4 hours. To El Alamein there are direct flights from Chișinău and from Polish airports. As for Russian tourist traffic, there is still little of it precisely because of the absence of direct flights, although airlines already have plans to open direct service to El Alamein from Russia. Therefore, if it is important to get to the resort while there is a minimum of Russian traffic there, the expert advises not to postpone the trip.
Contradictory Data
Here it is worth honestly pointing out a discrepancy in assessments. The expert agency positions both resorts as destinations that are “still much less worn out by tourists,” where Russian traffic is minimal. At the same time, a number of Russian media outlets, on the contrary, present El Alamein as a rapidly growing mega-project, comparing it to “Egypt’s new Dubai” and talking about millions of tourists and a large-scale infrastructure boom. Both points of view can be correct at different moments in time: the resort is indeed developing and attracting more and more guests, but at the current moment it still remains less overheated than Sharm el-Sheikh and Hurghada. The final choice between the “quiet” and the “trendy” option depends on the season and the hotel a specific tourist is going to.
Conclusion: Two Different Formats, Not “Better” and “Worse”
As Yakimenko sums up, it is incorrect to place Marsa Alam and El Alamein in the categories of “best” and “worse” — they are about different kinds of holidays. Want a reef, snorkeling, diving, the desert, and the most beautiful Red Sea — look toward Marsa Alam. Want a white beach, a gentle entry into a warm sea, a new resort, and the opportunity to combine the beach with excursions to Alexandria and Cairo — your option is El Alamein. The main thing that is liked about these destinations is that they bring Egypt back a sense of discovery: when you arrive not where everyone goes, but find your own sea, your own hotel, and your own format of holiday. Because Egypt is significantly larger than Sharm and Hurghada, and if you want something unconventional — both of these resorts are definitely worth considering.
