This holiday season, a bundle of lucrative tourist packages is on offer in the Egyptian tourist market. Rehab Saad recommends the ones to consider It's difficult to pick a destination in Egypt, or even a hotel or resort. If you want moderate weather nearly all Egyptian tourist spots have fantastic climate whether in Hurghada on the Red Sea, Sharm El-Sheikh, Dahab, Nuweiba, Taba in South Sinai, Luxor and Aswan in Upper Egypt, and Ismailia and Fayed on the Suez Canal. And if you're looking for a deluxe or a low- budget hotel you'll find hundreds of five-star properties with exclusive facilities and services as well as many four, three and two-star hotels no less equipped and designed to satisfy all needs. Even camps in Dahab and Nuweiba provide travellers with their basic needs in a simple serene atmosphere. Rates are generally high in the Red Sea and even higher in Sharm El-Sheikh in South Sinai whereas it is much cheaper in Dahab, Nuweiba and Taba in South Sinai, in Luxor and Aswan in Upper Egypt and in the Canal cities of Ismailia and Fayed. November to mid-December is the best time to book a vacation for a reasonable rate. Starting from 23 December to mid-January, rates will soar because Christmas and the New Year will coincide with the Greater Biram (Eid Al-Adha) holidays and with the mid-year vacation as well. Most hotels and resorts in Egypt offer various lucrative packages this winter in addition to special breaks for Christmas and New Year and honeymooners. So whether you want a vacation for relaxation or for sightseeing, your honeymoon or for Christmas, just decide on the destination, check your budget, then select the suitable place for an exclusive holiday. If you opt for the Sinai Peninsula, the stretch of Sharm El-Sheikh, Dahab, Nuweiba and Taba -- one of the most charming areas of the world -- might top your list of vacation spots. Starting with Egypt's top-notch resort Sharm El-Sheikh situated at the tip of the peninsula, there is a variety of five- to one-star hotels to fit your budget, whatever it is. The added plus about Sharm is that it suits all moods -- whether you want to go loud and party in the dozens of discotheques like Hard Rock, Pacha and Faces, or listen to chill out beats in Little Buddha or just spend a quiet evening strolling along the promenade of Neama Bay; whether to embark on diving trips to Ras Mohamed, Ras Tiran or the site of the Thistlegorm; or release the adventurous side of yourself in quadrunning and desert safaris among the picturesque Red Sea Mountains. Thomas Cook Travel Agency offers three nights at the five-star Royal Plaza for LE795 per person in a single room and LE494 per person in a double room on half board basis. It also offers three nights at the five-star Iberotel Lido for LE1,350 per person in a single room and LE825 per person in a double room on bed and breakfast basis. Both offers are valid until 23 December except during feasts and public holidays. You can also have three nights at the five-star Conrad Resort, through Thomas Cook, for LE1,080 per person in a single room and LE675 per person in a double room on half board basis. The offer is available until the end of December. Emeco Travel also offers three nights in Mövenpick Neama Resort for LE1,650 per double room, and for LE1,350 per double room in Renaissance Resort on bed and breakfast basis. The offer is valid until mid-December. If you intend on spending your Christmas holiday in Sharm El-Sheikh, then consider the five-star Hyatt Regency Hotel's offer during that period. The hotel offers double rooms for LE550 for Egyptians per night on bed and breakfast basis, with an added supplement of LE150 per person to stay on half board basis. Non resident foreigners are charged $188 on bed and breakfast basis, with an added supplement of $42 per person for dinner or lunch. In January, prices will hike up to almost double, with Eid and mid-year breaks falling in the second half of the month. The four-star Helnan Marina Sharm Hotel, located in Neama Bay with an excellent view of the sea, offers double rooms for LE650 per night for Egyptians on half board basis, while a supplement of LE500 on Christmas and New Year's Eve will grant you access to the big gala dinner. Non-resident foreigners, for $150, are reserved a double room at the hotel. The gala dinner will cost you an extra $90. In January before the mid-year break, prices at the Helnan will be LE500 for Egyptians and $100 for foreigners in double rooms. As for the three-star Kahramana Hotel, also in Neama Bay, it offers Egyptians during the end-of- December period double rooms for LE800 on half board basis. The Christmas gala dinner will cost Egyptians and foreigners an additional LE400. Non-resident foreigners will have double rooms for 70 euros. After 7 January, rates will drop to LE600 for Egyptians and 60 euros for foreigners. Honeymooners can get an excellent deal in Sharm El-Sheikh through the five-star Iberotel Palace. For LE310 per person per night, you can get a double room on bed and breakfast basis. The offer includes free transport from and to the airport, an upgrade to a sea view room, a fruit basket, a plate of Oriental pastry with afternoon tea served in the room and free sauna for 20 minutes per room. If you are a shoe-string traveller, then Dahab will indeed be your home for the holiday break. This city, lying on the Gulf of Aqaba, is the dictionary definition of serenity and stunning weather. A two- mile stretch of bazaars, cafés, hotels and camps on the beach, Dahab is best known for its wide range of camps directly on the gulf. However, there are some five- and four-star hotels. During Christmas, New Year and Eid Al-Adha, Iberotel Dahabeya offers double sea view rooms for LE340 per person per night on half board basis. Guests travelling on a honeymoon will get the same rate and will enjoy a wide range of special facilities including early check-in and late departure, drink upon arrival, fruit basket in the room, 25 per cent discount on sauna and message price list, 25 per cent on a romantic dinner supplement in addition to tea and cookies served in the room. If you have money to spare you can head for the five-star Hilton Dahab Resort that offers double rooms during Christmas for Egyptians for LE600 per night on half board basis. Non-resident foreigners will be charged $160 on bed and breakfast basis with an extra $15 for dinner or lunch. In January, rates will decrease to LE450 for Egyptians and $140 for foreigners. Yet, for the true spirit of Dahab and to avoid putting your hand too deep in your pocket, consider camps. For instance, you have Al-Salam Camp for LE50 for Egyptians and LE70 for foreigners and Green Valley Camp for LE40 for both Egyptians and foreigners. Nuweiba, only 87km northeast of Dahab, is also known for its camping sites and there are also some hotels that offer attractive deals. The four-star Hilton Nuweiba Coral Resort offers double rooms, for Christmas and New Year's Eve, for LE500 per night for Egyptians and $98 for non-resident foreigners on half board basis. In order to attend the gala dinner, a supplement of $90 is added to both Egyptians and foreigners. In January, rates will go down to LE380 for Egyptians and $70 for foreigners. The two-star Al-Waha Village offers three nights during Christmas and New Year Holidays for LE259 and $25 for Egyptians and non-resident foreigners respectively on half board basis per person in a double room. Rates will remain the same during January. The border city of Taba, overlooking Jordan, Israel and Saudi Arabia, is another site in South Sinai where you can spend a wonderful vacation. Lately, Taba has become a significant tourist resort, owing to both the nearby International Airport of Naqab and new hotels. Since 1998, Taba and its surrounding region have been included in the protected areas of the Sinai Peninsula in order to preserve their natural beauties. Among them is the Coloured Canyon, rich in multi-coloured sandstones in which a large asphalt scenic road now crosses it. Taba is perhaps the least expensive city in South Sinai. Thomas Cook offers three nights in Mövenpick Taba Resort for LE600 per person in a single room and LE480 per person in a double room on half board basis. The offer is valid until 22 December except during feasts and public holidays. Hyatt Taba Heights, until 23 December, offers travellers double rooms for LE400 per night on half board basis. If you want a sea view room, you pay a supplement of LE50 per day. The exclusive Marriott Taba Heights offers, in the same period, double rooms for LE340 per room per night on half board basis. Sea view rooms and beach front rooms are for LE390 and LE440 respectively. If Taba is your destination for a honeymoon, then Sol Y Mar Sea Star Taba is the place. Until 24 December you could book a double room, for a minimum stay of three nights, for LE140 per person per night on half board basis. The package includes a welcome drink upon arrival, room service breakfast daily, dinner for two in the Italian restaurant and a trip to Salaheddin Fort. Ras Sedr could also be an option for those seeking a reasonably priced holiday. Royal Beach Resort offers, through Emeco Travel, three nights in double rooms for LE1,320 on half board basis. The offer is valid until mid-December. The Red Sea is another destination that caters to the needs of travellers fond of snorkelling, diving, and fishing. It includes Hurghada, El-Gouna, Qusseir and Marsa Alam. Once a modest fishermen's town, Hurghada was transformed into one of the most sophisticated tourist destinations in the country. It includes hundreds of hotels and resorts of various categories and standards. Emeco Travel offers three nights in Sofitel Resort for LE1,200 per double room on half board basis. Offer is valid until mid- December. Nestled between coloured mountains and azure waters, the resort town of El-Gouna, 20 kilometres north of Hurghada, was established in the early 1990s to provide travellers unparalleled tourist attractions as well as the most up-to-date facilities. El-Gouna could be a sound choice for your upcoming holiday as it includes properties offering different rates that suit everyone's budget. Through Thomas Cook, you can book three nights in the five-star Steigenberger Resort for LE870 per person in a single room or for LE570 per person in a double room on bed and breakfast basis. The offer is valid until 27 December except during feasts and public holidays. For LE500 and until 18 November you can get a standard double room in Mövenpick El-Gouna Resort on bed and breakfast basis. Superior rooms are for LE585, deluxe for LE670 whereas family rooms are for LE755. You can pay a supplement of LE125 per night if you want to include dinner. The period from 19 November until 27 December is the most suitable time for a vacation in the resort as room rates will drop by LE120 per night in all room categories. To attend the Christmas gala dinner you must pay a supplement of LE500 per person. Rates from 28 December to 8 January will soar to LE660 for a standard room, LE745 for the superior, LE830 for the deluxe and LE915 for the family room. The New Year gala dinner supplement is LE800 per person. Rates will then hit their minimum, almost halved, in the period from 9 to 24 January. Sheraton Miramar presents much cheaper rates as it offers double rooms until 21 December for LE380 per night on bed and breakfast basis. From 22 December until 7 January room rates will be almost double, but will return to normal from 8 to 18 January. An even cheaper option is offered by Ocean View Hotel as double rooms, until 21 December, will be sold for LE300 per night on bed and breakfast basis. From 22 to 27 December rates will be LE360, to increase from 28 December to 8 January. However, starting from 9 January to 4 February, they will return to normal, namely LE300. If your budget is limited you can consider Rihana Resort deal. Until 21 December a double room will be for LE260 per night on bed and breakfast basis. From 22 to 27 December, the rate will rise to LE320 and to LE416 from 28 December to 8 January. You could add LE70 per person per night to get a half board accommodation. A Christmas gala dinner supplement is LE390 per person whereas the New Year gala dinner is LE450. Rihana Inn presents the least expensive deal in all of El-Gouna. For only LE200 per night, until 21 December, you can book a double room on bed and breakfast basis. From 22 to 27 December the rate will rise to LE240 and will be even higher from 28 December to 8 January, LE312. For a half board accommodation you have to pay a supplement of LE70 per person per night. History and culture fans should also seize the opportunity of the many lucrative packages offered by hotels in the historical cities of Luxor and Aswan. You can spend three nights in the five-star Sofitel Karnak, through Thomas Cook, for LE705 per person in a single room and for LE420 per person in a double room on bed and breakfast basis. Le Meridien Luxor Hotel offers Egyptians standard double rooms for LE360 on bed and breakfast basis and Nile view rooms for LE400; $60 for foreigners in a standard room exclusive of service charge and taxes and $80 for a Nile view room. A more reasonable offer is presented by Mercure Luxor Hotel where you can book double rooms for LE240 per night on bed and breakfast basis. Rates during Christmas will go up to LE300. There is an obligatory dinner on Christmas Eve for a supplement of LE300. For only LE120, the three-star Gaddis Hotel offers Egyptians double rooms on bed and breakfast basis and for non-resident foreigners for $35. Besides its historical wealth, Aswan is known for its picturesque scenery of the Nile and its islands. So those who want to combine history with virgin nature should have Aswan in mind. Thomas Cook offers three nights in New Cataract for LE540 per person in a single room and LE360 per person in a double room on bed and breakfast basis. The offer is valid until 23 November. Isis Hotel offers double rooms for Egyptians for LE250 and for $80 for non-resident foreigners on bed and breakfast basis. The offer is valid until mid-December. On the other hand, Elephantine Island Resort offers double rooms for LE340 if you want to stay for only one night. If you extend your stay, the rate will drop by LE40. A supplement of LE80 per room per night will be added during Christmas time, New Year and feasts. You can combine both Luxor and Aswan in one trip, have full board accommodation, and be accompanied by a professional tour guide in case you book a cabin on a Nile cruise. A double cabin in Carnival Cruise will cost LE3,000 including sightseeing fees whereas a double cabin in the Presidential will only cost LE2,800. Both offers are valid until mid-December and are both booked through Emeco Travel. The Suez Canal zone, and specifically its capital, Ismailia, with its dry moderate weather is the perfect quiet winter resort. Known as the "Garden of Egypt", it is located on the western shore of the Timsah (crocodile) Island. The city is approximately 130 kilometres from Cairo, less than a 90-minute drive. Ismailia is surrounded by water, making it an attractive destination known for its various sporting activities including rowing, swimming, wind surfing, jet skiing and fishing. Amidst the colonial European style of architecture, Mercure Forsan Island Hotel, a four-star hotel in the Sheikh Zayed district, offers double rooms overlooking the garden for LE360, and rooms overlooking the canal for LE395 on half board basis. Non-resident foreigners are charged $100 and $108 respectively. During the first two weeks of January, the discount is LE50 but then prices will rise again during the Eid and the mid-year vacation. The two-star Crocodile Inn Resort offers double rooms for LE130 and LE150 for Egyptians and foreigners respectively on bed and breakfast basis. A supplement of LE35 is added if you have your lunch or dinner at the hotel. Fayed is another beautiful canal city that should be considered. Emeco Travel offers three nights in Six Corners Resort for LE660 in double rooms for half board basis. Fayoum keeps a low-profile but when it comes to bird watching, it tops the list. Situated 90 kilometres from Giza, the city has a few hotels; two are well known: the Helnan Auberge Hotel and New Panorama Village. The latter, four stars, offers double rooms for LE145 per person on half board basis, for Egyptians and foreigners alike. Additional reporting by Rasha Sadek Unless otherwise stated, prices listed are for Egyptians and foreign residents and are inclusive of service charge and taxes. Information was correct at the time of printing. The newspaper is not responsible for any change in prices made by hotels or resorts thereafter. Contact list Al-Waha Village +2 069 350-0420 Crocodile Inn Resort +2 064 391-2555 Elephantine Island Resort +2 097 230-3455 Emeco Travel +2 574-4127 Gaddis Hotel +2 095 238-2838 Helnan Marina Sharm El-Sheikh +2 069 360-0170 Hilton Dahab Resort +2 069 364-0310 Hilton Nuweiba Coral Resort +2 069 352-0320 Hyatt Regency Sharm El-Sheikh +2 069 360-1234 Hyatt Taba Heights +2 069 358-0234 Iberotel Dahabeya +2 069 364-1264 Iberotel Palace +2 069 366-1111 Isis Hotel +2 097 231-5200 Kahramana Hotel +2 335-8006 Le Meridien Luxor +2 095 236-6999 Marriott Taba Heights +2 069 358-0100 Mercure Forsan Island +2 064 391-6316 Mercure Luxor Hotel +2 095 237-4912 Mövenpick El-Gouna Resort +2 065 354-4501 New Panorama Village +2 084 683-0757 Ocean View +2 065 358-0350 Rihana Inn +2 065 358-0025 Sheraton Miramar Resort +2 065 354-5606 Six Corners Resort +2 064 340-0242 Sol Y Mar Star Resort Taba +2 069 353-0190 Thomas Cook +2 696-5000
