A blend of historical allure, tranquility and strategic locality has turned Al-Alamein into an idyllic spot with great potential. Gihan Shahine explores the area's prospects Mövenpick Resort and Spa Al-Alamein stands, literally, in the middle of nowhere. Our three-and-a-half hour drive to Al-Alamein was one flanked by desert and, surprisingly enough, it was a trip that ended up in a seemingly endless stretch of a no-man's land, with a picturesque backdrop of the azure Mediterranean. This site on the northwest coast holds all the charm associated with pristine nature: the air is pure and cool and an absolute serenity immediately takes the wary traveller away from it all. That unparalleled sense of peace makes it hard for a first- time visitor to imagine that this unspoilt spot was once the site of a fierce battle that changed the course of WWII back in 1942. The silver white of untouched sand was once stained with the blood of 45,500 German, Italian and British soldiers who lost their lives in Al-Alamein battle, where Field Marshall Montgomery's British Eighth Army won a decisive victory over the German-Italian Africa Korps led by Field Marshal Erwin Rommel, and chased them out of Egypt. It was thanks to this battle that Egypt and the Suez Canal were prevented from falling into German hands, and the battle resulted in the subsequent German surrender in North Africa in May 1943. A first glance of this primitive desert enclave does not conjure up signs of the luxuries associated with other north coast resorts. First impressions, however, are not always reliable and as our car wound down a long tree-lined path, we were immediately transferred into another world of five-star delicacies. The deluxe polished marble-tiled lobby of Mövenpick offers a panoramic view of man-made rocky cascades winding down to a vast swimming pool and a backdrop of the Mediterranean's crystal-clear waters lashing gently against a white sandy beach. Inside the rooms, the atmosphere is remarkably relaxed. Treating my body to a brief rest after a long trek, I decided to relish one of the hotel's flavoured teas in the balcony where a side-view of the sea seemed to wash away all the banalities of Cairo's busy quotidian life. BEATING CHALLENGES: This is one of the newest venues of Mövenpick Swiss chains in Egypt, located in the spectacular and unscathed Ghazala Bay, which also accommodates a yet unfinished battalion of deluxe privately-owned villas and chalets standing 140 kilometres west of Alexandria. The hotel, opened last summer, is a 15-minute drive from Al-Alamein's new airport and it takes one hour to get there from Borg Al-Arab international airport. The entire Ghazala Bay area -- including private compounds, airport and hotel -- is owned by a single entity, the Ghazala Tourist Development Company, a subsidiary of the KATO Group, a diversified corporation with interests in industry, construction, tourism and real estate development. "It was a major challenge to establish a hotel in such a deserted area," Hatem Fathi, front office manager at Mövenpick, said. With the exception of the historic four-star Al-Alamein Hotel, which does not offer the luxury of five-star facilities, Mövenpick stands alone in the area at least for the time being. The rest of the North Coast (notoriously known as the playground of the rich) is largely monopolised by seemingly endless battalions of tourist villages (the official euphemism for compounds of privately-owned flats, chalets and villas), which is probably the outcome of inconsistent planning. One major challenge facing the new venture was the seasonality of the area itself. The north coast is known as a summer resort, which attracts droves of vacationers in July and August, but which otherwise remains dead throughout the rest of the year. This seasonality, according to Fathi, kept well-trained staff from working in such a "deserted hotel" even if that meant working at Mövenpick. "We had no other choice but to get untrained people from a nearby Bedouin village, Al-Daba, and provide them with all the needed training -- a real teething job," Fathi said. "Meanwhile, our main concern was studying ways of attracting tourists the year over, because it would be crazy to pour all that money in a business that works only two or three months in summer." The construction of the recently-opened Al-Alamein Airport was a major step in that direction. The airport now receives regular weekly charters from Britain, which seem to be keeping the hotel busy almost all summer. "Without the airport," Fathi said, "it would have been extremely difficult to proceed. Airports stimulate development and we are blessed in that we are at the centre of three airports: in Alexandria (Al-Nozha Airport), Burg Al-Arab and, now, in Al-Alamein." What about weather? In the face of that challenge, Fathi remained equally undaunted. Contrary to what many people think, Al-Alamein remains sunny and dry from March to November. "It only gets a little windy sometimes," he noted, adding that the Mövenpick successfully got around that problem, offering a range of indoor recreational activities. A heated indoor grotto pool seems to be one of the hotel's boasted assets, providing avid swimmers a shield from both summer's simmering sun and winter's chill. Other indoor activities include two air-conditioned squash courts as well as a well equipped gymnasium and aerobics room, a real allure when thinking of how many calories the hotel's vast breakfast buffet offers, ranging from a wide range of special Swiss pastries to Spanish Omelets and sausages. But for real spiritual and physical bliss, guests may try pampering their bodies in the hotel's exclusive spa, where 15 treatment suites extend a range of invigorating and relaxing massages. You may get a dip in the muscle-relaxing Jacuzzi, or enjoy a relaxing sauna or steam bath. In a more active mood? There is a lot more in store. An international rally court, which will offer avid car racers certified training, is well under way and KATO Group intends to transform Ghazala Bay into an international tourist attraction, with a huge golf course, six hotels, a huge shopping mall, a centre for water sports and a horseback riding facility. A TRANQUIL HAVEN: For the time being, however, we decide to take an earnest walk to the beach to get a close-up of the turquoise shades of the deep blue sea. That, however, turned out to be quite a strenuous exercise since it takes at least 10 minutes to reach the beach's swimming area from the hotel's reception -- a minor disadvantage, of course, but one that can be easily overcome using the hotel's shuttle beach cars. But it's worth the effort. The water is particularly pure there, and what actually distinguishes Ghazala Bay from the rest of the north coast beaches is that its carpet-like waters are perfectly safe for an almost inevitable plunge. For me, the temptation was so hard to resist that I suddenly decided to take off my sandals and let the waters kiss my tired feet. Soon I realised I was not the only one there: the ritual had been practiced by a British couple, who kept placing the tiny feet of their baby into the water. A rare blend of bright sun, pure air and an impending sense of isolation seemed to immediately turn everybody's regular beach-lounging ritual into a divine experience. At least, that was the case with two British friends, Annette and Mariam, who flew all the way from Britain in search of a tranquil refuge away from a "nerve- breaking" everyday life. "A mum's chill out" is how Mariam would describe her week- long vacation in Al-Alamein. Annette nodded in approval and laughed: "We both have kids and stressing jobs and we wanted a place where we could rest and get away from it all." Al-Alamein simply sounded like "a perfect destination" for the two weary mums. Both have visited more popular tourist sites in Egypt, including the Red Sea, Luxor, Aswan and Cairo. "Having seen the other side of Egypt, we thought of Al-Alamein, where we could enjoy total relaxation and, in the meantime, visit Alexandria and the area's historic landmarks," Annette said. "This place could actually rival the Red Sea where a visit to Alexandria and Cairo would be quite a trek." STANDING AT THE CENTRE: Annette has a point. One of the main attractions of Al-Alamein is its proximity to the cities of Cairo, Alexandria and Siwa Oasis. The latter has an office in the Mövenpick, offering a range of day and overnight expeditions for curious travellers. You may choose to visit Alexandria, which stands 140 kilometres east of Al-Alamein, and get a taste of the simple Alexandrian beaches and fresh fish. Montazah Palace, Bibliotheca Alexandrina, the Graeco-Roman Museum, Roman Amphitheatre, the Jewellery Museum and Qait-Bay Fort, all give you a glimpse of the amazing sights Alexandria has to offer. You may also choose to marvel at the Pyramids, visit the Egyptian Museum and have an unforgettable sight-seeing tour in the stunning old Fatimid Cairo in a day/overnight four-hour trip to Cairo. Should you yearn for a more adventurous experience, the Siwa Oasis is a must see. The Cultural Museum, which contains the coronation temple of Alexander the Great, the remains of the old city Shali and Amoun Temple built during the 30th dynasty, and Cleopatra bath are only a few of Siwa's sightseeing attractions. But the very landscape of Siwa is equally breathtaking: lakes and natural springs dot the Bedouin- styled oasis against a backdrop of lush greenery -- palm olives, grapes, apricot and fig trees. That heavenly atmosphere would be even more thrilling if you immerse yourself in Bedouin life, going on a desert safari and watching folkloric bands. Equally intriguing is the healing powers of Siwa's natural springs which are famous for treating rheumatic and skin diseases. But a word of caution: Siwa is quite a trek (it takes at least five hours to get there from Al-Alamein) and it gets really hot in July and August. A more practical alternative, perhaps, could be Marina (entrance rates are LE20 per person). Marina is one of the most luxurious north coast villages, standing only 37 kilometres from Mövenpick, and offering a wide range of recreational activities. You can bathe in one of Marina's man-made lakes, which get water from the sea, or go to beaches with barricades that make the water safe for swimming. If you have friends in Marina, you can also have access to one of the private beaches -- Reo, La Plage or yashmak, women only beach. Or you can easily get a membership card to access those beaches for LE300 (they open by mid-July). If you decide to go to Marina, then spend the day there, and immerse yourself in the water sports available. You can glide on the lagoons in a jet-ski (LE250 per hour), a yacht (LE300 an hour), or a Pedalo (LE50 per hour) or parasail over the lake and enjoy the picturesque view of the flower gardens and elegant villas from high in the sky. You can also have day-use of bungalows or chalets in the Sea Gull, which overlooks the lake. If you can stretch your budget a bit, then you can enjoy a stay in Porto Marina, a new five-star hotel opening later this summer. The hotel boasts a strategic location on the lake and is planning to offer an array of marine activities and five-star delicacies. TREKKING MODERN HISTORY: Al-Alamein itself is steeped in history, which lends the area a mysterious allure. The nearby Al-Alamein battlefield, museum, and cemeteries offer an engrossing counterpoint to the modern and tranquil spa in Ghazala. It was on the second day of our trip that we decided to take an earnest delve into modern history. We started with Al-Alamein Museum where guides were readily explaining the intricate details of Rommel's defeat and ultimate retreat from North Africa at the hands of Field Marshal Montgomery's Allied Forces in the historic battle of Al-Alamein. Everything in the museum will take you back in time when the museum's headquarters was no more than a battlefield: photos and statues portray the harsh life of soldiers in the field while digging, eating and writing home. The soldiers' varied uniforms and artefacts from the battle give the place the aura of a war camp. Rommel, the "desert fox", seemed to gaze solemnly from a photo displayed in the German showroom together with his cap and scarf. The remains of an American Ford military vehicle, found by the Egyptian Armed Forces in 1995, seemed to raise more than an eyebrow for its almost brand-new look. And nearby stand the WWII cemeteries where we pay tribute to the British, German and Italian soldiers who lost their lives in the battlefield. The Italian and German cemeteries are especially unique in style -- the first even displaying an array of rare and lush vegetation. REPLENISHING BODY AND SOUL: It's almost sunset, and we rush back to the tranquil luxury of our hotel to catch a glimpse of the orange sunset. As the beach gradually bathes in the fading silver rays of an early evening, the hotel's manicured gardens are bedecked in a flamboyance of sidelights and guests gradually trickle back to their rooms in preparation for dinner. We decide to spoil ourselves in the hotel's vast open dinner buffet, where guests can also enjoy a panoramic view of the indoor cave- like pool and the beach. An array of delicious pastas soaked in different sauces, a festivity of fresh salads with all kinds of dressings, tender juicy veal, calorie-busting desserts and a range of fresh fruits have all turned dinner into a nourishing bliss. Guests may also relish the Lebanese cuisine in the Debkeh oriental restaurant, or indulge in the various kinds of fish recipes in the hotel's Skippers seafood restaurant, which overlooks the beach. Visitors may relish pizza and snacks in a poolside restaurant and dance the night away in the Havanos Cigar Lounge and Bar. If you have a car and would like to have a different night out, Marina also boasts a number of elegant dim-lit cafes, such as Jomana, which has a strategic location on the lake. Sea Gull, a fish restaurant and hotel in Marina, also has a nice dim-lit café, where tables are elegantly encircled with lush greenery to ensure the privacy of guests. Or you can get an extraordinary fish meal (starting at LE70 per person) at the Sea Gull restaurant overlooking the lake. There is also a famous street in Marina, the Champs Elysée, where you can find a wide variety of elegant restaurant and coffee shops. Those interested in home cooking may get a real taste of exquisite Egyptian cuisine at Hannouna (03/ 4680546). Hannouna, which is a 10-minute drive from Mövenpick (153 kilometres from Alexandria), is the nickname of Hanaa Radii, a housewife who decided to turn her north coast house into a restaurant where guests can enjoy an authentic taste of Egyptian food and folkloric music in the villa's exquisite garden. ENTERTAINING TOMORROW'S GUESTS: Kids are a main theme in all Mövenpick's recreational activities. "Our philosophy is that children are the guests of tomorrow," Fathi said. "If kids have fun, then we guarantee they would bring their parents next year." As our conversation resumed in the hotel's terrace, I noticed a couple of handsome blond children playing hide and seek in the hotel's grotto cascades and giggling with excitement while splashing each other with water. From afar, a group of children were having great fun swimming in the hotel's three children's pools, while others chose to swing and slide in the hotel's playing area. Children, indeed, seemed to constitute the bulk of the hotel's guests during our stay. We would see them messing around in the dinner buffet and engaged in dance competitions in the hotel's discotheque. The Mövenpick also has a mini-kids club available during the summer. The club offers a variety of activities and games under the supervision of the ranger/ animation team along with video games, face painting, pool games and painting.
