Despite its wonderful location, Abu Simbel town has failed to make it as a tourist resort. Frederick Bowie asks why and reviews accommodation options Abu Simbel town has seen it all. First came the High Dam, which drowned its hinterland, and forced the evacuation of all the villages in the fertile valley below. The removal of the great temples of Ramses II to a new site may have created a lot of international publicity, and provided temporary alternative employment for displaced farmers and fishermen, but this tide of activity soon receded, and tourism has never really managed to take its place. The last few years, however, have seen something of a renewal. The opening of the Toshka project has brought in many migrant workers, more than doubling the town's population. Workers from across the country have made this their part- time home, commuting on a monthly basis from their homes in Middle Egypt, or even as far away as the Delta. But this renaissance has had little impact on the tourism industry. Abu Simbel remains a one-horse town in terms of ancient monuments. And however spectacular the horse, that means that most visitors have no particular reason to stay here very long. As a result, accommodation options for travellers remain limited. At the budget end of the spectrum, the Nob Leh Ramses Hotel remains stubbornly closed, despite rumours that it is "due" to re-open. Meanwhile, the spanking new Seti First, which opened in 1998, has drowned whatever excess high-end demand may have existed in a sea of beautiful neo-Nubian rooms at a price close to a cabin on one of the better cruise ships. Together with the semi-state-owned Nefertari, there are now over 260 double rooms aimed more or less exclusively at foreign visitors. Moreover, since most European visitors prefer to take in Abu Simbel as part of a cruise on Lake Nasser, the core clientele is more or less restricted to Japanese travellers overnighting from Aswan who want to combine the Sound and Light show with a trip to see the sun rise on the temples the following morning. A high turnover rate of single-night guests combines with occupancy rates which, while not officially published, are said by those who know to run around 20 per cent on average over the year, peaking at only 40 per cent in the high season. Not that there is necessarily a shortage of things to do here: Lake Nasser is a paradise for those who like to observe animal and bird life, as well as for those who like to bring those lives to a premature end. Moreover, the winter climate is vastly superior to that of the Red Sea coast, and the scenery just as beautiful. Fishing trips, crocodile watching, and spotting rare birds, combined with spa-based health-oriented activities and an emphasis on pure relaxation, could form the basis for successful development. But to attract more visitors to stay longer would require the active cooperation of a number of partners. The single charter flight from the UK operates in coordination with the cruise ships, and is thus of little benefit to the town's hoteliers. Access from Cairo is limited to a single direct flight leaving daily at 4.30am. And the town's proximity to the border with Sudan makes many excursions which look simple in theory extremely complicated in practice. According to Wael Galal of the Nefertari Hotel, most visitors prefer the boats "because there is nothing to do here. We should have a little boat ourselves: then we could organise trips. We could show them the crocodiles that nest on the other bank. And there are many migrating birds in winter. But we are so close to Sudan: even to go to the other side of the lake, we would need four or five permits from different authorities: the border guards, the police, the tourist police, and so on." As things stand, the three hotels in town provide radically different types of accommodation at very different prices. Located on the temple side of the town centre, Seti First Abu Simbel, run by Atom Travel, provides elegant five-star accommodation, albeit at a five-star price. Among many intelligent details, the real strong point of the establishment is the brilliant use it makes of its promontory location. Rooms and suites are arranged in long two-storey arcs along the edge of the site: every room has a garden facing in towards the facilities, and a balcony with a lake view. The landscaping is attractively done, taking advantage of the natural slopes, and a profusion of palm trees and colourful flowering plants give a sense of privacy, without obstructing the vistas. The well- designed rooms boast domed ceilings, comfortable beds and spacious cupboards, as well as all the usual facilities (AC and television). Entertainment is laid on in an open-air amphitheatre which overlooks the lake, as do the two swimming pools. There are even tennis courts and a conference centre which can seat up to 500 people. Seti First is picturesque in aspect, extremely comfortable and immaculately clean. Of course, there is something vaguely alienated about the whole place, as there is with most five-star hotels. You are right next to Lake Nasser, but somehow not in Egypt. Even the Nubian revival aesthetics, beautifully executed, cannot quite overcome the sense of lifelessness. Maybe it's because those vaulted ceilings are concrete, not mud brick? The hotel has 138 rooms and four suites. Quoted prices for non-residents are $185 for a double room and $290 for a suite. Double rooms for Egyptians and foreign residents cost LE400, while prices for suites are LE325 per person, including breakfast. Meals in the hotel's three restaurants range in price from $8 for the breakfast menu, to $19 for dinner buffet for non-residents (LE68-76 for Egyptians and foreign residents). Reservations can be made through the Cairo office on (+2 02 736 0890-9). The Nefertari is one promontory closer to the Temple of Ramses. It also boasts a garden filled with rare trees, brought over by the Italians who worked on the UNESCO rescue operation in the 1960s. But despite its many natural advantages, this formerly government-run establishment, now owned by a syndicate of state-controlled organisations, suffers from a long-standing imagination defecit, ranging from the original design of the site in the 1960s, to the drab functionality of the latest rooms, added in the late 1990s. Suites are gloomy and claustrophobic, thanks to the heavy wood pannelling, while the basic rooms have white walls and more natural light, but remain institutional in feeling (where have you seen those carpets before?), and the finishes show a lack of attention to detail even in the newer sections. The staff are completely charming in a very down-to-earth way, rather than a five-star-hotel way, which makes a nice change. But even this cannot make up for the basic fault of the whole site: that the lake might as well not be there. The rooms look at trees or other rooms, never at the lake. Even the suites only look onto the swimming pool, which is placed in such a way that you have to stand on the side to appreciate the (magnificent) view, which disappears once you get into the water. And there is not a single balcony or private terrace to be found anywhere. Prices are correspondingly lower, at $100 for a double room, or $150 for a suite for foreigners. (Egyptians and foreign residents pay LE407 for double rooms). Breakfast is a very reasonable LE17 and both lunch and dinner in the single restaurant cost LE50. There is an on-site discotheque (I was unable to verify what impact this may have on nocturnal noise levels). All rooms have AC and television, and alcohol is served at the bar. Substantially cheaper than Seti First, the Nefertari cannot compete in terms of luxury and comfort, but will provide a real treat for connoisseurs of that neglected-1960s-sporting-club ambiance that is increasingly dying out in other parts of the country. For reservations, call (+2 097 400 508/09/10). At the budget end of the spectrum, the Abu Simbel Tourist Village now has a quasi-monopoly on low-cost accommodation. Universally known as Hotel Abbas, after its owner, this is clean, simple no-star accommodation. Located on the wrong side of town, opposite the hospital, which makes it convenient for the fuul and taamiya joints downtown, and a good 30 minutes walk from the temples, the low-rise compound has recently added a restaurant serving breakfast for individual travellers. Groups can order lunch and dinner at LE20 a head. There are 30 double rooms at LE90 a night. Hot water is intermittent, there is no AC or television, and prices may well be raised in the early spring, so check in advance if cost is an issue (and it probably is, if you are thinking of staying here). Similar accommodation is available more cheaply in Aswan, but if you really want to get away from everything -- including the grandiose ambitions of Ramses II -- this may be what you are looking for. Reservations can be made on (+2 079 340 0092) (Arabic skills would help).
