In the characteristic heat of the summer, the breezy beaches of the North Coast offer the ideal retreat. Gihan Shahine discovers the delights of the coast's most tranquil spots The four-hour drive to the North Coast is one flanked by desert and punctuated with an ever-growing number of relaxing cafés and privately-owned ranches. As the road winds to the north, we start feeling the calming effect of a different atmosphere -- a far cry from Cairo's madding crowds, chaotic traffic and simmering heat. A sweet cool breath creeps into our lungs, gradually brushing aside all the chaos of busy city life. Although I am a veteran North Coast traveller, the moment of arrival always takes my breath away. We pause to marvel at the picturesque view of the crystal-clear waters of the Mediterranean Sea: blue and turquoise waves gently lash its startling golden-white sandy beach. A feeling of serenity engulfs us as the relaxing sound of the Mediterranean's waves immediately greet the weary travellers with a unique sweet smell. The stretch of the North Coast from Agami to Al-Alamein lives up to its nickname as "a delicious fillet", and arguably has the most exquisite beaches of Egypt's 1,200-kilometre northern coastline. Although the North Coast (notorious as the playground of the rich and famous) is largely monopolised by seemingly endless battalions of tourist villages, (the official euphemism for compounds of privately owned flats, chalets and villas) -- which are probably the outcome of inconsistent planning -- the coastline is slowly maturing into a viable destination for Egyptian travellers and foreign tourists of different tastes and budgets. There are places for rent in almost all villages and a few hotels have sprouted along the coastline and the roadway. Quality health services are available. Several supermarkets and restaurants have opened and many places are now offering a range of recreational activities. One of the principal attractions of the North Coast is that it offers a rare blend of the simple ambiance of Alexandrine beaches and the pleasures and privacy associated with deluxe resorts. It serves as a perfect destination for a family-oriented trip, a viable weekend venue for tourists and an escape for couples seeking a mix of romance and fun. So, if you are tired of packed beaches at this time of the year and cannot cope with the simmering heat of Red Sea resorts, there is absolutely no reason why you should huddle around the television in the enclosed comfort of your air-conditioned living room. All you have to do is pack up, slip on your swimming suit and head north to grab yourself a piece of the North Coast. It's time you spoil yourself in the North Coast's plethora of great retreats. HOW TO GET THERE: The North Coast is accessible by private car or bus. One affordable method of travel is by Super Jet or West Delta buses which pick up passengers from Almaza Square, Torguman in Tahrir and Giza with trips on the hour to Borg Al-Arab (LE32 per person). There are also special trips to Marina, arguably the pinnacle of all North Coast resorts, located at the coastline's far end in Al-Alamein on the Alexandria-Marsa-Matrouh highway. The West Delta bus, however, takes an average of four to five hours [depending on traffic inside Cairo] and it makes many stops to pick up and drop off passengers at different resorts along the coast and passes through many congested areas in Cairo. Another, perhaps faster, mode of travelling is to take a train to Alexandria and then catch a taxi from the train station for a mere LE2-3. The Spanish and Turbini trains are punctual and take around two and half hours to get from Cairo's Ramsis Station to both Sidi Gaber and Misr Station in downtown Alexandria. A more comfortable, but expensive, alternative is to take a plane to Alexandria and then catch a taxi. EgyptAir (+202 635 0260) operates a daily flight from Cairo to Alexandria International Airport. British Airways operates four trips from London to Borg Al-Arab airport and then to Addis Ababa, and another four London to Borg Al-Arab flights. Going by private car, however, remains your best bet, since it also allows you mobility along the coastline. Although it may take more than three hours to reach the North Coast from Cairo, many facilities have sprouted along the highway that make the drive fun. You can have a hot cappuccino with fresh desert at Master café while your kids enjoy the Master zoo, or you can indulge in a calorie-busting meal at Omar Oasis, where you can have delicious freshly baked fetir (pastry) or fuul and falafel. You can also make your stop at Al-Assad (Lion) Village where you can also enjoy fetir (family size fetir is LE18) right beside a lion's cage and you might even be lucky enough to catch the circus. But if you are heading to Marina directly, then take the new shortcut to Al-Alamein, located a little bit after Master on your left. The new route cuts almost 45 kilometres off the trip. WHERE TO STAY: If you opt for a five-star hotel, then your only choice is the Hilton Borg Al-Arab (+203 374 0730/40/50, e-mail: [email protected] ), which stands 52 kilometres away from Alexandria on the Alexandria-Matrouh desert highway. The Hilton has a small, but very well landscaped beach with a picturesque view of the Mediterranean Sea. Inside the Hilton you get the sense of being in a fully contained environment and do not have to go out in search for fun. The hotel has deluxe rooms and chalets with beautiful views of the sea or the swimming pools, and there are front line chalets with big manicured gardens for families who cherish privacy. There are two swimming pools, a health club, tennis and football courts and many elegant restaurants overlooking the sea. Prices for double rooms range from LE305 to LE525 (B&B), depending on the type of room, chalet or suite and on whether you make your trip during the week or weekend. There are also single and triple rooms and chalets available. There is a good selection of four-star hotels on the North Coast. The Aida Hotel, located 77 kilometres from Alexandria on the way to Al-Alamein, offers half-board double rooms for LE210 per person and LE260 for single rooms. Prices are 25 per cent higher for foreigners. It has swimming pools, a health club, tennis courts, squash courts, billiards, a play area for children, table tennis and a ladies-only swimming pool. There is also the Al-Montazah four-star hotel, located 79 kilometres from Alexandria, which offers even more reasonable prices, but a less attractive setting: LE250 for half-board double rooms and LE185 for single rooms. If you have a big family, then reserving a chalet in a tourist resort may be your best bet. I would opt for Marina (+2046 406 0501) with its elegant landscaping and wide variety of recreational activities, water sports, eateries and night life. The chalets range from small simply-furnished rooms with no sea- or lake-view to elegant chalets and villas with manicured gardens and private swimming pools. Flats and chalets range from LE350 per night all the way up to LE3,000. There are also small hotels like the four-star Marina Plaza and the five- star Sea Gull. The Sea Gull (+2046 406 1464) offers rooms for LE425 a night (B&B) and suites for LE850 per night (B&B). More affordable prices, but less quality service, can be found in Maraqia (+203 374 1619). Maraqia is the coast's oldest village and is located 51 kilometres outside Alexandria. Chalets rent between LE132 to LE242 per night while staying in a flat costs between LE132 to LE165, depending on the location of the unit. Flats and chalets there are very simply furnished and the village gets very crowded in July and August. It's not the place for those seeking privacy or classy ambiance, but Maraqia is full of life. It has a huge shopping area, a medical centre, banks, restaurants, cafés, football, tennis, basketball and volleyball courts and four swimming pools overlooking the sea. WHAT TO DO: The North Coast is a perfect destination for those seeking relaxation. You can just lounge on the beach and let the waves kiss your feet or pamper your body in the soft sand and marvel at the sea as it stretches without interruption to the distant horizon. A cool breath might lull you to sleep while you attempt to read a book you bought from one of the many book shops in the villages and hotels. You can also try your hand at fishing, probably a good exercise for patience since fish are not abundant on the shores. It is difficult, however, to resist the great appeal of the sea and you may very well consider a plunge into the waters. But take this word of caution: the sea is rough along almost all the North Coast and bathing in it could be risky. It is a major disadvantage of course, but one that can be easily overcome. In almost all villages and hotels, swimming pools stand a few steps away from the beach. Another solution is to head to Marina (entrance rates are LE20 per person) where you can bathe in one of the man-made lakes, which get water from the sea, or go to beaches with barricades that make the water safe for swimming (the latter are also available in Marabella resort). If you have friends in Marina, you can also have access to one of the private beaches -- Reo, La Plage or a women's only beach. Or you can easily get a membership card to access those beaches for LE300 (they open by mid-July). But if you decide to go to Marina, then spend the day there, and immerse yourself in the different 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 (+2046 406 1464), which overlooks the lake. Should you yearn for a more adventurous experience, you can trek the desert on horseback and partake in its Bedouin hospitality at the Saddle Club, which just opened this summer and is located 76.5 kilometres away from Alexandria, right in front of Mena Three resort beach. We went to explore the place before its opening. It was a quite night and the full moon reflected gracefully on the seemingly endless desert. There, you can have coffee in a Bedouin-style coffee shop, watch horse shows, go on horseback treks in the desert where you can have a barbecue dinner or explore the memorial path which King Farouk reportedly used during his travels from Alexandria to Marsa Matrouh. The club also offers lodging for your horse while you enjoy your vacation. But if you really want to be spoiled, then treat yourself to horse-riding and swimming in the absolute serenity and privacy of the King's Ranch, which is operated by Hilton Alexandria Green Plaza and is located on King Mariout Road 10 kilometres from the Alexandria-Cairo Desert Road. King's Ranch (+203 455 3721/3) is an extravagant weekend venue for North Coast vacationers and an ultimate romantic escape for couples and honeymooners. Although standing away from the beach, the ranch's lush greenery and nice landscaping creates a spectacular atmosphere for those who would like to laze by the swimming pool, ride horses, enjoy all kinds of sports or just exercise in a health club. You can either get a membership there (LE15,900 for a family and LE5,000 for singles) or just stay for a weekend (one night costs LE230 for a single, double LE260 and triple LE290). Prices for foreigners are $70, $80, $90 for single, double and triple bedrooms. Day-use costs LE150 per person. The ranch also provides year-round professional care and lodging for your horse. For those coming from Alexandria, shuttle buses are available at Alexandria's Hilton Green Plaza to take you to the ranch. But if you are in a more active mood, you can go on excursions from the North Coast. One of the coast's assets is its relative proximity to Alexandria (53 kilometres from Hilton Borg Al-Arab) and Al-Alamein, where there are various sightseeing attractions. Montazah Palace, Alexandria Library, Graeco-Roman Museum, Roman amphitheatre, Jewellery Museum and Qait-Bay Fort all give you a glimpse of the amazing sights Alexandria has to offer. In addition, you may visit Al-Alamein's famous cemeteries, museum, Sidi Abdel- Rahman beach or Siwa Oasis. [If interested, Hilton Borg Al-Arab will help organise one-day trips to Alexandria and Al-Alamein and also provides family lunch boxes]. In case you venture to Al-Alamein on your own, you can get some rest in the Al-Alamein Hotel, located 80 kilometres from Borg Al-Arab airport and 129 kilometres from Alexandria. The hotel boasts an idyllic view of the sea, which is also relatively safe for swimming. KID'S CORNER: Children's play areas are a principal component of all North Coast villages, hotels and food outlets. Hilton Borg Al- Arab has a mini-kids' club available during the summer. It is open daily from 10am to 8pm for children between ages two and 14. The club offers a variety of activities and games under the supervision of the kids' ranger/ animation team along with video games, face painting, pool games, video cartoons and painting. The Hilton's Ranch also has a Kids' garden, a fantasy land where your little ones can play safely. It's full of activities and games, which will keep all children amused throughout the day. Multilingual supervisors are also available to take care of the children while they are having fun. Zahran has a wonderful play area where children can enjoy every bit of their time playing while you grab a sandwich or refreshing ice cream in one of the cafés. It also has computer games, a ball room and a cinema. And if you drive further to Marina, your children can participate in the resort's famous car-racing games (they start at 8pm), tickets sell for LE25 for five minutes. Most children have special affection for animals and would love to see gazelles, shake hands with monkeys or feed a zebra. Africa Open Zoo, which is located 67 kilometres from Alexandria, has made that fantasy into reality as families can now roam the jungle by car for LE50 and play with tame friendly animals (only dangerous animals, like lions, are kept beyond reach). Visitors can also have lunch and enjoy a pedalo ride on a nice man- made lake. On the other side of the road, children can enjoy their time in Al-Assad's small zoo and circus (65 kilometres from Alexandria's gates), or indulge in water games at Aqua City (+203 448 2224), which stands 44 kilometres away from Alexandria (LE15 for a day ticket and LE100 for day-use). WHERE TO DINE AND SPEND THE NIGHT: One of the most characteristic features of the North Coast is that life does not really start before sunset, as most vacationers stay awake all night and sleep all day. The reason? Perhaps it is because it is sunny and sometimes humid in the morning and as our driver notes: "the weather is too nice at night to waste time sleeping." We go catch a glimpse of the beautiful sunset at Maraqia beach, and our photographer Ayman is so obviously inspired by the picturesque view that he cannot take his finger off the camera. Many vacationers, having taken refuge from the sizzling morning sun in their abodes, are hurrying out to catch the last glimpses of the orange sun as it dips into the multi-coloured sea. Couples treat themselves to a leisurely stroll on the beach and children, tanned after a long stay in swimming pools, are busy building castles in the sand. A fresca (nuts stuck together with honey) vendor, one of the traditional hallmarks of Mediterranean beaches, passes by, reminding us of the good old days. Once the night falls, the coastline bathes in the silver rays of the moon, and the resorts and restaurants, decorated with lights, start bustling with vacationers. The façades of the villages, indeed, tell little of the active life within, as everybody enjoys a beautiful evening. Even those on a tight budget can enjoy a nice outing to the North Coast. All villages have open-air cafés with big screens displaying films and video clips, where people can have pizza, fetir (pastry) and zalabya (small balls of sweet pastry) or just go for a soft drink. But if you would like to stretch your budget a little bit, Marina boasts a number of elegant dim-lit cafés, 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 named the Chanzillezer, where you can find a wide variety of elegant restaurants and coffee shops. At the Hilton, you can also enjoy a seaside barbecue while listening to the charming tunes of lutes and singing, or just go indoors where you can eat Italian food. Other eateries can be found on the road. You can eat grilled chicken with special spices at Andria (which stands in front of Marabella resort, 63 kilometres from Alexandria), or go for oriental food at Al-Tikkeya (65 kilometres from Alexandria). Other food outlets include Al-Safwani, Fish Market (which has a fish restaurant and a number of American fast food franchises, located three kilometres after the Hilton on the way to Al-Alamein), and Zahran. Note, however, that in Zahran you can get sandwiches at one of the big food chains, or seafood in the second floor restaurant. In a more active mood? You can dance the night away at Hilton's or Marina's open discotheques or have an extraordinary night at one of Marina's famous summer parties, Layali Al-Telifizyon, which host famous Egyptian and Arab singers every week (tickets range from LE50 to LE150). Many vacationers would also like to spend the night shopping, and in case you are a shopping addict, Marina offers you the chance to shop until you drop. You can also get a painting of yourself, have your photo drawn on glass or leather or get a henna drawing on your body. Maraqia also has a large souq (market), where you can get less trendy stuff for more reasonable prices. Or just go Al- Hammam market, (around three kilometres away from the Hilton Borg Al-Arab on the way to Matrouh) where you can also find bargains on imported goods, beach clothes, kitchenware and household goods at bargain prices. Traveller's notes - Please note that tap water is not drinkable on the North Coast. Mineral water is available in all villages and hotels, and there are vendors selling water all along the coast. - Pharmacies are available in almost all villages and the Mubarak hospital is a well-equipped facility 31 kilometres from Alexandria. There are also emergency centres along the coast, one located 48 kilometres from Alexandria and another at Al-Hammam. - If you want to communicate with the world, Internet cafés are available at Marina and in the Aida Hotel, both for LE20 per hour. There are banks available in Marina and Maraqia, and many places accept credit cards.
