Marsa Alam Travel Guide

Marsa Alam

Marsa Alam is a port and resort located on the Red Sea southeast of Egypt. It is 700 kilometers away from Cairo and 280 kilometers away from Hurghada
This popular resort is located 135 km south of Al-Qusseir and 270 km south of Hurghada and is connected to Edfu by a 289 Km long desert road. Due to the proximity of Luxor and the shrine of Abu AI-Hassan AI-Shazli and its beautiful beaches, it has become a big tourist center.

Marsa Alam transformed from a small fishing village to a famous sea resort and center for diving and sea trips. The shore contains fantastic coral reefs and diving spots. Marsa Alam also has an airport located 60 kilometers north of the city and can serve more than 50,000 passengers, which added to the enormous development that the city went through. Flights from different European countries, especially Italy, come straight to Marsa Alam International Airport with hundreds of tourists who chose Marsa Alam to spend their vacation. Unlike more commercial cities like Sharm El Sheikh and Hurghada, the beauty of Marsa Alam is still untouched by the harmful effects of modernization.

The Villages Of Marsa Alam

Marsa Alam mainly consists of two villages: Bernice, a small city located 178 kilometers north of Al Qausier, which is famous for therapeutic tourism, and the village of Abu El Hassan Al Shazly, which has a famous Islamic center and doesn't have anything for Western tourists. But what about the center of the city of Marsa Alam itself? 
The plan for Marsa Alam indicates that by 2020, it will have 60,000 people and provide more than 17,000 jobs. For many reasons, the Egyptian government has given special attention to Marsa Alam during the last few years. The first reason is that the city has Egypt's most remarkable diving and snorkeling spots. The second reason is the weather in Marsa Alam, which is moderate all year long, especially at the beginning of the winter when you can swim in the sea while other people in other cities suffer from the cold weather. The third reason is that Marsa Alam is located near the Nile Valley and Luxor in particular, making it possible for tourists who visit Luxor to visit Marsa Alam and vice versa.
Marsa Alam also has significant economic importance as it hosts many of Egypt's essential gold and marble mines. Additionally, the Marsa Alam seaport has expanded considerably over the last few years. 
The Egyptian government has also discovered some monuments near Marsa Alam. The supreme council of antiquates uncovered an ancient town that returned to the new Pharaonic kingdom. This is in addition to the gold mines in Wadi Baheria that have been used since the time of the ancient pharaohs. 

Tourist Activities In Marsa Alam 

The beach is the best place to go in the morning. Most tourists prefer to spend the early morning at the beach after having a delicious breakfast. The beach has crystal clear water, shining sun, and wonderful white sand.
When I reached the Qamaraya Hotel, I was amazed to view all the appealing flower and tree gardens. This place is paradise on Earth. The gardens of the hotel are very colorful and unique. It was so sad that I didn't have my fiancé with me. We would have enjoyed this place! I promised myself that I would have my honeymoon at this particular hotel. When I went to the beach, many tourists enjoyed the sea, snorkeling, and swimming. Maybe more than 90% of the guests were Italians. I learned afterward that charters come from Rome and Milan straight to Marsa Alam with many Italian tourists. 
Other morning activities in Marsa Alam include playing all sorts of sports. Most resorts in Marsa Alam have tennis, football, volleyball, and table tennis. There are tennis instructors who can teach advanced and beginner players. Many tourists spend the afternoon playing volleyball before swimming later in the day. 
Diving in Marsa Alam 
The most common activity in Marsa Alam is diving. Many diving centers in Marsa Alam offer modern equipment that is all imported from Europe. Some European diving centers have opened branches in Marsa Alam. The best diving centers in the city include Deep South, Wadi Gimal, Ocean Pro, and Aquarius. 
I found out that the Qamaraya Hotel hosts the oldest and maybe one of the most essential diving centers in Marsa Alam. It is called Pioneer's diving center. The center has professional diving instructors who can teach Italian, English, German, and Spanish lessons. The center provides all types of diving lessons and trips. The instructors give lessons to beginner divers and professional divers. They even have unique diving spots for beginners and others for more advanced divers. 
The "Shaab Samadai," or Dolphin House, is the most exciting diving spot in Marsa Alam. All diving centers in the city organize one-day trips to this lovely diving spot, where one can view some of the oldest Red Sea coral formations. There is also a chance to swim beside some dolphins. This is why this spot is called " the Dolphin House." Another remarkable diving spot (exclusively for advanced divers) is the Elphinstone, considered one of the best diving locations in the world to view sharks. 

Marsa Alam's Nightlife

I was amazed to find out that there are numerous activities at night in Marsa Alam. One can shop for starters, and stores mainly sell gifts and souvenirs like perfumes, pharaonic replicates, small statues, silver and gold jewelry, wooden handicrafts, and some Bedouin outfits and crafts. I bought a beautiful silver bracelet for my fiancé, and its price was quite reasonable. 
The best product to buy in Marsa Alam is herbs. Some herbs are cultivated only in Marsa Alam and the area around it, and you can not find them elsewhere in Egypt. These herbs benefit health and help cure many chorionic diseases like diabetes and hypertension.

Tour Options Around Marsa Alam

Many resorts and tourism offices offer interesting different tours for tourists who prefer more energetic and adventurous activities. One can go on a tour of the desert in the Arabian style riding a camel, watching the bizarre rock formations in the desert, and then lying down and having tea and dinner in the Bedouin tent waiting for you there. Taste the delicious Bedouin-cooked dishes, especially the grilled veal dishes. If you need to speed up the process, use a beach buggy or motor bicycle instead of the camel. 
Another entertaining tour is to ride a horse beside the sea or in the desert. There are instructors to teach your sons and daughters how to ride young horses. Riding horses is one of the most pleasurable activities to be done in Marsa Alam in the afternoon or maybe late at night as well. 
Each of the larger resorts in Marsa Alam has discos, bars, and different types of restaurants. The Qamaraya Hotel, where I stayed, had a disco called Ciao Marsa. They played all sorts of music, especially Latin. Another exciting place is Planet Bedouin, a tent on the beach offering drinks and shisha daily. The Bedouin tent also offers some tasty Egyptian food like Molokheya, grilled meat, Fetta, and Koshary. There is a belly dancing show two times a week in the tent.

Beach Parties

I was lucky to be there on Thursday when the hotel organized a beach party. The ticket for the party was 70 Euros, including having two drinks. Everybody seemed happy, and everyone mingled in group dances. I even met some friends I knew from the desert tour I had earlier in the day. Many resorts offer beach parties every few days to entertain their guests.
Marsa Alam has all sorts of modern services, including international phone calls, wireless internet, and medical services, as each resort has a small medical center. A tourist can also hire a car to take him whenever he wants. 

Dreams Come True

I also made my dream come true when I married. I went for half of my honeymoon trip to Marsa Alam, and then I and my wife went on a Nile cruise between Aswan and Luxor. We took a private car with a driver and went to the same Qamaraya hotel in Marsa Alam. The trip took around 4 hours, but it was excellent as the car was quite comfortable. 
Knowing that we were honeymooners, the hotel administration gave us a nice, cozy room in a quiet spot to the far west of the hotel. The room was vast and had a remarkable sea view. My wife was amazed to see the greenery and flowers of the hotel. We spent four days there that I have to admit were among the happiest days of my life. We spent the morning on the hotel's beaches and the night in the disco, Bedouin tent, and the small cafe near the hotel, where we played cards and enjoyed hot drinks. We took a flight straight to Cairo at the end of our trip. It's worth noting that there are many flights from Cairo to Marsa Alam and vice-versa around the week. 
Marsa Alam will always hold a special place in my heart. The city is marvelous for divers, honeymooners, and older people who can enjoy the calm beaches. Before leaving Marsa Alam on my last trip, I heard many people saying that Marsa Alam would be the next Sharm Al-Sheikh, especially after many Egyptian construction companies built resorts and hotels there, such as Porto Ghaleb. Although I would love to see Marsa Alam as famous as Sharm El Sheikh and Hurghada, I would also like the city to maintain its untouched beauty and charm.

Hotels In Marsa Alam

- Iberotel Coraya Beach Resort (5 stats)
- Sol Y Mar Dar El Madina (4 stars)
- Three Corners Fayrouz Plaza Beach Resort (4 stars)
- Iberotel Lamaya Resort (5 stats)
- InterContinental The Palace Port Ghalib Resort (5 stats)
- Fantazia Resort (4 stars)
- Elphinstone Resort (4 stars)
- Gorgonia Beach Resort (4 stars)
- Kahramana Beach Resort (4 stars)
- Lahami Bay Resort