Soma Bay: Egypt’s hidden gem

Life’s pressures can put a toll on some of us. The hustle and bustle of city life in general is a cause for elevated stress levels. Fortunately enough, one can always plan a weekend getaway to just find some piece of mind. It’s not impossible to travel to any location nowadays, there are many locations nearby that can accommodate, this one is just across the sea. Located on the coastal waters of the Red Sea, heading down south from the Suez Canal, along the coastline of Egypt, lies the city of Hurghada. It is situated on an amazing platform surrounded by bays of coral reefs and small islands. The small city was once a tiny fishermen’s village, then got its boost by foreign investors in the 1980’s for its location and surroundings. Since then, investors have built hotels along the city coastline and thus expanded to areas outside of the city limits for more secluded resorts. The coastline in the area is a vacationer’s paradise, clean sand, colorful coral reefs, secluded islands and coves waiting to be explored and several hotels suitable for all tastes all for the purpose of relaxing and unwinding. One of the most significant areas located just an hour’s drive from the city of Hurghada is the coastal Soma Bay community area.
Secluded in its own peninsula, Soma Bay holds eight luxury resorts for all types of vacationers. These resorts are Kempinski Hotel Soma Bay, Sheraton Soma Bay Resort, Movenpick Soma Bay, Amwaj Blue Beach Resort and Spa, La Residence des Cascades, Robinson Club and The Breakers Diving and Surfing Lodge. To get to the area, it’s an hour or so drive from the airport. Visitors must go through a security check point and confirm that they are guests of the hotel to enter. All hotels are spread across the peninsula with direct access to the beach, but of all the resorts, the only one without a direct access to the beach front would be La Residence des Cascades, yet it holds one of the region’s top spas and sits on the highest point of the peninsula. Each hotel resort has its own theme that makes it significant on its own, all hotels provide shuttle services that can transfer guests from one location to the other There is another perk to the stay,a dine-around concept where guests can visit restaurants in other hotels and charge it to the room they are staying in. This makes it easier for guests to get a change of scenery every now and then.
Each hotel accommodates different traveling preferences. The most family-friendly and honeymoon-friendly locations would be the Kempinski Hotel and the Sheraton Resort. The Kempinski in its ancient Moorish fortress design holds a picturesque landscape of pools and lagoons in the middle with a lazy river surrounding the pools to relax in. The hotel is suited for 345 guests in their European styled rooms and suites. Most rooms have both pool and sea view and the beach area is a lengthy area with sun beds spread around. The fortress like hotel holds three restaurants, The View, an Asian concept Bamboo Shoot, and Al Mar, a pool side setting area to accommodate those who don’t wish to leave the area. There is also a relaxing spa area with a wide range of treatments.
The minute you head into the gates of the Sheraton Resort hotel, you are quickly sent back in time with Luxor’s Karnak Temple set exterior and interior, you’ll feel like you are in the days of the great Pharaohs of Ancient Egypt. The beach of the property is the largest among all hotels, the waters are crystal clear, clean, and there are lounge chairs available for every guest. The hotel can accommodate around 350 guests spread around the property, either in the main buildings or private villas, all with either full or partial beach or pool view rooms. There is also a beach club nearby for all water-related activities such as windsurfing, snorkeling, diving and sailing. Excursions are available with an early booking taking guests to areas known for their best diving sites in the area. The hotel has many activities set for guests, such as, water polo, volleyball, with a No Mummy kids club for parents with kids between the ages of 3-12 to relax and have them enjoy the endless fun. The vast pool is surrounded by beach beds and a pool restaurant nearby serving different beverages to stay hydrated. The meal selections are no bore; there are three restaurants and a lobby restaurant L’Abydos Brasserie, the Italian L’Emorio Ristorante, the Beach Hut and Copper Crescent Grill.
La Residence des Cascades has a colonial setting, sitting on top of the highest point of the peninsula, overlooking an amazing 18-hole golf course, which was awarded with the Golf Travelife Award for Environmental Protection, and a great view of the sea in the back drop. The hotel holds the country’s only Thalasso therapy spa. The difference between this type of spa and others is that it concentrates on healing, rejuvenation and relaxation rather than just indulgence. The spa provides over 50 different types of treatments, from massages to hydrotherapy. At the center of this spa is a Thalasso-Tonic Hydrotherapy Pool containing sea water that is also divided into areas equipped with water jets, bubble jets, showers and strong man-made currents to rejuvenate and tone targeted parts of the body. A trained team of professionals are at hand with recommendations to suit each individual’s request. Appointments can be made through all hotel receptions.
The La Residence Des Cascades has six restaurants, all different cuisines and each with its own theme and significant location. In Dunes, dinner can be served in either the main hall of the restaurant or on the terrace overlooking the sea and golf course. The L’Albatros restaurant, located on the 9th green and the golf course’s central lake, hosts a scenic backdrop for a romantic dinner. The Gallery provides a stylish backdrop for a proper high tea with board or card games. On the top floor, guests can find the Eagle’s Nest: a British restaurant named after the sea eagles that have made Soma Bay their home. After dinner, guests can relax and enjoy traditional shisha at the Arabic-style Layali lounge.
The next two hotels are best suited for adventure lovers and guests keen on diving and a day full of activity. Robinson’s Club and The Breakers Dive and Surfing Lodge both provide activities of all sorts for the active traveler. The Breakers Lodge is a water sports hotel, the first of its kind in Egypt with a laid back style and cool ambiance, with 173 rooms available. Visitors don’t need to head too far to start their diving excursions because the hotel has an onsite dive center, that is also connected with the wood walk bridge where awaiting boats dock. The lodge is also a destination for kite surfers, the location of Soma Bay is a great one for kite surfers due to the constant north or south winds coming from the Red Sea. The sunny patio holds the main restaurant of the lodge, the Blue Dolphin with their signature healthy dishes. There is The Roof Terrace, for tanning in mornings and star gazing at night. And lastly, the best views of the sunset can be seen from the Reef Lounge as guests can relax on their bean bags after a hectic day of activities.
The Robinson’s Club is the top hotel for families as it promises days of fun-filled activities for both parents and children. The hotel comprises six tennis courts, a children’s pool, animation and events, daily entertainment in their amphitheater and a long list of sea and desert safaris equipped for all ages to enjoy. The arabesque like structure can house 300 guests and has 44 luxurious suites.
The Soma Bay area is a great holiday spot for a quick escape and is very much on a budget. The staff of all the hotels are well-trained in many languages due to the flux of foreigners heading to the area almost all year around. It is indeed one of the best spots to unwind and relax.

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