Sunrise Tirana Aqua Park, Nabq Bay, Egypt

Beyond Expectations

We found this to be one of the cheapest deals so we booked online. Firstly we were very impressed by THOMAS COOK and also Thomas Cook Airlines. We found the planes to have more room in standard seats than other airlines - we did not have in-flight-meals.

TRANSFER TIME was short hotel is very near...Yes it is in flight path so there will be aeroplanes coming in and out above hotel. This did not disturb us at all.

HOTEL DRIVEWAY AND RECEPTION were very attractive we were instantly amazed. The hotel building consists of much marble. We experienced a pleasant and quick check-in.

We were shown to our HOTEL ROOM and we couldn’t of asked for better all the facilities one would require and more; complimentary lotions and potions, walk-in shower, big balcony with table and chairs, TV with some English channels, Curtains with a blackout Curtain and nets - each could be used separately, hairdryer in bathroom as standard.

Complementary bottle of water each everyday in the fridge (fridge worked well).

The ROOM CLEANERS were excellent - friendly, trustworthy with our belongings, never short of clean towels or toilet rolls.

Now one of the most important parts of a hotel - THE FOOD - Fantastic, fresh, plenty of variety to cater for all tastes.

The only meals we found disappointing was the Italian - However we did try the Lebanese restaurant and the food here was fantastic as was the service.

We found all of the RESTUARNTS to be of high cleanliness.

In the buffet restaurant we were looked after by Alaa (there are 2 supervisors called Alaa) our Alaa really was super and we grew quite attached to him. Alaa was truly wonderful, very polite; spoke great English (WE DIDNT TIP at all despite our intentions to on the last day which is shockingly bad of us. We were never asked to tip either).

The guys at the POOL BAR were fantastic Moataz, Eslam, & Radig - they really looked after us all week and were a great pleasure to be around, always made sure we had drinks of our choice.

Towel guys around the pool did fantastic job, noting where we liked to sit, leading us to our sunbed and putting the towels out for us (again we never tipped).

A nice change for a hotel in Egypt was that as we were taking my boyfriends 19 yr old daughter we were expecting her to get alot of hassle - however the staff in the hotel were RESPECTFUL and even though this was her first time abroad we always felt her to be safe.

Also we went for a MASSAGE and SPA- only women were allowed to massage women and only men were allowed to massage men.

This hotel has it so right ... We really would recommend it &we look forward to returning soon with more of the family.

The only thing that maybe lets the hotel down is lack of ENTERTAINMENT. It was nice just to have dinner then a couple of drinks and a chat. We did go out a couple of nights: HOTEL LIMOSENE SERVICE which was excellent.

Nearby Supermarket-we walked to (not close enough for people with limited mobility though).

Hints and Tips

have a pen handy to fill out forms on the plane and also on arrival at the hotel and at the airport
use bottled water to brush teeth - you can buy the bottled water in many places quite cheaply - the water from the taps did look clear but i wouldnt want it in my mouth.

SHARM EL SHEIKH AIRPORT is very very expensive to eat in, airport toilets were disgusting even after cleaning.

Hotel Sahara Beach, Skanes, Tunisia

Great Family Holiday in Tunisia 

This was our first family holiday in August so we were expecting it to be overbusy and packed everywhere! The hotel is large with 3 blocks and 3 pools. The boys immediately took to it (age 11 and 14). The pools were large enough for people to swim and kids to mess around on blow ups and with balls without annoying each other!! There are plenty of sunbeds and shades so no-one was on top of each other even though the hotel was full. Unfortunately you did have to get up early to get them, towels appeared before 6am even thought signs said this was not allowed... The pool porters are very nice and helpful, putting mattresses out from 7am and if you tipped one early on they would save your spot and sunbeds each day.

We used the beach the most as it had a sea breeze, which as the temperatures were 40+ every day was very nice. There are beach porters too so we had one of them save our beds each day. The beach is beautiful and the sea is very safe for children of all ages. There is a roped in area to swim in which keeps it safe from holiday makers enjoying the many water sports available ( at an extra charge). My family took advantage of the free use of canoes but you do need to book early. The beach bar provided snacks and buffet lunch for those not wanting to use the large restaurant though food could be repetitive.

We used the restaurant for most meals as it was cool and a welcome respite from the sun at lunch time. The food was excellent with choices for all ages. The freshly made omelettes on a morning were worth queuing for. My boys enjoyed the freshly made pizza and crepes. I tried everything on offer! There were traditional tunisian meals and plenty of sea food too.

We did all get a bit of jippy tummy but at different times, and we did have ice in drinks so... taking plenty of diareze was definitely a bonus.

As a family we did not leave the hotel apart from walks down the beach. This was mainly because the boys wanted to be doing something in the hotel in the teen club. Ranging from football, beach volleyball, pool games... this gave us chance to just relax and unwind.

The reps were very helpful even having a box for people to leave anything they did not wish to take home. This was excellent and we were able to get sun lotion from it when we ran out. I took 14 bottles for a family of four but needed more. This was very expensive in resort so pack lots.

There was entertainment every night, some better than others but the entertainment team did work very hard. There were plenty of bars to relax in otherwise, round the floodlit pool or in the reception area. THe staff were very, very helpful and when our air conditioning in the room wasn't working properly they fixed it within an hour. Would I recommend this hotel? Yes without a doubt. You can relax, unwind or join in the frequent activities on offer. Something for everyone? Yes