|
RED SEA
DIVING
DIVE SITES MAPS
EGYPT - LOCATIONS
EGYPT -
INFORMATION
CLIMATE
READ
PHOTO GALLERIES
LAND
PHOTOS
ENVIRONMENTAL PROJECTS
DIVE SAFETY
PRODUCTS
LINKS
CONTACT
Join aziab on facebook
and twitter to get all Latest News and updates!
ONLINE MAGAZINE
DOWNLOAD MAGAZINE
issue Eight available 1 November
|
 |
| |
|
|
Here you can find aziab
products for sale:
Egypt
Sweden
Want to be the One?
Contact me...
Denmark
England
Holland
Dive Operators in
El Gouna
in alphabetical order:
Approved By:
Blue Brothers
Colona Divers
Dive Treck
Easy Divers Academy
Emperor Divers
Euro Divers
Orca Dive Club
TGI Diving
The Dive Connection
Do NOT use one of the black listed
Operators
View List Here
|
|
EL GOUNA
|
|
|
|
|
El Gouna is the perfect travel destination if you are looking for the
best deals on family holidays. This
fantastic tourist resort in Egypt is one of the best places to visit on
your holidays. You will definitely be relieved of the stress and hassles
of the busy life in the city when you get to unwind in this world-class
resort. There are plenty of activities that you can do when you spend
your getaway here. You will surely love this place if you are into
watersports such as scuba diving, windsurfing, kitesurfing, etc.
The story goes that El Gouna (Arabic: الجونة, the lagoon) had its origin
in one man's search to find the most beautiful spot on the seaside to
build a house and small boat jetty. This was Samih Sawiris, who is now
chairman of Orascom Hotels & Development, El Gouna's parent company.
Just
north of Hurghada he found this place and started building what today is
El Gouna. It wasn't long before Sawiris’ friends, struck by the splendour of the azure waters
and
dramatic backdrop of mountains, asked to join him. Friend after friend
built house after house adding to the original vision of Mr Sawiris “carving paradise out of the desert.”
Today’s El Gouna is
home to 14 hotels along 10 km of coastline and
scattered over numerous islands linked together by an intricate system
of lagoons and channels. To compare it to an oriental Venice is not far
fetched. Villages of
luxurious villas and attract water sports enthusiasts and families from all over the world who have made El Gouna
their permanent or vacation home. The location just half an hour from
Hurghada International Airport makes the place the perfect home away
from home. This being said; This is not at all like being in Egypt but
in a gated community for the more unadventurous kind.
Check out El Gouna's own website by clicking on the Star Fish Logo
above.
Map over El Gouna
|
|
 |
|
Mattias Henningsson has lived in El Gouna since 2007 and without his contributions aziab would
probably not have an El Gouna Section at all.
Big Thanks!
|
|
|
Diving
in El Gouna
 There
are a huge variety of dive sites reachable with daily boats from El
Gouna.
You can dive exiting
historical wrecks lost on the trade routes from India in late 1800 like
The Ulysses and The Carnatic.
You can visit the dramatic
wrecks from WWII like The Thistlegorm and Rosalie Moller.
There are easy wrecks for any
level of divers like the more recent from maritime losses of Ghiannis D,
Crisoula K, Kimon M around Shaab Abu Nuhas and the famous Barge at Bluff
Point.
There are sheer walls covered
with softcorals and gorgonian fans at Um Gammar, Shaab Ruhr Um Gammar
and Bluff Point.
Gorgeous hard coral gardens
invites for spectacular photo sessions at Abu Nugar Blind Reef Gota Abu
Nuhas and Poseidon Reef.
Very good chanses to dive and
snorkel with wild bottlenose dolphins around the famous Shaab el Erg.
All in all El Gouna is a
wicked place for a dive holiday. Reed more
here
or get the aziab guide book
40 Dive Sites in El Gouna
|
|
Getting Around in El Gouna
EL Gouna is not that huge area but the different components are well
spread out. To get from one part to another or between hotels and dive
centres, the go-cart track, the kite surfing base or the golf course is
quite an undertaking, especially in the warm summer months. But there is
no need for dispair. Plenty of transport alternatives are at hand. |
|
 Local
Buss Service
Steeling the design from the classic Philippino "Jeepney's" the local
buses are a popular ingredient in the El Gouna athmosphere.
They are running in between Downtown, Tamr Henna and Abu Tig Marina. The
ride will put you back 5 LE per day, and there is a jump on/off
possibility to.
This is a fun way to see El Gouna and an enjoyable ride.
|
|
Tok
Tok
If you want a private
ride you can always use the tok tok Steeling the design
from the classic Thai transportation.
The ride in one of
those varies from 5 LE to 15 LE depending on where you're heading and
how many you are.
You can also use the
Tok Tok for a guided tour of El Gouna, just ask the drivers before and
the charge for this is about 40 LE. |
|
Limousine
If you want a more
comfortable journey you can chose to go with El Gouna Limousine Service,
that will take you anywhere in El Gouna for 15 L.E per car.
These cars are air
conditioned and for 100 L.E they will take you all the way into Hurghada
one way. |
|
Boat Taxi
Like in Venice there's
also the waterway to see El Gouna. In Arabic El Gouna means lagoon and
this is a beautiful way to see the town.
You will travel in an
open boat with a guide, through the lagoons, who will tell you all about
El Gouna and answer your questions.
If you bought a local
bus ticket for one day, this will be valid for the boats to. Otherwise
you can buy your ticket at the boat.
|
|
Other ways than diving to kill a day or a night in El Gouna.
There are several
things to do when you are “de-toxing” from diving. If you don't just
want to spend a day by the pool or beach, here are some tings that might
catch your interest!
|
|
Go-Cart
On this a go-kart track you
can challenge your friends or just feel like a F1 driver for a while and
have a great day out,.
For ca 100 LE you get to push
the pedal to the metal for 20 min. It's not the biggest track in the
world but it's well cept and the carts are all right.
The track is located right
next to hotel Rihana. |
|
 Paint
ball
If
you're up for it, gather your friends for a shootout at the paintball
range. Here you can release your fury and feel like Clint Eastwood,
without harming anyone. Most fun is to do this at night.
There is a local club for
residences that meet up for some serious discharging now and then.
You
can be from 2 persons to many teams. Talk with the manager about the
prices. But do not hustle for a bargain too much... remember he's likely
to be armed... |
|
Water Sports
If
you can't let go of the sea, there are water sports like wakeboarding,
kite surfing and paragliding. El Gouna is a great spot for these kinds
of activities, and people from all over the world come here to ride the
winds and the waves.
There are prices ranging from cheap to expensive, so have a look around
before you decide what to do. |
|
Golf
All Year Around
If you’re looking for
year-round golfing, El Gouna’s 18-hole course offers just that plus a
wicked views of the desert, mountains and the fabulous Red Sea. Designed
by Gene Bates and Fred Couples, this course suits you weather you’re a
beginner or a professional. The course has three different men’s and
ladies’ tees, cleverly located bunkers, lagoons, and desert rough, all
made out to test the player at his or her own level.
There is a Golf Club and you can become a member no matter your levels
of game tee-off times must be reserved in advance and handicap proof is
obligatory. The club also have a range of merchandise, rental equipment
and driving range facilities. If you haven’t tried golf jet there are
weekly Golf Introduction on the driving range.
For booking and information,
please contact El Gouna Golf Club:
T +2(0)12 746 47 12
F +2(0)65 358 00 09
email:
golf.club@elgouna.com
Rumours has it that a second
Golf course, designed by the specialist golf-course-architect Karl
Litten, is about to open in 2012 in Ancient Sands Golf Resort.
|
|
Shopping and Souvenirs
Why don’t spend some time shopping at the bazaar area. Here you can get
a real good bargain, providing you are a "yalla-haggler". You find all
sort of stuff here from paintings to shishas (water pipe) and jewellery
plus the traditional spices, cotton and brass art.
This is a nice place where to spend an afternoon. To find your way here
you just take left when you enter Tamr Henna (down town) from Bestway.
Of course all over town you will find small shops and boutiques where
you can test your skill for bargain while getting your souvenirs.
This is of course only a few of the things that you can do to have a
great time in El Gouna. The list of fun is much longer than this. Why
not try riding a camel or horse at Yalla Horse stable or go with the
quad bikes into the desert for a rally. It's all up to you! I'll try to
update with more surface interval activities as soon as I have time.
|
|
Wining, Dining and misbehaving in El Gouna
There is a wide range of
restaurants in El Gouna, everything from the Egyptian- and Lebanese
cuisine to the European- and of course, Asian kitchen. The price range
goes from as little as 7 LE to a couple of hundreds if you want to. The
two main areas for wining and dining are Down Town and Abu Tig Marina.
In Down Town you often go to have a cheeseburger and a beer while
cheering for your football favourite team where as Abu Tig Marina you
might go there for a château brained and a bottle of fine wine.
If you are looking for some night time action, this is a quite quiet
place, of course you will have heaps of fun, but if you are a serious
party animal you should head for Hurghada (see
Hurghada nightlife).
The
aziab star-gazers (a secret group of a secret number of secret test pilots) will grade all of the establishments
with one to five divers as shown below.
They will all be
judged
purely on what you get for your money. Every time the star-gazers visit any of
the establishments the grading will also be subject for review.
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
What
the f***k is this? |
Hmmm... Could be worse |
Not
too bad actually I'll probably come again... |
Good
stuff mate! I'll be here tomorrow for another meal and a pint. |
Bloody excellent!!! I don't wan to go home... Can I rent the back room? |
|
Restaurants, bars, pubs and night clubs
(in
alphabetical order)
|
|
 |
Athena
This Greek Tavern serves a wicked souvlaki and there's a lot of food
on the plate, so come here hungry as a wolf! while you
have a look at the menu you will get a shot of ouzo for free.
Located
just across from Tamr Henna. |
|
|
 |
Beirgarten
This excellent waterhole have a café-terrace, a restaurant and a bar
where you can enjoy your beer with a good pizza or a burger.
Located next to the shuttle service for lagoon trips in Down town,
|
|
|
 |
Bleu Bleu Restaurant & Bar
Among their specialties, Blue Blue
offer duck a la orange, but they are also well known for their
delicious local meat and famous home cooking style.
Cold drinks are served on a romantic
terrace facing the sea.
Situated
at Abu Tig Marina. |
|
|
 |
Chez Pascal & Dolce Vita
Chez Pascal offer an authentic
Belgian cuisine with a choice of steaks cooked to perfection,
seafood and lobster dishes.
Dolce Vita offers a traditional
Italian and gourmet menu selection, which includes pastas, pizza's
and delicious desserts
Situated in hotel Ocean View, Abu Tig Marina. |
|
|
 |
Club House
After a long day of enjoying
yourself, you can always chill out at The Club House in Down town.
There is a free of charge pool and relax area with music. Try their
awesome sandwiches, otherwise they have a wide range of food on
their menu.
|
|
|
 |
Du Port
With its cool tunes, the private lounge beds, a swimming pool and
delicious food, you'll never want to leave. Sip your cocktails,
admire the view or dance under the stars to funky world sounds,
brought to you every Thursday, Friday and Saturday by the European
Guest DJ's.
Located in front of Three Corners Ocean View hotel. Open in
summertime (April to October) |
|
|
 |
Foool House
Here you can get some real Egyptian
food and dine with the locals. For 17 LE you will get a complete
plate with all the yummy specialties of Egypt. It's really worth a
visit. |
|
|
 |
Garo's Snack Stop
This Lebanese & Armenian restaurant serves a wide range of delicate
food Why not go for a chicken Shawerma or an authentic Armenian
Keofteh soup.
Located opposite hotel Arena Inn, Down Town.
|
|
|
 |
Jobo's
This is where you go to meet friends
for a beer or two. A real nice spot in the middle of Tamr Henna
square, Down Town. All kinds of people come here to cheer for their
favourite football team, or just hang out, while downing their
awesome cheeseburger.
Of course they have a wide selection
of food here, why not try their pasta or excellent sandwiches. |
|
|
 |
Karakeesh
Right
next to Foool House, lays this bakery with fresh newly baked bread
and pastries.
You can pop in here for a coffee and something sweet, or just buy
some bread for your breakfast.
|
|
 |
La Scala
Located in Abu Tig Marina this place
is the favourite hang out for many divers and kite surfers. The
outdoor sitting area has a nice view over the marina.
You can have a look at the menu on
the blackboard outside the entrence.
|
|
|
 |
Le Deauville
“La Carte” is a blackboard where the
chef hand writes the evening selections, punctuated with his
sincerely meant “Bon Appétit”.
The chink of glasses, the chime of
forks and knives and the gentle hum of conversation provide
ambiance. The outside seats have the perfect setup for the summer
and fall. |
|
|
 |
Maison Thomas
With its signature sandwiches, salads, pizzas and adorable ambiance,
Maison Thomas is a great place to stop in for a quick and satisfying
meal. Don’t have much time? They delivers right to your home. There
are no excuses not to check out the great variety of culinary
creations that have quickly made Thomas one of the hottest spots in
town. |
|
|
 |
Maritim Restaurant & Bar
A nice restaurant with the focus on
fish and seafood. A simple menu and tasty dishes. Great outdoors
sitting area with a spectacular view over the Marina.
Located
in Abu Tig Marina.
|
|
|
 |
Moods
On
the tip of the lagoon in Abu Tig Marina you find Moods. This is one
of the places to be if you want a proper night out.
Nice
music and good staff. Have a beer, shisha or just hang out in the
bar socializing. If you feel like Fred Astaire, there is a dance
floor just next to the bar.
|
|
|
 |
Peanuts Bar
This is where everybody goes to party
and to have a good time. DJ music and regular themes keep the fun
going. Real nice staff and always a good vibe. Situated at hotel
Ocean View, Abu Tig Marina
|
|
|
 |
Pizzeria Bella Italia
Just a stone throw from Maritime you
find Bella Italia. Tasty pizzas and a nice view. They also have
delicious pasta and salads.
|
|
|
 |
Studio 52
This place was created to bring live
entertainment into the Marina. It’s an interesting place with a good
selection of music, good ambiance and fun.
Serving lunch and dinner snacks. It
is the ideal place to spend time with friends. |
|
 |
Tandoor
If you're feeling like a curry this
Indian restaurant might be a good choice.
Right on the Abu Tig Marina the view
is spectacular . All though a bit high price this is good value for
money.
|
|
|
 |
The Seventh Star
This place has recently expanded, to
everyone’s delight. Right next to the original café/patisserie, you
now find new outlet specializing in crepes, sandwiches and great
French fries.
At night, indulge on cheese and meat
fondues. Also not to be missed is the glorious chocolate fondue,
it’s worth all the calories! |
|
|
 |
White Elephant
This Thai restaurant serves authentic
Thai food. The chefs are from Thailand which establish the fact that
this is the real deal.
For 35 LE you'll get a real good Tom
Yam Gai or Phad Thai.
Located opposite Athena, Down Town.
|
|
|
|
