Hi everyone, let me tell you about my stay at Marina Lodge in Port Ghalib in Egypt. I booked this as a last minute replacement holiday as my other holiday got cancelled by Thomas Cook, I've been to Egypt before and this complex looked OK and was the cheapest on offer. The Room: My room was on the West side which was decent to be fair, the rooms are a good size with decent beds, TV was very small, Fridge didn't work, Safe was free to use and it worked, Wardrobe space was a hanging rail and a few shelves, the shower was ok and I had no complaints with the water, just outside I had a balcony where you get a view of the courtyard and the canals. Meals/Service: On the whole the food was OK if not a bit repetitive, Coffee machine only comes out in the morning, so you can get a queue, there were a few evenings where a few dishes stood out, as for the waiters I didn't see many that were great, most would just walk straight past me when I tried to get a drink, one time I saw a nice looking lady sit a few tables away from me and she got served immediately! One waiter stood out and his name was Abdallah, try and sit near him as he gets you a drink without asking. The empty glasses that sit upside down by the soft drinks I witnessed waiters picking up and grabbing a drink before entering the kitchen and then putting the glasses back down, not great. Location: The resort itself is set up really for Divers, you can do a bit of snorkelling too, it's very close to Marsa Alam Airport, so the transfer is quick with the hotel only about 10mins drive away. Hotel: The hotel sits right next to the man made canals with Port Ghalib just across the water, you can get there by Taxi boat which costs €1.5 per crossing, the Hotel doesn't change any money for you so you have to cross to the other side and wait for the Exchange Bank to open, I had no Egyptian money & as reception wouldn't change any how would I pay the Taxi boat? Luckily a kind lady bought me a ticket. The Dive boats set off early in the morning around 9am, the hotel has 2 swimming pools on two levels, surroundings are filled with sunbeds, you have to get in there early or you'll struggle to get a sunbed. Port Ghalib: This sits just a 5 min boat ride across the water, there's the money exchange place and a few more hotels over there, along with a few more shops and restaurants, prices are not that cheap though and you can walk around the whole area in about 30mins. All Inclusive: Beware on the All inclusive as not all bars will serve you, there's only on small bar 'Shark Bar' and the one at the beach, if you go to the others you have to pay. Also they should provide you with 2 bottles of free water per day, many a day I only found 1 bottle which is quite small and in the heat will not last, so I tracked down the room maid and asked for my missing water. Beach: This you will find outside the main entrance, you cross a bit of waste land and get to a man made beach, they have a bar and a few sun loungers, the sand is not deep and is hard underfoot, get here early as these sun bathing spots go quickly. Excursions: There's a few things to do here, especially if you're into your Diving, a few hawkers try and sell you trips and the prices are quite expensive, I went Quad biking and found out from other people from close by hotels they paid around €10 less than me! You can take a day trip to Luxor etc. but expect to pay over £100. Overall it was ok and it was November so the weather was just about right for me 26°/27°, the food was average and a little repetitive but you won't go hungry, and the rooms were adequate, evening entertainment was ok, you do have a bar near reception that does serve better drinks which I tried on my last day, overall the hotel is ok for the money but you may have a better time elsewhere if you don't do diving.…
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