With the hard-learned lesson of the North Coast — a clear example of an urban planning fiasco — still fresh in the minds of those at the Ministry of Tourism, Makadi Bay has shown how a resort can become one of the better developed areas on the Red Sea.

Resorts at Makadi Bay mainly follow an ‘all-inclusive’ policy, where visitors enjoy full-board accommodation and cool drinks even in the greatest heat of the day. In short, you won’t need to lift a finger for your own comfort. Two of the best bets for comforting accommodation would be the veteran Le Meridien and the Iberotel-Solymar conglomerate, which essentially makes up Madinat Makadi and is on the Safaga road only 30 kilometers away from Hurghada International Airport. These resorts have much to offer with the latter being a fine choice for all-inclusive and family clubs, luxurious suites and deluxe hotels located directly on the beach. Entertainment programs are also available and incomparable to anything else in the area.

Be sure to check out Souq Makadi, which has a variety of shops as well as health and nightclub facilities. This beautifully designed souq has everything from gold jewelry to pure perfume oils and high quality cotton clothing. Basic services including a pharmacy, supermarket, bank and a playground for the kids can also be found here.

For beach bums looking for a perfect sun and sea holiday where the most effort you could exert would be in strolling along the uninterrupted shoreline, Makadi Bay is an ideal destination. Because of its bay formation (gorgeous desert dunes flanked by mountain ranges engulfing the warmest of blue waters), Makadi is a wonderful place for windsurfing. Lessons and rental equipment can easily be found at the Surf Motion Center of the Iberotel Makadi Beach.

For dive enthusiasts, Makadi Bay is a paradise. Gorgeous coral reefs are everywhere, waiting to be explored, replete with an exciting world of marine life. Hotels here also offer day or overnight trips to Luxor if you want to pack in a bit of sightseeing, however the 12-hour drive can be a bit hectic for most. Ask at your hotel for full-package details.

The Details

Fifteen minutes away from Hurghada Airport, Le Meridien Makadi Bay (tel: (065) 359-0590) is the chain’s largest property in Egypt and offers scuba diving and snorkeling facilities. It also boasts the biggest swimming pool (a staggering 640 square meters) in the Middle East. All-inclusive doubles go for LE 600 (sea view) and LE 500 (garden view). For foreigners, rates are $160 and $140 respectively. To eat, go for Italian at La Trattoria’s, or sample the catch of the day at Sayad. Traditional Egyptian cuisine can be had at Alaa El-Din. Evening entertainment comes in the form of shishas and the oriental dance shows with belly dancing.

At the Iberotel properties (Marine, Sun, Oasis, Club and Beach, tel: (065) 359-0000/60/70) doubles go for around LE 480 all-inclusive (130 for foreigners).

If you don’t want to drive all the way to the Red Sea, fly to Hurghada Airport on EgyptAir (LE 414-594 for Egyptians and residents, LE 1048 for non-Egyptians) or take the bus (tel: (02) 419-8533, LE 45), which leaves Cairo seven times throughout the day. There are direct shuttles to the hotels but otherwise no transportation between resorts. et