MikePadgett.com

Sharm El Sheikh

— A second trip to Egypt and a busier time of it this year as we packed in a few visits.”

We returned last night from our second visit to Egypt in less than a year. And I managed to set a precedent by staying in the same hotel in the same location twice.

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I recommend instead that you spend a bit of money and go visit some or all of the wonderful places that Egypt has to offer, it really is worth it!

Ah, Na’ama Bay. Boy do we sit on the fence about this place. It’s the kind of pre-packaged, made-for-TV, Disney-themed just-so resort that makes you nauseous, but you have to admit it has most things you need and the atmosphere is reasonably relaxed. Even Blair hangs out there when he’s not busy ruining the country.

There’s a good choice of restaurants and other facilities. And if you seek shelter from the droves of ignorami crawling none too slowly out of the ex-Soviet bloc, there are even a couple of nice bars.

Our hotel, the Iberotel Lido in Na’ama Bay, is a gem overall. Why else would we have returned? Certainly not for the laughable bacon they serve at breakfast. The staff are friendly, the atmosphere pretty intimate and there is an inescapable whiff of cool about the place: more plaudits here.

Among the photos are two members of staff who helped to make the experience extra special.

On the left is Ibrahem, the Lido Poolmaster, whose birthday is in January and his girlfriend in Taunton, apparently.

To the right of him is the delectable Salama who hails from a small village near Luxor and makes the best mocktails any side of the Nile delta.