Postby RandomKitesurfer » Sun May 13, 2012 7:09 pm
I've been twice.
- Resort - It is crappy, its a bit of a dump. If your expecting Hilton style luxury then please, do not go here. However, I was there to kitesurf and simply wanted some cheap digs, right on spot and didn't care to much for the luxury or the rest of the hotel as I was planning on heading down town every night. I would call the resort UK 3 star at best. The food is alright, a lot of people got the runs both times I was there. The kiting infrastructure/main launch spot/shop/centre and the rooms used by kiters are all off to the edge of the resort. Which is ideal, the rooms as small single story clumps of 3/4 rooms a block. Its actually quite convenient and cool. You can chill out with a bunch of other kiters outside your rooms next to the spot which makes it a good social. But I state again, think of it as just on spot lodgings, this is not the Hilton. There is a small hotel cafe next to the kite spot which does good sandwiches and pizza's, its ideal to come in from time on the water and grab something, but its not included as part of the all inclusive. My suggestion would be get a deal on the room only, have nothing to do with the rest of the hotel and pay as you go on food down on the spot from the hotel cafe and down town at night.
- Centre - pretty well equipped and pretty friendly, owned by a finish guy called Bengan, and the manager is a guy called Gaz from the UK. The shop is reasonably priced for Egypt and has good equipment in stock, mainly Naish stuff. The centre has a kewl lay out with bean bags to chill on, lots of other kiters around, wifi, the hotel cafe provides a lot of convenience and of course good snack meals as already mentioned. They have a lot of different instructors passing through from all other. IKO center if I remember right.
- Spot - The spot is interesting. I would say pretty amazing for advanced and intermediate riders, crap for beginners. The hotel has 3 coves. Center being in the furthest right. leading out to a stretch of deep blue about 300m out and then beyond that about 600m out is a perfect and beautiful sandbar, its like a mirror, flat lagoons form at different tides, this arrangement of sandbars, lagoons and flat, shallow water goes on for miles... Gaz said to me 'That is kitesurfing' and I agree. A lot of safari's go out to it from other areas. If you want a bit of chop, you got it in the deep blue area, if you want to mess around close to the beach you can.
However, this is why it is crap for beginners.... They have issues with the swimming area's, ie, you can't drift into them. They have issues in the spot directly in front of the center which a beginner would not be able to handle. IE, the gusts caused by the cove next door and the building mean that a beginners simply would not be able to get out directly in front of the center. As a result they walk you about half a mile over to the left of the three coves on the other side of the hotel grounds. There is no facilities there, no cafe, no beanbags, no vibe, its a bit of a wasteland. Ok conditions to learn, pretty flat and waste high... but the convenience of the centers facilities is somewhat lost. Even when you have got up and riding, the deep blue will be difficult to negotiate because of the amount of at times dangerous sea traffic, so forget about getting out to the awesome sandbar.... I would learn up at El Gouna and come to this spot when independent.
- Wind - Its Egypt, its constant and good red sea wind which comes up late morning at 14-16 knots typically, sticks around until early evening and is reliable most of the year. I would expect only 1 no wind day a week.
In conclusion, hotel is a dump, think of it as cheap beach side kite digs. Center is well equipped and social, spot is great and sandbar awesome for good independent kiters. Its a social place to be, aim to eat in the hotel cafe and go down town by taxi (10/15mins) with other kiters each night to party and get dinner... and Hurguarda is a great party! Man, I lost so much time on the water due to obscene hangovers...beginners and learners stay away. Make sure you go at a popular time of year to ensure a good supply other people are around.
Don't go as a couple, because she will not like this place for reasons specified. As a single its great.... I got laid pretty easy there to a hot Russian chick so it was a good trip all round...
El Gouna, I have been to 3 times and my opinion is it is definitely better for learning, more instructors, bigger, better and more varied facilities to choose from and much better hotels. As a couple its El Gouna every time for me. But Colona will get the job done at the Megawish, you may just find it frustrating not being able to take full advantage of the spot at novice level, and have to do a bit of walking. Hurguarda is definitely better for party for singles then El Gouna. If I was a single kiter I would still learn at megawish for this reason... as a couple its got to be Gouna.