As Egypt continues to develop its tourist industry away from the ancient pyramids and Nile delta towards beach holidays, Graeme Hetherington explores what the country has to offer along the coast of the Red Sea

IF YOUR idea of a great holiday is to bask on a sun lounger in glorious sunshine in between bouts of snorkelling and Scuba diving, the Red Sea resorts in Egypt offer some wonderful opportunities.

Other parts of this country, which has always been popular with British tourists, now require travel advice from The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (see Travel Facts) before booking a flight.

But I split the trip across two Red Sea holiday bases – Makadi Bay and Marsa Alam – and was able to explore the village feel of the first before heading further along the coast to check out Port Ghalib marina, one of the newest and most southerly resorts in the country.

You can swim straight off the beach with turtles and a myriad of brightly coloured little fish, and if you are incredibly lucky, you might even get to experience sharing the waters with an elusive sea cow.

Temperatures during the summer months are in the late thirties – too much to bear for a fair-skinned Northerner like me – but the temperatures during the rest of the year are ideal.

The adults-only five-star Makadi Spa Hotel is ideal for people who want to relax without the boisterous and excitable behaviour of children.

The other four hotels on the self-contained complex are all child-friendly, but a haven for grown-ups is always welcome.

I’m not a great “lounger”, but thankfully there are plenty of opportunities to get the adrenaline pumping, and a trek through the desert on a quad bike was certainly a highlight.

I have ridden a quad on grass before, but taking one out on sand is a completely different experience.

Fighting the urge to go full throttle across the desert, thanks to a helpful pre-trek safety talk, I soon discovered that the route towards the mountains that cast their red shadow over the area was testing. Warnings about tearing off track and racing away from the guides are best heeded as the undulating terrain hides deep pits in the sand and rocks that could easily throw you over the handlebars.

There was a quick stop off at a Bedouin camp, which was located in the foothills of the Red Sea mountains, where we were able to enjoy some relief from the searing temperatures and fight the urge to buy some of their locally-sourced medicines.

Following a brief camel ride, it was back on four wheels for the return journey.

By the time we got back to base, I was covered in dust and very hot and sweaty, but thoroughly exhilarated.

Riding quad bikes in the desert is the perfect way to work up an appetite and the resort has a wide selection of restaurants offering food from around the globe.

If you are wanting to sample some of the local delicacies, you can, but you can also find Italian, Indian, South-East Asian and Lebanese cuisine at the complex.

After a good night’s sleep in a room big enough to almost have its own postcode, there was a two-hour drive along the coastal road to head to one of the most southerly holiday resorts in the country – Marsa Alam.

The Palace Port Ghalib Resort, which has been earmarked for a huge development and expansion plan, sits next to the beach and is within five minutes’ walk of the marina.

The white sand shows all the evidence of the coral that attracts snorkellers and scuba divers to the resort.

Despite not being the world’s best swimmer, it was the possibility of swimming with turtles and the elusive sea cow that made a boat trip further along the coast tempting.

The thought of putting a mask over my eyes and nose while breathing through a pipe didn’t fill me with joy, but curiosity about what lay beneath won me over.

Within seconds of immersion, though, the very salty water had snuck into my mask and was trickling straight up my nose and into my eyes.

I decided to call it a day. The rest of the tourists on the trip spent 20 minutes swimming nose-to-nose with turtles.

I was incredibly jealous and ruing the fact my beard had prevented me joining in the fun, but the cry of “there’s a sea cow” and witnessing the elusive creature breach the water less than 50 metres from our boat, certainly lifted my spirits.

My tip on a trip to these parts would be to take plenty of sun cream and to make sure you pack a tight-fitting pair of goggles.

That way, you won’t only get to see how beautiful this country is on the surface, but also what lies beneath.

TRAVEL FACTS Seven all-inclusive nights at the five-star Makadi Spa Hotel cost from £649pp, departing from London Gatwick on December 4. Price includes return flights to Hurghada Airport, resort transfers and luggage allowance.

Alternatively, flights from Newcastle to Hurghada will be available from February 16 – price for seven all-inclusive nights at the five star Makadi Spa Hotel from £983pp. Price includes return flights to Hurghada Airport, resort transfers and luggage allowance.

Seven nights on a bed and breakfast board basis, at the five-star Palace Port Ghalib Resort cost from £389pp, departing from London Gatwick on December 9. Price includes return flights to Marsa Alam International Airport, resort transfers and luggage allowance.

For further information, visit redseaholidays.co.uk.

After the terrorist attack on a Russian holiday jet leaving Sharm El Sheikh in October, you should check for travel advice at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/egypt. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) advises against all travel to North Sinai, South Sinai, with the exception of the area within the Sharm El Sheikh perimeter barrier, which includes the airport, and the area west of the Nile Valley and Nile Delta regions.