TH Blue Lagoon Marsa Alam

The sea was beautiful, and the water really was that vivid color shown in the pictures. Swimming takes some walking, though. At low tide it's only ankle-deep, and you have to go several hundred meters to take a dip. The sea life didn't come close to what we saw around Hurghada, including Makadi Bay. We didn't go far out, so we saw only a few fish and, as an extra, a blue-spotted spiny shoal. We loved the garden at Blue Lagoon. It was the prettiest one we found, absolutely fairytale-like, and my 9-year-old nephew couldn't believe a place like that existed in real life. The buildings also felt the most authentic. Our rooms were clean, though I did clean a mirror on the first day. We saw geckos in the room twice, which scared us, but they left us alone and didn't come back during our stay. The workers were very nice and became close to us, so it was hard to say goodbye. They were happy to accept baksis, though not as much as at Waterworld in Hurghada last year. I think that may be because of the Italians, who are grateful and happy to hand out euros. There were lots of Italians, whom locals called a "mini Italy." They mostly spoke their own language, and locals had learned Italian, supposedly an easy language. Italians were the majority, followed by Czechs and Poles, then Hungarians. This definitely wasn't Hurghada. The hotel sits in a huge area in the middle of nowhere, near Emerald and Dream Lagoon. More hotels are being built nearby. There's also a doctor, pharmacy, and bazaar in the hotel area. We had originally booked at Dream Lagoon but found out later we'd been given a room in the Blue. We didn't change, since we realized the next day that the garden here was the nicest. We had booked after midnight. I'm a picky eater, but I got through the week. Others will find fruit, beef, fish, chicken, local dishes, three kinds of pasta, and pizza. During the day, the bars made hamburgers, fries, pizza, and hot dogs. We skipped the optional excursions because we'd tried lots of things last year and Cairo was the one thing left. We wanted to go this time, but the travel agency Carthage charged 700 euros/2 people. That would have been enough to take me to Hurghada by bus and then onward by small plane. The internet in the rooms was like something from a fairy tale, there one moment and gone the next. You could also have bought an internet card on the bus and at the airport. In the afternoons, the animators ran sports, and there was a mini disco for kids in the evening. We also had a couple's massage (105 euros/4 times) and a cosmetic treatment. On the last night we ate at a fish restaurant on the beach instead of the hotel. It was a little sad to have the table set just for the two of us at 8:00 p.m. and food cooked only for us, though it was delicious and the place cozy. I understand that many people don't want to spend extra after paying for all-inclusive. Still, they obviously don't serve fish and scallops like the hotel's restaurant does.

Kitesurfing never gets dull because your technique keeps changing with the wind and weather. There's always more to learn, and it brings a mix of feelings all at once, from fear and nerves to excitement and an adrenaline rush.

It's an okay place for a business trip or layover, but I wouldn't choose it for a proper summer holiday. The staff are really kind overall. Chef Osama keeps flirting with tourists in Arabic, though. Apart from that, it's fine.

Amazing view, good breakfast, and all the activities are available inside.