EAT
Curry favour The town of El Gouna is one of the Red Sea’s best-kept secrets, a haven of pretty lagoons punctuated with hotels, residences and good restaurants. Curry in Egypt may sound unusual, but Tandoor (above) on the Abu Tig Marina will win you over with its delicious dal makhani and palak paneer.
Authentic flavour Keeping with tradition, Egyptian night at Cook’s Club serves made-to-order flatbreads and delightful lamb kofte. Whirling dervishes and beautiful belly dancers add to the vibe.
Natural beauty The new, wonderfully grand La Botanica is set in a greenhouse. Produce is sustainably grown within the restaurant, tomato plants climb the windows and the colourful house salads make great use of it all.
STAY
Bedouin chic The centrally located Cook’s Club is a bougie contemporary hotel overlooking a lagoon. With a private beach and large pool, there are lots of places to relax with a book and cocktail (the piña coladas are seriously moreish), but be sure to secure a sunbed at the far edge of the pool, as the sun dips behind the hotel at around 4pm. (From £167 a night, cooksclub.com.)
Asian-style retreat With direct access to the Red Sea via a cabana-dotted beach, The Chedi (above) is a tranquil sanctuary. Facilities include a very fancy gym and an Asian-inspired spa, where a massage is a steal at £39 for 60 minutes. And, as you’d expect with all that Egyptian cotton, the sheets are the best I’ve slept in. (From £212 a night, thechedielgouna.com.)
LOVE
Red Sea sights Take a speedboat trip out to sea to watch dolphins riding the waves, before plopping into the shallows for some (shark-free!) snorkelling. (Bookable at Cook’s Club, £56pp.)
Need for speed For adrenaline junkies, an exhilarating afternoon spent quad biking over the desert is a must. The views across the Martian landscape once you get to the top of the mountains are well worth it… if you can keep up. (From £35pp, alexsafarielgouna.com.)
Sky high From the bottom, the El Gouna Lookout Tower doesn’t seem tall enough to afford a bird’s-eye view of the town, but once at the top the 360-degree panorama is breathtaking. Go for golden hour, but plan accordingly as here the sun sets earlier than you think!
