A Day out with Thomas the Tank Engine

Towel Sculpture - by Akram

The Lamaya Hotel - Marsa Alam

The Lamaya Hotel, Marsa Alam, is located on Egypt's Read Sea and is perfect for beach lovers and water babies. It's away-from-it-all location and excellent facilities make it a real hit. The stylish design reflects the classical Arabian influences of the area and gives the complex a feeling of space and elegance.

The hotel is located in Coraya bay which is about 10 mins drive from the new Marsa Alam International airport. This grand title does not fit the daily low number of flights in and and out of the airport.

The horseshoe shape bay is surrounded by desert with a background of mountains in the distance.

On the lefthand leg of the bay can be found the Lamaya Resort Hotel where we stayed. At the bottom of the leg is a walkway across the water and coral, leading to two jetties, one for the dive boats and another for snorkelers. From the walkway can be seen a variety of fish swimming in the crystal clear water amongst the coral.

Snorkelers have easy access to the water from the jetty via ladders that project right into the water. Here the reef drops down about 30 feet to the sea bed. It is well worth taking the plunge into the clear water because on one side of you can be seen fish just below the surface swimming over the shallow water reef and if you look down you will see a variety of coral and more fish.

If staying at the Lamaya does has a minus point it is because you are not allowed to access the water immediately in front of the hotel because they are trying to encourage new coral growth. You have to walk up the beach to the start of the curve to gain access and once in the water you start to see fish from a very shallow depth. Every day we saw different fish, Blue-spotted Stingray, Lionfish, Parrot Fish etc.

If you walk around the bay on the paved walkway to the righthand side you come to the Coraya Beach Hotel. This is a slightly older hotel but has the advantage of direct access from the beach into the shallow water of the bay.