Сказочный отдых. Fairytale vacation.

As always, the hotel chose a long, long time. Three months before the trip. I studied reviews, underwater photos, asked on the forums.
In the end, I decided to go to Fantasia. Before that, I went to Sharm El Sheikh for a couple of weeks, to Hurghada for a couple of weeks, and
the day was still in Dahab.
In general, I'm already a little used to Egypt. But this trip has somewhat turned my worldview and idea of
Egypt, which I did not even expect from myself. But first things first.
Departure, arrival at the hotel.
There were some "surprises" from Pegasus - the flight was postponed half a day later. As a result, on the day of arrival we could not
to swim in the sea, although I really wanted to.
Anyway. After all, they came to rest, and not to be upset.
The transfer from Hurghada turned out to be quite comfortable, and the road was not stressful. After a cramped plane, where 5 hours of foot was
not to draw, riding in a minibus seemed like paradise.

On the way, they brought two tourists to Holiday, once stopped in El Quseir in a cafe, once at a gas station, in general,
the road from Hurghada to Fantasia took 5 hours, as we were promised.
The road goes along the sea, periodically looked at it, then at the desert, behind which black mountains are visible, and behind them
the sun was setting, and I was already mentally on vacation, so the transfer did not tire me.
Settlement.
Generally no problem. Right away we got the room and everything we needed. After the nosy crooks of Sharma, I already knew about the habits
"shower" number - therefore, without letting him come to his senses, in mid-sentence interrupted his emotional story on the topic
coolness of this number, joyfully exclaimed that I had something for him, quickly put a dollar into his hand and
politely escorted out the door. Same with the luggage carrier.
All. Luggage in the room, the room is very chic, the view from the window is amazing. The formalities are over, you can finally
start rest.
Sea.
Of course, this is the most important thing. I rode for him. Before leaving, I was looking for an underwater box for the camera for a long time. Have not found
- I had to buy a cover "Dicapak". And besides, I knew that underwater photography is not obtained immediately and not for everyone,
so the laptop I took with me was very handy.
In general, we slept off, and immediately after breakfast we ran to the sea. We dress quickly, run to the pier, flippers on our feet,
a camera around his neck, a mask on his head, a gurgling into the water. The first impression is somewhat different. Perhaps due to
that I see the Red Sea not for the first time and the fabulous feeling is too familiar when in an unfamiliar place
you climb into the water and see the fabulous underwater world, and it takes your breath away. There were a lot of jellyfish here and
some kind of turbidity - I don’t know whether it’s plankton, or some kind of turbidity rises from the bottom, but the fact is the fact - visibility in

the water is a little different than what I was used to before. Well, dregs are dregs, and corals and fish are not worse from this.
become - strenuously rowing to look for the end of the muddy area. Jellyfish have to be stuffed with their hands so that through them
get through. As a result, we make our way to the first buoys, and then I understand that the underwater fairy tale, for which I was driving,
exists, it just begins not at the pontoon itself, but a little further away.
At first I don’t find especially rare, previously unseen fish - quite a standard reef set of living creatures, therefore
I start underwater shooting with corals, shells and bright reef fish. In the evening, of course, I found out what to shoot under
I don’t know how to use water at all - I left only one or two frames, and even then after editing on the computer.
Then, in each of our swims, I tried to take into account previous mistakes, it turned out a little better each time. Although, mud
in the water all the time, at least a little bit, but she was present, and there was nothing I could do with her, so for a special
I don't complain about photo quality ; )
As a result, I took a lot of pictures of corals, after that I wanted to shoot, or at least look
some more exotic living creatures than standard reef fish - the goal was to find and capture moray eels,
eagle stingray, turtle, napoleon, nemo fish, shark, manta, and anyone else. That is, I immediately set the bar for myself
very high.
By this time, we already had a good company (Anatoly, Natalia, Anya, Irina, Mikhail, Vladimir), with whom
most of the time they swam.
And it so happened that a hotel worker, Karim, became friends with our company. He, as I understand it, performs at the hotel right away
several jobs - he drags sunbeds and cleans the beach, watches the swimmers and kicks them out of the corals, well, what was the most
for us, the main thing is that several times a day he gathers a company for snorkeling and leads along the reefs to show all living creatures.
He had about two routes - one to the left over the corals with access to open water, then to the reef, marked

distant buoy, and back. The second route is to the right to the pins, there on a group of reefs lying a little further in the sea from
coast wall, then again to the right with "crawling" ashore outside the hotel, and return along the coast on foot.
Karim is a very kind and helpful guy. He always made sure that all weak swimmers kept up with him, who are not at all
succeeded - dragged by the hand. When he found some kind of living creature, he swam up to each and showed. If someone has
a mask leaked or a snorkel or fins broke, right there, right in the water, he gave his own, put on the spoiled one himself and still
continued to lead people on the reefs. In general, thanks to him, I found my first moray eel and a turtle there. Unfortunately,
at first without a camera, but then a few days later I managed not only to find them there, but also to photograph them.
Our company had several such swims with Karim - the first one, as a rule, in the morning before breakfast, at 6-6:40,
depending on how we agreed with him in the evening, the second is always at 10:40, and the third at 16:00.
In general, we all have the best reviews about this person.
When we had already studied the reef well enough and often swam both with Karim for the company, and on our own, it became
worsen the weather. The wind blew, the wave rose. During the day, the pontoon began to close, swimming was allowed only in the lagoon.
The wave was strong, and climbing over the reef was quite scary. Therefore, they sailed to the sea side only at 6 in the morning,
then they sat on the shore, talked with Karim. We played cards, ate pizza, drank beer, in general, it’s still good
spent time.
On the beach itself, it was also sometimes possible to observe living creatures - there are a lot of hermit crabs in the sand, they are very
amusingly dragging their houses.
On the last day, the wave generally broke out in earnest. The sea seemed to feel that we were leaving, and did everything
so we don't feel sorry for him. But still, it was very sad to leave.

Especially when our return flight was postponed an hour and a half earlier - at first, the plans were for the whole company, along with
Make a farewell morning swim with Karim, and then such a bummer - you had to leave almost immediately after
dawn... We had a feeling that a dusty bag had been hit on the head, it was so pitiful that in the last
morning hours in this wonderful place failed to see the sea in all its glory. But there was a desire to go there again
return.
Staff.
This is generally above all my expectations. For several times visiting Egypt, I got used to the constant vparivanie unnecessary
me goods, extortion of tips and other unpleasant things and scams in general.
Here my wife and I were really surprised.
It was very calm on the beach - if they offer something, and you answer that you don't need it, they leave immediately.
The only exception was a nasty boy with big ears, who invited everyone to ATVs and introduced himself
different names. The rest of the merchants were quite pleasant and moderately sociable people.
I have already written about the beach worker Karima - beyond praise.
In the dining room - it's generally something. You sit at the table, the waiters come to you, you ask them to bring drinks - they bring,
and sometimes very quickly. They always ask if everything is ok. Very polite.
Middle managers approached us several times with some lists in which they ticked - asked
questions, do we like how they clean the rooms, how they serve in the restaurant, etc. I am the first in Egypt
once saw.
But the main joke is the hotel manager, a cheerful man of Italian appearance in glasses with red
frame. The name is either Mario, or Maurio, or Maurizo - I did not understand. So he comes and asks questions
vacationers almost everywhere - in the dining room, and on the beach, and just on the territory of the hotel. Always greet politely
asks if we like the hotel and what are the complaints. And we didn't really have them. It can be seen that the staff is very
trying to do his job, and it's very nice.

The worker Bishir deserves special attention - during the day he works in a bar on the beach, and in the evening he cooks for tourists
hookahs. He does not speak Russian, but he communicates in English quite cheerfully. A very pleasant and sincere person. When I
leaving, we said goodbye to him like real friends - even in my opinion we both shed a little ; ).
Food.
Everything is generally not bad here, with the exception of a few remarks - the dishes are the same every day, and the meat is often
it was tough, not to bite through. But at the same time, the choice of dishes was such that they never left hungry. Let's just say, without
special frills, but fed hearty.
Didn't like that they didn't give tea for dinner. Somehow unusual for us. But this was soon reconciled.
Juices, of course, are not natural - natural in Egyptian hotels is rare.
Well, at first I didn’t like that they don’t fill drinking water in bottles, but sell it for $ 3 per liter and a half.
But for us, this was not a problem either, for the entire stay at the hotel, we used only three bottles together with my wife.
Tours. Of the proposed excursions, we went to Abu Dabbab. I will write a separate review about this, but the general impression is that
You don’t need to take Pegasus, it’s still bred. The excursion program includes only three swimming, and with turtles
only one. Therefore, it is better to go there yourself.
They say the dugong has been gone for a month. Here are the turtles as much as you want, and in general, just because of them, I did not regret at all
money spent - the wife was just in a puppy delight, when next to her, one by one, then another
turtle.
I was lucky that I talked on the beach with the instructor and he agreed to swim to the turtles with me and my wife without
the rest of the crowd, who were rinsed near the coastal reef, which, compared with Fantasia, is not at all interesting.
And after swimming he refused to take baksheesh - a rarity for Egypt. Apparently, the truth in Marsa Alam people are completely different,
than in Sharm and Hurghada.
General impression.

Just great. I knew in advance that I would have a very good rest, but that it was not even in my thoughts.
Photos will be posted a little later - I haven't finished editing them yet, this is a very long and tedious task.
With respect to all, Sergey.