Sol Virginia Hotel - подробно обо всем Sol Virginia Hotel - everything in detail

Hello!
Traveled with my husband in December 2009. We have already been to Egypt 5 times - believe me, we have something to compare with. Sol Virginia was chosen because of the affordable cost and the coral reef that adorns the beach.
HOTEL: its territory is small, but extremely landscaped and equipped "wisely". All buildings are located in several tiers: below - two swimming pools and a bar, above - an Arab cafe and a disco. There is also a restaurant, which can be reached in two ways. Everything is very compact - no need to circle for hours from the reception to the room and from the room to the restaurant.

ROOM: we were very lucky with him - without the usual “baksheesh” in such cases, we were given a comfortable room with decent plumbing, a double bed, a terrace with access to the garden of the hotel’s patio, TV, air conditioning built into the wardrobe safe - in general, everything that is necessary for a normal and comfortable stay. By the way, the very settlement in the room took about three minutes. Room cleaning, change of towels and bed linen - daily. There were no cases of "hacky" removal. Do not fall for your own mistake: once we hung a cardboard with the text “remove the number” on the wrong side - “do not disturb”. As a result, I had to sleep on "yesterday's" sheets. The hotel staff is excellent, kind and helpful: somehow they broke a glass, so it was replaced without talking and for free, they even reassured: “dont edge! ” (do not Cry! ). As a baksheesh, we usually put 1.5-2 pounds on the bedside table - for the diligence of room-boys in that, returning from the beach, they came to a licked room smelling of fragrances. At the same time, the miniature of the "95th quarter" "Ama dollar" was traditionally remembered with laughter. ATTENTION! There are two types of rooms in the hotel: those closer to the pools and the "animation zone" (a small amphitheater with a tiny stage, but loud speakers), and distant ones, looped into a closed courtyard. Do not take the first ones, you will constantly listen to a free, but annoying disco until ten in the evening and see the crowd walking past your windows. We were given a distant number from the very beginning, and this cup passed us. So if there is an opportunity - change it, then you can truly appreciate the solitude from the noise and dust of civilization in the middle of a blooming and evergreen garden.
FOOD: we had breakfast and dinner - and believe me, this is quite enough. After two days of stay, it was a pity for us to see the crowd with bandages on the hands ("all-inclusive" - ​ ​ "all inclusive"), which were tied by them to the restaurant and to the "ball" booze. The food is very good, whoever writes that it is bad is disingenuous. BREAKFAST: beans, mashed potatoes, cheese (2 types), sausages, milk porridge, pastries (6-7 types), yogurt, omelettes, pancakes, boiled eggs, vegetables (5-6 types), fruits, 3-4 kind of jam, tea, coffee, well, and all sorts of things along the way. When this splendor met us under the polite smiles of the staff (cooks and waiters), we regretted one thing - that our stomachs could not contain everything they saw. We had to sacrifice our stomachs: we think that at least one week a year everyone can afford to be “fat”. DINNER: this is generally a fairy tale. Vegetables - the sea: tomatoes, cucumbers, pickles, canapes from vegetables and pickles, greens, baked-boiled vegetables, side dishes (2-3 types), spaghetti, soups - 2 types, necessarily - 3 types of meat and fish, again sweets (yum-yum), fruits (2 types), pastries (bread). Many complain that the chefs put meat and fish on their plate, and not themselves. Believe me, in fact, this is done for the benefit of the tourists themselves, so as not to create a crush near the food stalls and the queue traditional for people from the former Soviet Union. It is terrible to see when a third-generation Soviet of Deputies begins to rummage through a pot of fish, chopping the best pieces for itself, pushing each other with their elbows. And so the chefs themselves will put a portion on your plate and even add it if you say so. The menu for dinner was never repeated. There was fish, and octopus (! ), and chicken, and veal, and liver. As a result, in 7 days we gained 4 kg each (horror!!!! ). KNOW-HOW: we repent - we made up for the lack of lunch by making up during breakfast boutiques with feta cheese, vegetables and sausage, boiled eggs, which we neatly put in a bag and (oh, horror! ) shamefacedly poked into the bag. Here's your lunch! True, they tried to do it unnoticed by the staff, so as not to upset the benevolent and well-mannered Egyptians. At the same time, they blushed in the same way as the letters of the announcement written in Russian (only! ) in front of the entrance to the restaurant - “we ask you not to take food out of the restaurant. ” But three or four sandwiches (plus juice and fruit taken in the city) were quite enough before dinner, and as a result, we never felt hungry.
ENTERTAINMENT: entertainment in the form of nightly performances by a cute propaganda team. Apparently, the propaganda team “assigned” to the hotel, consisting of a Slavic-looking girl and three “locals”, arranged amateur performances for those who did not want to go to the evening promenade. After watching the first "cabaret show", we clapped out of politeness and left, leaving a dozen spectators to have fun further: at least some, but, nevertheless, animation.
EXCURSIONS: it is better to buy them at the travel agency in the Old Town. It is too expensive from a tour operator, because in the end all tourists travel by the same bus. Compare: a trip to Jerusalem - from the Tes-tour - $ 170, at the Old City travel agency they grabbed us by the clothes to buy for 80.

BEACH: we were also pleased. Sol Virginia is located on the 2nd line, there is no beach of its own, so our hotel shares the beach with other hotels, BUT: sun loungers, pier, fungi, sand, diving - everything is no worse than 5 stars. In the issue of the beach, the main thing is to get to it on time before the mass flow of tourists who begin to arrive here by bus from 9 o'clock in the morning. After breakfast, we took a taxi for 10 pounds and went to the beach (called Palm Beach) - and chose the most "fat" sunbed, standing away from the crowd of others. But no one blew his nose over your ear, did not get bazaars, and cigarette smoke. So he - a bed - and remained "staken out" by us all 7 days. DON'T FORGET to take sunblock - after all, we got a little burnt, although we consider ourselves experienced users of Sharma... Back - at 13.15 by bus to the hotel. You can walk - 25-30 minutes. go. Fish, corals - this is something !!! ! We were on different beaches, but we did not see such an abundance and diversity of marine life. Frightened fish literally swarm near you in the water. If you want to merge with nature - take a bun from breakfast to the beach, feed the fish - you can take awesome pictures with the fish. Some of them even stick out of the water and seem to be asking for bread. Such a scream! There is a bar on the beach, but we did not use its services - a little expensive: beer is 30 pounds there, in a hotel - 25, in a bar in the city -15, in a store (in the old town) 7 pounds !! ! We solved the problem of “drinking” with a liter of vodka taken from home, from which we made cocktails with guava juice for three days. Try it - you won't regret it!
GOOD TO KNOW: remember, the most optimal taxi fare in Sharm is from point to point - 10 pounds (tan pounds). Anything above is fooling you. The technique is this: catch a taxi (or they stop themselves), say where to go and say the phrase “ten pound, aim know price” (“I know the price”). They understand that you are not a burdock - and silently driven. One or two will refuse, the third will take. We have never paid more than 10 pounds. Arabs are great psychologists! They can "dissolve" inexperienced tourists from scratch. Despite the fact that we are in Sharm for the fifth time, this happened to us: after watching the show “1001 Nights”, we took a wheelbarrow, agreed for 10 pounds, and drove home. However, after giving us a ride to the hotel, the taxi driver began to rub in that they had agreed for 20. The driver of the “shaitan-arba” began to raise his voice, even contacted the “manager” (who pointed us to a free car) and turned on the speakerphone: the voice also called “twenty ". Then I had to get into the bottle, put him 10 pounds and offered to call the police. The word “police” worked flawlessly: the “breeder” silently took the money and left. Remember that they will not do anything to you, except that they will take on a show off, maybe you will pay. Probably, "first-class" usually pay due to inexperience. The main thing is not to give money in advance! All PURCHASES should be done in the Old Town (Old Market), visit the fish restaurant there. Prices are 30-50% lower than in Naama Bay, plus you can bargain. For example, 1 kg of strawberries - 1 bucks, beer (in the market) 7 pounds (1.2 bucks) and everything else. We advise you to buy home their terry towels - the quality is excellent!! ! Take a large bath no higher than 32 pounds (65 pairs), although they start asking 100 for one. BARGAIN - in everything. This is also a feature of the oriental bazaars. Water, by the way, costs 2-3 pounds in the store and 15-25 in the hotel. You can bring everything to the hotel - no one is swindling, do not believe the slander.
Our holiday was a success! Although some compatriots from the republics of the former USSR at times reminded us that we have lagged behind the culture of the rest of the world, apparently forever.