Makadi Bay in Egypt is a new resort that lies about 35 kilometres to the south of Hurghada. This beautiful natural bay lies nestled between the desert sand dunes and mountain range, and has white sandy beaches overlooking the crystal clear waters of the Red Sea, making it a glorious setting for a holiday.

Holidaying here in Makadi you’re first three important factors are Sun, Sand and Sea, and all are available in plentiful supply. Add to this a gentle pace of life, friendly people and many interesting activities and sports and you’ll find plenty of activity available if you want a change from sunning yourself on the beaches.

Family holidays here go down well with most people as there’s so much to see and do. From horse riding and camel riding in the desert to a whole host of water sports and of course diving to see the spectacular marine life for which the area is famous for.

There is plenty of scope to stay local on your holiday, but if you fancy a few trips a little further afield, then places such as Cairo and Luxor can be reached reasonably easily by coach or air and offer great opportunities to see the wonders of ancient Egypt.

Shopping in Egypt is quite a vibrant experience and one where you’ll want to have your haggling skills ready to use as although some shops, boutiques and bazaars in Makadi centre have fixed prices, others don’t, and you’ll be invited to haggle! You’ll find a wide range of goods on offer including traditional items like Shishah hubbly bubbly pipes, perfumes and oils, and alabaster statues. If you’re looking for modern brands, the Senzo Mall about 15km from Makadi Bay has plenty of shops selling well known brands such as Nike, Adidas and more.

The Red Sea is one of the best known diving spots in the world, and has some of the very best coral reefs you’ll ever see. Because the bay here is so well protected, it’s a great place to learn to scuba-dive and there are lots of centres that offer tuition and courses and rates are very reasonable. Snorkelling is another excellent way to appreciate the spectacular underwater scenery, and for those who prefer not to get their feet wet, glass bottomed boat trips can take you out and show you the beauty of the world beneath the sea while you sit in comfort in the sunshine on board.

Inland excursions can make fascinating additions to your holiday too, and a Desert safari where you get to visit a traditional Bedouin camp is a popular trip. There are also excursions which will let you experience the desert in different ways from quad biking to more traditional local transport methods such as camel back.

A Rock climbing holiday in South Africa is an exhilarating experience, and something you’ll never forget. There are awesome holidays that are suited to novice climbers and those of a more advanced level too meaning that anyone can enjoy it. South Africa offers some of the best and most diverse rock climbing in the world. The cliffs here are big, wild and sometimes remote, and the climate is perfect for out of doors holidays like this.

One of the most popular locations is Mpumalanga which is to the east of South Africa where it borders Swaziland. The Drakensburg Escarpment likes in this region, and rises to an amazing 3480 metres high. There are lots of routes ranging from easy scrambles to incredibly hard ones which are suitable only for the very toughest and most experienced climbers, as well as a number of traditional routes too. The famous Restaurant at the End of the Universe Crags is here, and the area attracts many visitors every year. There are lots of excellent places to stay here as well as good climbs, and one of the best resorts is the Elandskrans. It’s central to most of the crags and offers cheap camping as well as chalets. The local town has plenty of amenities from a couple of good restaurants to supermarket, bakery and places to eat. There’s a scenic steam train ride to Waterval Onder that’s open on weekends, and the Sudwala caves make for an interesting diversion from rock climbing.

Table Mountain just outside Cape Town is another excellent choice for your climbing adventure. From the top of this fantastic plateau the views are stunning. Table Mountain lies in a national park with the city around it, and if you’re looking for a holiday that lets you combine rock climbing with city escape this area is well suited to that. Prices range quite widely but there is lots of choice here from lodges to hotels, self catering apartments and guest houses to caravan parks and camping sites, and with the whole of this fascinating city to explore as well there’s plenty to see too. And getting to Cape Town is also very easy with a range of cheap flights to Cape Town, leaving from around the UK every day.

Travel just a couple of hours drive north, and you come to the Cedarberg mountains and nature reserve near Clanwilliam. This is a world-class bouldering area, and has some of the best trad rock climbing routes in the country. There are several notable mountains in the range, Sneeuberg, and Tafelberg are two that are popular with climbers.
Two major centres for sports climbs are Johannesburg and Durban – or rather the areas just outside these two major centres. In between them there are some excellent bolted routes, notably at Eagle Mountain Game Lodge near Harrismith.

Hurghada is the second largest city in Egypt, and is located on the Red Sea coast.  Founded in the early 20^th Century, Hurghada has been continually enlarged and invested in since the 1980’s and has become the leading seashore resort on the Red Sea.

The city is divided into sections: El Dahar (downtown), Sekalla (the city centre) and El Memsha (village road).  El Dahar is the oldest part of the city, while Sekalla is where most of the hotels can be found.  El Memsha is the most modern part where the largest bazaar, post office and bus station are.

As a holiday destination Hurghada is exciting and vibrant, and suitable for ages making it an excellent choice as a family holiday.   With the desert in close proximity, there is ample opportunity to head out into the open and enjoy a jeep safari.  Alternatively, diving in this area is very popular as the crystal clear waters locally are teeming with spectacular wildlife.  Hurghada’s location also makes it easy to take day trips to both Luxor and Cairo to enjoy all that they have to offer.

There are a number of islands near the shore in this region.  Giftun is popular among visitors and is a great place to enjoy snorkelling followed by a fantastic local fish barbecue.  Other local islands include Shadwan, Shaab Abu Shiban, Shaab el-Erg, Umm Gammar, Abu Ramada and Abu Mingar islands.  Between them they offer a good variety of water pursuits as well as plenty of opportunities for sunbathing and swimming.

Holiday accommodation can be found mostly in the Sekalla area along the wonderful sandy beaches.  Luxury five star hotels, and more simple traditional Egyptian guesthouses are both available, and all are generally of a high standard.  Most hotels offer a wide range of quite varied cuisine including many authentic Egyptian foods and locally produced drinks.

Many UK operators offer holidays to Egypt, so there is a wide choice of travel options and departure points available.  Most holidays to Hurghada will include your flight, hotel and transfer and then you can choose between full and part board options as well.  Flying to Hurghada from the UK only takes about 5 hours making it very easy to access without the need for lots of transfers or wasting too much of your holiday in travel.

The weather here on Egypt’s red sea Riviera is wonderful.  The sun shines year round, and average temperatures through the year are well into the 30’s in the daytime with warm mild nights in between.

Although Hurghada is fairly young in terms of being a resort city it has grown fast and the nightlife here is excellent.  There are many clubs and bars around, as well as plenty of hotels offering evening entertainment as well.

Sharm El Sheikh sits on a promontory at the extreme southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula overlooking the straits of Tiran. For the last fifty years, Sharm El Sheikh has been in a political, Ping-Pong, game of conflicts with the territory being passed back and forth between Israel and Egypt. Egypt gained final control that was afforded by the Israel-Egypt peace treaty in 1979. The first hotel was built in 1982 and keeping with the regions ‘land plan’ to utilize fifty percent for tourist resorts and facilities, now has over one hundred hotels and resorts catering to a thriving tourist trade. The beauty of the area is breathtaking where the stark Sinai desert meets the turquoise waters of the magical Red Sea.

Luxury hotels offer all the amenities that go into making the traveler’s holiday a rousing success and the majority offer very reasonable all inclusive rates. All of the high end hotels and resorts have private beaches and provide water toys that thrill the whole family. Guests have access to jet skis, catamarans, snorkeling gear and some hotels have ski boats and offer parasailing. Elegant accommodations prevail and most hotels host several swimming pools, meeting rooms, health spas, activities for children and rooms are equipped with balconies, Jacuzzis, mini bars and twenty four hour room service. Restaurants are plentiful and offer exquisite international cuisine.

For those needing a break from sun, fun and sand, tours are available for the vacationing explorer. There are day excursions and extended desert safaris by jeep and camelback into the mountains and to desert oases. One of the most popular trips is to Mount Sinai where Moses is reputed to have taken down the Ten Commandments. The biggest draw to holidays in Sharm El Sheikh is the scuba diving. The Red Sea is a diver’s paradise and its reefs are visited by thousands of divers every year, many of whom book their holidays at ulookubook. The water is gin clear and many reefs start just meters from shore. There are hundreds of species of tropical fish and on some of the outer reefs sharks and some other large animals may be observed.

Tunisia is in the northern part of Africa on the Mediterranean Sea and is the approximate size of the UK. It has 800 miles of beaches as well as vast deserts and modern hotels. It therefore offers an excellent holiday destination which is only three hours of flying time from the UK and takes you to a whole different world.

The beautiful beaches and waters offer a variety of sports such as sailing, fishing, snorkeling, and water skiing. Boat trips include ones where you can watch the dolphins or go on a pirate ship with actors dressed as pirates and doing battle, etc.

Port El Kantaoui has a beautiful 300-yacht marina surrounded by shops, cafes, and restaurants. From here you can take a trip on a glass-bottom boat or sailing vessel and also go scuba diving.

Also interesting to explore are historical sites including ancient cities such as Carthage, ruins including a Roman coliseum, towering minarets, mausoleums, museums, walled towns and fortresses dating back to the 10th century, medieval castles, the holy city of Kairouan with its Great Mosque, and mineral baths dating back to Roman times.

Tunisia is a shopper’s paradise where it is expected that you will barter to obtain products such as exotic carpets (one shop demonstrates carpet making), leather goods, jewelry, pottery, brassware, embroidered kaftans, and more. Many shops and restaurants are located in the harbor area which is also fun for a walking tour.

Local food specialties include such interesting dishes as Brik (pastry with egg, herbs, and tuna), Couscous (steamed semolina grains with chicken or meat, fish, and vegetables), and Makroudh (a honey cake stuffed with dates and soaked in honey).

In a weekly souk (bazaar) there is even the unusual experience of watching camel racing and camel bartering.

You can take a safari into the Sahara Desert to see the area where Star Wars was filmed and visit a Bedouin village and enjoy a feast there.

Many fishing villages that were small and sleepy (some still having fishermen mending nets and silk weavers producing a large part of Tunisia’s wedding cloth) have become tourist playground resort areas with hotels offering many amenities including lush gardens, Moorish architecture, gourmet restaurants, entertainment, and Thaiasotherapy spas with treatments using hot sea water.

Other entertainment can include a trip to the Casino Caralbe, biking, horse riding, golf and tennis courts, or a trip on a local tourist train.