You need to fly at least five hours from the UK to find guaranteed winter sunshine and warmth.
So I booked a trip to the Egypt’s warm Red Sea coast for some much needed Vitamin D.
But I didn’t choose the ever popular Sharm El-Sheik – I decided to stay in El Gouna, Egypt’s upmarket purpose-built resort which took shape from 1990.
With its series of little islands and lagoons connected by bridges, the town has been called The Venice of Egypt.
How did this safe, manicured holiday idyll measure up? READ MORE BELOW
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I chose the Creek Hotel and Residences as my El Gouna home. Modern and comfortable, with friendly staff and a great buffet breakfast and dinner to graze on.
It was fairly quiet, with plenty of room around the sun-kissed pool area and small stretch of beach next to the furthest reach of lagoon.
Tuk tuks are El Gouna’s transport of choice
The hotel wasn’t in easy walking distance of El Gouna’s downtown and seaside area. But there was a solution – a fleet of fast and cheap tuk tuks to whisk you around.
With its rows of pastel, white and sand-coloured villas set next to the water, the resort had an architectural purity and neatness that was a joy to photograph.
Zaytouna Beach, next to an ironically blue Red Sea, was full of places to settle and sunbathe and had a stunning boardwalk to wander along.
An unexpected attraction further inland was the Festival Plaza, a tall structure full of symmetry that didn’t seem to be doing anything apart from crying out to be photographed from all angles.
I also wandered around the downtown area a lot, with the shopping area designed like a souk but without any of the hard sell hassle.
The Festival Plaza was an impressive find
And the marina areas were lined with impressive looking crafts, handsome villas, upmarket cafes – and even a pristine white lighthouse.
Maybe El Gouna didn’t pack enough of an Egyptian punch and felt a little too smooth and perfect.
This is why I took a trip to nearby Hurghada, a larger city which delivered more of an authentic feel with bustling street life and some rough around the edges architecture.
I thoroughly enjoyed my dose of winter sunshine and a refreshing change of scenery in El Gouna. Maybe the answer is to come here to decompress after a more intense visit to Egypt’s vast, chaotic capital Cairo?
