Where to stay
First impressions count, so as I sleepily opened our bedroom door onto a tranquil lagoon and bright sunshine, my first impression of Taba Heights and the Hyatt Regency was, simply stunning.
The Hyatt Regency is one of four five-star hotels in Taba Heights located on the beach and we were one of the lucky couples to have a lagoon room providing breathtaking views. Positioned among the mountain ranges of the Sinai Peninsula and overlooking three countries, Israel, Jordan and Saudi Arabia, Taba Heights is extremely picturesque. While the Hyatt Regency is a large hotel with 400 plus rooms, the grounds are equally spacious so we never felt as though we were surrounded by fellow travellers – perfect for a romantic retreat.
Red Sea specialist Longwood Holidays offers all-inclusive holidays staying at the Hyatt and its well stocked buffet at the Mediterranean Limoncello provides something for everyone’s tastes. After a hard day sunbathing we couldn’t resist the smell of pizza at the Italian poolside restaurant El Fresco – I would highly recommend it.
What to do
Under the sea
Slightly nervous, okay I’m lying – very nervous, we approached Waterworld, Taba Heights’ dive centre. While my partner was quite confident about diving into the unknown, I, having had a bad diving experience in the past, was rather unsettled. However, as soon as I was greeted by the friendly and professional staff at Waterworld, I felt much calmer. As soon as I entered the world under the sea, I was awestruck.
We both went underwater separately with our instructors and both came to the surface with the biggest grins on our faces. The bright colours of the coral and exotic fish that flashed in front of me were genuinely amazing.
To do our Try Dive we set sail to Farun Island, a tiny little island not far from Taba Heights. After our dive we went snorkelling and the ocean was so clear that even just putting my head under the surface I was astounded by how much fish life and colour could be seen.
His and hers
As a golf fan my partner couldn’t resist the town’s 18-hole championship golf course. Although I’m not the next Tiger Woods, I did appreciate the view from the golf course which overlooks Israel, Jordan and Saudi Arabia. I also appreciated the golf buggy – who knew speeding across the golf course could be so much fun.
After my stint driving the buggy, I decided to leave my man to his golf and opt for something a bit more girly with my free time. Taba Heights has Egypt’s first salt cave, which is exactly as the name suggests – a cave filled with a thick layer of salt crystals. The salt has a healing affect which promotes a positive mood and wellbeing and I have to admit, I did feel revitalised after a 45 minute session.
