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FOUR SEASONS RESORT SHARM EL SHEIKH |
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SHARM EL SHEIKH, EGYPT
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When he was invited to open the Four Seasons Resort at Sharm el Sheikh in June last year, President Mubarak brought brought along Saudi Prince Abdullah Bin Ebd El Aziz Ak Saud to show it off to. The 136-room hotel, the company's second property in Egypt, is certainly worth flaunting, with its Mediterranean-village design, limestone cliff setting, luxurious one-and two-storey villa-style guestrooms, courtyard gardens landscaped into the hillside and glittering Red Sea views. The bedrooms all have private balconies and are packed with every conceivable five-star convenience and comfort. The coral gardens, just a belly-flop from the jetty, shelter a fish population that provides a kaleidoscopic views for snorkellers; more serious scuba-diving trips (the main charm of Sharm), water-skiing, para-sailing and windsurfing are easily arranged. Despite the lure of the crystal-blue waters, it would be perverse not to make at least one excursion to the desert: to visit the sixth-century St Catherine's Monastery built around 'Moses' Buring Bush' (it resembles an overgrown shrub) at the foot of Mount Sinai; or to travel by Jeep or camel to a Bedouin village. But the Four Seasons Resort is so utterly relaxing that eyebrows will not be raised if you venture no further than the hotel spa and wellness centre or the fresh-water pool. The restaurants, overseen by talented chef Kenjt Salz, include Arabesque, a Mediterranean-style cafe for buffet and à la carte Middle Eastern, Moroccan and Lebanese dishes and Il Frantoio for regional Italina haute cuisine. Both have large outdoor terraces. There's also the more casual Reef Grill for barbecues and night star-gazing.
WHEN TO GO
Ideal for winter sun (November-February) with highs around the mid-20°Cs and lows of about 16°C
WHICH ROOM TO BOOK
An indulgent mini-funicular shuttles all day between the beach and the main hotel complex so askfor a seaview room halfway up the hill away from the tram
CONTACT
Four Seasons Resort Sharm el Sheikh, Sharm el Sheikh, Sinai Peninsula, Egypt (00 20 69 603 555; fax: 603550; www.fourseasons.com). Doubles US$140-US$200
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