Try something new with El Gouna’s A-Z Challenge

Due to the range of exciting activities to enjoy in the Red Sea’s premier leisure destination resort, El Gouna is challenging guests to live life to the full by trying something new while on holiday.

Breaking from normal routines could uncover hidden talents and secret callings, so El Gouna challenges its guests to take part in its newly launched A-Z of activities and experiences challenge. Families, honeymooners, couples – there is something for everyone.

A – Angsana Spa
El Gouna is home to the Red Sea’s first and only Angsana Spas. Operated by the renowned Banyan Tree Group, indulge in a range of exotic treatments, facials and massages, typically costing around £38 for a 90-minute session. Signature treatments include the specially created Angsana and Fusion massages, designed to relax and invigorate the body so that even the unconvinced can’t fail to be converted.

B – Beaches
Located 22km north of Hurghada, El Gouna stretches along 10km of beautiful Red Sea coastline, providing plenty of private beaches for visitors to enjoy. With so much space, the beaches are never overcrowded, so just sit back, relax and enjoy El Gouna’s guaranteed year round sunshine.

C – Camel Rides
Get into the spirit of Egypt and test your skills at riding a camel. Take the challenge to see if it really is as easy as it looks…

D – Dine Around
El Gouna is home to a special dine around programme, which enables guests staying on a half or full board basis to eat outside their hotel up to three times during a seven night stay. Credits can be transferred to an equivalent hotel or used against eating at other establishments throughout the resort. With every cuisine imaginable available to try; branch out to taste something new.

E – Environmentally Friendly
The environment is high on the agenda for everyone at El Gouna and this led to residents forming ‘Green Gouna’, a grassroots campaign founded in 2002 to turn El Gouna into an ecotourism destination. As a visiting guest, mix with the locals to help out on one of their regularly organised clean-up days.

F – Families
El Gouna is a heaven for families and younger guests are even christened ‘little gounies’. Most of the hotels offer kids’ club activities and babysitting services, while activities such as diving and water-skiing all also offer specially adapted programmes for younger guests. The resort’s aquarium is also an ever popular family attraction.

G – Golf
An 18-hole Fred Couples & Gene Bates designed championship golf course is at the heart of El Gouna’s golf offering. The academy offers expert golf tuition and equipment hire, while the driving range invites guests to aim for the greens located on platforms in the lagoons. Fearful of too many balls going astray, special floating golf balls are used so that they can be collected and reused for second attempts…

H – Hotels
A resort destination, El Gouna offers a range of accommodation options to suit all guests, budgets and tastes. The range extends from 5* family beachfront accommodation, to 3* boutique divers’ retreats surrounding the marina. In addition, there are also self-catering apartments and villas which are available for renting.

I – International Community
El Gouna prides itself on being a cohesive international community, not dominated by any one nationality. The resort is home to many permanent residents, including local Egyptians, British and German homeowners, while the tourism market attracts guests from all over Europe and the world. Join in with the resort’s local events and activities and enjoy making friends with couples and families from all over the world.

J – Jewellery
Jewellery is one of the many handicrafts available within the shops and art village located in El Gouna. Enjoy testing your bartering skills and see just how many bargains can be squeezed into a suitcase for the way home.

K – Kitesurfing
El Gouna is a popular destination for kitesurfers, particularly as it is now home to the world’s largest centre. The shallow sandbar kitesurfing area is perfect for both experienced and beginners as it enjoys a constant wind parallel to the shoreline to guarantee plenty of practice days at any time of year. Kitesurfing champions also use the facilities to train and even attempt world records, endorsing the excellent experience that is just waiting to be tried out.

L – Lagoons
The resort of El Gouna is built on a myriad of islands surrounded by an intricate lagoon system, which inspires its name. Try a new mode of resort transport and enjoy extra recreational opportunities such as boat trips, pedalo and canoes.

M – Marinas
El Gouna currently has two marinas, with a third under construction. A designated International Point of Entry, the main Abu Tig Marina hosts up to 126 yachts and pleasure craft and also provides the starting point for excursions to neighbouring islands. The Abu Tig Marina also forms a social hub and focal point for the resort, hosting events such as the open-air Friday night marina party and boasting many of the resort’s popular restaurants and bars.

N – Nightlife
El Gouna’s nightlife is varied and suited to a variety of tastes. It is home to a casino and disco, as well as a host of bars and restaurants that stay open till late.

O – Oasis Night
Oasis night happens every Wednesday at the resort’s oasis at the foot of the Eastern Desert Mountain range. The evening offers oriental food and is catered for each week by one of the hotels. Enjoy camel rides, a display of belly dancing, whirling dervishes or enjoy a traditional shisha pipe with friends.

P – Protours
Protours is the El Gouna travel agency which organises a host of trips and excursions for guests to enjoy. Trips to cultural Cairo and Luxor are always popular, as are island, boat trips and off-road desert excursions.

Q – Quad Biking
Quad biking through the canyon behind El Gouna is one of the most popular land based activities in the resort. Ride solo or with a partner and race to the top of the canyon to enjoy a breathtaking sunset in silence across the spectacular desert plain.

R – Real Estate
El Gouna’s well-loved community feel results from the permanent residents who live there. Make the holiday dream last a lifetime and purchase one of the great value villas and apartments. Several styles exist to choose between and the resort will even help foreign owners rent them out in their absence.

S – Saturday Night Live
Enjoy live family entertainment at the heart of El Gouna’s old downtown area every Saturday night. Oriental shows are also held every Thursday in El Gouna downtown’s main Tamr Henna square, so enjoy a shisha pipe in one of the surrounding bars and cafés.

T – Tok Tok
The size of central London (yet with a more relaxed outlook on life), El Gouna has its own cheap and efficient transport infrastructure which easily rivals that of its London counterpart. Tok toks are one of the more novel ways to travel around as for just 50p per person guests are transported anywhere in the resort via covered motor tricycle! For the less adventurous a shuttle bus service also operates, costing just £1.50 for a week’s unlimited pass.

U – Underwater World
Located along a protected area of the Red Sea, El Gouna has nine diving schools to help guests discover its underwater beauty. Boats travel out every day to introduce guests to a whole new perspective and courses are available for beginners, experienced, disabled and even budding young divers.

V – Volleyball
Reminiscent of a scene from Top Gun, enjoy taking part in a game of volleyball on one of El Gouna’s beautiful beaches. Organise your own with friends or join in one of the regularly organised events as a way of meeting new people.

W – Watersports
El Gouna’s location on the Red Sea coast lends it to offering a host of water-sports activities. Learn to kite-surf, windsurf, wakeboard and sail or enjoy catamaran excursions, banana boat rides, fun tubes and more.

X – X-rays
While not the most recommended of El Gouna’s activities, visiting guests can rest assured that El Gouna is home to its own hospital, including the area’s only decompression chamber, for any emergency needs. Alternatively it can potentially help patients such as those on dialysis to escape the UK by continuing their treatment during their holiday.

Y – Yalla Horse Stables
Fun for children and adults alike, uncover any hidden horseriding skills with expert tuition at El Gouna’s Yalla Horse Stables. Ride along the beach or take the easy option and enjoy a horse drawn carriage ride instead!

Z – Zeytuna Beach
Located on its own island, Zeytouna beach offers a lively option for beachgoers looking for a change of scenery. Enjoy a game of international football, take part in al fresco dancing lessons or do a spot of snorkelling from the jetty leading to a coral plateau.

For further information on El Gouna and its many activities, log on to Elgouna.com.