HAVE I DIED AND GONE TO SHANGRI-LA? THREE LUXURIOUS DAYS BY THE RED SEA

No kidding! I thought I’d died and gone to Shangri-la when we drove out of the desert and entered the exotic and luxurious Kempinski Hotel at Soma Bay on the Red Sea.  For a traveler like me who usually goes budget, even back-packs and camps, this sprawling Moorish style hotel-spa was like waking in a fairy-tale dream.  The hotel occupies a beachside area spanning 150,000 sq meters offering 325 rooms designer furnished with views overlooking the hotel lagoon and creation pools to the sparkling turquoise water of the sea.

As I surveyed the luscious landscape, the waterfalls, streams, heated swimming pools and the long stretch of beach I could only gasp and say “Wow!”  No wonder the Kempinski is known as the Pearl of the Red Sea!

Welcome to My Room!

 

After our long journey across the desert, I could hardly wait to go for a swim so I donned my bathing suit and headed for the beach.  Imagine! A chance to swim in the Red Sea (called that name because of the red coral reefs), a sea that I had long-ago heard about in Bible stories. I envisioned myself drifting in the crystal clear water. 

I started to wade out and went farther and farther from shore, the water barely reaching my shins!  Now I know how Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt across the sea. They waded across! Finally I squatted down so it appeared that I was submerged and had my friend Linda take my photograph, just so I could say I ‘swam’ in the Red Sea.

 

Wading in the Red Sea

 

Pretending to Swim



 Camels on the Beach

 

 

Then I returned to shore and joined my friends by the pool side.  It is such a large pool it was almost like swimming in the sea so I spent the rest of the afternoon splashing around and lolling in the sun by pool-side.

 

There’s pool-side restaurant, Al Mar, where sunbathers can order snacks or drinks.  The hotel’s main restaurant is The View where we were served a spectacular buffet dinner later that day.

 

Some of the Luxurious Surroundings 

 It was fun just hanging out in the vast and beautifully decorated main lounge area where we lounged on comfy couches and checked our emails on our iphones and tablets.

 In the evening Markos, Linda and I sat outside on the patio, ordered glasses of Egyptian wine (my favorite was the Omar Khayyam) and smoked a water pipe of pear flavored sheesah. This is a very communal type of pastime in Egypt, relaxing and sweet-tasting and not a narcotic smoked from a tall ornate pipe with long tubes for inhaling. Even a non-smoker like me enjoyed puffing away as we chatted and watched the glorious rosy sunset over the sea.

The Soma Bay Peninsula is 10 square miles but only 2 miles are developed. The Kempinski Hotel is one of several luxurious spa-resorts on the shores of Soma Bay.  Just down the beach we visited the Residence Des Cascade Resort, another spa hotel.   

 

 

We were taken around the 18 hole championship golf-course on a golf cart. This would appeal to most golfers, a par 72 course right by the sea the lush green fairways a contrast to the distant desert landscape. 

 

 

Later we stopped at the Breakers Hotel, designed for the more laid-back adventurous folks. There’s a dive centre and  a Kite House offering  kite surfing and kite racing on the long stretch of beach.  We watched dozens of brightly coloured kite-surfers, like giant butterflies, hovering over the water. You can take a 4 day kite-surfing course as well as learn how to scuba dive at the Dive Centre. There is also a volley ball training court.

 

 

 Nearby is the Soma Bay Thalasso & Spa, said to be the best spa in Egypt and one of the largest in the world. It has 65 treatments rooms offering everything from traditional massages and beauty treatments to the latest in aesthetic treatments and hydrotherapy administered by highly trained therapists.  It’s located at the Cascades Hotel but is available to guests in the entire Soma Bay area. 

 We were invited to return for a free spa treatment.  But Markos, Linda and I had other plans: a night out in the nearby city of Hurghada. I knew I’d be too tired to enjoy the fun if I went to the spa, so I passed up the chance.  Good job too, because Yves was too tired to join us as we set off by van for a night of adventure in the city.

www.kempinksi.com/somabay

http://www.residencedescascades.com/

www.somabayspa.com

 

 

 

NEXT:  Exploring the Night-life of Hurghada.

BATH: The Roman Baths

THE ROMAN BATHS

Bath's Roman name was Aquae Sulis (the waters of Sulis) named after the Celtic goddess, Sulis. The building that houses the Roman baths is from the 18th century. There's a Georgian Pump Room on the ground floor. The baths are below street level and include four main features: the Sacred Spring; Roman temple, and the Roman bath houses.

The baths were not discovered and explored until th elate 19th century. Their complex structure allows you to glimpse the genius of the Romans who loved their baths and made it part of their daily ritual. (I've seen the ruins of Roman baths in Greece as well, however none so complex and beautiful as these at Bath).

BATHING ROOM

The baths were formed from the natural hot springs that the area is famous for. In the Sacred Spring, which is the heart of the site, the water temperature is 46C. The mineral rich water burbles up at the rate of 1,170,000 litres every day as it has for thousands of years.

SACRED SPRING

The Romans believed it was a work of the gods and built a Temple next to the spring dedicated to Sulis Minerva, a deity with healing powers. The first shrine at this site was built by Celts and dedicated to their goddess Sulis who the Romans identified with Minerva.

GORGON'S HEAD

The Gorgon's head was a powerful sign of Minerva and this carving has a distinctly Celtic style to it. The Temple was constructed in 60 - 70 AD and the bathing complex built up over the next 300 years. After the Romans withdrew from Britain in the first decade of the 5th C. the baths fell into disrepair and were probably destroyed in the 6th C. Over the centuries they were redeveloped and now are housed in 18th century buildings. They were a popular tourist destination in the 18th and 19th centuries.

If you go, allow yourself lots of time to browse around. It is truly one of the most fascinating sites I've ever visited. There are even a few "Romans" roaming around, dressed in togas.

We were limited in time at Bath because we wanted to make it to Salisbury and had to get back to London later that day to pick up our luggage and head for Wales. So, regretfully, we left this beautiful, interesting little town and headed back to the train station.

BATH: A Short History of Bath Abbey

BATH ABBEY

Thursday, May 28
We had started out that morning intending to go to Salisbury (Old Sarum) but we got to the wrong train station in London. (We went to Pennington instead of Waterloo. Confusing!) The ticket seller suggested we should go to Bath, because he said it was much more interesting than trying to get to Old Sarum and Stonehenge. He said we could take the train from Bath to Salisbury. We decided to take his advice. I'd been to Bath several years ago with my friend Anne and we spent a couple of days there. I remembering having been quite impressed with the town and what there is to see there -- mainly the Roman baths.

One of the other big features in Bath is the impressive Bath Abbey. It dominates the town and has for many centuries. In fact, there's 1600 years of history in this magnificent church and, in the town itself, even older history.

THE NAVE, BATH ABBEY

A brief history of BATH:

AD 43: Romans invade Britain

60: Romans begin to develop Bath as a spa around Bath's hot springs. Bath becomes the centre of Pagan worship.

5th century: End of Roman Britain.
577 Saxons capture Bath
676 Convent of Christian nuns founded in Bath
757 Cynewulf, king of the Saxosn, grants land at Bath to the monks of St. Peter

973 in Bath Abbey, Edgar crowned as first king of E
1066 Norman conquest

1090's new cathedral founded

1499 Norman cathedral ruined. Present Abbey church founded to replace it.

1539 Bath Abbey largely destroyed

1611 Abbey restored

18th Century Abbey church popular with visitors thronging to Bath's spa.

1860 major restorations
1942 Bath bombed and Abbey damaged

1991-2000 Abbey restored. Mesuem opened. Organ rebuilt; capels dedicated,, new frontal for high altar.

THE HIGH ALTAR AND EAST WINDOW

It really is an awesome cathedral and well worth a visit. 'we didn't take time to visit the Heritage Vaults Museum which is underground, built over the medieval monks' cloister and burial ground. Maybe next time, because we all agreed we wish we had planned to spend more time in this lovely little town.

But what we'd come there to see were the Roman Baths, so that was our next stop that day.

BATH, England