The Definitive Guide to Living in the Capital , Cairo , Egypt

You don’t need us to tell you that life in Cairo is, well, let’s just call it ‘complicated’. It’s because of this that summer can’t come soon enough – a seemingly never-long-enough window of opportunity to escape Egypt’s capital and hightail it to a beach. It’s a simple joy that can be found no more than at the unique Red Sea locale of El Gouna. An obvious choice, we hear you say? Maybe, but few places in Egypt tick as many different boxes under the heading ‘Things I Need to Switch Off from Real Life’.

And switch of we did during a recent visit as part of the 2016 El Gouna Grandslam, which saw some of the world’s premier kitesurfers touch down in what still remains one of the most unique seaside destinations in Egypt, for several days of kite-looping, mega-looping and other gravity-defying stunts.

From the moment we arrived at Hurghada Airport, to the first signs of El Gouna on the trip to the hotel, to the moment we stepped into the hotel itself – there was that perfect beachside smell in the air; the smell that tells you that you have found safe space where the stresses of Cairo can’t find you.

We’ve stayed at several hotels in El Gouna over the years, but never Sultan Bey – a stunning base from which we were to launch into our giddy El Gouna escapades. It’s a unique hotel that keeps things fresh and simple, but with the touches of grandeur that one has come to expect from El Gouna. We’d have been happy to spend our days by the pool and the restaurants there, but couldn’t help but throw a pair of flip-flops and shorts on to discover how things will shape up this summer – and there was the big final ceremony of the El Gouna Grandslam. It was a distinguished affair that saw the likes of tycoon, Samih Sawiris, and Red Sea Governor, Ahmed Abdallah, attend, alongside winners of in the tournament. As competitors took to the spotlight to receive their trophies and our collective applause, there was a sense that this is just the beginning for El Gouna in cementing itself as a leading destination for world-class water sports.It was a sentiment confirmed by El Gouna Marketing Director, Teymour Hosny, over a quiet dinner at the Smokery Yacht Club the next day. While he’s been working with Orascom for a year, he’s been a property owner in El Gouna for 15. Talking about El Gouna’s evolution, Hosny pointed to the fact that more and more people – be they Egyptian of or expats – are making El Gouna their homes, which has contributed to an organic evolution in its infrastructure  and its culture.

There was one more matter to attend to on the third day – the enthralling Cairo Symphony Orchestra under the conductorship of Ahmed El Saeidi and featuring acclaimed pianist, Magda Emara. The black tie event was a fitting finale to a short, sweet excursion that reminded us why El Gouna stands as one of the most encompassing, entrenching and eclectic seaside experiences in Egypt.