I went to TUI’s Egyptian all-inclusive resort… with huge pools & unlimited booze

DIVING into turquoise waters, I swim over mountains of craggy coral until I spot Nemo poking his head out from behind the swaying sea anemone.

Rising to the surface, I blow water from my snorkel before diving back down with my guide Salim to investigate the white and orange clownfish further.

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It’s not just Nemo I see this time, though. Among the rocky surfaces, we spot the Picasso fish — famed for its human-like lips — which swims right up to me with its big grin.

It’s hard to think that all this sits just five-and-a-half hours from the UK by plane.

I’m just off the coast of Egypt’s Hurghada and this snorkel excursion in the Red Sea is only part of what makes my hotel so special for activity-loving travellers.

The Crystal Bay Resort is the latest Egyptian offering from Tui Blue, the travel brand’s more premium range of hotels. Set across 360,000 square feet of sun-baked coastline, the 365-room complex includes a Cabana-lined private blue lagoon and three pools that are so big you’ll never struggle for space.

It’s clear the resort has been built with every kind of holidaymaker in mind, from active kids desperate to burn off some energy to fly-and-flop tourists wanting to lounge by the pool all day.

Got little ones with you? Crystal Bay’s babysitting service costs only £5 for four hours — yes, you read that right. Plus, the resort is totally geared up for wheelchair users with accessible rooms, easy-access steps and even a pool chair lift.

There’s a full-sized football pitch, tennis courts and kids’ club, as well as on-site entertain­ment including a sports and pool bar, music nights and food festivals.

But if all that’s not enough to keep you occupied, just a ten-minute walk through the hotel grounds will lead you to the Ali Baba Palace water park. It’s part of another hotel, but anyone who goes full-board at Crystal Bay gets unlimited free entry.

Better still, planning your holiday itinerary couldn’t be easier with the endless excursions that can be booked through the hotel reception.

My snorkelling trip was well worth the £76pp with all our snorkel gear.

 Sailing the magnificent Red Sea, we stopped at the tiny Mahmya Giftun Island, a small patch of golden sand floating in the ocean, before tucking into a buffet lunch that catered for adults and kids alike.

Pet camels

It’s not just the Red Sea that makes Hurghada worth a visit though. Drive several miles away from the built-up city with its action-packed resorts and you’ll reach dry desert landscapes, where the night-time skies are littered with stars.

 Make sure to book a jeep and desert safari excursion. We rolled across the dunes, pausing to pet some camels, before arriving at our isolated camp to watch the sun set on top of a mountain in complete silence.

As the warmth of the Mars-like landscape ebbed away and the sun disappeared beyond the horizon, an interstellar carpet of stars revealed itself above our heads. On hand was an astronomer, who helped point out each of our star signs, something that’s impossible to do in the UK due to light pollution.

I gazed at my sign, Scorpio, which I learned is a patchwork of 18 stars, before turning my attention to the camp’s telescope, pointed directly at Venus’s burning orange mass.

Our magical desert evening ended with a traditional meal prepared by Bedouins — the nomads who wander the vast sands of the Sahara.

Protected from the elements by our rug-lined tent, we tucked into tender slow-cooked chicken and rice, with the sparkling skies still in view, before being whisked backed to our hotel just in time for bed.

Even without the stargazing, the price of the holiday alone should be enough to entice any family to Crystal Bay.

Our trip cost just £88pp per day for unlimited alcohol (including cocktails), cracking entertainment and enough poolside snacks to fill the pyramids — and that figure even includes return flights.

Those are prices that will leave you laughing as you paddle over to the swim-up bar for yet another round of mojitos — this one’s on me . . . sort of.

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