Golf & Thalasso in the desert
As strange as it may sound, if you choose Egypt as your travel destination, you get both - in Soma Bay. The finest golf on Gary Player's "Pebble Beach Course" and thalasso at the magnificent Cascades Golf Resort, Spa & Thalasso, where you are pampered with more than just seawater.
Winter in the Egyptian desert,
that means guaranteed good weather with an average temperature of 24° - in other words, the best conditions for a vacation in search of sun, beach, sea, golf and wellness. Soma Bay, around 40 minutes by car from Hurghada, is the new hotspot for winter-weary golfers. The artificial peninsula called Raʾs Abū Sōma is still a real insider tip, but offers all the facets of a luxury vacation destination - from luxury hotels to sports facilities. "As you like it" could be the motto of the tourism concept here in terms of what is on offer - whether for water sports enthusiasts, golfers, gourmets, sun worshippers, luxury vacationers, families, couples, teens, twens and modern nomads. Because just a stone's throw away from each other is the noble oriental Kempinski Hotel Soma Bay, the pharaonic-inspired Sheraton Soma Bay Resort, the Arabian-style Robinson Club, The Breakers Diving & Surfing Lodge, Egypt's first water sports and lifestyle hotel and finally the award-winning Cascades Golf Resort - a Leading Hotel of the World with its own 18-hole championship course and award-winning thalassotherapy center.
A dine-around concept gives every guest the opportunity to discover the culinary delights of each hotel. The best way to do this is to take a walk along the four-kilometer-long waterfront promenade that runs between the hotels and the new marina. This is also where the new marina is located, but it offers much more than just a berth for pretty boats: Tranquil alleyways with small stores, restaurants and bars in a lounge-like ambience and modeled on an Egyptian village. This makes Soma Bay more and more of a celebrity hotspot, also because top international bands regularly hold their rendezvous here at the marina.
The Cascades Golf & Country Club
In his book "Gary Player's Top Golf Courses in the World", the golf icon describes the now internationally award-winning course as "the treasure of the Red Sea". And he is not the only one: "The Cascades" was the only course in Egypt to be voted one of the top 10 best golf courses in Africa by CNN Travel. Probably also because it combines a mix of links and desert character in an incomparable way. That sounds great, but in reality the 18 holes (par 72) are anything but easy to play. Especially for golf rookies who first have to get used to the green ribbon in the desert. Every par 3 here is a highlight in itself and the famous hole 5 "The Pebbles of Soma" is also a very special challenge at the Egypt Golf Trophy: the courageous path goes 170 meters over the bay directly onto a peninsula green. In addition, there is the more or less strong breeze from the sea, which causes the balls to disappear into the water or the desert.
So - practice first. The 9-hole, par 3 course, also designed by Gary Player, is particularly suitable for this and is the perfect location not only for training but also for the shorter game of new generations of golfers - with an adjoining academy with PGA professionals, driving range with 60 tee boxes as well as 3 pitch and 3 putting greens.
Beautiful living with wellness & culinary delights
The Cascades Resort is enthroned on the highest point of Soma Bay and is clearly visible from the golf course: with the Cascades in front of the terrace, spread over several winding streams and flowing through a sea of flowers. The resort itself glows in Moorish style in a vibrant ochre, especially at sunset, contrasting with the green of the fairways and the blue of the Red Sea. In addition to the 166 rooms, bars and restaurants with exquisite cuisine, the incredible 7,500 square meter spa is a real delight. The treatments there in the 65 treatment rooms can be the highlight of the day after a strenuous day of golf. Especially the thalassotherapy in the Aqua Tonic Center, which is one of the largest in the Middle East. Detox treatments, various massages and, of course, beauty treatments are among the most popular offers and are good for the stressed golfer. Those who have also booked the all-in offer can enjoy the best Egyptian wines, excellent seafood cuisine in the beach restaurant and a superb selection of gin in the evening in the Eagles Nest bar. This was particularly enjoyed by the participants of the Egypt Golf Trophy, which was held here for the 11th time in a row due to its great popularity. In addition to great prizes, there was also plenty of fun for the 100 players, most of whom came from Bavaria.
www.somabay.com www.thecascadeshotel.com www.golfguidetours.com
