Pick the best resort for your summer vacation
With summer vacation now up and running, the logical question for everyone is where to spend the holidays. Those with a flair for adventure, viewing vacation as an opportunity to see new places, take tours, go rock climbing or engage in other physical activities, probably already know what to do this summer and hardly need any advice. However, if all you care about is lying on the beach or by a pool under the warm sun, relaxing with a book and going out all night long – a serious rest after many months of hard work – then you’re probably going to want to choose among the various beach resorts. Certainly, Ukraine has quite a few places of its own for sun tanning by the sea – Crimea and the Azov Sea have been the most popular summer vacation spots since Soviet times. However, now the situation has changed significantly. While the Azov Sea is simply considered very polluted, prices for vacation services in Crimea have gone up significantly in the last few years, but quality hasn’t. For this very reason, locals tend to choose popular seaside resorts outside of Ukraine, simply because it means getting a proper, quality vacation – and cheaper than in Crimea. To save you time browsing the net, or calling Kyiv’s tourist agencies in search of the most suitable tour, we have provided a list of the best resort offers, sorted according to the money you’re ready to spend. Bon voyage!
Cheapest offers
It you’re short on money but refuse to cancel your vacation for this reason, no worries. Of course, in this case you’ll have to forget about five-star hotels and exotic food served three times a day. However, if you are planning to spend most of the time on the seashore or going on excursions, returning to your hotel only to spend the night, living in a two or three-star hotel should suit you fine.
One of the popular destinations is Bulgaria, especially its Solnechniy Bereg (Sunny Shore) tourist complex. The complex was built about 35 years ago along the longest beach on the Bulgarian seashore (10 kilometers long and from 30 to 40 meters wide) that stretches all the way to the mountain ridge of the Balkan Peninsula, called Stara Planina. Sunny Shore is situated far away from highways, railways and big cities, which makes the complex an attractive place for spending summer vacation. About 250 restaurants serving Bulgarian cuisine, cafes and entertainment facilities are situated all over the Sunny Shore complex. This resort was also given a “Blue Flag” award as one of the most ecologically clean places on the Black Sea shore.
Going to Sunny Shore resort, you should know that Bulgaria is also known for its history and culture. The first state appeared on the territory of Bulgaria in 681 AD and nine Bulgarian historical monuments are included on the list of 300 cultural and natural monuments composed by UNESCO. Art Journey tour agency suggests you spend your summer vacation at a Bulgarian two or three-star hotel at Sunny Shore complex for a price starting at Euro 365 for eight days and seven nights in a two-star hotel, or Euro 490 for 15 days and 14 nights. This includes the cost of the direct flight, accommodation at a hotel, half board (breakfast and supper), transfer to the hotel from the airport and back, insurance policy and visa. The prices vary depending on a hotel and the time you want to go there. For example, a tour to Bulgaria in the beginning of July is much cheaper than it will be in August, so you’d better hurry.
Middle class
If you plan to spend more money on your vacation, go for Egypt or Tunisia – currently most popular resorts among Ukrainians today. One of the most popular and prestigious Egyptian sea destinations is Sharm el Sheikh, which in English means King’s Gulf. There you can sun tan and swim in the sea at anytime of the year, because even in the winter the temperature at Sharm el Sheikh doesn’t drop lower than 23-25 degrees Celsius. About 20 hotels and villages for tourists are built on the shore of Naama bay. There is also a national sea park called Ras-Mukhammad, which has no equals in terms of the variety and number of corals and sea flora and fauna to be seen there. For this reason, the sea park is favored by divers. About 20 diving centers offer all the equipment needed for diving and professional instructors ready to help beginners learn the basics.
Those who aren’t into diving can have fun at tennis courts and sports gyms, wind surfing, riding water bikes and taking advantage of many other exciting activities. For instance, you could also go for a safari in a Jeep in the desert.
One of the most interesting phenomenons of the local nature is the hot springs located on the Western side of Mount Sinai. The most famous ones are Moses’ springs, also known as Uyun Musa. The legend says that when Moses led Jewish people across the Red Sea they became thirsty. Moses hit the ground with his stick and the springs appeared. Another interesting site that is worth seeing is St. Katherine church. It is situated at the bottom of Mount Sinai, on the top of which Moses created the tablets with God’s 10 Commandments. The mountain itself is about 2,285 meters, and climbing it at night to see the sunset from its top is a must for those staying in Egypt for the first time. Just make sure to bring some warm clothes with you, as nights in the desert are very cold.
Another famous Egyptian sea resort is called Hurghada. This resort city takes first place in the world according to number of hotels per tourist. More than 200 hotels are spread along the seashore. Upon arriving in Hurghada, you should order one of their interesting tours, such as a tour to Cairo or sea trip to a coral island. In the eastern part of Hurghada you can find a legendary “1,000 and One Nights” palace, where plays on the theme of life in Egypt during the epoch of pharaohs take place every night. Art Journey travel agency offers tours to both Sharm el Sheikh and Hurghada for $485 for eight days and seven nights at a four-star hotel. One of these hotels is Aladdin, situated not far from Hurghada. Its rooms are equipped with individual air conditioners, a balcony, TV set, refrigerator, phone, and bathroom with a shower and bath. The rooms are cleaned twice a day. The price includes a direct flight, accommodation at a hotel, half board (breakfast and supper), transfer to the hotel from the airport and back, and an insurance policy. However, you’ll have to pay an additional $15 to $20 for a visa. All other services, such as tours, should be paid for separately.
Another famous and popular sea resort country is Tunisia. The most popular resort destinations of this country are Hammamet and Sousse. Hammamet is situated 60 kilometers from the capital and is called the city of gardens because of its olive and orange trees plantations. This city is also a cultural center and many concerts and theater performances are held there.
In Hammamet you can find a large aqua park that consists of three sections: two sections are intended for adults and one for children. The southern part of the city has a new attraction park called “1,000 and One Nights” that is similar to Disney Land. One of the most attractive places in Hammamet is the Phrygia Park zoo, where animals walk in wide open-air cages and people can watch them from passages placed over the cages.
Sousse is a resort city that was already well-known in the first millennium AD as an important sea port of the Carthago state. The sand on Sousse’s seashores is amazingly soft, fine and white in color. This resort city is the biggest in Tunisia and is famous for its nightclubs, casinos and restaurants. You should visit Sousse’s market, where you can find a variety of souvenirs, gold and silver merchandise and other interesting items. When buying something at a market in Tunisia or Egypt don’t hesitate to bargain with the seller, because you can often decrease the price to two or three times less. Art Journey travel agency offers tours to both Hammamet and Sousse. The cost of eight days and seven nights in a four-star hotel starts from $550 in Hammamet and $510 in Sousse. The price includes a direct flight, accommodation in a hotel, half board (breakfast and supper), transfer to the hotel from the airport and back, and an insurance policy, but doesn’t include a visa. Excursions and special hotel services should be paid additionally.
4 Sezona(20 Yaroslaviv Val, 223-4440, www.touragent.com.ua)
Art Journey (1 Darvina, office 12, 289-6866, www.art-journey.com.ua)
Yana Travel Group (42 Saksahanskoho, 490-7373, www.yana.com.ua)
High Class
Those who are used to luxury and comfort when going on vacation should choose one of the high class vacation tours and go to Spain or Turkey. The first things that come to my mind when I think about Spain is good wine and flamenco, however, it also has great beaches to relax at. The most famous sea resort destination in Spain is the island of Ibiza. In the late 60s, Ibiza became a place where hippies from all around the world preferred to hang out and a world center of counterculture. Now this place is known as the a popular clubbing spot – the world’s best clubs are situated here, which makes Ibiza a popular vacation spot for clubbers and younger sets. The beaches of Ibiza are considered to be the best on the Mediterranean Sea, thanks to their very clean sand and water.
There are four resort complexes on Ibiza: Playa-den-Bossa, Talamanca, Sant-Antony-de-Portmany, and Santa-Eulaliya-des-Riu, which are situated a small distance from the city. Yana Travel agency offers tours to Ibiza, which include accommodations at one of the best hotels, called Agros, which is situated on the Talamanca gulf about two kilometers away from the city. The hotel includes two swimming pools, two bars, a solarium, gym and parking ground. Every room includes a bathroom, telephone, satellite TV, air conditioner, mini bar, safe, and balcony. The cost of the tour starts at $1,400 for eight days and seven nights and $2,170 for 15 days and 14 nights.
Another popular high class resort destination is Antalya in Turkey. The city is full of parks, restaurants, cafes, casinos and has two aqua parks. The weather is warm and sunny 300 days a year in Antalya, so you can sun tan there almost all year long. The place is considered to be a center for tourism and has a lot of places of cultural interest. Yana Travel agency offers tours to Antalya, which includes living in one of the best hotels in the city, Titanic Beach & Resort Hotel, situated in Lara, the most beautiful part of city’s seashore. It includes five restaurants, a number of bars, a trade center, three swimming pools, sauna, Turkish bathhouse, fitness center, bowling club, internet cafe, nightclub, four tennis, volleyball and basketball courts, and a soccer field. Every room has an air conditioner, bath, hairdryer, balcony, satellite TV and a mini bar. The cost of the tour starts at $1,848 for eight days and seven nights and $3,405 for 15 days and 14 nights at Titanic Beach & Resort Hotel.
