Malikia Resort Abu Dabbab

This is a beachfront resort built around the broad sandy shore of Abu Dabbab Bay, with the sea doing much of the visual work and the resort supplying the practical comforts around it. You have pools, restaurants, a spa, evening entertainment and a choice of rooms facing the garden, pool or Red Sea. It is the sort of base that works when your party does not all want to spend the day doing the same thing.

The resort is particularly easy to picture as a mixed diving and family holiday. You can head for the beach or the water, while someone else chooses the spa, the gym, the aqua park or a quiet balcony. There is enough going on to keep a non-diver occupied, but the setting remains firmly coastal rather than urban. That matters when the day’s main ambition is food, shade and not having to put on another pair of proper shoes.

Malikia Resort Abu Dabbab sits directly on Abu Dabbab Beach in Abu Dabab, Egypt, south of Marsa Alam. The beach is sandy, broad and gently accessible, with sun loungers, parasols, towels and a beach bar already in place. You can reach the sea without a road crossing or a transfer, which is a small detail until you are carrying everything needed for a day beside the water.

The bay is sheltered and known for calm, clear water, making it suitable for swimming and snorkelling as well as simply sitting on the shore. Outside the resort, the nearest named café is Shisha Corner, around 4.5 km away, while restaurants such as Divino are around 24 km away. This is a resort location, not a village street lined with cafés, so the all-inclusive arrangement and the on-site restaurants do a fair amount of the logistical work.

The rooms are arranged around the view you want to wake up to: garden, partial sea, full sea or sea front. A balcony comes as part of the room set-up, while air conditioning, a minibar, a flat-screen TV, a kettle and a private bathroom cover the basics without ceremony. The minibar is useful for keeping drinks close, and the air conditioning earns its place when the Egyptian heat has followed you indoors.

For a couple, a sea-view or sea-front room is the obvious choice if the outlook matters more than having extra internal space. The Family Room is the practical pick when three people need a more workable sleeping arrangement, with a large bed, sofa bed and futon rather than trying to make one standard room do too much. Family rooms are available, and children of any age are welcome.

The rooms also include a wardrobe, seating and a desk, with daily housekeeping. Choose by the view first, then by the sleeping arrangement. The card showing the room name will tell you the measurements and capacity; the useful distinction here is whether you want a straightforward base for sleeping or a balcony where the Red Sea gets the first word in the morning.

The main meal rhythm is handled by Coral Breeze Restaurant, where buffet breakfast, lunch and dinner are served on a terrace overlooking the pool, sea and gardens. Breakfast is buffet-style, and the evening meal can include themed nights, vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free choices, plus barbecue meals on the terrace. There is also 24-hour room service, which is the sort of provision that becomes considerably more interesting when you return hungry and too tired to discuss menus at length.

Sands Beach Restaurant keeps lunch and dinner by the shore, with a barbecue dinner served from 19:00 to 21:00. Blue Moon brings Italian food indoors in an air-conditioned setting, with an Italian chef preparing fresh pasta daily. For an adults-only evening, WAVES a La Carte Restaurant focuses on fresh seafood, Mediterranean dishes, international favourites and desserts, with panoramic Red Sea views; its menu carries an extra charge.

Three named bars cover the main resort locations: Chill Bar by the pool, Starfish Bar on the beach and the Lobby Bar, also called View Bar, with alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. The overall formula is all-inclusive, so your choices stay largely within the resort rather than depending on a taxi every time someone wants a drink, a snack or a second helping.

Four pools give the non-diving day several possible speeds. The main pool is joined by an infinity-style pool overlooking the Red Sea, while the heated aqua park has seven slides: three for adults and four for children. The fourth pool is the Waves Infinity Pool, available at an extra charge. Loungers, parasols and the direct beach access make the simpler option perfectly clear: find a chair, stay there and let the timetable lose the argument.

The Spa & Wellness Center is on the ground floor beneath Coral Breeze Restaurant. Treatments include massage, a Turkish sauna, hydromassage, facials, waxing, manicures and pedicures, with a hair salon as well. A gym with sea views is available, and the animation team runs fitness sessions. After that, tennis, padel, beach volleyball, basketball, table tennis, billiards and darts provide varying degrees of exertion; the sensible choice depends on how much enthusiasm remains in your legs.

Evenings bring live shows, themed nights, music and performances. There is also a kids’ club with supervised activities, creative games and entertainment, alongside a children’s pool and the four child-focused aqua-park slides. For adults travelling without children, the beach, spa, sea-view gym and adults-only WAVES restaurant provide easier ways to spend the afternoon than joining a competition involving a whistle.

Marsa Alam International Airport is around 30 km away, with a drive of about 20 minutes. An airport shuttle is available on request and should be arranged with the hotel. Private parking is available on site, and free Wi-Fi covers the resort. The reception operates around the clock, with luggage storage, a tour desk, currency exchange, an on-site cash machine and private check-in and check-out.

Check-in runs from 14:00 to midnight, while check-out is from 07:30 to 12:00. Early check-in is available on request, and late check-out is available for an additional charge. Room service runs 24 hours, and laundry, dry cleaning and ironing are available for an additional charge. An on-site infirmary and shops selling souvenirs, swimwear and essentials are useful additions when the nearest outside services are not just around the corner.

Cash is an accepted payment method. Pets are not allowed, and there is no age requirement for check-in. Children of any age can stay, although children aged 18 and over are charged as adults; cots depend on the room option, and extra beds are not available. Check your visa requirements before travelling, then leave room in the case for the items you will inevitably buy from the essentials shop.