Sentido Reef Oasis Suakin Resort

You come here for a small resort rather than a large holiday machine. The Oasis Dive Resort has 50 Nubian-style chalets built from natural materials and linked by little paths and steps, with the Red Sea and its fringing reef directly in front of the property. The setting is spacious, informal and deliberately removed from the coastal road.

English and German are spoken by the hotel team, so you can expect to be understood in English from the moment you arrive. The place suits divers, couples and anyone who would rather hear the sea than a schedule of loud entertainment. There is still plenty to do, but the tone is set by the reef, the desert and the gaps between meals.

The resort is in Marsa Alam City, Egypt, around 20 kilometres north of Marsa Alam on the Red Sea coast. It sits beside the sea, in a natural wadi away from the main road, with desert on one side and a fringing reef on the other. This is not a town-centre base: the nearest listed restaurant outside the resort is about 15 miles away by road, so the hotel's own restaurant matters in practical terms.

The reef begins directly in front of the property and is reached from the jetty. Snorkelling and access to the reef run from 6am to 8pm, giving you the option of an early swim, a quiet look at the water between activities, or a final dip before dinner. The airport connection is the main transfer consideration: Marsa Alam International Airport is around 56 miles away by road, with a drive listed at about 1 hour 13 minutes.

Each chalet has its own layout and character, with a bedroom, private bathroom with shower and toilet, and a terrace looking towards the sea. Air conditioning is useful when the Egyptian heat has followed you back indoors; a minibar gives you somewhere for a cold drink, and a mosquito net is a welcome detail when the evening air comes in. The natural materials and Nubian decoration keep the accommodation tied to the landscape rather than making it feel like a generic block of rooms.

For a couple, the Premium Room or the larger room categories offer different ways to spend the evening, while the Family Room and Comfort Room give more room for a group using sofa beds as well as the main bed. The Deluxe Room adds more space, a Red Sea view and an electric kettle. If your idea of luxury is stepping straight from bed into your own water, the Swim up Private Pool Suite is the obvious choice. Daily housekeeping is included, and the resort has WiFi throughout, although the practical point of this stay is more likely to be sleep than screen time.

Half-board keeps the main rhythm simple: breakfast and dinner are served as buffets, while lunch can be ordered from the menu. Breakfast covers continental and American choices alongside Italian and Egyptian dishes, with an egg station, fresh bread, croissants and traditional beans. That is the sort of spread that lets you choose between a proper start and something quick before heading out.

Dinner brings changing soups, salads, pasta, chicken, beef, fish, rice, potatoes and fresh vegetables from the Nile Valley, followed by cakes, fruit and Egyptian desserts. There is one main restaurant, with international cooking and a barbecue grill, plus a snack bar for something less formal during the day. For drinks, the Sundowner Bar sits beside the restaurant and serves coffee and cold drinks, while the Bedouin tent by the beach adds Bedouin coffee, ginger tea, cold drinks and shisha, with a barbecue held weekly when conditions allow.

The outdoor pool looks towards the Red Sea and is deep enough for diver training, but you can also use it for the more traditional purpose of floating about and doing very little. Sun loungers, parasols and towels are available around the pool and beach, giving you somewhere to dry off without turning the afternoon into a project. The private beach area, garden, terraces and picnic area add a few different places to sit when one chair has finally had enough of you.

The wellness side is more useful than flashy. A massage centre offers classic massages and reflexology, including massage by the pool, and the resort has facilities for full-body, back, neck, head, hand and foot treatments. A sunny yoga space beside the pool overlooks the Red Sea and reef; complimentary classes take place several times a week when a yoga teacher is present. Away from the water, you can book desert trips by jeep, camel, quad bike or horse, sunset and astronomy tours, visits to Wadi el Gimal National Park and the old gold mines, or longer outings to Luxor, Aswan, Edfu and El Kab.

Check-in starts from 3pm and check-out runs until noon, which gives you a reasonably civilised morning on departure day. A 24-hour reception, concierge service, tour desk, currency exchange, ATM, luggage storage and a minimarket cover the small practical matters that otherwise turn into unnecessary trips. Private parking is available on site, and an airport shuttle can be arranged from Marsa Alam International Airport or Hurghada International Airport. Transfers to Port Ghalib and other ports can also be organised.

The drive from Hurghada is described as taking about three hours, so Marsa Alam is the more sensible arrival airport if your itinerary allows it. Children aged eight and over are accommodated, while the resort is not suited to younger children. The property welcomes couples and families, but parties and events are not permitted. Cash is accepted for payment, and room service is available. If you are planning a longer stay, laundry, ironing and dry-cleaning services are also available.

The chalets use natural materials and Nubian construction methods, with the buildings arranged through the wadi rather than presented as one large resort block. Their design is intended to help with natural cooling, a sensible response to the climate and the setting.

Solar panels heat the bathroom water. It is a straightforward measure, but one that has a direct link to daily use: the hot shower after saltwater and sand draws on the sun you have been enjoying all day.