The Three Corners El Wekala Golf Resort Taba

Me and my sister came back from Taba yesterday (15/11/05), we stayed at the Three Corners resort and we both fully enjoyed our stay there.

Everyone was so friendly, made us welcome from day 1. The views are fantastic, beach was lovely but bit rocky (although they are in the process of taking them out of the sea). The food was nice although a bit more of a variety would of been appreciated as I like my food.

The weather was excellent, sun was red hot. Had no complaints at all. Would recommend this trip for sure and we loved it that much we are going back in 2006.

Tip for females going there alone, beware of Sam the man and avoid Toni the bar man with a plague (short temper)!!!!!

Partner and I have just returned from two weeks in this resort. Fantastic. Rooms, Staff, Food great. To wake up each morning, sometimes to watch the sun rise, approx 6.20 when we were there, going on to the balcony to look over the Red Sea to Jordan and Saudi Arabia, it was amazing.

We are a retired lively couple, and met lovely families of all ages here. We selected this resort, as the evening entertainment was low key. Wherever we travel, we prefer to talk with people, whilst enjoying the all inclusive drinks, or play cards or scrabble together, in a resort bar etc.

The Red Sea was very warm, unbelievable. When the tide is out - tide movement is very marginal - you can wade out to a reef and without snorkelling gear etc. you can look into the water and see amazing fish, plus the living coral reefs. With snorkelling gear, or just goggles, you can see so much more. A word to the wise.....it is sensible to bring some form of footwear to enter the sea. There are sharp stones for approximately 15 metres when entering the sea, before you reach wonderfully smooth sand. The hotel shop sells suitable footwear for approximately six English pounds, quite reasonable.

The Beach Bar, we booked through Longwoods, provides soft drinks, tea and coffee as part of the all inclusive package. Alcoholic drinks and lunch are not included in this package and must be paid for. Alcohol is probably best left alone when swimming in the sea, but the bar lunches were very reasonably priced and appetising. You can always catch the shuttle back to the hotel for lunch....if you are so mean.... I have mentioned the non inclusive bit, as guests who booked through other companies did believe that everything was all inclusive.

We did a two day trip to Cairo for 198 US dollars each. A great trip. Pyramids, Nile, Papyrus Factory, Perfume Palace, and THE CAIRO STREET MARKET. Booked through Longwood, stayed overnight bed and breakfast at Le Meridian Hotel Cairo.....had great view of Pyramids from our Terrace. Top class hotel, highly recommend. Included also was lunch on a static boat on the Nile. Very good value for money.

Must mention the hotels Pascals restaurant, where you pay. We had a most superb meal, Flambed giant prawns, followed by one of the best Chauteaubriands we have ever enjoyed....and we have eaten in some very good restaurants in the UK. Also bought a bottle of Egyptian Red Wine, which was more than acceptable. Cost very, very reasonable. Service great.

Towards the end of our holiday, we were unfortunate enough to meet a three day arrived, middle aged English couple, who moaned about the lack of evening entertainment. They believed they were going to get a Las Vegas Caberet every night. Perhaps Blackpool would suit them. They also moaned about many other things.....

If you are seeking a resort, which offers great rooms, very nice food, peace and tranquillity go for it. If you are seeking show time every night, perhaps Blackpool.

Enjoy

Nicely laid out, staff friendly accommodation excellent.

The pool was very nice but we gave it a miss after the first day because the music was driving us mad!

Food ok - fresh bread, daily main courses a little mixed but the desserts were fantastic (courtesy of Hosny)

Actually a word of praise for the chefs - they are all very friendly and it's worth taking the time to say hello. Same for the waiters - I found Ahmed (Bananaman!) and Ramy particularly pleasant.

Word of warning about the tea facilities - the hot water urn has a hair trigger and I saw no end of people caught out by this, and one or two who didn't take evasive action quick enough got scalded. Also the saucers appear to have been designed by Osama bin Laden and do not often fit the cups - which can lead to impromptu dance moves whilst trying not to spill them. My advice - don't bother with them. I'd like to see them provide a decent mug for your tea but that's my preference - I'll take my own when I go back!

Drinks are free at the hotel until midnight but don't expect to get a full glass of anything - short measures definitely de rigeur here.

The beach is a short ride but well worth it for peace and quiet. The snorkelling isn't bad but we have seen better, great for beginners as it really is quite shallow around the coral outcrops - word of warning, the current can be quite strong and if the wind is coming from a certain direction it can be quite choppy. Also, be warned.... You must not touch the coral or stand on it and you must not remove any shell, dead or alive. They are trying to keep the area as pristine as possible and there is a note in the welcome pack to inform you. Emad is very helpful with the towels here and is worth tipping. Soft drinks and tea/coffee here are free but alcohol and food isn't. Lunch is inexpensive and Shabaan the chef is certifiable so a small price to pay for the fun of it, particularly if you cant be bothered to catch the shuttle back for lunch.

Excursions are not particularly cheap - we went to Petra with Longwood at £97 compared to First Choice's £170 ! Its a fantastic trip and I cant recommend enough though. The Blue Hole, the snorkelling trip on the Henry de Monfried and Cairo (5 hour coach trip and you need to get up at 3 in the morning for the one day trip!) seemed to be firm favourites with other guests. It's worth shopping around for prices, either check the Longwood board or speak to one of the Waterworld reps who are at each hotel (by the pools) and one on the 3 corners beach.

If you do go out its worth learning a little Arabic if only to get them to stop bugging the hell out of you. We found "ana mosh arweez" (I dont need any) worked like a magic spell.

There are a few shops at the back of the hotel behind Taba Jewellery BUT the perfume shop is one to avoid - they practically ambush you and drag you in and its no good being polite - they take no notice until you are forceful - I know its the Arab way but with predominantly English and Belgian guests they could do with an attitude adjustment because it drives people away. Some of the other lads in the shops recognise this fact and have adapted to it. There are also a small amount of shops at the other hotels but most guests seemed to visit the 3 Corners for their wares.

The guys in Taba Jewellery (Hayssam + Mahmoud) genuinely like talking to the guests so say hello and teach them some more English.

They will also teach you some Arabic - if you want !

Ladies - the Egyptians seem to be incorrigible flirts.........

We weren't troubled by Mossies but the flies, although not numerous were persistent little beggars. I'm taking flypaper next time too! Perhaps they are another one of Osama bin Laden's secret weapons!

All in all 2 weeks v good value - weather great as it hardly ever rains - scenery a bit limited but its a desert what can you expect? Once the golf course is finished it will be a lovely view from the hotel to the sea.

Thanks to Emad and Crocodillo (towel dudes) Ahmed and Ramy (waiters)

Reda, Mohammed, Hosny, Rafa and the great Shabaan (chefs), and the guys in the shops Walid (with pet tortoise Luke who he keeps in the bin !), Hytham + Mahmoud from the jewellers, Mohammed from the dive shop and George from the crystal shop.

Cigarettes are reasonable in the shops (between £1.50 and £2.50 per pack) but I found them to be cheaper at the airport on the way home, in fact L&M's were only $5 per carton of 200. You can buy all sorts of sweets and chocolate, biscuits and nuts at the resort, and there is a pharmacy, although from what we heard they were quite expensive.

There seemed to be a fair few tummy upsets (with us and other guests) but it transpired that the bottled water which they use contains magnesium which taken in any quantity does induce diarrhoea. They suggest you drink at least 2 litres per day so if you're prone to tummy upsets I would take some immodium with you! Don't skip on the water because you really do need to drink it.

Being a Travel Agent I felt that a review was needed. This Hotel is lovely, really nicely laid out with lots of palm trees and flowers .The staff are very helpful, the rooms are spotlessley clean and quite large, the swimming pool is gorgeous and scenery from the hotel is stunning.. No good though if u are a shopaholic as ther is nothing outside of the hotel, but that did not bother us at all. Although the hotel is not on the beach there is a shuttle bus every 30 min to take down there, on the beach you have your own bar/restaurant and another swimming pool which is lovely, you only get free soft drinks and tea and coffee but to eat is very cheap and good snack food. Pool and beach towels are provided which is great and there are 2 other restaurants to eat in reasonably priced, entertainment is low key but something on most nights, transfer time is about 45 mins. Would def go back, the weather was fantastic never dropped below 33 in the day and about 26 at night...

Adrian & Linda - best holiday ever.Staff can't do enough,food is excellent and basically just what the doctor ordered for a battery recharge.Look forward to going back.Entertainment/animation is lacking a bit for the time being but am sure this will get better.

5th September to 19th September

Like other people we were not offered towels on arrival so this seems to be hit and miss.

The Hotel is well run with very friendly staff with excelent food no matter what your taste in food is there is a great variety and during the 2 weeks we were there the main meals were not repeated. Not like some hotels when you new you would get the same thing on a day as you did the week before.

Peanuts bar not enough staff behind the bar at busy times and this was probably the department that was not run as efficiently as it good have been.

Entertainment by the animation team well what can I say They Tried. Talking to other people just background music would have sufficed.It is not the type of hotel to try karaoke and games and on some days the music around the pool was to loud.

The hotel rooms are spacious and well equiped with a fridge and safe very large shower and plenty of hot water. The downside was that the rooms on some days were not getting cleaned until 6pm when you were coming back and wanting to shower and relax.

The hotel operates a card system for towels for the beach and pool it is meant to be that you hand in your card and get a towel. This was being by passed by quests paying the pool attendent to reserve beds he would go around and put towels on beds first thing in the morning and on some days these would not be taken up until late morning.

All drinks were free and on reading reviews of other hotels which were of a higher grade El Wakela appears to be the best value as one of the other hotels you had to pay for water.

Overall a good hotel and go before the area gets built up as there is another 20 hotels planned.

22/08/05 - 05/09/05 - Wow! This was the first holiday ever, when we've not been ready to come home at the end of the two weeks. We can't wait to go back.

We were slightly nervous when we arrived at Taba airport, to see all the luxury coaches lined up going to other hotels, then hidden behind them a mini bus (with the luggage on the roof!) that was going to the Three Corners. However our fears were groundless.

Upon arrival your luggage is taken to reception for you, where you're greeted with a cold flannel and a refreshing drink. (This is welcome, as the temperature was still in the 30's even at night!) You're then shown to your room, don't worry about your cases, somebody will bring them for you, (I'd suggest tipping the man that bring them about 20le) and left to relax. There's a bottle of water in your fridge which you can refill as often as you like from the chilled containers dotted around the resort.

The rooms are beautiful, all air conditioned and spotlessly clean. Throughout your stay the housekeeping manager will check up to make sure that everything is being done to your satisfaction. We had Muhammed cleaning our room, and he definately had a sense of humour, we came back to find the lamps dressed in caps and shades and messages written on the bed in petals! We tipped him each week (about 40le) and left him a pack of cigs which he was really pleased about.

The food throughout the holiday was fantastic, even though I'm vegetarian I never went hungry. The only critism I could give though, was that the food labels weren't always accurate, (Pasta with tomato sauce, may in fact contain minced beef!) There was always a choice of pasta and potatoes for the less adventurous along with salads, soups and freshly baked bread. I ate salad regularly and didn't get the dreaded Pharaohs revenge so I'm assuming it was washed in bottled water. The staff in the restaurant were again brilliant, with a somewhat wicked sense of humour, and the dessert chef deserves a medal!

The pool at the hotel is excellent, and if there are no sunbeds free, the man giving out the towels will find one for you. The animation team were unobrusive, if you didn't want to join in they didn't push. There is a kids club, which i understood was very good and there a few activities throughout the day (Yoga, Water Polo, Aqua Aerobics). However the entertainment is very low key and in the evenings if there is anything, it is generally over very early. Perfect for a relaxing holiday.

In the evenings we generally went in to Peanuts bar, and chatted the night away. (We tipped 20le on the first night, then at odd intervals throughout the two week.) Be warned though, the measures get bigger the busier it gets! Again the Egyption sense of homour prevails with the staff pretending to drop glasses and having peanut fights when its quiet etc.

The pool by the beach is generally quieter, its rare for the beds all to be taken, and if you do go to the beach it's easy to jump back on to the shuttle bus and go back to the hotel for lunch if you feel like it.

The snorkelling is amazing, there is a sand bank about 30 yards out from the beach which follows the reef all the way down the coast. The variety of fish is just awe inspiring, we saw Lionfish, Turtles, Parrot fish, Eels, Trigger fish and a Crocodile fish to name just a few. If you are a keen snorkeller then I would definately recommend the trip from Waterworld on the Henry de Monfreid. This is an all day trip which goes to Farun Island, where as well as snorkelling, for an extra fee (about £20) you can do an introductory dive. You then sail home to arrive back about 4pm.

Waterworld also offer a variety of other activities including parasailing, canoeing, pedaloes, a glass bottom boat trip (well worth the money) and various dives.

There is a variety of trips on offer from the hotel, including Cairo, Eilat, Jerusalem, Mount Sinai and a shopping trip to Dahab. These are quite expensive though, by the time you've added on border taxes. We didn't bother with Dahab as we found everything we wanted at the shops behind the hotel. At the moment there are only a few (around 20) open, however there is space for more and I'd imagine that in the next few months this will become quite a nice shopping area. Whatever you do don't forget to haggle!

There were many little touches that made this holiday special. For example my partner had his birthday while we were away, and to our surprise on the day he received a phonecall from reception wishing him Happy Birthday and asking where he'd like his cake!

All in all this is an amazing holiday.

If you'd like any more information then please e-mail us at rick.edwards@msn.com

Written on 12th July. Now with photos:

Hello. I came back from there yesterday morning thought I'd write a few words for those that are going.

Very nice hotel, in the middle of nowhere but there are big plans for the area.

Beach: Reached by bus which is hardly ever on time, but only takes about 3 mins to get down there. Nice bit of beach, quiet because not many people can be bothered to catch the bus down there and prefer to stay at the pool. You will need shoes as it's very rocky underfoot on way into the sea. Sea is very warm, even hot in places. The first two days of my hol the sea was so calm and therefore the snorkling was excellent and water very clear. From then it got a bit rougher and therefore the water seemed cooler (still warm though) and water wasn't as clear. Great though.

Hotel: Nice rooms, big an airy with large balconies. Cleaned well and by friendly staff. All hotel staff are friendly and smile a lot. There are security guards around and at the entrance to every hotel in the area. Didn't like the fact that loud music was played all day by the pool so didn't ever go there. For the first few days I was there I had to go to the few shops in the other hotels down by the beach as the 3 corners hadn't got one. However, 2 days before I left a shop at 3 corners appeared from nowhere. It's not brilliant, mostly stocks jewellery but it's certainly better than nothing. The nearest cashpoints (which I had to use and I spent more than expected) are at the Marriott Hotel and the Hyatt, both down at the beach.

It may be a golf resort but forget it. It's no where near ready and the woman who rund the hotel said it won't be until at least the very end of the year. It's taking shape though!

Food: Heard other people saying it was good but I wasn't overly impressed. It was nice enough, especially the puddings but generally it didn't excite me. I am veggie and accidently ate meat thanks to something not being properly labeled/descibed so that wasn't good. Also About 3 days into my holiday I got the dreaded dodgy tummy. I was really careful, drinking only bottled water etc but I've still got it now, am in immense pain and as it's getting worse. I had to go to the docs yesterday 5 hours after getting back! They say they wash everything in purified water but everyone I have said that to since has said "Oh of course they say that!" as if it's obvously not true which made me feel dim for believing it!

Excursions: I did Dahab and Jeruselem, (through Longwood Holidays). Dahab is a shopping area. It was a nice day but don't go if you can't bear being hassled to buy everywhere you go. Jeruselem is an extremely long day. We were picked up at 4.25am and we didn't get back to my hotel until 10.30pm! Some were on the coach even longer than us. It was very interesting but the guide we had through Longwood holidays would iterally explain every single thing in the most minute of detail and stopped virtually everywhere. He was very good but it was extremely tiring. Very interesting place to see but one of the most exausting days of my life and many many hours on the coach although thankfully you get to fly most of the way back. Stopped at the Dead Sea which I would recommend if you get the chance.

So basically if you look at the other 3 hotels in the area (located at the beach) the Hyatt, Sofitel and Marriott you'll see they are a lot grander than the 3 corners and convieniently right on the sea but the 3 corners is a good choice and at least you'll be All Inclusive. Speaking to people from the other hotels they did mention that the cost of drinks there is expensive.

Don't forget to tip as it is really appreciated. I noticed a lot of people didn't bother, and I don't know that it would have occured to me had I not seen the discussions on this forum.

I'd love to hear how other people found the place so please write a review when you get back

My husband and I have just returned after having a fantastic relaxing holiday. We chose this hotel and resort because we wanted to chill, and that is what we got.

The first part of our holiday had mainly couples of varying ages and only a few children it was heaven, (we had left ours at home). The main pool area had low key music playing most of the day except when the animation team were doing aqua aerobics, water polo or stretching!. It did liven up towards the end of our holiday when more people arrived with lots of children, but it was still enjoyable and if it gets too much the private beach is large with lots of sunbeds, parasols and a swimming pool.

I loved the food, my husband who is a little more choosy never went hungry and always found something he enjoyed.

Dont judge what it tastes like, by what it looks like. Try it first you will be surprised.

You can change money at the kiosk in reception, good exchange rates given.

Everyone is very helpful if you want to know or want something ask and they will do there upmost to help you.

Explore the hotel you will find an assortment of shops towards the back of the hotel, also a shop where you can use a telephone (we found this out the day we left). Hotel charge £2 a min shop charge £1 a min. you are charged from the second ring even if no answer.

There is a very good pharmacist amongst these shops who is very helpful and it is reasonably priced.

The evening entertainment is very limited, well actually non exsistent i felt very sorry for parents of middle to teenage children as there is nothing for them to do except a couple of pool tables.

The weather is unbelievably hot, the sea is very warm.

We did a trip to Eliat and swam with the dolphins it was incredible, if you go with first choice they do not offer this trip but longwood will let you go with them, they also go to Jeruselem which we found out too late as they only go on a Sunday.

The staff are superb very friendly with a great sense of humour.

Unfortunately we had to tolerate some very inconsiderate guests who seem to have forgotten to teach their children any manners, at the end of the day we all work for a living, manners and being polite cost nothing.

I would certainly go back to this hotel as we had a wonderful time.

My boyfriend and I have just returned from a holiday at the El Wekala Golf Resort also called The Three Corners. It was my first holiday abroad and I have now definately got the travelling bug. The hotel is absolutely fantastic and the staff are very friendly. You could not have asked for more from a hotel. The food was of a good quality and they will make food at your request if you cannot find something you like. The pool is very well laid out and there are lots of sun loungers so you will always be able to find someone to sit in the sun. The housekeeping is the best that I have ever experienced and we did not hesitate in leaving them a good tip. The golf resort is not yet finished, but looks well on the way to becoming very good (it is due for completion in October 2005). Whilst in Taba we got to do many excursions, including a trip to Cairo to see the pyramids, a jeep safari where we went snorkelling, had a camel ride and went shopping in Dahab, and we also went on a Glass Bottom boat at the Waterworld diving centre. The cost of excursions were very reasonable. When going on excursions the hotel will provide breakfast boxes at your request. There were lots and lots of excursions but we seemed to run out of time to do everything that we wanted. The only downside to the hotel are the shops within as the shop owners are rather pushy and get upset if you do not want to go in their shop, but you do find that everywhere in Egypt. Also a piece of advice, take lots of English money aswell as Egyptian as everybody accepts this. All excursions were priced in £Sterling.