Humid and run down Massawa

Trip Start Jan 22, 2008
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Trip End Aug 22, 2008


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Where I stayed
red sea hotel
(Massawa hotels)

Flag of Eritrea  ,
Friday, January 25, 2008

Massawa is on the coast and we were hoping to spend a week soaking up the sun on a beach. Unfortunately the town seemed more of a bombed out town with no beaches or even anywhere to eat than anything else, although arriving on Friday (the Sabbath) didn't help. We didn't head up to see the beaches - which are alledgedly going to be the next big red sea resort - as it was so humid it was hard to do anything and then the next day it rained.

After a day or so walking around (once past the shock of it not being a huge built up town) you could see past the destruction and see the pretty streets lined with trees and the mosque and people going about their daily activities while we were getting soaked in the pouring rain.

Therefore although we stayed in a lovely hotel, the Red Sea Hotel, where they are building a swimming pool (the only hotel that was open as the others were being renovated) we only stayed for a couple of nights as the place was not really what we expected....or maybe we just didn't get it... perhaps once some money has been injected into the place it will be all it is cracked up to be... or maybe a guide or someone ... unfortunately noone at the hotel spoke English and since our knowledge of all other languages is rubbish we ran back to Asmara with our tail between our legs.
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Comments

jhonbradford
jhonbradford on Apr 20, 2008 at 06:17PM

beaches
you definatly did know you ways and went on the wrong season i was there, just came back from there, they had the best beaches you should have asked where to go, i was taking to 10 differnet islands off the coast of massawa and they had a very long beach called Gergusum in the city, which of the three island did you go to?

mandy_karl
mandy_karl on May 7, 2008 at 03:09PM

Re: beaches
hi there

we did try to ask the red sea hotel - the island next to old city , but they did not speak english and we were the only ones staying there. we did ask loads of people on the street and a policeman but none of them understood us.. as it was raining we didn't think that it was the time to see the beaches in Jan... so when did you go? did you love it? what was it like?

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