december-2009

142 | DESTINATION GUIDES
Hurghada
Egypt
DIALLING CODE +20
CURRENCY EGP
FROM THE
AIRPORT
Visit the Europcar
desk on arrival
for special easyJet
infl ight rates.
Holiday Taxis
(easyJet.holiday
taxis.com) take you from
home to the airport, then
city or destination.
TAXI
The fare to
Sakalla is about
EGP15, El Dahar
EGP20 and to resorts
south of Hurghada, it’s
EGP25–EGP30.
BON APPETIT
UP TO €15
Esplanada Sphinx
(Esplanada Mall, Village
Road, tel: 012 399
0482) A relaxed and
friendly restaurant
offering reasonably
priced food and drinks.
UP TO €30 Café del
Mar (Seatower Building,
El Arosa Square,
Sheraton Road, tel: 010
071 6770) A huge variety
of dishes from nachos
to meatballs and shrimp
sandwiches will fi ll you
up for a week at the
laidback surrounds of
Café del Mar.
UP TO €50 Thai
Garden (Siva Grand
Beach Resort, Village
Road, tel: 065 344
8351) Thai chefs cook
dishes from a wideranging
menu – the pad
Thai and chicken curry
are both highlights.
EXCLUSIVE Le
Deauville (Abu Tig
Marina, El Gouna, tel:
012 361 1647) An all-new
menu offers food such as
exquisite steak tartare.
Great service and views
across to the luxurious
yachts in the marina.
AFTER DARK
LOW KEY Chez
Sam (Esplanada Mall,
Village Road) Located
in the courtyard of the
Esplanada Mall, enjoy
pastries, fresh juice, ice
creams and coffee.
LIVE MUSIC Ministry
of Sound (Hurghada
International Marina,
tel: 016 883 3550) Look
out for the programme
notices around town
detailing the line up of
international bands at
this hot club.
INTER-
CONTINETNAL
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Nestled in Hurghada
Bay, this hotel has
been sympathetically
designed to fi t in with
its environment. It
boasts its own private
beach facing the
Red Sea. Breakfast
included. From €57,
book at holidays.
easyJet.com.
The Magic of Winter
LATE & LIVELY
Friends Bar (Hurghada
International Marina)
Friends is a perfect spot
to enjoy a cold beer with
views over the marina
and good music.
THIS MONTH
SHOP Al Nol offers local
handicrafts, including
cushion covers, light
fi ttings, bags and
accessories (Abu Tig
Marina and Hurghada
International Marina).
SEE Although Egypt is
a Muslim country, the
locals like to celebrate
Christmas. Festivities
are likely to be more
low-key than back
at home, with hotels
offering gala evening
dinners after a day
spent on the beach.
GO The brand new
Senzo Mall has a fi vescreen
cinema and a
tempting food court, plus
a whole host of clothes
and shoe shops (Safaga
Road, senzomall.com).
ESCAPE The port of El
Quseir, 200km south of
Hurghada, dates back
to Roman times. The
Fort which still stands
today, was founded in
1571 and a guided tour
(EGP10) dips into the
history of the town over
the last 700 years.
NO WAY!
South of Cairo, the rest of
Egypt’s annual rainfall is a
mere 25–50mm – so the
only chance of getting
wet is in the pool, the Red
Sea or the shower!
Denise Fletcher
Innsbruck
Austria
DIALLING CODE +43
CURRENCY €
FROM THE
AIRPORT
Visit the Europcar
desk on arrival
for special easyJet
infl ight rates.
Holiday Taxis
(easyJet.holiday
taxis.com) take you from
home to the airport, then
city or destination.
TAXI
A journey to the
centre should
cost €20.
Bus F runs to
the city every 15
minutes. Tickets: €1.70.
BON APPETIT
UP TO €15 Moderne
(16 Maria Theresien
Strasse, tel: 0512 584
848) The exhaustive
menu here includes
typical specialities such
as cheese noodles
with onions, a delicious
selection of roasts,
and nut pancakes with
cream for dessert.
UP TO €30 Bierwirt
(2 Bichlweg, tel: 0512
342 143) This family-run
inn draws in the crowds
with its traditional
cuisine. Enjoy an
excellent sirloin steak in
these rustic settings.
UP TO €50 Rumerhof
(11 Bundesstrasse, tel:
0512 262 215) Prepare
yourself for regional
dishes with a touch
of Mediterranean
infl uence. Order pasta
on a bed of rocket salad
and accompany it with
a glass of fruity Riesling.
EXCLUSIVE
Schöneck
(6 Weiherburggasse,
tel: 0512 272 728)
Located in the hills
above Innsbruck,
this restaurant with
spectacular views is
ideal for a romantic
dinner. Whether you
order exquisite lobster or
venison medallions, the
dishes prepared are all
works of perfection.
AFTER DARK
LOW KEY Konditorei
Grossgasteiger (3
Schneeburggstrasse,
tel: 0512 282 880)
Relax with a glass of
Chardonnay and
a piece of cake at the
end of a long day in
this charming spot.
LIVE MUSIC Coffee
Bar (18 Bleichenweg, tel:
0512 369 323) The bar
is particularly popular for
its lively band contests
– every Thursday night
local bands of different
genres compete against
each other.
LATE & LIVELY
One Club 1
(7 Höttingergasse, tel:
0512 394 393) One
of Innsbruck’s newer
clubs, the One Club 1
has already established
itself as one of the best
spots for electro and
house music.
THIS MONTH
SHOP Shop for
elegant and refi ned
lingerie at Palmers.
Expect sophisticated
design and great
quality (41 Maria
Theresien Strasse, tel:
0512 587 424).
SEE This month
visit the Sammeln,
Sammeln, Sammeln
exhibition showcasing
the newest acquisitions
of the State Museum
Ferdinandeum. The
collection has been
enriched by renaissance
paintings by Hans Maler,
precious 16th-century
glass objects and other
exhibits (Ferdinandeum,
1 Museumstrasse, tel:
0512 59489).
GO Located amid
a wonderful alpine
landscape, Innsbruck’s
Christmas market
with its fairytale-like
atmosphere is
a charming place to be.
Until 23 December you
can spend an afternoon
browsing the stalls,
tasting the delicious
food and sipping
warming glüwein
(Market Place).
ESCAPE Catch the
train and visit Bregenz.
Situated at Lake
Constance, the city
boasts both beautiful
landscapes and many
cultural sights. Wrap
up warm, it’s pretty
chilly at this time of
year but well worth the
two-hour journey.
NO WAY!
The Italian statistician
Bruno de Finetti
(1906–85), known
for the operational
subjective conception
of probability, was
born in Innsbruck.
Jovana Urosevic
Ehrwald · Lermoos · Berwang · Bichlbach · Biberwier · Heiterwang am See · Lähn-Wengle · Namlos