A Chillaxed Weekend At Bayside Red Sea Resort

We're always ones for a golden getaway weekend at beachy resorts on the Sinai outskirts. Even with winter's chilly alarming presence threatening our bikinis and hot shorts ever so much, we couldn't turn down this shore-side trek. For the love of our inquisitive inner gurus - and of course, our relentless yearning for a break from the hustling and bustling of the crowded city streets – we went on an exploratory quest to the roads and huts of Ras Sudr's much talked about Bayside Red Sea Resort.
Upon arrival, I questioned whether we had taken a wrong turn and headed to the island of Bora Bora instead. The bamboo reception hut welcomed us with juicy coconuts before we were swiftly escorted to our rooms. The outsides of the rooms/huts made it look like I'd be napping on sea-shelled beds. Behind the Narnia-like maroon wood-y doors awaited a fancy-ass vibrant chamber that aided in an anticipated episode of jumping-on-the-bed-like-a-four-year-old-who-just-got-invited-to-the-Four-Seasons-for-the-first-time. After a breathless session of bouncing, behind the curtained windows we found an immediate escape to the sea-water lakes, the pool, and a full view of the Red Sea shores. You could literally sit in the balcony and wiggle your toes in the chilly water, which is something I found myself doing way too embarrassingly often.Hungry for a new adventure - and for foodr, obviously - we went out for dinner to chat with the founders, Abdelrahman Okasha and Hamdy Ghoussein, and PR Manager Nouran Khonany. In the cozy resort, it only took us 24 steps (we counted) along the passage down to the Main Hut. The chilly sea breeze introduced itself, grilled Kofta smoke awakened our famish with a warm hug, and we sat down on the lounge-y cushion seats, and snuggled inside the two-storey wooden open-aired shack. Ghoussein started talking about how they'd "finished Egypt's whole stock of bamboos in order to wrap up the huts;" even afterwards, when half of the huts had not been done yet, they had to import from abroad. If only pandas could pay us a visit - not sure if they'd throw a fit of rage at the corrupted bamboo, or go berserk and eat all the huts. However, we're hoping Bayside Red Sea's permanent beach view would give the pandas that propitious feeling of inner tranquility that we're all feeding on. Not only does it take you through an episode of soul-searching, Khonany's also got a story to prove that it can go as far as curing cancer.

"My grandma used to come here every now and then after she found out about her brain tumour," Khonany mentions. "Ras Sudr's air put her in a mental state that helped a great deal towards her recovery. Bayside Red Sea gives you a chance to recharge, and that is what we are hoping to continue preserving here." Safe to say you could all leave your Otrivin drops at home, Bayside's air has got it covered. 

Next morning, we woke up to a (late) breakfast served atop the Main Hut's roof. With the sun on our backs, cool air blowing the steam off our hot fried bacon and eggs, and the Red Sea offering us eye candy, paradise lured me into giving up on the city once and for all. It was hard to imagine the journey coming to an end and eventually having to head back home again. I contemplated strapping a couple of coconuts for a bra, dressing in bamboo leaves, and spending my eternity as a bohemian beach hippie.No fish were harmed during the making of the lakes because they use specially enhanced purified filters that carry the sea water directly, and clean it regularly to guarantee a piss-free swim. Afterwards, they fill the lake with live tortoises and colourful fish to guard you while you sleep, and catch any late-night lurkers trying to sneak a peek while you change.Apart from gazing at the horizon and tanning by the pool, you can also go windsurfing, kayaking, kitesurfing, banana boating, and couch poatoe-ing - whichever way you would prefer spending your chill-out session. Don't fear the usual electrical power cuts that hit most Ras Sudr resorts, Bayside Red Sea has proved their generator's worth last month when the whole of Ras Sedr went dark. They had everyone leaving their flashlights in their cars and spending the night having a bite to eat at the Main Hut with music playing nonstop, where the only things that flickered were their neon-painted tables under the presence of moonlight.  

Ghoussein later took us to where it all started; "Okhasha, the founder, and I started the whole idea after wanting to build a place to hang out. Most people cannot find reservations at local areas; lots of resorts tend to only let their close acquaintances in." He added how they initially went through lots of crappy paperwork with the army to get the construction of the 16 huts this close to the sea shores. However, it only took them 10 months to get it all together, and they were greeted by full bookings at their soft opening back in September.The more the merrier! They are expanding their location by adding 10 more unique huts with secret special designs that are destined to finish around April 2016. We tried and tried, but all they would share was that the huts will "ship you to relaxation," which made us wonder if they'll be building glass chambers - hint hint. They are also introducing day use huts for booty calls and yoga/Pilates sessions for an extra flexible de-stressful stay.

The best part: You can enjoy the New Year's Eve countdown with Bayside for a celebration with a Red Sea splash. Because who wants to be stuck in the city in a crowded party where you spend three hours and thousands of pounds to get in, only to realise there's an even longer line at the bar and the music blows. Instead, do New Year's Eve the right way in Ras Sedr. Seaside, sunshine, and ultimate relaxation. Plus you get to wake up next year to this killer view.

Visit their Instagram for a quick for a preview here. For bookings, send them a message on their Facebook page here.