Kite safari vs kite camp vs beach hotel: which one for your kite week

If you can already ride on your own and are weighing up a kite safari, a kite camp and a hotel by the spot, for a week of progression I would go for the safari. The boat heads to whichever island has wind that day, and you are on the water in the morning and again in the afternoon. If you are starting from zero, both work, but expect a tougher start on the boat. I would pick a camp or a hotel by the spot if you can't commit to fixed dates, or are travelling with someone who wants a town in the evening.

I know both sides in Hurghada: the Paradise kite centre in El Khayam, between Hurghada and El Gouna, and the boat Mohamed takes out to the islands. I have been on his safari several times. I have known Mohamed for years and once built his website, so I am not neutral about the safari.

Safari, camp and hotel at a glance

A kite camp is a week at one spot with a programme: a room, a school, a group, often meals too. A hotel by the spot is similar, just without the programme. You stay close to a kite station and put the rest together yourself. A safari is a week on a boat that moves between islands with you on board.

Kite safari: the spot follows the wind

On a safari you live for a week on a yacht that leaves from Hurghada. There is a briefing in the morning, the boat moves to an island based on the forecast, and you ride twice: in the morning and again after lunch on board. In the evening there is video coaching, where you go through how you rode that day. For progression I think this is the part that counts most. You see on screen what you do differently from what you think you do, and you can try it again the next morning.

There is nothing on the islands, just sand, and the wind keeps blowing. For Tawila, Paradise lists steady winds of 15-25 knots, shallow water and a sandy bottom. Abu Minqar is a smaller island with a shallow, calm lagoon that works well for trick training. From Geisum you can downwind to the neighbouring islands, and the crew organises those runs.

After his safari, guest Jan Procházka wrote: "Generally I always thought that kitesafari is only for pros, but since kiting is done on spots with shallows, everyone can find their own." The shallows help most when you crash: you stand up, sort out the kite and ride on. On day 1 there is a safety briefing on board, where the crew goes through the rules, the kite zones and the wind. There is a rescue boat on the water, and the beach boys help you launch and land. If you can't yet hold your ground upwind, stay inside the kite zones from the briefing and follow the crew.

What to keep in mind on a safari

• The dates are fixed. There are 4 in 2026, the last one 7-14 November. The 2027 dates are coming soon, and you can sign up for a notification through the form on the safari page.
• You spend the whole week on the boat with the same group. The last night is usually on the boat or in a hotel in Hurghada.
• Tawila is visited only by prior arrangement, because entry is charged.
• Gubal is on the route only if people want to dive.

For a full day on board and what the price covers, see Kite safari Egypt: what to expect.

Hotel by the spot: more freedom, one place

The Paradise kite centre sits in a private residential complex about half an hour by car from the airport. The lagoon is wide, shallow and warm with a sandy bottom, and the wind blows gently onshore at a slight angle. That is a good setup for learning: you can stand up in the shallow water and the wind drifts you back towards the beach. The deeper water at the edge of the lagoon is where the foilers ride. The station is 50 m from the water, with a compressor, help with launching and landing, and a rescue boat. On the map it is listed as Hurghada (Paradise Kitesurf).

If you bring your own gear, the centre's price list has beach access at €10 a day or €50 for 7 days for 1 person. That covers the compressor, beach boys, gear storage, shower, toilets and Wi-Fi. Rooms near the centre start at €20 a night for 1-2 people, and an airport pick-up is €15.

For a kitesurfing holiday in Hurghada, the big plus of a room by the spot is freedom. You fly in when you like, stay 4 days or 3 weeks, and go into town in the evening. Anyone travelling with you who doesn't kite has a pool, the beach and a restaurant. The downside is that you stay in the same place. When the wind there is light, you wait or rig a bigger kite. Getting to another spot, such as El Gouna, is up to you.

Kite camp: a crew and a programme at one spot

A kite camp makes sense when you want a crew and a programme but not a boat. You stay at one spot with a group, ride with an instructor, and the day revolves around when the wind blows. For progression, what matters most is how much coaching is included and how reliable the wind is at that spot, because unlike on a boat you stay in one place all week. Kitesurf camps differ mostly in what the price includes. Before paying, I would ask:

• Is coaching included, or just the room and beach access?
• How many instructors are there per group, and who helps with launching and landing?
• Is there a rescue boat on the water?
• Which way does the wind blow relative to the shore, and how deep is the water where you ride?
• How old is the rental gear?
• What happens on days without wind?

When the wind is light

The NASA POWER model shows an average of around 10-11 knots for the Hurghada area from November to February and 13-14 knots from June to September. It is a model with a grid of roughly 50 km and wind modelled at 10 m above ground, so the wind on a particular beach will differ, but it gives you the pattern across the year. That applies to the boat and the hotel alike.

What changes is what you can do about light wind. On the safari the crew picks the spot for the wind and the boat moves. When the wind is light across the whole area, that doesn't help either. On land you stay at your spot, and a bigger kite is your main option. In April 2023 I rode in Hurghada on an Ozone Catalyst 16 m² and a Kitech FreeRS 12 m². A bigger kite earns its place on the lighter days, whether you sleep on a boat or in a hotel. To work out your own size, try the kite size calculator.

What it costs in total

On the safari, full gear rental is €300 for 6 days and the beginner course is €600 including gear. Mohamed confirms the exact park fee and tips amount with each set of dates. Flights, visa and insurance that covers kiting are on you either way.

A room by the spot is cheaper per night. When you compare, though, add up the whole week, including food, drinks, transfers and lessons. On the safari you pay one price that covers food, drinks and transfers, while at a hotel you pay for each item separately. That is the main way all-inclusive kitesurfing holidays differ from a hotel stay.

What I would choose

You ride on your own and want to progress. The safari. 2 sessions a day, video coaching, downwinds and a crew to share it with. The safari gives the most to people who ride independently after their course and want to move on. Dates and the enquiry form are on the kite safari Egypt page.

You are starting from zero. Both work, with different expectations. The lagoon at the centre is comfortable for the first days, and you can stay as long as you need. On the boat there is a 6-day course for beginners on a safari and shallow lagoons. In April 2024 we took 8 beginners on the safari and spent the first 2 days at Geisum. Day 1 was tough, and by the middle of day 2 everyone was riding. That is not a promise: the wind, the instructor and how it clicks for you all play a part.

You don't know your dates yet, or want something other than a week. A hotel by the spot, because the safari runs on fixed dates.

Someone is coming who doesn't kite. Both work. When only one of a couple kites on a safari, the other has snorkelling, wakeboarding behind the boat and diving for an extra fee. At the hotel there is a pool and the town.

You are travelling solo. On a safari or at a camp you are part of a group from the first evening. At a hotel it depends on who you meet on the beach.