Brennia Kottefaru Hotel

From the seaplane journey to the welcome arrival on the island, everything is amazing. The seaplane drops you on a raft and the boat comes to take you to shore. The staff greet you from the boat and check you in. We were checked in by Diana who then took us on a tour of the island and dropped us at our Ocean Pool Villa, where our suitcases were waiting for us. The room is spacious with a TV, kettle, tea, herbal teas and coffee. The minibar has one bottle of white wine, one red wine, one can of Sprite, one Coke and one Fanta which is replenished daily. I asked for Diet Coke, which was delivered. There are also bottles of water which are replenished twice daily. The bathroom was fabulous with the outside shower. It is also stocked with shower gel, body lotion, shampoo and conditioner. There are also two umbrellas and a torch in the room. There is a vanity area with a hairdryer. There is adequate storage. Outside there was a private pool, two sunbeds, a small table and two chairs, a ladder down into the sea and a beautiful view. Beach towels are left in your room. Unfortunately the current can be quite strong on this side of the island. A big shout out to Anwar who kept our room spotlessly clean and replenished. Food is varied and replenished frequently. At breakfast you can get fresh omelettes and eggs cooked to order, pancakes and crepes, a cooked breakfast, fruit, yogurt etc. At lunch, as well as the main buffet dishes, there is fresh pizza being cooked, an Italian chef cooking pasta dishes which are highly recommended, salads and fresh fruit. There is a themed evening each night of the week which is repeated weekly but the food is delicious. There is an air conditioned room at the back of the restaurant which has the salads, fruits and desserts in. The restaurant staff are all so friendly and helpful, another big shout out to Priyanka and Kapita who often served our table. There are also two a-la-carte restaurants which you pay for but get a discount if you are AI. We ate at Manta restaurant, we had a table outside on the beach, the food was absolutely delicious and the staff were very attentive and friendly. The pool area is lovely, there were always sunbeds available and there are beach towels available at the pool. The staff bring your drinks to you at your sunbed. Another big shout out to Neetu who always knew what we wanted to drink both in the daytime and at night! He is so friendly, works so hard and is an absolute asset. Adriano from Hurghada is in charge of all the entertainment from aqua aerobics in the morning to the karaoke and weekly fire show in the evenings. La Pella is the place to go at night. There is a list of cocktails that are included in the All Inclusive and this is where the entertainment is. There is a shop selling some snacks (Pringles, Haribos, chocolate bars) toiletries and souvenirs. There is also a jewellery shop. There is a recreation area including tennis courts, football pitch, table tennis table and a gym. It only takes about 20 mins to walk around the entire island. There is a dive centre and you can borrow snorkelling equipment throughout your stay. I had a coconut body wrap in the spa which was lovely. The ladies in the spa were welcoming and friendly. Weather - we were there in the last week of September and first week in October, we had only one rain shower for about 10 mins in the daytime and a couple at night. Most days were sunny, blue skies and very warm!! I cannot praise the staff enough, they are all so friendly from the maintenance/gardening staff to the reception staff, they all greet you. This is an amazing island with white sandy beaches and turquoise waters. The sunsets are beautiful. Please ignore any negative comments, I would highly recommend this paradise island. If you have a few hours to wait for your flight home, you can take the ferry for one dollar per person per journey and visit Male.