AS the bucket tipped, a fun-time monsoon poured down, producing screams of excitement and an explosion of splashing and giggles.

We were in the Activity Pool, a kiddies’ playground with climbing frames, slides, nets and water...lots of it. 

Click here now for amazing offers to Hurghada!

On our seven-day family holiday in Egypt at the Sindbad Aqua Park in Hurghada, we spent most of our time in water, sprayed with water, splashed with water, speeding
through water, over water and  under water...screaming!

Hurghada, developed since the 80s from a small Red Sea fishing village into a booming resort, is a perfect family holiday destination.

The Egyptians love kids (our two cheeky boys included) and the weather is warm and stable all year.

As our favourite waitress Ama said, it only rains for ten minutes every 12 months. You could be indoors and realise you’d missed it for another year!

On an all-inclusive package at the Sindbad Aqua Park, part of the Sindbad Club resort, we could move between the very different parts of the complex, giving a great range to our holiday.

Sindbad Aqua Park is the water park, Sindbad Beach Resort is the most luxurious and Sindbad Aqua Hotel the most sophisticated. 
Mornings usually started with us bobbing in a wave pool before each child chose which ride to take us on.

Top choice was the Pool Slider and Aqua Tube, which went a bit like this – don a rubber ring, plunge into darkness, scream, slide, splash! Boomerango went up a high slope and back down again but in reverse while The Space Bowl went down a steep, dark tunnel, spiralling round before lazily tipping you into a pool. 

Want incredible offers to Hurghada? Click here now...

Finally there were High Thrill and Sky Dive. The words “high” and “sky” say it all – but they missed out “fast” and “a bit frightening”!

There is also a toddlers’ pool with small slides and a mini island. Let off briefly, we lazed under palm umbrellas and admired how well the resort was laid out.

Despite the  frantic activity it was still possible to find peace to relax while waiters brought drinks.

But not for long! We took the Sindbad Sea Quest out to the coral reef – a two-hour trip on a glass-bottomed, Thunderbirds-style boat. Stopping over the reef we could
see the fish swimming, the amazing fairyland shapes of the coral and all the beauty of life beneath the sea.

Sindbad Submarines was our final water adventure. Inside it was two people per porthole and there was a TV screen to show our descent.
Tiny, fish-like rainbow teardrops flitted past as we dipped under the waves. Then, as we got deeper, shoals of beautiful fish, striped yellow and curious darted past. A wreck, complete with flying-horse masthead, made a dramatic highlight but best was the fish and the coral. 

Back at the hotel our all-inclusive option, with a range of restaurants to choose from, was ideal.

For us, the Aqua Park resort self-service La Cabana became home with its great welcome and caring, chatty staff. 
At Porto Lindo seafood restaurant (reservation and supplement necessary), we ate delicious, fat garlic prawns and drank crisp rosé wine while watching a belly dance show, before being lured on to the floor to give it a go ourselves! 

At the Lebanese restaurant we ate a delicious meal under the stars while juicy, marinated, barbecue chicken was a highlight of the Mongolian restaurant.
Afterwards we relaxed in the Eastern Hookah bar, arranged with comfortable chairs and white mattresses so tired children could relax or even sleep while we caught up on a few all-inclusive drinks. In downtown Hurghada we sped through bustling streets in a taxi, chatting with the driver. In the busy town everyone was selling and wanting your attention.

If you love haggling with a man who wants to make you his wife you’ll be in your element. 
It’s also good to experience real Egyptian coffee – dark, thick and sweet, in little cups with sugary, crumbly cakes. 
At the marina the more glitzy shops and restaurants are enticing and allow you to browse in luxury, though haggling is still key. 

But if an Apprentice-style re-enactment isn’t for you, the Hurghada Stars shopping mall next to the  resort sells almost everything. Prices are cheap, marked and fixed – and there are no marriage proposals!

With older children and more time I would have taken a trip to Luxor to see the Valley of the Kings or the pyramids and the Sphinx in Cairo.
They are an ideal way to combine the relaxation of a stress-free holiday with a bit of Egypt’s amazing history. But sometimes a good scream is just what you need.

FactFile
■SEVEN nights’ all-inclusive at the four-star Sindbad Club Aqua Park Resort in Hurghada costs from £491. Price includes flight from Gatwick on July 1. Or pay £1,098 for a family of four, departing on June 17 from Gatwick. To book visit airtours.co.uk or call 0844 871 6636.

Thomas Cook Publishing offers a wide range of travel guides including Egypt, from £4.99. Visit thomascookpublishing.com or 01733 416477.

■Excursions (all bookable through Thomas Cook reps): Sinbad Submarine costs £35 per adult and £18 per child. Glass bottom boat costs £21 per adult and £11 per child.

From Hurghada a day trip to Luxor by coach costs £65 per person. Trip includes the Karnak Temple, Memnon Colossi, Valley of the Kings (three tombs), Hatshepsut Temple – plus lunch in a restaurant on the banks of the Nile. Drinks are extra. Trip to see Tutankhamun’s tomb and a felucca ride on the Nile are optional extras on the day. 
From Hurghada a day trip to Cairo, by plane, costs £165 per adult (children £150). Trip includes the Pyramids, Sphinx and Cairo Museum. Lunch is included, drinks are extra.