We’ve just got back from our first ever family resort holiday to Hurghada, and I’ve been sitting here thinking about how to share it.

Because if you follow me, you’ll know I usually share the beautiful bits — the smiles, the connection, the moments that feel like magic. And there was so much of that on this trip.

But there was also airport chaos, sibling drama, questionable dinner outfits… and one child who genuinely believes vegetables are poison (yes, she had chips for breakfast one day).

So here’s the real story.

✈️ The Journey

We flew into Hurghada and skipped the long coach transfer, opting for a private airport transfer straight to our hotel — which, honestly, was the best decision. With kids, that 15-minute journey instead of an hour felt like a small win.

Because the airport?

Not so much.

We had:

• One child refusing to take her shoes off at security
• One child panicking because her dad’s bag got checked and her beloved tablet might be confiscated
• And me, rummaging through the bag desperately trying to find money to pay the toilet attendants whilst hubby carried the worlds heaviest carry-on bag because I decided ‘I didn’t want to take a fourth suitcase – ooops!

🌴 The Resort Life in Hurghada

We stayed at the Mamlouk Palace Hotel for a week, and it was everything you’d expect from a 5-star resort — beautiful, busy, and (if I’m honest) a little loud for me. Music blaring until way past bedtime, and early risers echoing through the corridors from 6 am.

I want to mention how hard the staff work and how incredibly friendly they all were before moving on though!

Hurghada itself is quite far from places like Luxor and Cairo, so when you’re on the resort, you could almost be anywhere. But the heat sat perfectly between 22–30 degrees, and for the kids, it was heaven.

Every single day was pool day.

This was their first experience of a proper water park, and both of them have already said it definitely won’t be their last.

Personally, I was all about the beach days though, that gorgeous golden sand and stunning blue sea. Perfect!

👙 Same DNA, Completely Different Humans

If you ever needed proof that children can be polar opposites despite sharing the same DNA, this holiday delivered it perfectly.

Child number 2 (the wild one) launched herself headfirst down a water slide without a second thought — fearless, unstoppable, living her absolute best life.

Meanwhile, child number 1 stood at the side, completely horrified, convinced her little sister was moments away from death.

And me?

Somewhere between pride and panic.

🍽️ Dinner… or the Nightly Fashion Show

Evenings brought a whole new level of chaos.

Our 9-year-old has currently decided that every dinner is, in fact, a fashion event. Which meant nightly outfit debates, last-minute changes, and the expectation that I could produce Instagram-worthy hairstyles in approximately 30 seconds.

I am, for the record, a “brush and go” kind of mum.

This did not align with her vision.

Once the fashion show was over, it was time to navigate the buffet – why can’t anybody watch where they are going, and why don’t the plates have rims on them so people can’t knock your food off them when they walk into you??

✈️ Fear, and doing it anyway

I left for this holiday with fear in my eyes.

There’s so much noise in the world, and knowing there is conflict not too far from Egypt made it hard to fully switch off. I’ve always been terrified of flying, and I’ve carried this belief for a long time that if you travel… something bad could happen.

But since losing my dad, something shifted in me.

I refuse to let fear be the thing that holds me back anymore.

And here’s what I learned…

The plane didn’t explode.
There were no pirates out at sea.
The sharks didn’t attack us.
We didn’t get food poisoning (although I will give partial credit to the £30 worth of probiotics we took in the weeks leading up to the holiday 😅).

Instead, we climbed mountains.
We quad biked across the desert and it was there, in the middle of the desert, that my eldest turned and said:

“Core memories have been activated,” and that was the exact moment I knew we had made the right decision, we were exactly where we needed to be in that moment!

We went on a mini submarine and saw sea turtles.
The girls lived their absolute best lives in the water park.

And we came home — safe, tired, and already thinking about the next adventure.

🤍 A little note, from one mum to another

So, if you’re reading this as a mum and thinking about booking a holiday, or even just wondering if you’re doing enough…

You are!

And if you’ve ever worried that your family life is “too messy” to document — it isn’t. We are all out here just trying to do our best.

How are your family holidays? Are they relaxing, or are they a little crazy? Do you like relaxing at the beach, or are you going down the slides with the kids?