Marsa Matruh was a small fishing village on the Mediterranean coast of Egypt until the white sands and unspoilt beaches around the town became popular with Egyptians from Cairo wanting to escape the summer heat. It has grown over the last twenty years to be a tourist town and Thomson Holidays is building 6 5 star hotels in the area to cater for British Holiday makers wanting a change from Spain but not the heat of Sharm El Sheik.