First Impressions: Hurghada, Egypt

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I arrived in Hurghada, Egypt about a week ago shortly after the New Year to work as a Dancer at The Three Corners Sunny Beach Resort. 

Hurghada is a sea town known mostly for its diving centers and crystal clear waters to go snorkeling and scuba diving.

Hurghada is along the Red Sea Coast in Egypt, south of Cairo (the capital) and Alexandria. You can take flights to these locations and buses. (Buses take longer of course and costs are typically cheaper.) Luxor (south of Hurghada) is also about a four hour bus ride away where you can see the Temple of Amun, Mummification Museum and other ancient historical sites. You can also take a ferry to Sharm el-Sheikh, another luxurious resort. Check with your travel provider for more info ( for example: Thomas Cook is a huge travel agency from the UK that help plan your whole holiday from flights, all inclusive resort options, etc) Also inquire with your resort or hotel on options to take day(s) excursions to Luxor, Alexandria, etc, hotels usually have conjunctive travel guides to safely guide you from place to place.  

 Al Gouna is also nearby which I herd is a luxurious town different from typical Egyptian or tourist towns or cities. I herd from guests at the resort that there is less people haggling you. 

Which brings me to my next point:


Haggling. If you are a tourist in Egypt and you look like a tourist you will be haggled constantly. You will mostly be haggled by taxi drivers, shop and retail sellers, and so on. This is especially true for woman who travel alone and look different (blonde or have an afro,etc) This is the same for any frequent tourist city and country but especially the Middle East and North African countries. This view is also based on my experiences from Morocco and Turkey as well. (Try to cover your head with a hijab or scarf to be incognito.) The men will try to be nice, ask where you are from and kindly attempt to start a conversation with you. Don't let them UNLESS you know what they are selling and are genuinely interested. They will off you a "discount" which is really not a discount since they probably already over charged you so always talk them down to at least half the price of things especially things at "antique" or tourist shops. My advice is to always ask a native person who you trust and know, what the typical price of taxi and other things are. 

Money/ Prices
Interesting enough American Money (USD) Euros (EUR) as well as Egyptian Pounds (EGP) are widely accepted in many places in Hurghada. BE CAREFUL make sure you know the conversion of your currency to EGP if you plan to pay that way. Again if something cost 250 EGP (approx. $34) they will try to charge you $36 or more. 


Currently the conversion rates are:
1 USD =  7.15 EGP
1 EUR = 8.42 EGP  
 * Prices based on XE.com but are subject to change. Consistently check the website for up to date rates.
A better explanation on pricing will come in next blog entry.


Visa
The most annoying part about landing in Egypt for me was buying my Visa at the airport. It costs around $20 or 20 Euro, though the hagglers will try to charge you $25 or more. I paid a guy 200 EGP though he tried to charge me 250 EGP (roughly $34) he claimed the price went up this year. Maybe it did, I am not sure but I only paid 200 EGP. Let's back track a minute and break down how the Visa works here:


As soon as you arrive in the airport there are travel agency stands where guys will try to get you to buy a Visa through them. It is over whelming at first. They will ask what type of money you have American or Euro and will charge you a price. If you don't have the adequate currency or want to change to another, there is a Bank Masir desk nearby to help. THERE ARE NO ATMs before you get your luggage so make sure you have the cash with you before you board the plane. Every single person besides an Egyptian citizen of course needs to buy a Visa to enter the country, even if you are just visiting. There are men at the various stands ask who are traveling with. For example: Thomas Cook or other travel agencies and you will buy a visa through them. After your passport is stamped with the Visa you move onto the Border agent, then another agent must check your Passport stamp before you retrieve your luggage. Simple huh?


Past 40 days....
Your Visa is valid for 40 days, if you plan to work here (like me) you must go with your employer to get an official work visa. If you want to stay past 40 days, make sure you visit your country's Embassy or Consulate in Egypt for more information on how to stay. 


Weather
This past week went through 3 seasons. Some days it will be very hot and sunny like  65-79 degrees then at night it will be 58 degrees but feel like 30 due to the wind. Since we are near the Eastern Desert it gets very cold at night. Otherwise from sunrise to sunset (around 5-6 pm) It is very warm and sunny and beautiful! There were a few days where it was very cold during the day and skies were gray all day. It also snowed in Alexandria (Northern part of Egypt) last week! This did not happen here- it was cold and gray for two days but have been mostly sunny and warm!

Misc.
So far that is all I have learned in Hurghada my first week here, many more experiences and helpful info to come. The resorts are lovely but outside resorts is not pretty at all. Lots of reconstruction going on, many more resorts and hotels are being built. Nightlife is beautiful, particularly Color Beach Club but it gets cold at night and drinks are a bit pricey. Little Buddha is nice and fun as well but get ready to spend some dough on drinks (unless you are a female & its ladies night, then you can drink free until 2am on most nights.) 


Hope you have enjoyed! Thank you for reading...until next time!!!!