Egypt Visiting

A scuba diving holiday in Hurghada is likely to be a very memorable and enjoyable trip, but it is worth getting an idea of what to expect before arriving here. Whilst some locals in Hurghada may be extremely friendly and genuine, others will just see you as a means to make money, so make sure that you don't part with your cash unnecessarily, or buy something that is not quite what it seems, such as a papyrus painting.

Be prepared to haggle over prices at all times. Shopkeepers in Hurghada expect it and can find it quiet offensive if you don't join in. Most goods are marked up, ready to be reduced when you ask. Having a clear indication of what you can expect to pay will help you negotiate with confidence. Here are some travel tips about life in Hurghada.

Hurghada Life and Travel Tips: Useful Contact Details - Hurghada, Egypt, EG

Hurghada Tourist Office - Resort Strip, Hurghada, Egypt, EG
Tel: +20 065 344 4420
Hurghada Tourist Office open: Saturday to Thursday - 09:00 to 20:00, Friday - 14:00 to 22:00

Tourist Police - Hurghada, Egypt, EG
Tel: +20 065 344 4774 (Ad-Dahar)
Tel: +20 065 344 4773 (Resort Strip)

Main Post Office - Sharia an-Nasr, Ad-Dahar, Hurghada, Egypt, EG
Main Post Office open: Saturday to Thursday - 08:30 to 14:30

Hurghada Life and Travel Tips: Visa Information - Hurghada, Egypt, EG
To extend your current visa or apply for a re-entry visa, pay a visit to the Passport Office on the Sharia an-Nasr, who will be happy to help you with your enquiries.

Passport and Immigration Office (Visa Extensions) - Sharia an-Nasr, Ad-Dahar, Hurghada, Egypt, EG
Passport and Immigration Office open: Saturday to Thursday - 08:00 to 14:00

Hurghada Life and Travel Tips: Language and Dialect - Hurghada, Egypt, EG
Arabic, the spoken language of Egyptians, may be difficult to learn, but basic phrases and words can easily be picked up and much appreciated by locals in the city of Hurghada. You will find that your trip to Egypt is enhanced by making the effort to communicate to locals in their own tongue and if you are planning to do this, make sure that you pack an Egyptian Arabic phrasebook or similar. Useful Egyptian phrases as are follows:

What is the address? - 'il un-waan ey?'
Where is the bathroom? - 'fayn il Ham-mam?'
My name is... - 'is-mee...'
Thank you (very much) - 'shu-kran (ga-zee lan)'

Hurghada Life and Travel Tips: Drinking Tap Water - Hurghada, Egypt, EG
The tap water in Hurghada is no different from the tap water all around Egypt - it is full of bacteria, extremely dangerous to drink and should be avoided at all costs, unless previously sterilised by boiling or similar. When drinking water and other cold drinks in Hurghada, stick to sealed bottles only, which can be purchased at various grocery stores close to most hotels. Do be careful when eating at restaurants and from buffets, as uncooked fruit and vegetables may well have been washed or contaminated with tap water.

Hurghada Life and Travel Tips: Tourist Traps and Scams - Hurghada, Egypt, EG
Be very wary of tourist scams in Hurghada - there are many of them. Locals in the city who suddenly start talking to you for no reason probably have a hidden agenda and so it's often simplest to politely walk away. Avoid booking tours through your hotel at all costs, you will pay through the nose and will save a considerable amount of money by simply brokering your own deals, something that many visitors enjoy.

Also watch out for shopkeepers in Hurghada, who will use every trick in the book to entice you into their shop, where they will be so friendly to you that you will feel pressured into buying something. You can expect to be asked to sign their guest book, translate an English letter, or help them write a postcard. Simply say 'no thanks' (la sukhran) with a smile and move on.

from http://www.hurghada.world-guides.com/hurghada_life.html