Support the tourism to Egypt

[scubadada]

I paid for all local expenses on both trips in cash, US$, everyone really appreciated it

 

[chillyinCanada]

Thanks guys! Will change my Cdn $ to USd, despite the pain that causes me as a Canadian. Though why it matters to me, I don't know since it's all relative.

 

[diverLux]

well if you don't like US $ change your Canadians into EURO, I pay all my bills in € and they are readily accepted.

 

[chillyinCanada]

LOL, like I said, it's all relative but also psychological, so changing to Euros won't help either. Guess I'll just suck it up.

 

[Finn_Diver]

1 US $ is better than 1 € because the banks in Egypt don't change coins.

I am from Euro country, but I always have a load of 1 $ when ever I travel in Egypt or other third world country. It's value is understood everywhere and no one has ever turned it down.

 

[Neilwood]

There are lots of charter flights at the weekend from London to Hurgada..am not sure if that might suit. The liveaboards in the Red Sea are amazing value and well the photos above speak for themselves.

I wished that people in such stunningly beautiful countries with wonderful climates and amazing natural resources stopped fighting and killing each other and enjoyed their lives.
Best fishes everybody x

Quoted the above for emphasis - Did a liveaboard from Hurghada to the northern wreck and reefs (MY Whirlwind - great crew and guides). The diving was great but the sites are empty at the moment ie the SS Thistlegorm had 4 boats on it (on the 75th anniversary of its sinking) whereas according to our guides it has been up to 20 boats on some days. The reefs were the same with only ever a handful of divers at any site.

Tourism wise the country appears to be really feeling it.

 

[scubadada]

Quoted the above for emphasis - Did a liveaboard from Hurghada to the northern wreck and reefs (MY Whirlwind - great crew and guides). The diving was great but the sites are empty at the moment ie the SS Thistlegorm had 4 boats on it (on the 75th anniversary of its sinking) whereas according to our guides it has been up to 20 boats on some days. The reefs were the same with only ever a handful of divers at any site.

Tourism wise the country appears to be really feeling it.

It was the same with Brothers, Daedalus, and Elphinstone, far fewer boats and divers than in the past. Good for the divers, not so good for Egyptian tourism. This is a great time to visit

 

[Neilwood]

It was the same with Brothers, Daedalus, and Elphinstone, far fewer boats and divers than in the past. Good for the divers, not so good for Egyptian tourism. This is a great time to visit

As you say good for divers, bad for Egyptian tourism.

It is worth noting that this is probably very good for the Red Sea ecologically as I suspect there is a fair amount of damage caused by the diving industry both to reefs and some of the wrecks.

Some of the photos I have seen on facebook of mooring points on some of the wrecks are ridiculous (especially on the Thistlegorm) - mooring on handrails instead of major fittings such as the propshaft or anchor pulleys. Saying that I feel that there should be dedicated moorings for all of the major sites - how much would it cost to provide proper moorings instead of potentially damaging the sites?

 

[chillyinCanada]

Does anyone know how the latest currency devaluation is affecting tourists? Are prices the same in USD for meals, taxis and trinkets, etc.?

On another note, does anyone know current water temps?

 

[runsongas]

i think it probably depends on how much you like to haggle

northern red sea was not nearly as warm as though it would be in late feb/early march