Hurghada, Egypt...don't give up on your planned holiday

[Panorama-S]

Hi Everyone,
I live and work in Hurghada, Egypt and just wanted to reassure anyone who has a trip over here planned that Hurghada is still a safe place to come. Most of the troubles seen recently on the news and in the papers has been confined to Cairo and to a lesser extent, Alexandria. I walk to the dive centre every day, go shopping, socialise with my friends in the evening and live my life exactly the same as I have been doing since I arrived here in May 2012. We have seen only two or three PEACEFUL and small demonstrations during the time when Morsi was being called to leave office. Egypt needs the tourists and the Red Sea resorts are the same as they always were, if a little quieter. The diving is fantastic at the moment with quiet dive sites, warm seas and great visibility. Take the general advice offered by the Home Office and come and enjoy the diving.

 

[steveharriss]

Pretty much what I've heard from my friends in Hurghada as well. I hope the current news doesn't put too many people off.

 

[Krazyklaws]

We have friends in Dahab, and they say pretty much the same thing. All quiet as usual and no curfews. Looking forward to going in 36 days (not that I'm counting or anything!!)

 

[tplyons]

The group I was planning to travel with to Egypt this October has unanimously decided to wait another year or two. The recent US State Department decision to temporarily close over twenty US Embassies was the straw on the camel's back. Several of our significant others have flat out told us not to go.

We've moved our trip to another location simply to appease our loved ones. However, we will be visiting in the foreseeable future.

Hope the area isn't too hurt by travelers with over-worried wives and families.

I know I'd love to do my two-week scheduled trip, but not right now.

 

[Agility]

The problem is many airlines have cancelled most flights from Europe to Egypt
I hope they will continue service in October

 

[redacted]

Hi Everyone,
I live and work in Hurghada, Egypt and just wanted to reassure anyone who has a trip over here planned that Hurghada is still a safe place to come.

Perhaps you should tell everyone what you do for a living. It might make a difference in the usefulness of your post.

 

[steveharriss]

Well he's hardly hidden the information you wanted "living in Hurghada and working as UK Marketing Manager for Panorama Divers. Qualified to PADI OWSI, EFR Instructor & Nitrox Speciality Instructor as of June 2013"

I live in the UK so have nothing to gain by encouraging others to get over to Egypt but have friends who work in the dive industry out in Hurghada. Everyone is saying the same thing; business as usual. They are unhappy about the foreign news coverage which seems hell bent on destroying what's left of tourism and doesn't seem to reflect the actual situation the locals are seeing.

I went over during the last bout of trouble and had a blast. Only four dive boats on the Abu Nuhas reef! I'm planning my next trip and hope, for the sake of the Egyptian populace as a whole, that others will continue to do so as well.

 

[sphyrnidus]

These are always sad things. I have been to Egypt on numerous occasions and the last couple of years it was very quiet. So I was on a liveaboard with just one other buddy pair, last year. We dove the Thistlegorm with just the four of us, no other boats. Just last April tourism seemed to pick up a little bit. Of course the economic crisis is also debit to the demise of tourism to Egypt.
It's said for the locals who earn their living in the tourist industry.
But it seems hard to get to Egypt at the moment as all the bigger operators, like the German TUI have cancelled al trips.

 

[Tippytoes12]

We had a great trip in mid July this year. There weren't many boats and the diving was awesome. If the diving industry goes AWOL , then the marine life is bound to suffer....like the animals in the Zimbawbe game parks when the tourists stopped visiting. The dive tourism industry is a very big employer , the last thing Egypt or or indeed the world needs is x thousand extra angry unemployed young men.

Just an opinion...accept that it won't be shared by all.

 

[drbill]

I've been considering a trip to Hurghada myself although I am hesitating a bit given the current situation. My friend there also says things are pretty much unaffected by the current political situation (other than visitor numbers being down).