Travel in Egypt

Hurghada is one of the most visited places in Egypt.

The city was founded in the early 20th century, and since the 1980s has been continually enlarged by Egyptian and foreign investors to become the leading seashore resort on the Red Sea. Holiday villages and hotels provide aquatic sport facilities for sailboarders, yachtsmen, scuba divers and snorklers.

Hurghada stretches for about 36 km along the seashore, and it does not reach far into the surrounding desert. The resort is a destination for Egyptian tourists from Cairo, the Delta and Upper Egypt, as well as package holiday tourists from Europe, notably Italians, Russians, Czechs and Germans. Until a few years ago it was a small fishing village. Today Hurghada counts 248,000 inhabitants and is divided into three parts: Downtown (El Dahar) is the old part; Sekalla is the modern part, and El Korra Road is the most modern part. Sakkala is the relatively modest hotel quarter. Dahar is where the town's largest bazaar, the post office and the long-distance bus station are situated.

The city is served by the Hurghada International Airport with scheduled passenger traffic to and from Cairo and direct connections with several cities in Europe. The airport has undergone massive renovations to accommodate rising traffic. Hurghada is known for its watersports activities, nightlife and warm weather. Daily high temperature hovers round 30 degrees Celsius most of the year. Numerous Europeans spend their Christmas and New Year holidays in Hurghada, primarily Germans and Italians.

Hurghada has become an international center for aquatic sports like windsurfing, kiting, sailing, deep-sea fishing, swimming, and above all snorkeling and diving. The underwater gardens offshore are considered some of the finest in the world. The warm waters here are ideal for many varieties of fish and coral, which may also be observed from a glass bottom boat.

The city provides a gateway to diving sites throughout the Red Sea, owing to its central location. In addition, Hurghada is known for providing access to many uninhabited offshore reefs and islands.

Al Quseir is one of the Egyptian gateways, and one of the oldest cities on the western coast of the Red Sea. In the past it was known by various names, such as Thagho in the pharonic period, Licos Limen (the white port) in the Ptolemaic period, and Portus Albus in the Roman period. In the Islamic period it was given the name Al Quseir, which means "a small palace or fortress".

Located between Hurghada and Marsa Alam, Quseir used to be an important port. Many people traveled from there to the land of Punt to buy ivory, leather and incense. During the Ottoman and the Islamic periods, Egyptians and Muslims from North Africa traveled from Quesir as pilgrims to Mecca. It was also the only port importing coffee from Yemen. During the French occupation of Egypt, Quseir was the arrival point for Arabs and Muslims from Hegaz coming to fight beside the Mamalic against the French army. The most important sites in Quseir are the fort and the water reservoir. The water reservoir was Quseir's only source of drinking water 100 years ago.

Al Quseir Al Kadima is another important site as well. It was the old Roman port where hundreds of amphora and old pottery artifacts were found. Even the police station is located at a historical site. There are now many bazaars here, as well as cafes, coffee shops and restaurants offering sea food. There are several 300-year-old buildings here: the Ottoman fort and the old mosques Al Farran, Al Qenawi and Al Senousi.

Al Quseir is known for diving, with many miles of unspoiled coral reef. Most hotels have dive centres, and there are some downtown, as well. Safaris are popular here, either by quad bike or jeep, including trips into the desert and visits to a Bedouin village, as is camel-riding.

Hurghada is a place, where you can either just relax all day long on the sun or try some extreme, some new kind of sports and just have an active vacation.

It doesnt to rain much in Egypt, only for a few months in winter. South of Cairo, rainfall averages only around 2 to 5 mm (0.1 to 0.2 in) per year and at intervals of many years.

On a very thin strip of the northern coast the rainfall can be as high as 410 mm (16 in), with most of the rainfall between October and March. Snow falls on Sinai's mountains and some of the north coastal cities such as Damietta, Baltim, Sidi Barrany, etc. and rarely in Alexandria, frost is also known in mid-Sinai and mid-Egypt.

Temperatures average between 80 °F (27 °C) and 90 °F (32 °C) in summer, and up to 109 °F (43 °C) on the Red Sea coast. Temperatures average between 55 °F (13 °C) and 70 °F (21 °C) in winter. A steady wind from the northwest helps hold down the temperature near the Mediterranean coast. The Khamaseen is a wind that blows from the south in Egypt in spring, bringing sand and dust, and sometimes raises the temperature in the desert to more than 100 °F (38 °C).

The rise in sea levels due to global warming threatens Egypt’s densely populated coastal strip and could have grave consequences for the country’s economy, agriculture and industry. Combined with growing demographic pressures, a rise in sea levels could turn millions of Egyptians into environmental refugees by the end of the century, according to climate experts.

And, of course, with such great climate Egypt is one of the most popular countries for holidays in the world. Millions of tourists every year visit this marvelous place to travel, explore and just relax on the beach.

At 1,001,450 square kilometers (386,660 sq mi), Egypt is the world's 38th-largest country (after Mauritania). It is comparable in size to Tanzania, twice the size of France, four times the size of the United Kingdom, and is more than half the size of the US state of Alaska.

Nevertheless, due to the aridity of Egypt's climate, population centres are concentrated along the narrow Nile Valley and Delta, meaning that approximately 99% of the population uses only about 5.5% of the total land area.

Egypt is bordered by Libya to the west, Sudan to the south, and by the Gaza Strip and Israel to the east. Egypt's important role in geopolitics stems from its strategic position: a transcontinental nation, it possesses a land bridge (the Isthmus of Suez) between Africa and Asia, which in turn is traversed by a navigable waterway (the Suez Canal) that connects the Mediterranean Sea with the Indian Ocean via the Red Sea.

Apart from the Nile Valley, the majority of Egypt's landscape is a sandy desert. The winds blowing can create sand dunes more than 100 feet (30 m) high. Egypt includes parts of the Sahara Desert and of the Libyan Desert. These deserts were referred to as the "red land" in ancient Egypt, and they protected the Kingdom of the Pharaohs from western threats.

Towns and cities include Alexandria, one of the greatest ancient cities, Aswan, Asyut, Cairo, the modern Egyptian capital, El-Mahalla El-Kubra, Giza, the site of the Pyramid of Khufu, Hurghada, Luxor, Kom Ombo, Port Safaga, Port Said, Sharm el Sheikh, Suez, where the Suez Canal is located, Zagazig, and Al-Minya. Oases include Bahariya, el Dakhla, Farafra, el Kharga and Siwa. Protectorates include Ras Mohamed National Park, Zaranik Protectorate and Siwa. See Egyptian Protectorates for more information.

So, visiting Egypt is a must for every person in the world. Doesnt really matter, what you do on holidays - Egypt can easily offer all that and even more!

It is a place, that many people would simply love to go. And, with the help of modern tour-agency's, it's not a big problem. Welcome to Egypt!

Sharm el Sheikh, often referred to as "Sharm", is a city situated on the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula, in Janub Sina', Egypt, on the coastal strip between the Red Sea and Mount Sinai.

Sharm el-Sheikh is the administrative hub of Egypt's Southern Sinai province which includes the smaller coastal towns of Dahab and Nuweiba as well as the mountainous interior, Saint Catherine's Monastery and Mount Sinai. Sharm el-Sheikh is known as The City of Peace referring to the large number of international peace conferences that have been held there.

Sharm el-Sheikh is on a promontory overlooking the Straits of Tiran at the mouth of the Gulf of Aqaba. Its strategic importance led to its transformation from a fishing village into a major port and naval base for the Egyptian Navy. It was captured by Israel during the Sinai conflict of 1956 and restored to Egypt in 1957. A United Nations peacekeeping force was subsequently stationed there until the 1967 Six-Day War when it was recaptured by Israel.

Sharm el-Sheikh remained under Israeli control until the Sinai peninsula was returned to Egypt in 1982 after the Israel-Egypt Peace Treaty of 1979. An Israeli Settlement had been created there in the 1970s under the name "Ophira" (אופירה), derived from Biblical Ophir. Israeli settlers there had the name of being easy-going, bohemian types and - unlike settlers elsewhere - offered no resistance when evacuated in 1982. Also, unlike the Israeli settlements in North Sinai which were razed to the ground upon evacuation by order of then Defence Minister Ariel Sharon, the Israeli settlement at Sharm el-Sheikh was handed intact to the Egyptians, and some of the buildings erected at the time are still in evidence.

A hierarchical planning approach was adopted for the Gulf of Aqaba, whereby their components were evaluated and subdivided into zones, cities and centers. In accordance with this approach, the Gulf of Aqaba zone was subdivided into four cities: Taba, Nuweiba, Dahab and Sharm El-Sheikh. Sharm El-Sheikh city has been subdivided into five homogeneous centers namely: Nabq, Ras Nusrani, Naama Bay, Umm Sid and Sharm El Maya.

Average temperatures during the winter months (November to March) range from 15 to 35 degrees Celsius (59-95°F) and during the summer months (April to October) from 20 to 45 degrees Celsius (68-113°F). The temperature of the Red Sea in this region ranges from 21 to 28 degrees Celsius (70-84°F) over the course of the year.

Sharm el-Sheikh was formerly a port, but commercial shipping has been greatly reduced as the result of strict environmental laws introduced in the 1990s. Until 1982, there was only a military port in Sharm el-Sheikh, on the northern part of Marsa Bareka. The civilian port development started in the mid 1980s when the Sharem-al-Maya bay became the city's main yacht and service port.

Sharm el-Sheikh's major industry is foreign and domestic tourism, owing to its dramatic landscape, year-round dry and temperate climate and long stretches of natural beaches. Its waters are clear and calm for most of the year and have become popular for various watersports, particularly recreational scuba diving and snorkelling which some consider to be among the best in the world. Coral reefs, under water and marine life, unmatched anywhere in the world, offer a spectacular and dazzling time for divers. There is wide room for scientific tourism with diversity in marine life species; 250 different coral reefs and 1000 species of fish.

These natural resources, together with its proximity to European tourism markets, have stimulated the rapid growth of tourism that the region is currently experiencing. Guest nights also increased in that period of time from 16 thousands to 5.1 million. The total number of resorts increased from 3 in 1982 to 91 in 2000. Highly reputable management companies have been attracted to invest in this city such as Hyatt Regency, Accor, Marriott, Le Méridien, Four Seasons, Ritz-Carlton, and others, with categories from three to five stars. Franchises like Hard Rock Cafe, McDonalds and Kentucky Fried Chicken can be found in Sharm el-Sheikh.

Sharm is also the home of a state of the art congress center, where many political meetings have been held of international tenure. Peace conferences, ministerial meetings, world bank meetings, Arab league conferences for mentioning a few. It is rightly located along peace road and have been lately re-branded to be a Maritim outlet. The Maritim Sharm el Sheikh International Congress Centre can host events and congresses for up to 4,700 participants.

The night life of Sharm El-Sheikh is also quite attractive. In 2005, Little Buddha, a sushi bar, nightclub, and bar, took the title of having the longest continuous bar in the Middle East. Other popular bars include: Camel Bar, The Tavern, Pirate's Bar, Movenpick Beach, and The Mexican. If dancing is appealing to you, then Sharm has much to offer. Clubs such as world renowned Pacha throw parties almost every night of the year. These nightclubs and restaurants contribute greatly to the lifestyle led by Sharm el-Sheikh's visitors each year.

The colorful handicraft stands of the local Bedouin culture are a popular attraction. Ras Mohammed, at the southern-most tip of the peninsula, has been designated a national park, serving to protect the area's wildlife as well as its natural landscape, shoreline and coral reef. A number of international hotels and noted restaurants are clustered around the centre of Sharm, known as Naama Bay, with golf courses and other leisure facilities further up the coast.

There are two types of shopping options in the Sinai and Red Sea area and visitors can enjoy each of them for the distinctly different opportunities which they present. The first type of shopping is the kind of mall shopping which visitors frequently engage in during vacation. The other type of shopping for visitors to enjoy in the area is the traditional market shopping at the local bazaars or souks. This shopping takes places with local shopkeepers and is more than just a buying and spending experience.

Naama Bay Naama Bay, also down as the centre of Sharm El Sheikh, this place has an enormous variety of stores selling almost any product you are looking for. Not only that, Naama Bay has endless choices of restaurants and coffee shops that you can stop at for a break during your shopping escapade.

Old Market Once you step into the old market, all you will see is shop after shop after shop, narrow streets and alleyways with more and more shops, usually selling Sinai and Egypt related souvenirs. The Old Market is the cradle of the local fish stores, where you can indulge in a fish and seafood meal at its best, and in its simplest form.

Il Mercato The latest sensation in Sharm el Sheikh, Il Mercato has come to add pizzazz to Sinai, exclusively bringing in the biggest international brands of apparel, food chains, cafés and more. Located in Hadaba, Il Mercato is the open air version of Dubai’s Il Mercato, designed by the same architect. They also have special arrangements on Mondays and Fridays for a women’s day and children’s day consecutively.

Al Khan An outdoor shopping area, Al Khan is a long alleyway with two-storey high bungalows with hatched roofs lined up on both sides creating a nice exotic ambiance.

La Strada It is the new entertainment centre of Nabq, Sharm El Sheikh's new hot spot. With a number of international brands, coffee shops as well as business offices and an upcoming hypermarket across the street. Every Saturday entertainment and activities are arranged for children and families.

So, if you fancy on going to a holiday, where you want great service, wonderful weather and many more - you know where to go!