Resort Overview

With its year-round sunshine, and stunning scenery, above and below the water, the Red Sea Riviera has long been a holiday favourite for sunbathing and a world class diving destination. The former fishing of Hurghada has transformed itself into a spectacular retreat complete with 20 kilometres of golden sand and luxurious beachside hotels. Head downtown to Old Hurghada and capture traditional Egyptian life around the mosques and lively bazaars. Or bask in the modern town, sprinkled with chilled out shisha cafes, bars, restaurants and classy boutiques.

Getting Around

Minibus
The minibus is the city’s primary form of public transportation and is a cheap and speedy way of getting around the city. Vehicles are unbelievably frequent and can be stopped anywhere along their routes for embarkation or disembarkation. Prices are fixed and it’s wise for visitors to be aware of the cost of their journey beforehand else risk drivers attempting to squeeze them for that little bit extra.

Taxi
Regular taxis are available but are underused on account of the convenience and affordability of the minibuses. Regular taxis are not metered and hence visitors are somewhat at the mercy of drivers with regards to fares. It’s wise to agree a figure before even getting into a cab to be sure of not having problems. Having a vague idea of how much the journey should cost is advisable also, if you want to avoid getting ripped off.

Eating Out

There is a vast variety of dining experiences in Hurghada. From Indian to French, Japanese, Mexican, Italian, Dutch, Thai, Chinese, German, and many more cuisines of all styles are available here. You will also find popular eateries such as Hard Rock Café, fast food outlets of international brands like McDonalds, Pizza Hut, and KFC, along with endless outlets serving Egyptian cuisines.
The downtown area of El Dahar is where you should be if you are looking for authentic Egyptian food. From restaurants to street stalls serving local cuisine there are a number of places where you will find the local flavour.
The international chain of restaurants and fast food centres like Hard Rock Café, McDonalds, Pizza Hut, and KFC are located at the Village Road area of Sekala Street. and there are an array of inexpensive Cairo eateries, like Felfela, serving scrumptious Egyptian cuisine, along the sea at Giftun Island.
The Summerland restaurant is one of the most popular restaurants in Hurghada and they serve some of the best traditional Egyptian delicacies.

Local Attractions
Bazaar in El Dahar
This is a lively traditional Egyptian market which can be found in Hurghadas old town. Here you can barter for all your local crafts and goods.
Red Sea Aquarium
A good family excursion useful to visit if you are considering diving as it will help you to identify much of the marine life that you will see.
Dolphin World
Here you will see dolphin and sea lion performances and visitors will also get a chance to swim with the dolphins.
For those travellers who are happy to travel a little further afield there are plenty of alternative excursions to consider.

• Cairo by air or road
• The pyramids at Giza
• Desert safari including camel riding
• Desert trip by night
• Qena, the provincial capital of Hurghada
• Diving at Port Safaga
• Anfish Mountain
• Monastery of St Anthony

Dive centres in Hurghada

• Prince Diving Centre http://www.prince-diving.com/
• Piano Diving Club http://www.pianodiving.net/
• Red Sea Divers http://www.redsea-divers.com/

• Country: Egypt
• Location: east coast / Red Sea coast
• Population: approximately 50,000
• Language: Arabic
• Currency: Egyptian Pound (EGP)
• Time zone: 2 hours ahead of GMT / UTC
• Country dialling code: +20
• Telephone area code: 065
• Religion: predominantly Muslim, remaining Coptic Christian
• Average daily Hurghada January temperature: 19°C / 66°F
• Average daily Hurghada July temperature: 40°C / 104°F

I Visited the Siva Grand Hotel in Hurghada with my Husband and 2 children aged 12 & 13. We had never been All Inclusive before as we usually prefer to be more independent on our holidays. However as we just wanted a lazy week in the sun we decided to give it a go.

We couldn’t have asked for a better hotel. The rooms and public areas were spotless. Wherever you looked you would see a member of staff sweeping or polishing.

The food was excellent, not repetitive at all which can be a downfall of some all inclusive hotels. There was a really good mix of local and international dishes, and I am sure even the fussiest of diners could have found something they would have enjoyed. Although the restaurant did get rather busy of an evening it was always possible to find a table, and queues were kept to a minimum due to the efficiency of the staff running the restaurant.

We found all the staff from the cleaners to the ladies on reception to be friendly, welcoming and helpful.

There is a lovely pool at the hotel with pool towels provided at a small fee.

There did seem to be a small shortage of sunbeds around the pool but we didn’t find this to be a problem as the hotel leads directly down to its own private beach where more sunbeds could be found.

The beach is incredibly safe for anyone with small children as the shallow waters stretch for quite a distance and are teaming with marine life.

The hotel reception staff are more than happy to arrange excursions, such as desert safari tours, a day’s snorkelling and for the slightly more adventurous a road trip to Cairo to visit the Pyramids the Sphinx and the Cairo museum. Don’t let the long road transfer put you off , this is a trip not to be missed. Even my children forgot the journey when they were looking up at the breathtaking sight of the pyramids.