FAQ Egypt

 

Time
+2 GMT (standard), +3 GMT (summer)

 

Currency
Egyptian pound, US dollar or Euro

 

Language
Arabic and English

 

Passports
Non-Egyptian visitors arriving in Egypt are required to be in possession of a minimum 6 months valid passport. A blank pages is needed for tourist visa??.

 

Visa
Maximum 30 days for tourists. Included in packages. Travellers from Non European countries must have a visa before they arrive in Egypt.

 

Insurance 
Please make sure you have full travel and medical cover to travel to Egypt. 
Remember you are traveling so be prepared for all possible problems. It's no fun to have to pay for medical help, lost passports, baggage, or missed flights home.
The Yellow card does not cover Egypt any more.

Health
If you are traveling on a liveaboard, keep in mind that you will need to take all necessary medicine with you. Ie: against sea sickness or colds. No particular vaccinations are required to enter Egypt and the Red Sea Riviera. Standard vaccinations against tetanus, polio, diphtheria and hepatitis A and B are recommended. Please check with your doctor or the Tropical Institute of your country concerning further suggestions.

 

Reccomendations
Bifolac or similar (ask in your local pharmacy), that helps to build up a good bacteria culture in the stomach and Immodium or similar that helps with tourist diarrhea.

Headache tablets, nose spray (one that will not dry out the nasal membrane) and sea/ motion sickness tablets are all useful to have. Remember not to drink water from anything but an unopened bottle!

 

Recompression chamber:
Available in Sharm El Sheikh, Hurghada, El Gouna and Marsa Alam.....Please make sure you have insurance cover for your trip.

 

Temperatures: Jan  Feb  Mar Apr  May Jun  jul  Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

 day time (º C)       20  22   23   26   33   35  37  38  35   31  26   23  

 night time (º C)       9    9   13  16    20   23  24  24  23  18  14    11  

water (º C)           20  18   22   23   25   26  27  28  27  27   25   22  

 

National Parks
Most of the Red Sea Riviera is a National Park, or belongs to some protectorate, both under water and on land. Desert and marine life are

protected by a number of laws, and visitors not abiding to the regulations may be subjected to heavy fines.

 

Local Transport
Egyptian public transport is, on the whole, pretty good. You can travel in town or between towns easily enough by bus, minibus or collective service taxis.

 

Mobile Phones
Mobile coverage is good throughout the Red Sea region. There are areas on liveaboard offshore and very deep south where you will not get a signal.

 

Internet
Connections are available in the towns at internet cafes and hotels.

 

People
Egypt is pro west and a tolerant country. The Red Sea Riviera has a very international population. You will find the local Egyptian people kind, warm and friendly. There is very little crime or theft. The only hassle you may get is from over friendly shop keepers in Hurghada or Sharm.  A polite ‘no thank you’ usually works

 

Shopping
Shopping in one of the characteristic traditional souks or in the modern shopping centres of the Red Sea towns is one of the favourite  past-times of all tourists.

 

Bars and restaurants
Outside the tourist hotels you will find a hug variety of bars and restaurants in Hurghada and Sharm. Alcohol is freely available and all types of international food is available. You can also party the night away in one of the many clubs open until the early morning.