Egypt is open for recreation almost all year round. This ancient country with rich cultural traditions and developed tourist infrastructure attracts travelers from all over the world. Tours to Egypt are magnificent Hurghada with its luxurious sandy beaches, Sharm el-Sheikh - a paradise for diving lovers, Egyptian Venice - the resort of El Gouna, climatic sanatorium Safaga, Makadi Bay, Dahab, Taba. Resorts in Egypt have been and remain the most inexpensive destination for mass beach holidays. To Egypt, on the Red Sea coast, surfers and divers "fly": some catch a wave, others dive under water - to admire corals. Beautiful climate, warm sea, wide sandy beaches, first-class hotels, a variety of excursions, exoticism beating over the edge - all this makes your vacation in Egypt unforgettable.
Tours to Egypt, and especially last-minute tours to Egypt, are very popular among our compatriots, because vacation in Egypt can give the most unforgettable sensations, given the fact that Egypt, the prices for vouchers to which are very affordable, can afford to visit most Belarusians.
Egypt is a country of ancient mysteries of pharaohs hidden in pyramids and tombs created thousands of years ago. A country of magical, charming beauty of the underwater world of the Red Sea. A country that has preserved the cultural heritage of several eras and many peoples. A country that attracts millions of tourists from all over the world. Egypt can be safely called the country of the eternal sun - it is warm here all year round, the sun is always shining, and warm sea waters attract tourists all year round.
The beaches of Hurghada are gentle, but not every hotel boasts the open sea, fine and clean sand. Hotels often use artificially deep lagoons. This is not always noticeable, but sometimes the water in the lagoons turns out to be a little cloudy. Many hotels have their own "home reef" - corals near the beach, where you can see fish. However, it is often impossible to enter the sea barefoot because of the same corals.
Tours to Hurghada from Minsk, including last-minute tours to Hurghada from Minsk, are also an acquaintance with the oldest Luxor and Karnak temples, the valley of kings, where the tombs of pharaohs are stored. Rest in Hurghada amazes the imagination of everyone who manages to get acquainted with this amazing region, those who decided to spend a vacation in Egypt.
The beaches of Sharm el-Sheikh in Naama Bay are "conditional sand": you can swim without special shoes only in cleaned areas, which are usually fenced with buoys. The only natural sandy beach in Sharm is Sharm el-Maya Bay (Iberotel Palace and Seti Sharm hotels): only there you can safely swim barefoot. But the beaches in such areas of the resort as Hadaba, Sharks Bay, Nabq Bay are more correctly called not sandy, but coral: there is a protected area here and even in order to build a walkways over corals, hoteliers need to obtain many permits. On almost all beaches in these areas, corals start almost from the very edge of the water and stretch for 15-30 meters. This is inconvenient for children to bathe, but pleases lovers of underwater flora and fauna, watching outlandish coral fish and other wonders of the Red Sea right under their feet.
As a rule, all hotels in Egypt provide loungers and umbrellas free of charge both by the pool and on the beach. Hotels of almost all world chains are represented in Egypt. But unlike other countries, the hotel's belonging to the famous world chain does not always guarantee a quality level of service. For a budget vacation in Egypt, we recommend choosing hotels at least 4*. The "All Inclusive" food system in different hotels can vary very radically, so it is best to specify in advance. In Hurghada, the territory of hotels is usually smaller than in Sharm el-Sheikh. But Sharm el-Sheikh hotels are newer, as, in principle, the resort itself.
Makadi Bay and El Gouna are a kind of "mini-towns" with a small number of hotels. Soma Bay, El Quseir and Marsa Alam are relatively young resorts that are now being built at a rapid pace. The level of service in the hotels of these resorts is also very different, but still closer to the European one.
Climate: tropical and subtropical continental (Mediterranean coast). In winter (December to February) the air temperature is +20-25°C, in summer (May to September) +35-40°C. In winter and spring, dry hot hamsin winds often blow. The climate of Egypt makes it easy to tolerate even the strongest heat.
Time: coincides with Belarusian.
Currencies: Egyptian pound (EGP), one Egyptian pound is equal to 100 piastrams. Credit cards are accepted by all hotels, many shops and restaurants - often with commission for banking operations (3-5%). Many banks also pay cash on credit cards such as Euro/MasterCard and Visa. It is better to import money in American dollars or euros, it is accepted almost everywhere. It is advisable to have a number of small bills. It makes sense to exchange a small amount for pounds, because much in Egypt costs less than a dollar (bus travel, a bottle of water, a paid toilet). You can exchange money at the bank, airport, as well as at hotel exchange offices.
Customs: it is strictly forbidden to export corals, sea shells, stuffed crocodiles, ivory from Egypt. A solid fine is charged for violating these prohibitions. Tourists who bought these things as souvenirs will have to present a check from the store. Import and export of foreign currency is not limited. Duty-free import of personal items, 200 cigarettes, 250 grams of tobacco or 50 cigars, as well as a liter of alcoholic beverages or 2 liters of beer is allowed.
Shops, shopping: only souvenirs are usually brought from Egypt. Typical local trinkets: basalt, granite or - most often - painted alabaster figurines of ancient Egyptian gods, hookah ("shisha") and papyri. In resort areas, the vast majority of shops and shops do not have fixed prices. Valuable advice for tourists: bargain, bargain and bargain again. With a competent approach, the initial prices are lost 2-3 times. Egypt has a wide developed network of duty-free duty-free stores. Alcoholic beverages can only be purchased in these stores. When buying, a mark in the buyer's passport is necessarily placed.
Cuisine: Egyptian cuisine is distinguished by their spicy taste and are usually prepared using abundant variety of spices and sauces. The restaurant menu in hotels is worked out in the European style with the addition of Egyptian dishes. Here you can taste Chinese, European and Oriental cuisines. The assortment includes cornflakes with milk, fruit salads, jams, juices, Egyptian beans, meat and vegetable snacks, mashed potatoes. Along with the usual snacks - sausages, cheeses, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, eggplant, cabbage, carrots, potatoes - there are special Egyptian dishes - okra, koshari, mohshchi, fuli, dolma, fatta, oriental sweets of baklava, kunafa, basbusa. Sea dishes made of shrimp, squid and octopuses are especially popular. Fruit must be washed.
Safety: girls should not wear miniskirts or bare their shoulders while walking outside the hotel. In hotels, we recommend taking all valuables in a safe - cases of theft are not uncommon here. Tap water cannot be drunk and even brush your teeth with it - there is a great risk of upsetting the gastrointestinal tract with this oversight for a good half of the rest. And most importantly: where there are corals at the entrance to the sea, you can't go into the water without special slippers, and you should splash carefully near them. Of course, you should not communicate with local residents disparagingly, rudely or even more so use obscene language. It is not necessary to offer Egyptians alcoholic beverages and, accordingly, should not be consumed in public places. In Cairo, as in many cities around the world, there are places where it is not safe for tourists.
Communication: local telephone conversations can be conducted from payphones, of which there are many in large cities, or from post offices where there are preferential tariffs for international calls with European countries. You can call Belarus and the CIS directly from the hotel room. The lowest rate for calls from the hotel lobby, where there are special rooms with telephones. You can also buy a phone card, which can be used in specially equipped payphones.
Emergency phone numbers: police - 1 22, ambulance - 1 23, firefighters - 1 25