hurghada

There are three parts to Hurghada

Dahar (downtown) which is the oldest part of Hurghada, busy and full of bazaars and shops,which like in all of Egypt you will be hassled for business.  The area is more run down as more of the tourists now are in the other parts of the town.

Sakkala (which is the middle part of the tourist section) where there are lots of hotels, bars, cafes, shops.  Here you will find the Ministry of Sound on the beach disco, Papas beach bar (where live football is shown) and other discos in the hotels.  Over the hill and past the Calypso Disco you will come to the newest section of Hurghada. This has a lovely walkway with shops, cafes, bowling centre and and a shopping Mall still getting filled with shops.     this section of Hurghada is clean but like before you will be asked to see the goods in the

shops.

When you are asked into shops etc., or if you are British, the best thing is to smile, say yes british,  "have bought already so no thank you" and while speaking keep walking.  The Egyptians are frightened of the police and do not wish any trouble. This is the best thing to do.  If you do stop you will be asked practically your life story.  Please remember that the people working in the shops are so low paid that most will try to put price up to supplement their income (which is not enough to live off).  Generally pay for things as you drink or eat so that you cannot have a large bill given at the end of the night and not remember what you have drunk or eaten.  Go to the bar if possible, order and pay.  If you do have a waiter a couple of pounds for generally having coffees is enough, if he has waited on you all evening a tenner (all this Egyptian pounds) is more than enough.

Hurghada is being developed and lots of apartments are being built, but there is a large population (Egyptians for work and the foreigners who work here) who are needing somewhere to live, some apartments are going to be offered for holiday rentals and these apartments are in the new section which is safe, friendly and clean.

If you use the buses or taxis you must haggle and say a price.  You will  find that getting on the bus which is full of Egyptians the best thing for you to do is just hand the money to the driver without having to state a price.  The empty buses are looking for tourists and wanting stupid prices.  Just wave them off and wait for another, they come so often you don't wait long!  Pay maximum 5 Egyptian pounds to go from the new section to Sakkala on a private bus (don't let them let others on) or 1 to 2 Egyptian pounds max if on a bus already with people on.

Don't change money on the buses.  If they ask if you have change or need change say no thank you because sometimes they will try to rip you off (this is not a regular thing but there are some people that try, like in any country when they know you are a tourist and not used to the money).

THE NAME OF HURGHADA

Hurghada gained its name from the tree Algrkd which grows in abundance in

this region was the fishermen come from the Arabian Peninsula and meet at the tree Algrkd. The confluence hunters after the completion of fishing when a tree Algrkd with the surge. There was at that time a continuous frequency for a particular phrase, "When we meet Algrkd" including the recently derived the name of Hurghada

Was the construction of recreational break in the position of the tree of King Farouk. After nationalization in the era of President Gamal Abdel Nasser has become of this building club armed forces for water sports, and signed now in front of the city's Tourist Information Center.

                                                                                        

The city's history is very short, there are no raised or temples or mention of this city in ancient Egyptian history. Hurghada was a meeting place for hunters coming from the Arabian Peninsula tribes Alaghina and Rashaida and Almaazh, and the city at that time were not only a group of houses was inhabited by primitive nomads, stationed mainly in the area of ​​the scaffold. The work of the region's population in the fishing and dried, and pearling

Oil was discovered in the area in 1913 and began economic production for export in Hurghada wells in 1921. Was Aabar oils Anglo-Egyptian Company Limited (a subsidiary of Shell International), one of the first companies that started in the production of oil in this region. Production amounted to Hurghada from the date of discovery of oil and to 1996 (41.448 million barrels). With the decline in production has been moved significantly large number of workers to Ras Gharib and the company's fields in the Sinai, such as Ras Sidr, leaving only a limited number of workers until 1954 numbered no more than 40 workers. With lower oil production adopted Hurghada services as the capital of the province..

Tourism has remained in this period for the lovers of individual sea. Experienced a break of King Farouk lots visits King who is constantly hunting trips, and after the revolution turned into a break for Marshal Abdel-Hakim Amer, who purchased the seven fishing boats were distributed to fishermen was an association of fishermen charge of providing services to them and control the sale of fish from fishermen, Inc. fisheries. Opened Sheraton Hotel Hurghada in 1963 - commissioned million pounds, almost - by the company Sheraton Global was the turning point of oil production to tourism Vsdor Ministerial Decree No. 70 of 1964 as the province of the Red Sea province of tourist but remained Hurghada in reliance on fishing and service delivery center management of the county and its directorates cost factory was established with Serbx fish and fish marketing company and tourism remained limited at the Sheraton Hotel and the Mermaid