The ideal place to visit during the winter months
by Wafro
The Red Sea area (Hurghada) is the ideal place to visit during the winter months when you are travelling with a baby.
Temperatures vary between 19 and 30 degrees Celsius, in combination with a cool dessert breeze.
Do not forget the sun block factor 30 to protect the baby's skin and a nice place in the shadow isn't a lux.
But it also has other advantages, when the immigration officer is in a good mood, you don't have to wait in the queue for the passport control and so on…
A rundown of things to take
by gaj86
I found my money belt (which you wear under your clothes) quite handy. I don't know how likely you are to have your bag grabbed, but if your money is in here, you'll feel safer! Good walking shoes, especially if you're going to do Cairo or quad biking. It's a hot country, but walking around in microscopic shorts and vests doesn't do you many favours with the Muslim locals. If you can get your hands on some long shorts, kaftans, long skirts or even a light pashmina to put over your shoulders, you should be ok. Sunglasses and a big hat! Swimsuit/shorts for all those sea-faring activities. Some areas are quite orthodox and prefer you to cover your hair, too, but it depends how far from tourist land you venture. Take a scarf for your head, anyway, because you might be glad of it for protecting your head from the sun, or your face from the sand if you do the desert safari (another reason for sunglasses)! Diorreah tablets! I didn't need them but many tourists get a bit ill. TISSUES!!! 90% of public toilets have no toilet paper, or if they do it's provided by someone who expects a tip. Hand wash gel (which I used religiously). Suncream (factor 50 ought to do it....), mosquito repellent spray, aftersun. One of my favourite items was Malibu sunblock spray for scalps... I get a lot of sunburn on my scalp, and it works well!
Lip balm (sea dries out your lips). Your usual things - shampoo, shower gel, toothpaste. If you get friction burn from walking in skirts, take Savlon! underwater cameras, if you're going diving or snorkelling! And your normal camera (although don't let anyone take "special picture" for you... they'll probably expect money) If you're a serious diver/snorkeller, take your own equipment! At least your own fins and mask, as the ones our dive centres provided were a bit old and cheap. My boyfriend took his entire dive bag with BCD and regs and everything... a bit of a pain to get on the plane, but in the long run he was glad of it. If you're likely to miss home, take some chocolate/crisps with you for munching in your room! Also, this is something for you to buy when over there, but always have water on you! It's very easy to get dehydrated in such a hot country, and the tap water isn't safe to drink.
Also, if you're into tipping, make sure you carry a lot of small change with you. Apparently you can tip with dollars/euros/sterling, or for children, sweets or pencils! I only tipped when I felt that I really had to, but it's very handy to have one pound (equivalent of 10p) notes on you; also, many people like to pretend that they don't have change, so it's good to be able to pay the exact amount. Your hotel or the nearest CIB (bank) will change your larger notes for you.
Cairo
by Aurorae
There are excursions to Cairo as well, but they are exhausting - the bus leaves at 3 am, and you are back to Hurghada after midnight. It;s a 5 hour drive to cairo, and there you are basically running, you are visiting just the great pyramids plateau, Sphinx, and the Egyptian museum, with a lunch organized nearby. I suggest to take more days in Cairo. :)
MiniBus in Hurghada
by ratherton
Within the resort it is possible to catch mini-buses to get around. Just stand around on a main round and one will be along in a few minutes. You only need to pay 1 Egyptian Pound despite requests/demands for any more money and they may even try to tell you that it is a 'taxi' if you are the only passenger.
Desert dunes
by Oana_bic
The desert here is redish and wide, with high plateaus with accumulations of rubble from eroded sandstone and limestone. Near the coast, a high mountain range of ancient volcanic rock runs the length of the Red Sea.
Completely different picture from the golden and fine sandy desert from Aswan and west side of the Nile.
dance with the boys.
Calamari
Buffet diner in Beduin Tent
Hurghada - Walking along
