Hurghada Local Customs

This is by far the most important word in the local vocabulary. It is expected for just everything. But of course it is your personal decision for what you give it and how much. The sad fact is that in general Egyptians doing normal jobs are extremely lousy paid but that is of course not your problem. And it is not your obligation to conserve this bad situation by giving baksheesh because that would mean that the employers are less motivated to pay their workforce more reasonably because they might argue that baksheesh compensates it.

But of course you can make your life noticeably more comfortable by distributing a limited amount of Baksheesh in a both fair and clever way. There are some people who are doing some more personal service for you and it is easy to optimize that. There is for example your room attendant. He will greet you right after you have got your room. Let him work the first two days for you. If you have the impression that he is doing it nicely (mostly they are doing it nicely) give him a reasonable Baksheesh which is of course for all his service for the whole length of your stay. You will notice an improvement of his service immediately. And if your expectations were much more than fulfilled you can give him an additional smaller Baksheesh at the end of your stay. But dont forget that any baksheesh given at the end of your stay does not improve anything for you!

Similar applies for the beach. It is written there that it is forbidden to occupy beach loungers but unfortunately the hotel has German guests and they get up at six in the morning and put their beach towels to the best placed loungers but dont show up then earlier than around ten. Be early enough at the beach the first day of your stay, look for the best situated not yet German occupied loungers and wait there with your towel untll the guy comes who distributes the paddings. Thank him for it and give him a small Baksheesh and tell him that you like this place. He will carefully watch out next morning that nobody else occupies your place. If that really works he has earned your small tip again.

If you make an excursion lets say to Luxor and your bus stops equally long or often even longer at a Papyrus and Alabaster shop as compared to the Temple of Karnak than is iirst the best to remain in the bus instead of looking at the Alabaster or Papyrus (the bus has air condition, the Papyrus shop maybe not) and second of course NO BAKSHEESH FOR ANYBODY!

In the Restaurant you have to pay for the drinks (for a 0,3 l beer approximately 2,50 EUR - did there anybody mention that Egypt is cheap??) but this gives you the chance to have always your favourite table. When you pay for the first beer give a tip of about 10 % (be ready to have always enough small bills (1 and 5) of Egyptian pounds for that). The next day you pay just by signing the bill which means no tips. The waiter gets slightly pale of disappointment. But on third day come again to the same waiter, he will - slightly unwillingly - go with you again to your favourite table, if it is free. But gve him this time again a tip when paying your drink in cash. He will be very friendly until to the end of your stay.

One more word to the importance of Baksheesh: Egyptians usually get married at the age of 18 for which the selection is made by the both families and both families expect the production of many sons (daughters dont count, so in case there are no sons coming the poor couple is forced to try it again and again and since there is Viagra available nowadays there is no excuse. So your Baksheesh is needed to support all these oversized families inorder to perpetuate Egypts demographic desaster).

Hurghada Hotels

Hurghada Local Customs

Visiting Hurghada?

Visiting Hurghada?

Hurghada Hotels