Sports Events in Egypt

If you're looking for some sports action in Egypt, the best one I can think of is scuba diving in Sharm El-Sheik or Hurgada...

These are the hot spots for these type of activities and judging by pictures I've seen and comments I've read, the Red Sea is one of the most beautiful spots in the world to dive...don't miss it if you like to dive ;o)

You don't need to learn to dive in order to enjoy the underwater life by the sea. Snorkels and fins can be rented for as little as 10LE for a day in Dahab. With the reef only being about 5 metres away from the shore in most places this makes snorkelling an ideal activity.

The Red Sea has some of the best diving sites in the world. It is also a relatively cheap place to learn to dive. There are literally hundreds of dive sites in the area, particularly in the resort towns of Hurgada and Sharm el-Sheikh. I took my PADI open water course in Dahab with a company called Divers Down Under and thoroughly enjoyed it.

Football is easily the biggest sport in Egypt. The big three clubs in the country are Al-Ahly (Cairo), Zamalek (Cairo) and Al-Ismaili (Ismaily). The Egyptian national team are the most successful country ever in the African Cup of Nations with 6 wins. Two of their biggest players (Amr Zaki and Mido) are currently playing in the English Premiership with Wigan.

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Dahab's Penguin Hotel has a diving center associated with it. It has all types of diving but but the Discover Scuba Diving is a great deal for someone that never dived. It is only 35 Egyptians Pounds less 10% if you are staying at the Penguin Hotel. For 31 Egyptians Pounds (about $5.65 USD) you get an introductory dive.

The dive includes instructions before entering the water. Then they drive to the diving area and you first practice things like clearing your mask and air intake. Once you are ready, they take you on a very shallow dive. They are basically holding your belt and steer you along. If you do ok, and you are happy, they will take you a little deeper. I think a maximum of 10 meters (about 33 feet). It is a wonderful experience.

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There are many diving centres in Dahab and I chose Nesima as it had a good reputation and I saw on their website everyone who hadn’t done a dive for six months had to do a check-out dive.
A very good thing with Nesima is that they never dive in big groups, five divers are the maximum. And the equipment is good and the staff nice. The diving centre is situated in Nesima Resort, and as a diver you can use their pool for free. If you are coming back for lunch they have a nice club sandwich (a club sandwich and a fresh orange juice was 32 pounds). Ten dives at Nesima cost 210 Euro. The diving in Dahab is made from the shore.

There are some very good dive sites around Dahab. The Blue Hole is amazing. I started the dive north of the Blue Hole, descending through a shaft with three walls and on the forth side the open blue sea full of small fishes. The coral wall we swam along towards the Blue Hole was beautiful and rich of life, there were even small wrasses going into the ears. In the end we swam over the Blue Hole.
Other good dive sites are the Canyon, Islands, and Golden Blocks etc.
Lighthouse can be a very crowded dive site, both during the day and at night dives.

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Book an excursion on a boat which will bring you to the coral reefs in the red sea.
Beautiful scenes under water with colourfull fish and coral.
The lunches on the boat are delicious as well and these excursions are very cheap!
The best way is to go to a local travel agency because that will be way cheaper then what your hotel has to offer!

Equipment: Don't forget an underwater camera!

Rating System:

CA rank. My husband's rank. This rank is for folks who are hard core cyclists. My Honey competes at least once a month, and rides Colorado's foothills or mountains on a weekly basis.

JW rank. My rank. This rank is for folks who are married to hard core cyclists. I only dust off the bike for scenery that warrants a bruised bottom.

Scale. 1-10

DIFFICULTY

CA rank. 6. The lack of decent bike rentals combined with the heat make these hills more strenuous then they should be.
JW rank. 5. Very doable although I was thankful the frequent breaks to see the sights. Only the road to the Valley of the Kings was taxing and I managed this hill without too much panting.

ROADS

CA rank. 6. Early morning - Nice. Paved. Not much traffic. Early afternoon - Not so nice. Traffic and lots of dusts.
JW rank. 8. I liked the paved roads and appreciated the inclusion of shoulders.

SCENERY & OTHER PERKS

CA rank. 4. Not much to see enroute to the temples and tombs. Although getting a touch of the local flavor was nice.
JW rank. 4. Agreed.

PARKING ALONG THE WAY

CA rank. 8. The Tourist Police were actually quite accommodating and often offered to look after our bikes.
JW rank. 8. The included bike locks also gave us a sense of security in leaving our bikes behind.

OVERALL

CA rank. 10. Our best day of vacation. The bicycles allowed us a freedom from the tour buses and the hustlers.
JW rank. 10. Loved it. Cycling was cooler than walking and we were able to determine our own schedule.

Equipment: We didn't bring our bikes this time as we anticipated cycling only in Luxor. Although Chris suffered (he's 6'4 and difficult to outfit with a bike that accommodates his frame), the bikes we rented on the West Bank more than met our needs.

An early start is a must! We were out of our flat by 5:30 in the morning to catch what few breezes Luxor had to offer. As such, renting the bikes the night before is critical as no bike shops are open early morning.

Finally, bring as much water as you can carry. We both had our Camelbak Hydration Packs.