Where all inclusive resorts line the shoreline and it stretches everywhere but inland. I know, the bustling city of half a million does not fit our traditional mold, but now nearing the end of our time in Egypt and having been here in the past we longed for some familiarity and comforts, well just a couple anyways. After leaving Luxor on the GoBus by 9:30 we sort of arrived in Hurghada by early afternoon. Sort of being the key work. Just as we were passing the International airport into the city the bus rolled to a halt and stopped on the side of the highway. After many failed attempts and much driver apologies we chose to hop off and catch a cab the last five kilometres or so. I don’t believe it was actually a cab as the driver in a business suit didn’t really have a price for us and didn’t really want to take any money but we slipped him 150LE as we exited the car infront of the ZYA Regina Resort. Located right down town on the main drag of Sheraton Street the location is second to none if you are looking for places to walk and shops to meander through. We planned to relax and enjoy the remaining days laying by the ocean and taking in whatever day trip adventures that sparked our interest. Shannon managed to find a deal on our accommodation using Agoda.com and we nestled ourselves in, paying a fraction of the price for use of all the amenities and including only breakfast. This setup was perfect for us as we enjoyed wandering to local restaurants and our meal schedule didn’t often fall within the regular buffet hours.

With Ramadan complete the streets were bustling with people, both tourists and locals. We made our way across the street and bedded down in the swinging chairs of the GAD. This local fast-food chain has regularly been a staple for us and have always depend on their delicious menu items of Falafels, salads, shawarmas and not to mention their western items of pizza and pasta. Always busy and always dependable our late lunch/early dinner hit the spot before we took a stroll down the tourist streets. Come sunset we were all ready to head back so we ushered the girls to sleep and Shannon and I started to plan the next few days.

After a couple of days laying seaside in the sun with fruit smoothies and a casual stroll to the marina we opted for a day trip of snorkelling the reef including a boat ride to Giftun Islands National Park and Orange Bay. Shannon found this full day activity using getyourguide.com and by 9am we were mini bussed to the docks and ready for the voyage. Within 30 minutes we were anchored off a reef and ready to dive in. With snorkel, mask and flippers on we hit the pristine waters of the Red Sea and were instantly amazed by the coral and marine life. Like I have said about diving in Sharm El-Sheikh, it is the colours and quantity of fish and coral that will amaze you, not to mention the clarity of the water itself. 10 minutes later however our two girls were feeling chilled and wanted back in the boat to warm up. Shannon and I then took turns with the snorkel separately for the remainder of that water sessions.

Once out of the water we relaxed in the sun and enjoyed our buffet lunch of pasta, rice, chicken and salads.

With anchors now up we motored over to Orange Bay and pulled up to the dock. It was a bit hectic here to say the least. Boat after boat and tourist after tourist we all made our way down the elevated wooded pier to the golden sandy shore. We were escorted to a beach section and grouped with our other boat members so nobody was lost in the shuffle. After a brief description of the proceeding hour and a half we were free to roam as we pleased. This was obviously recently constructed and catered to foreign tourists. A couple shops and stalls sold textiles and ice cream and our girls learned a quick lesson about the value of money and concluded that they would rather have four smoothies back on the mainland versus the one they could receive here. With all prices listed in Euros we knew nothing was going to be reasonably priced. It was free however to relax in the sun, splash in the water and tour the facilities as you pleased. By the end of the day we were all elated with our experience and the day felt complete on all levels.

We spend a few more days enjoying Hurghada and its surroundings and regularly visited our local stalls and restaurants with now familiar faces. We would feast on breakfast in the hotel, snack during the day and enjoy a traditional Egyptian meal at one of the local restaurants in the evenings when the temperatures started to cool. We also signed ourself up for a seemingly rare but amazing submarine ride one day and a full day boat trip including two SCUBA dives for both Shannon and myself on another.

Be sure to tap the links above for more of these adventures and details. By the end of the week our Egyptian month long visa was soon running out and we had to make our way back to Cairo for the last couple days before our flight onward. After spending nearly two full months in Egypt on two separate trips, Shannon and I both agree there is so much more to Egypt than just the pyramids you see in the postcards.

Continue on a Hurghada Submarine adventure

Return back to Luxor