On a trip to the historically rich Egypt, why would anybody want to go to Hurghada? The place which was born only in the 80s and has no history whatsoever to its credit? Famous only for its beach resorts on the turquoise blue, crystal clear Red Sea? Well, if you have a partner who is ‘beach-crazy’, you might just do that – squeeze it into your itinerary and take a detour to go to Hurghada.
@ The Bay in Hurghada
Come to think of it, it was not a bad idea after all. After an overdose of pyramids, Pharaohs, tales of Nefartiti, and numerous temple towns on the banks of the life-giving Nile, we set out for Hurghada from Luxor. The drive was one of the best of my life, but that will be another story. We were in Hurghada for 2 days 2 nights — more than enough really had the hotel fiasco not happened on the first day of our stay (We were booked @Paradise Golden 5 Hotel & Beach Resort, which was a very bad experience. Click here to read about it )
The turquoise blue Red Sea!!
So what to do when in Hurghada?
Scuba Dive. This is for you if you are the ultimate adventurous kind. Most resorts will guide you on the dive spots. They also tie up with agencies who offer lessons to the beginners. Hurgahda is the right place to give ‘wings’ to your diving dreams because of the magnificent life under sea.
Fantastic underwater marine life in Red Sea
Snorkel. Isn’t that what you are there for? All right, Hurghada’s underwater marine life is fantastic. But what if diving gives you cold feet? Snorkelling is your answer. The marine life closer to the beaches is also worth exploring. And most likely, your hotel will boast of it’s own private beach. Very safe, and manned at all hours, go take the plunge. Make sure you have packed your snorkelling gear before you have set out on your tour. Of course you can buy them in the shops around you, but they come with the ‘tourist’s price tag’. Even the resorts charge a fee by the hour.
Snorkel in your hotel’s private beach
Take a Submarine Trip. We did this for we didn’t dive. And boy, were we happy!! Our two year old didn’t stop squealing all through the 2 hours that we were underwater. What exotic life – they almost redefine serenity and beauty. Tiny fishes in such a riot of colours, prancing away in complete tandem. They’d appear from behind the corals and race towards the next. And soon you’d see another school with another colour, as though they were in ‘uniform’. It’s a treasure trove out there. What’s more! On our way back, we found two dolphins jumping about excitedly, showing us the way back to shore. What a fitting end!! An experience you shouldn’t miss come what may.
As you look out from the submarine
Our guide in the Red Sea, the dolphins!
The final word on Hurghada — We detest shopping plazas. They look notoriously same anywhere in the world. Hence, we stayed away from those in Hurghada too. In the evening, we sat by the beach in our hotel, listening to the waves and gazing at the stars in the sky. No amount of shopping could get us the wealth we got by doing this.