History
Diving
Highlights
Climate & Weather
General Information

Egypt

If you are a diver then Egypt will act as a magnet and a visit is in no doubt. The Red Sea is the closest coral sea to Europe and although popular, offers top class diving year round. Often referred to as the cradle of civilisation the country has wonders both above and below the sea.

Since the pioneering days of diving in the late seventies and early eighties the Red Sea Riviera now boasts a wide range of good hotel accommodation, numerous 5* P.A.D.I Centres and has one of the highest standards of liveaboards in the world. A far cry from the those pioneering days when not only was your diving gear an essential part of your luggage but Imodium also !

History

Egypt's history goes back some 5000 years with the Pharaonic Era divided into three main periods, ancient, middle and new Kingdom. These dynasties reigned Egypt for 3000 years and the great monuments of the Pyramids, Sphinx, Abu Simbal and the Temples of Luxor are a legacy of this. Contrary to popular belief it was Alexander the Great and not Brad Pitt who ended the Pharaonic Era !! The capital Alexandria still bears many lost buildings and divers have been excavating the harbour recently. After the death of Queen Cleopatra the Roman Empire ruled for six and a half centuries. The city of Cairo came to prominence in 640 when the ruling Arabs made it there capital and has gradually grown until today it is one of the largest cities in Africa. Egypt was again colonised by the Turks for 300 years within the Ottoman Empire and was then a protectorate of the British until 1936. A monarchy reigned for 20 years under King Farouk before being overthrown and replaced by a republic under the leadership of famous statesman like Gamal Abdel-Nasser, Anwar Sadat and the current President Mohamed Hosni Mubarak.

Diving

The Red Sea stretches from the Gulf of Aqaba near Jordan to the Sudanese borders thereby linking the Mediterranean to the Indian Ocean. It is home to magnificent reefs, massive schools of hammerheads and more than 2000 species of fish and coral. Being part of the Rift Valley the Red Sea is very deep, reaching up to 800 metres near many walls and reefs and up to 3,000 metres in its middle between Egypt and Saudi Arabia. Partly because of these sudden dramatic drop offs visibility is good year round and can exceed 30 metres.

Highlights

Cairo - Pyramids, Sphinx, Egyptian Museum, Khan El Khalili
Luxor - Temples of Luxor & Karnak, Valley of the Kings, Nile Cruises
Aswan - High Dam, Philae Temple, Elephantine Island, Abu Simbel
Sinai - St Catherines Monestary, Mount Sinai, Coloured Canyon
Oasis - Siwa, Bahariya, Farafra, Dakhla, Kharga
Diving - Ras Mohammed, Thistlegorm , Brothers Islands & Southern Marine Parks

Climate & Weather

It won't be a surprise to for you to hear that rain only falls for about 40 days a year and then only in a few places. It's the closest you will get to guaranteed sunshine. The interior is extremely hot during the summer months of June, July and August but this period is an excellent time to visit the southern dive sites due to the lack of prevailing winds. Other than these quirks all other destinations can be visited year round.

General Information

People: 90% Arabs & 10% other ethnic minorities.

Religion: Muslim is the predominant faith & Coptic Christian

Language: Arabic

Visas: British Tourists must obtain a visa. This can be bought in advance from the Egyptian Consulate at: 2 Lowndes Street, London, SW1X 9ET. Tel No 0891 887777.

Health: Mineral water is recommended. Each resort has chemists and or clinics/hospitals with adequate provision of medicines. There are recommendations of inoculations but consult your G.P for the latest advice.

Time: GMT + 2 hours

Electricity: 220 Volts, 2 pin plugs Suggested

Clothing: Light weight cottons during summer with warmer clothes for winter and the cool evenings. Men & women should not wear revealing clothes in respect of the local culture.

Currency: The Egyptian Pound £E = 100 piasters.
Denominations are £100, £50, £20, £10, £5 & £1.
Local banks deal with foreign currencies and travellers.
Cash dispencing machines are becoming more widespread in the major tourist destinations.
Banking hours are Sunday-Thursday 08.30 - 14.00 .