Sightseeing and snorkelling with El Quseir holidays

El Quseir was formerly one of Egypt's most important trading ports and is now a relaxing, welcoming holiday resort, with world-class diving and pristine beaches. The city itself is 5000 years old and home to the Fort of El Quseir, high above the centre of town. Visit the fort to see its impressive cannons and enjoy the spectacular views over the city and sea. You can find great deals on all inclusive El Quseir holidays with Travelwasp.com.

Currency

The Egyptian pound is the official currency for the Arab Republic of Egypt. The Egyptian pound notation is EGP, although LE is also frequently used as notation. The pound is divided into 100 piasters, or 1000 milliemes. Most credit cards are accepted in major hotels and restaurants. Visitors are advised to take travellers cheques in US Dollars or Pounds to avoid additional exchange rate charges. Banks are usually closed on Friday and Saturday, but private exchange bureaux, called 'Forex', are open daily and banks in major hotels are open 24 hours.

El Queseir Climate

Egypt is a country bathed in almost perpetual sunshine the whole year round, the days are warm and hot and the nights are cool. During the summer months the climate in the inland desert areas can vary widely from 7C at night, to 43C during the day. Temperatures in the coastal regions in resorts such as Sharm el Sheikh and Hurghada will usually see an average of 14C during winter and around 30C in the summer. The summer months from May until August will see Egypt gaining around 12 hours of constant sunshine per day. Rainfall in Egypt is very low with less that 80mm per year and prevailing northern winds can take the edge of the heat.

Average Sunlight (Hours)	9	9	10	10	11	13	13	12	11	10	9	8
	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Average Temperature (°C)	20	21	24	28	32	35	35	35	34	30	25	22

Time

Local time is GMT +2
(GMT +3 from last Friday in April to last Friday in August).

Language

Arabic is the official language although English and French are widely spoken, especially in the tourist areas.

Shopping

El Dahar, the old part of Hurghada town, has a traditionalEgyptian bazaar with a variety of shops selling tourist souvenirs.Bargaining is expected and prices will generally be better than inthe resort village shops. The best buys are papyrus or traditional'shisha pipes'.

Nightlife

With its growing reputation as a party town 'par excellence',Hurghada boasts a lively nightlife with numerous clubs, discos,pubs and trendy lounges, and a variety of entertainment thatincludes beach barbeques, karaoke evenings, foam parties anddivers' parties. Popular are Papas Beach Club and Calypso, whileAlf Leila Wa Leila is famous for belly dancing and Arabicfolklore.

Activities

Hurghada is renowned for its variety of watersports that includes sailing, fishing, kitesurfing and windsurfing. Offshore underwater gardens and coral reefs make this an internationally recognised location among divers and snorkellers, and for the less active many hotels offer glass-bottomed boat excursions to admire the corals and marine life. Hotels and resorts also offer water activities such as banana rides, pedal boats and canoeing, as well as trips to the Giftun Island Marine Park. On land there are beautiful beaches, golf courses, horse riding, and desert excursions, which include camel rides, hiking, 4x4 or quad safaris.

Restaurants

Hurghada has a variety of restaurants serving food from aroundthe world, from Indian or French to Thai, Mexican and Japanese. ElDahar (downtown) offers a wide choice of authentic Egyptianeateries, including street stalls and inexpensive restaurants, andfast food chains such as KFC, Pizza Hut and McDonalds are alsoavailable. Most local places don't serve alcohol. Hotels all havetheir own restaurants, which serve up a variety of local andinternational cuisine.