Luxor4u

I slept about 56 six hours ago can't be 'arsed to really work out when.
Anyhow it was fun emotional and all in all with a dead dog dead sheep dead kid and drinking since the mental drive to the flesh pots of the red sea, 'think of many russian female wrestlers and a few tasty skinny 'twiggy like birds in cut off levi's with their bum cheeks to ogle.
So we did the 'bisiziness here there everywhere and ? ? ? ?
It's quiet not as quiet as the east bank but 'rocking it aint' the prices have rocketed but we bought miester half price and wine for 45le.
In my head it had always been a non starter, and a paradise for building site thieves, the place has just become more stupid than it was on my last visit 3 years ago.
To be honest what prick would want to live there unless they of course bought 'off-plan which one would imagine they did because one look and any sane person would run a mile from the sharks…I heard that they are trying to entice cruise liners to berth with a new dock, another brilliant stupid idea.
Anyhow all is not lost the fish market is still the dogs b******for fish but if anybody landing at 6ish you have to lay low in the people carrier to avoid having to stay over another night when travelling to Luxor.
Ps: Four of us ate in one of those fish restaurants amazing as usual but 500le plus and, we supplied our own white chablis, they are 'taking the proverbial.
Will report more fully on the tourism business in Hurgharda including pictures, when I can find my camera and my incentive, Spinny's is sh** and Carreforre will never open.
S/hand quad bikes and dune buggies dead cheap.. laters…..
Pss: the staff in The Hard Rock said "that they reckon 'Sharm was kicking! really ?

You should have eaten in one of those back street spit and sawdust places with manky cats outside. I did on my one and only fleeting visit to Hurghada (couldn't leave the town quick enough) and the fish was so fresh it was almost still swimming. Cooked to perfection on the grill outside and the usual rice, salad and bread served with it just as fresh as the fish. Three of us ate and I'm sure it was under 100LE. Up there with some of the best meals I've had in Egypt.

Well having now slept I continue my review.
I can recommend the Sand Beach Hotel an old established Egyptian hotel they had 20 rooms occupied but 50 rooms vacant 140le per night inc breakfast.
The downside is the total overall impression of one huge empty building site which will do the tourist industry no good at all.
Prices have risen in shops and restaurants
One assumes if there are any Russians they hide in their hotels.

A Fishy business.
The airport is still total chaos which should really be better organised. The trip to and from Luxor takes under 4 hours using the desert road to Qeena….

The Hard Rock

What sort of speeds were you doing and how many stops did you make to do Hughada in 4 hours Dr.????

I usually do it in 3hrs to 3.5hrs ish depending on traffic and roadworks.

When I went a couple of years back we did it in 3hrs and stopped once.

4.30 on arrival and probably more like 5 going back and we did not stop either, saying that though felt like we were going fast enough for the condition of the road and hit traffic somewhere along a canal.

dsaxelby wrote:4.30 on arrival and probably more like 5 going back and we did not stop either, saying that though felt like we were going fast enough for the condition of the road and hit traffic somewhere along a canal.

The old road to Qena by the canal lot slower road.

Just a word of warning on several occasions on the new dual carriageway sections of the Quena to Safaga road I have found traffic coming in the opposite direction on the wrong side/carriageway, another reason I only drive the route in daylight! I have also had traffic passing in front of me across the carriageway at speed, this happened at the junction past kilo 85 towards Safaga with the road from the North joining on the left side.

Bombay wrote:Just a word of warning on several occasions on the new dual carriageway sections of the Quena to Safaga road I have found traffic coming in the opposite direction on the wrong side/carriageway.

And this is what happens when you have to swerve out of the way...



Our minibus driver stopped and helped pull them out and push the car back over, luckily no one was seriously hurt.

Did they continue the journey after you had righted the car????

Bombay wrote:I usually do it in 3hrs to 3.5hrs ish depending on traffic and roadworks.

presume this is starting from the East Bank - the dear Dr starts from the West

I take about 4 hours from the WB to Hurghada port with my driver, stopping only for a wee break at the service area about 1/2 way across the desert. The break allows the 2nd driver a chance of a smoke, and Tayeb likes a Shisha. I am not going to swear that they stick to the speed limit all the way, but ...

Timing the part of the journey through the centre of Qena is paramount in reducing the journey time, but ensuring that my drivers go across the desert in daylight is also important.

Brian Yare wrote: I am not going to swear that they stick to the speed limit all the way..

I would care what speed there are doing Brian, your not insured unless your using licensed transport with a tourist registration plate (to carry tourist anywhere in Egypt). A taxi or private limousine is not.

DJKeefy wrote:

Brian Yare wrote: I am not going to swear that they stick to the speed limit all the way..

I would care what speed there are doing Brian, your not insured unless your in licensed transport with a tourist registration plate (to carry tourist anywhere in Egypt)

I am in a licensed transport. We have to pay LE150 for the permit to drive to Hurghada. We obey the rules, and are rarely stopped. But 90kph on the dual cabbageway is a bit of a pain, so we may sometimes stray above it.

It seems that we never get stopped or hassled, while others around us are forever having to show papers or pay up. And you?

Brian Yare wrote:

DJKeefy wrote:

Brian Yare wrote: I am not going to swear that they stick to the speed limit all the way..

I would care what speed there are doing Brian, your not insured unless your in licensed transport with a tourist registration plate (to carry tourist anywhere in Egypt)

I am in a licensed transport. We have to pay LE150 for the permit to drive to Hurghada. We obey the rules, and are rarely stopped. But 90kph on the dual cabbageway is a bit of a pain, so we may sometimes stray above it.

It seems that we never get stopped or hassled, while others around us are forever having to show papers or pay up. And you?

It might be licensed but it's not insured for tourist use outside it's city it is registered in, next time you look is it showing tourist registration plates? don't answer that, cause I can... NO, mind you, we all know you profess to know everything, remember 99.999% of road signs are in Arabic

So if you pay 150LE for a permit then how much does you car cost to Hurghada?

150 le for a permit to go to Hurgharda ? your 'havin a turkish aren't you ? you must be a tourist! They saw you coming, So how much did they charge you for a pee half way ?…..

And is that 150le each way or return?

2nd driver I assume this is for the car to return directly to Luxor? Otherwise its a bit cautous even airlines only need extra "releif pilot" if the flight leg is over 10hrs

Yes, but airlines also carry a co-pilot.