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Is
it safe to travel in
Egypt?
Egyptian people remain very friendly and peaceful
toward foreign visitors. Few incidences of violence and
terrorist activities have been reported in recent years making
Egypt safe as any place for a holiday destination. For
updated information check with your embassy before traveling to
any foreign country.
The
easiest and quickest way to get to Egypt is via a direct
charter flight from most European countries.
If
you are searching for a flight or flight/hotel package deal
check with your local tour operator or last-minutes
deals on the Internet. In addition, you may want to check out
our Airlines
Serving Egypt page for a list of airline companies that
provide flights to Egypt.
The
Hurghada International airport is about 10 minutes from downtown
Hurghada. If you booked your reservation with us we will provide
complementary round trip transfers from the airport to your
hotel. You must confirm with our office, prior to your arrival
date, that you need a pick up and transfer to your hotel.
We
have made it easy for you to book your holiday with us. The
easiest and fastest way is to complete our online
Request
for Quote:
http://www.mintravel.com/forms/request_for_information.htm form and send it to us. This form, if
completed correctly, usually gives us all the necessary
information we need to calculate the rates for services you need
and other applicable details. In addition, there is a section
for you to add any questions or request for specific
information.
You
can also
tours_reservation@yahoo.de
directly via email or send a fax to our office at: (+202) 63 25
810.
"How much
is my holiday going to cost" is an important question and good question!
Our goal is to create 'a total holiday' package which is personalized for each customer within their budget.
The
easiest and fastest way to help us determine the cost of your
holiday and create your itinerary is for you to complete our
online Request for Information form and send it to us.
Sending this
form is not a binding contract, nor are you obligated to us in
any way. This is just another creative way to keep our costs
down so we can continue to pass on the savings to you!
Although
vaccinations are not mandatory to travel in Egypt, a booster and
gamma globin for reinforcement are recommended. For most of the
Red Sea region in general, tetanus, typhoid, and paratyphoid are
all suggested. Ask your doctor about a single vaccination
known as TABTA, which covers all three in one vaccination.
A health
certificate from a doctor is not required to participate in a
diving course however, you must be in good health. If you
have any previous medical history it will be necessary for you
to have a statement from a diving doctor that states you can
safely participate in scuba diving related activities.
Any time you
visit Egypt you need a visitors visa. A normal visitors
visa is good for one month from the day it is issued. The
average cost for a visitors visa is between $15 - $20 US
dollars.
Most travel
agencies and tour operators provide visas for travelers. If you
do not get a visa before arriving in Egypt, you can get one at
any international airport upon arrival.
You can pay in any
currency; MasterCard or Visa credit cards, cash or you can get cash advances
at most banks. All reservations require a minimum of 25% deposit. When you
arrive you can pay the balance with cash or any major credit
card.
For additional
information on our booking policies please
contact
us:
tours_reservation@yahoo.de.
Most businesses
and banks accept any currency however, the exchange rates may
vary. Travelers checks are not widely accepted and may be
difficult to cash. Exchange rates may vary.
To check the current rate for your currency click
here. Exchange offices typically offer better exchange
rates.
All major
credit cards are accepted at most businesses and banks.
MasterCard, American Express, and Visa are most commonly used.
We also accept major credit cards.
There are several hospitals
offering various levels of services from minor outpatient care
to more serious problems including surgical procedures. Medical
facilities are adequate for most minor medical problems, including
diving related emergencies. We keep a
complete updated list of medical facilities including contact
information and other important numbers in our office.
Currently there
are two full service hyper baric chambers located in Hurghada
that are prepared to manage diving related accidents. In
addition there are chambers in Sharm el Sheikh, El Gouna and
Marsa Alam.
We only book
domestic flights for our customers but not international flights. We find that most customers are able to take
advantage of local charter flight and special air fares in their
local area and obtain excellent rates. Often travel
packages include flight and hotel at very reasonable rates.
Any standard of
hotels are available; from B&B
style rooms up to five star resorts. Rates vary depending on
the time of year and can be difficult to confirm last minute
reservations during high season, particularly during August and
mid to late December.
Most
resorts offer a variety of international cuisine. In addition,
the local cuisine includes excellent seafood dishes, pastas and
sandwiches. There are also a few major fast-food chains in major
cities, including Hurghada. Expect to find just about any type
of cuisine with limited menus.
Egypt,
a world class holiday destination, offers something for
everyone! Aside from the popular water sports activities you can
go shopping, visit museums, go on a Nile cruise, go on land
tours, or visit the desert. The night only brings more life to
the cities including dancing and fine dining. There are also a
lot of scheduled annual events.
On every dive,
expect to see a large variety of colorful hard and soft corals,
schools of colorful tropical
fish, clown fish,
lion fish, tuna, groupers, jacks, and many other reef fish. It
is not unusual to encounter dolphins, turtles, reef
sharks, eagle rays, stingrays, and moray eels.
During
winter months water temperatures
average around 22 Celsius, whereas the average temperatures in
the summer months is around 27 Celsius. Click here to see a
chart of yearly average air and water temperatures.
In
some places and sometimes yes, there are strong currents however
these places are rare during daily diving.
In some places such as the Thistlegorm wreck, you count on
currents be present but depending on the time of day you dive
this area will depend on the current strength, any where from
mild up to moderately strong. Our guides are very experience to
guide you safely on dives with currents.
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