Middle East - Anthony Ham [152]
Service Taxi
The service taxi station is near the telephone centrale in Ad-Dahar. Taxis go to Cairo (E£35), Al-Quseir (E£15 to E£20), Marsa Alam (E£20 to E£25) and Suez (E£25 to E£30). They cannot take you to Luxor or Aswan except on a private basis in a police convoy. With bargaining, it costs about E£400 per vehicle (up to seven passengers) to Luxor.
Getting Around
Local minibuses function as service taxis in Hurghada. These can be hailed from the side of the road. To travel from the resort strip to Sigala costs around E£1, and E£2 to Ad-Dahar. The trip between Sigala and Ad-Dahar costs 50pt. A taxi from Sigala to Ad-Dahar or the resort strip costs E£5 to E£10; it costs E£15 between Ad-Dahar and the resort strip. You’ll need to bargain to get these prices.
El Gouna Bus Co operates a more comfortable service (E£5) between Al-Gouna, Ad-Dahar and the end of Sharia Sheraton in Sigala about every half hour, beginning at 9am. You can flag the bus down at any point along the way and pay on board.
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AL-QUSEIR
065 / pop 29,000
It’s hard not to fall in love with this sleepy Red Sea town: it moves at the sort of sedate pace that’s a perfect antidote to the Egypt hustle. While there’s barely a handful of things to see in town, it’s still worth a stopover to soak in some ocean-side serenity.
Until the 10th century, Al-Quseir was one of the most important exit points for pilgrims travelling to Mecca, later becoming an important entrepôt for Indian spices destined for Europe.
There’s a 24-hour telephone centrale, a Misr Bank branch with a 24hr ATM, and a post office. For internet access try Crazy Net (per hr E£3; 10am-12am) behind the Fort.
Sights & Activities
The main sight in town is the 16th-century Ottoman fortress (admission adult/student E£10/5; 9am-5pm), still largely intact, though later modified by French and British colonials. Beautiful old coral-block buildings line the waterfront and a maze of dusty laneways snake inland. Look out for intricately carved wooden balconies and the domed tombs of various saints – mostly pious pilgrims who died en route to or from Mecca.
You can arrange diving trips or excursions into the Eastern Desert with Mazenar Tours ( 333 5247, 010 653 2964; www.rockyvalleydiverscamp.com; Sharia Port Said), located along the waterfront.
Sleeping & Eating
Sea Princess Hotel ( 333 1880; Sharia al-Gomhuriyya; s/d E£100/120, without bathroom E£25/40) The only shoestring choice in Al-Quseir provides prison-cell rooms filled with fumes from next door’s petrol station. The newer upstairs rooms are more satisfactory, but overpriced.
Al-Quseir Hotel ( 333 2301; 112 Sharia Port Said; s/d E£100/150) This charming hotel is in a renovated 1920s merchant’s house on the seafront. The six humble but spacious rooms are filled with glistening wood, and the shared bathrooms are flawlessly clean. Look for the ‘diving world’ sign.
Mövenpick Sirena Beach ( 333 2100; www.movenpick-quseir.com; r from €160; ) This low set, domed ensemble, 7km north of the town centre, is top of the line in Al-Quseir, and one of the best resorts along the coast. There are restaurants, a Subex diving centre and a refreshing absence of the schmaltz so common in other resort hotels.
Dining options are limited. There are the usual ta’amiyya and fish stands around the seafront and the bus station. The most popular place in town is Restaurant Marianne ( 333 4386; Sharia Port Said; mains E£15-35), which serves yummy grilled fish on beach-side tables. They can also arrange jeep (€25) and quad-bike (€25 to €35) desert trips to visit nearby Bedouin camps. Another place to check out is Sahraya Coffeehouse (Sharia Port Said), also on the waterfront, which serves snacks.
Getting There & Around
The bus and service-taxi stations are next to each other, about 1.5km northwest of the Safaga road, and about 3km from the telephone centrale (E£3 to E£5 in a taxi).
Bus
There are seven daily buses to Cairo (E£65 to E£75, nine hours)