Egypt: Taba Advice Required!

Leylauk

Hi

I have just booked a week in Taba, Egypt for June. I have been to Egypt before but never to the Red Sea. I was just wondering if anyone who has been has any advice or tips for me i.e. anywhere good to visit etc.

I will definately be partaking in some snorkeling but other than that I am not sure what there is to offer in the area.

Any tips appreciaited - thanks!!!

janel

Hi Leylauk, I've been to Taba several times now and it is a wonderful place. My tips for you would be:
Whatever hotel you are in, join the preferred guest scheme on the relevant website as this will give you various extra goodies.
Be aware that drinks are as expensive as London and it's a good idea if you drink spirits to take them with you.
Taba is approx 20 mins taxi ride to the Israeli Border and you can go through there, on into Jordan to visit Petra - which is amazing. Reps will arrange all visas for you.
The traditional Bedouin evening at the Marriot is great and sets up camp on the beach.
The Taba area has no centre that I've ever found, and is a series of quality hotels. However once you get used to the desert landscape, the lovely sea and the red mountains as a backdrop - it becomes fanatastically relaxing. There are trips to Cairo and St Katherine's monastery but you may find that if you are there for just one week, you prefer to stay on the lovely beaches. I've stayed in both the Marriot and the Hyatt - not sure where you are going but all of the seem very good. The Hyatt has a great jetty that is the easy way in for snorkelling and the marine life is fab.
I learned a few Arabic phrases and made friends for life.

Hope this helps......

Jane

blinker

DON'T GO TO TABA

must be nuts! miles better holiday / accommodation / food / nightlife / hotels / area etc... in Eilat & cheaper too on the Israeli side.

Far more sophisticated & no security issues either.

I went to Taba & was shocked at the disgraceful Egyptian service & level of manners. They're really horrible!!

geo555

I recently went to Taba and stayed at the Hyatt.
It is a get away from it all place. Just 3 hotels. Nothing outside.
Recommend going to Petra although if you can go independantly, do it as you will have more time there than in a group. Dont forget to hire a guide at Petra.
Drinks were expensive, so bring your duty free spirits or a box or two of wine.
You may be better off to buy a snorkel and flipper set to take with you, depending on how much snorkelling you intend to do. Hiring was about £9 a day.
Had no problems with the staff. They were all very friendly. They are poorly paid and rely on tips.

Lucie_2

blinker wrote:

I went to Taba & was shocked at the disgraceful Egyptian service & level of manners. They're really horrible!!

Wow. I'm really shocked by this. We have been to Egypt twice (third trip planned for this September) & I have always found the service & friendliness of the Egyptians to be exceptionally good.

My only advice for the Red Sea is take your own mask, snorkel, fins & underwater camera. They are v expensive to buy over there. The dive school at our hotel loaned them out but you had to leave a 50 euro cash deposit.

If you're not going all inclusive buy a bottle of your favourite tipple at the airport on the way out because alcohol is v expensive & not readily available (eg in Supermarkets etc)

janel

Lucie wrote:

Wow. I'm really shocked by this. We have been to Egypt twice (third trip planned for this September) & I have always found the service & friendliness of the Egyptians to be exceptionally good.

Me too! Methinks this post has a political bias. Eilat is a built up mess, the hotels just don't compare with those in Taba and the security is a major presence in them. The Egyptian staff are about the nicest you can get and if they're responding any differenty then one has to assume it's because of the way the individual treats them.

Trow

Eilat is awful! Characterless and ugly - stick with Egypt although I have never been to Taba.

Chris_H_8

I have just booked a week at the Hyatt regency in Taba, can anyone recommend which currency to take for drinks / tipping etc?

Thanks
Chris.

Leylauk

I think that I am going to take some small value US dollars which I have lying around for tips the first day but then get my money changed into Egyptian dollars as soon as I get there because I dont think that you are allowed to export Egyptian dollars from the country so cant change currency over here.

Also many thanks to everyone for their informative replies.

geo555

Chris_H wrote:

I have just booked a week at the Hyatt regency in Taba, can anyone recommend which currency to take for drinks / tipping etc?

Thanks
Chris.

At the Hyatt, you can put all your drinks, snacks etc. on your bill. It is all priced in egyptian pounds. If you book any trips, they MUST be paid in US dollars. Something to do with egyptian tourist law.
When I went, I took some Egytian pounds and made up the shortfall on the bill with UK pounds. You will get a better exchange rate there than you will get here.
Take some Egyptian pounds for tipping and the rest in Sterling. If you go on a trip, pay on your credit card. It was all done on a fixed exchange rate of $1.84 when I went in april.

Lucie_2

Leylauk wrote:

I dont think that you are allowed to export Egyptian dollars from the country so cant change currency over here.

You can get Egyptian pounds over here, it is not a closed currency. Your local travel agent / post office should do them.
HOWEVER
I have found their exchange rates to be pretty poor, last year I was offered about 8 LE (Egyptian pounds) to £1 at my local travel agent, & the rate in Egypt exceeded 10LE to the £.
The BBc website is giving a rate of 9.6636 today, so make sure you get offered at least that.