Hurghada Egypt

[steve_b_wales]

Just read of an attack on one of the beaches, where two tourists were stabbed to death. One report I read stated that it wasn't a terrorist attack but an 'argument'. I hope the latter is the case as I'm off out there again in 8 weeks time.

[Bluebarrels]

Terrorists can attack anytime home or abroad Steve,you just have to live your life mate.Egypt is a red area but so is the UK,so your as much as risk here at home as anywhere else.The only difference is we have the blue light services to respond and assist in this country,abroad might be a different matter,BB

[Bluebarrels]

I was looking at the country's listed where u need a security brief to visit as a member of HM forces last night,the list and country's listed was so long they might as well say if your going abroad on holiday etc you will need a security brief!

[Twistedsanity]

I went to sharm and did a tour of the valleys about 5 years back and have never seen so many automatic weapons in my life,if it's not rhe police with ak's is guys with sunglasses, denim jackets and submachine guns under them. The hotel had armed guards and pop up barriers and I felt a lot safer there than I would in Watford hight Street on a Saturday night

[silver pigeon69]

Some friends who live there believe it was NOT a terrorist attack. It was an arguement between two Ukraine men and an Egyption, that got out of hand! When i lived in Egypt, arguements between locals were quite often solved this way!

[Bluebarrels]

But they had all that in Tunisia mate,but when the **** hit the fan the security and police failed,refused to respond!! A weapon in someone's hands is only anygood if the person holding it is trained for the situation presented,otherwise he might as well be holding an ice-cream!

[silver pigeon69]

I went to sharm and did a tour of the valleys about 5 years back and have never seen so many automatic weapons in my life,if it's not rhe police with ak's is guys with sunglasses, denim jackets and submachine guns under them. The hotel had armed guards and pop up barriers and I felt a lot safer there than I would in Watford hight Street on a Saturday night

Secret Police! (or not so secret police) Quite easy to spot, they look like an extra from "Grease" or "Fonzi"

 

Edit: The higher ranking ones wear black leather jackets!!

Edited July 14, 2017 by silver pigeon69

[Bluebarrels]

Your holiday company will be monitoring these sorts of situations/incidents and any sniff of trouble would give the option to rebook somewhere else mate,so get packing your speedos lol.

[steve_b_wales]

Your holiday company will be monitoring these sorts of situations/incidents and any sniff of trouble would give the option to rebook somewhere else mate,so get packing your speedos lol.

And my Mankini of course!

[steve_b_wales]

Terrorists can attack anytime home or abroad Steve,you just have to live your life mate.Egypt is a red area but so is the UK,so your as much as risk here at home as anywhere else.The only difference is we have the blue light services to respond and assist in this country,abroad might be a different matter,BB

I agree, and the only way I'm not going is if our government ban travel there. I was there in March and the security at the airport was second to none. 99% or traveller's were stopped/searched at least three times. I was searched twice, within 100 yards of the first time. All my camera equipment was scanned and looked at. I had no issues with that, but some tourists complained of being held up. I'm still disgusted at our government banning flights to Sharm El Sheikh. If I went to France etc, I could fly to Sharm from there. Again, the security there was excellent. The bomb on the aircraft was, I believe, placed by an airport staff member.

Some friends who live there believe it was NOT a terrorist attack. It was an arguement between two Ukraine men and an Egyption, that got out of hand! When i lived in Egypt, arguements between locals were quite often solved this way!

This is what I've been told by friends of mine who are working at two different hotels in Hurghada.

[Winston72]

I was there 3 weeks ago security is very heightened, not sure if that was down to been a religious festival (Eid) but there were armed police at every hotel in addition to the Hotel security.

[steve_b_wales]

I was there 3 weeks ago security is very heightened, not sure if that was down to been a religious festival (Eid) but there were armed police at every hotel in addition to the Hotel security.

Back in March, we did a boat trip, and had to be taken to the marina by bus. At every hotel we stopped at to pick up guests, our minibus was checked over with mirrors etc, and the driver had to show his documents. This also happened on the way back out of the hotels.

[silver pigeon69]

Back in March, we did a boat trip, and had to be taken to the marina by bus. At every hotel we stopped at to pick up guests, our minibus was checked over with mirrors etc, and the driver had to show his documents. This also happened on the way back out of the hotels.

This has been the general procedure at most of the bigger (western owned) hotels since the Sharm bombings 10+ years ago.

[fortune]

when the **** hit the fan the security and police failed,refused to respond!! A weapon in someone's hands is only anygood if the person holding it is trained for the situation presented,otherwise he might as well be holding an ice-cream!

When we went to Sharm there were 3 pickup loads of armed tourist police deployed out front of the hotel every night and the road was closed down to one lane away from the hotel by Stingers and cones. That being said we just walked down the inside of the road and around the back of the troops. They didn't notice us at all. Most of them were either laying up in the back of the pick up trucks, having a fag or playing cards. If we had been terrorist we would have been able to outflank them and take them out and then go into the hotel and slaughter until we ran out of lead. It was just the same everywhere that we went in Egypt. In he Egyptian museum in Cairo there was a security gaurd layed out fast asleep on one main statues with his Kalashnikov just laying there. If I been minded I could have shot him and run amok throughout the museum. It's all in the training, the motivation and the culture of the whole country and the leadership.

[silver pigeon69]

When we went to Sharm there were 3 pickup loads of armed tourist police deployed out front of the hotel every night and the road was closed down to one lane away from the hotel by Stingers and cones. That being said we just walked down the inside of the road and around the back of the troops. They didn't notice us at all. Most of them were either laying up in the back of the pick up trucks, having a fag or playing cards. If we had been terrorist we would have been able to outflank them and take them out and then go into the hotel and slaughter until we ran out of lead. It was just the same everywhere that we went in Egypt. In he Egyptian museum in Cairo there was a security gaurd layed out fast asleep on one main statues with his Kalashnikov just laying there. If I been minded I could have shot him and run amok throughout the museum. It's all in the training, the motivation and the culture of the whole country and the leadership.

I lived and worked in Sharm for 6 yrs, tourist related work. If you had been of a "different nationality" or dressed a little differently, trust me, you would have been challenged, probably with a gun or two being pointed at you! Which brings me to your point about the Kalashnikov. You could have run amok, if you were lucky enough to find one of the few armed guards who had ammo, and if you did you wouldn't get that far with the 3 bullets he had on him!

 

When the PM (mubarak) was visiting, the whole road was closed, with 1 army personel positioned every 50m on both sides! The funny thing was that they were all issued with 1 bullet each! However, the PMs convoy was escorted by a helicopter gunship! I dont know what the copter had on it, but when the convoy got near, ALL mobile signals were lost!

[TaxiDriver]

And my Mankini of course!

The ultimate deterrent

[Wildfowler]

I'm off there next week. Can't wait!

Whilst I'd rather there hadn't been an incident, it certainly isn't going to deter me from going! Life goes on, just as it did after Manchester and London!

[fortune]

I did think that about the ammo situation and the general clapped out state of the weapons. They just didn't appear to be alert in the smallest degree. When we went from Hurgarda across the desert to Luxor the convoy of coaches was interspaced by pickups of armed troops and all of the side roads were closed down with varying lengths of queues. The roads were closed down going in the other direction at the junctions also. I bet that the locals just loved the regular convoys. How did you do 6 years in Sharm? We stayed at the Iberotel palace opposite the souk.

[Bluebarrels]

Along with Turkey not really my idea of a holiday looking over your shoulder,yes I realise the threat is everywhere as I highlighted in a earlier post but for me heavy Muslim countries must come high on the red list,so for that reason I avoid when looking to book an holiday,it's a pity as I really like Turkey especially with stuffing!!

[Bluebarrels]

And I understand you can't live your life in fear,but you can remove yourself and family from the high possibility of an incident all for the sake of saving a few quid on your holiday,but of course that is only my opinion,BB

You pay your money and take your chances!

Edited July 14, 2017 by Bluebarrels

[silver pigeon69]

I did think that about the ammo situation and the general clapped out state of the weapons. They just didn't appear to be alert in the smallest degree. When we went from Hurgarda across the desert to Luxor the convoy of coaches was interspaced by pickups of armed troops and all of the side roads were closed down with varying lengths of queues. The roads were closed down going in the other direction at the junctions also. I bet that the locals just loved the regular convoys. How did you do 6 years in Sharm? We stayed at the Iberotel palace opposite the souk.

"Living the dream" as a diving instructor!

[Twistedsanity]

If you Google it as an English person you are surprisingly unlikley to be killed at the hands of a terrorist, I would also guess with the last few nasty incidents we have had in the UK you are a lot more likely to be killed by a terrorist over here than anywhere else in the world

[Uilleachan]

The most highly valued commodity in Egypt at the moment is the humble tourist, quite scarce and sought after, the country depends on tourism and everyone, government opposition locals et al are keen to look after what remains of this sector, which has been decimated of late.

 

Was back in Egypt a couple of months back, in Alex, exchange rate was fantastic best I've ever seen it, and whilst prices are up it's still cheaper than it was in my time. The risk of islamist terrorist attack is statistically minuscule much much more likely to be killed on the road or choke on a fish bone.

 

Hurghada isn't my favourite place, too touristy but more local than Sharm. However if a body was looking to travel to Sharm, the Hurghada to Alexandria Egypt air flight (2 or 3 a day) stops off in Sharm and takes 20mins, there's a ferry too but the flight is easier. Getting to Sharm and back is easy from Hurghada.

 

silver pigeon69, did you ever come across Captain Nihad? Harbour Police boss for Ras Gharab - Harghada - Sharm, and that part of the Gulf of Suez.

 

I had a few years in that part of the world, working for a diving company (commercial) in related work on the adjacent, to Sharm, oil business. Loved it and the people, I even miss it from time to time.

[silver pigeon69]

Hi Uilleachen, i probably did come across him, as every morning we had to go through Police security to get on the boats. Also, as the company i worked for, were a very large european travel company, they didn't quite understand how Egypt worked and the "bakshish" (basically bribes) system! They didn't allow for any cash to be spent, without a receipt provided, therefore "bakshish" could not be paid! This resulted in all our papers/ bags and all the guests passports/bags being thoroughly checked every morning and a 1/2hr delay. Whereas other centres walked through without any one or any crew/guest lists being checked. So i would imagine i did meet him at one point. Every so often there would a "big wig" at the check point. (Although i only worked out of Sharm and a little in Dahab)

[fortune]

Apart from the diving, what did you find to do there? We had a week there and two days were enough. The other five days were a waste of life time. The two days were taken up with coming from the airport to the ship. Waiting at the dock for the ship to get underway. Travel from the ship back to the hotel. An evening mooching around the souk, walking around the bay to look at the old military bren gun carriers, a trip out on a glass bottom boat and the coach trip to the airport where I slipped over on sand on the floor and fractured some ribs. not a place that I would go back to.