Hurghada originated as an oil town with a little fishing on the side; nowadays, there are no longer any oil wells operating, but exotic subtropical fish abound for divers and snorkellers. Two or three hotels exist from the mid-1960s, but tourism only really started to develop around the late 1980s and now the hotel bandwagon has been well and truly jumped upon by all and sundry, including many international chains. As a result, the whole 20-ml or so of coastline resembles one huge building site. Fortunately most hotels are self-contained and you can easily ignore the planning mess around you if and when you venture out of your own accommodation. The resort falls into 3 main areas. The central town, known as El Dahar, has a N-facing coast and only a handful of beach hotels, and has the "advantage" of being accessible on foot for shopping and nightlife. Around the corner on the E-facing shore is the other suburb of El Sakala with its old port, even grottier shops and streets and generally, though not exclusively, lower-category hotels. S of El Sakala lies a 15-ml strip of hotels situated between the coast road and the beach. They are all more or less isolated and have no local infrastructure around them. The town itself is really rather scruffy, very ethnic and has little to attract the Western tourist beyond a morning or two shopping. But the more remote hotels can become claustrophobic after a while, so careful selection of location is important depending on personal preferences. Locals are generally very friendly and many speak at least some English. Unaccompanied females must expect a lot of mostly unwelcome attention from the men in this one-disco town. The possibility of terrorist attacks on tourists in Egypt remains; Foreign Office advisory notices offer the latest official advice and should be consulted before booking.

Coral reefs, spectacular fish and relatively warm water in winter make this a specialist scuba-diving destination. Its frequent NW wind also makes it a major resort for serious windsurfers; the numerous other water-sports activities available are really add-ons. No antiquities for the historically minded and, for those seeking a Mediterranean-type holiday, little to do at night after your day of sun, sea and beach. Possibly a relaxing second week for a 2-centre holiday after visiting Egypt's antiquities elsewhere.

Nearly all hotels are on the beach, with the exception of a few cheap and cheerful 2-stars frequented by divers and windsurfers who want only a place to sleep with no frills. Most offer a range of water sports, but potential clients should ensure that any particular requirements are available before booking. Some hotels are in town within walking distance of bazaars etc but most are up to 15 mls S, some beyond public transport and local infrastructure.

All hotels situated between the coast road and the sea have their own beaches with parasols, sun loungers and usually windbreaks as well as bars, snack bars and their aqua-centres for water-sports activities. The natural desert sand is really a coarse grit similar to that found on the Costa Brava, which has the advantage of not sticking to sun-cream-basted bodies; most hotels have supplemented it with the fine golden sand expected by international tourists these days. For those whose hotels do not have access to the sea, there are very poor public beaches at Sakala and near the main town centre.

Dominated in the main bazaar area of town by innumerable gold shops offering good value if strenuously bargained for. The usual array of leatherware, brass and cotton items definitely come second here. Plenty of tourist tat that has little to do with this part of Egypt. Shopkeepers will "invite" you to look at their wares as you pass but the hassle-factor is not severe if invitations are rejected politely and with good humour.

Daytime: beyond beach, sea, sun and water sports, not a lot. An aquarium; horse riding; camel rides; bowling alley; tennis, squash etc at hotels; submarine trip. Nightlife: nearly all hotels provide either Egyptian folklore or showgirl evenings, but these are repeated frequently and the same show often appears in several hotels. Nearly all bars, "pubs" and discos are hotel based. The area around the Empire Hotel in town has become the main centre of tourist nightlife.

Lots of restaurants in hotels and, surprisingly, some 20-odd independent restaurants including Greek, Italian, Chinese, Korean, European, steak bars and Egyptian.

Public minibuses are cheap and frequent, plying the coast road to the N and S, although the more far-flung properties are off the route. Most hotels this far out operate a courtesy bus service. Taxis are plentiful but, as always in Egypt, agree a price before the journey and haggle.

Half day/full day: desert safaris; boat trips (including glass-bottomed boats) to look at coral reefs and marine life, snorkel, fish or just swim and sunbathe. Full day/2 days: Luxor or Cairo.

On the E coast, where the Eastern Desert meets the Red Sea. 300 mls SE of Cairo. 170 mls NE of Luxor. The other less-developed diving resorts of Safaga and El Quseir lie respectively 40 and 90 mls farther S. Sharm el Sheikh and the Sinai Peninsula are a 20-min flight to the NE across the Gulf of Suez. Hurghada airport, S of the town centre but central to the resort as a whole, is between 1 and 5 mls from the hotels.

Backed by flat, featureless desert and a distant range of saw-toothed mountains to the W, giving some attractive sunsets. At least 15 islands, most with coral reefs, lie within a few miles of the resort.

Telephone Area Code: 65
Website: www.hurghada.com

Airport : Hurghada
Airport Code: HRG
Flight time from ther U.K.: 5 hrs. 30 mins