El Gouna

Located 22km north of Hurghada, El Gouna, Red Sea is a charming little town host to 14 hotels and resorts, ranging from cozy inns to luxury five-star beach resorts.

Whether you’re attracted to an intimate inn with the waterfront elegance of the marina, a hotel with traditional Arab architecture, or the sprawling luxury of a five-star Red Sea resort, you’ll find that there are accommodations to suit every mood and budget in El Gouna. Also, our Dine Around program allows you to enjoy a meal at 20 outlets throughout El Gouna regardless of your hotel of residence.

We in El Gouna know that each of our many guests comes with a unique set of circumstances, whether he or she travels alone or with friends and family, for business purposes in southern Egypt or for the vacation of his or her dreams at the Red Sea. Hotel staff will help you organize activities such as Red Sea diving, a day at the spa, and sightseeing anywhere in Egypt. Looking for one of the best Golf resort in Egypt? Relaxing at a spa hotel in the Red Sea? Searching for a family hotel at a beach resort? Needing a romantic break or a honeymoon suite? Want to find the best diving sites and Kitesurfing centers with a good hotel deal in the Red Sea where ? El Gouna has it all.

El Gouna has been officially recognized as Egypt's most environmentally-friendly holiday destination. The Green Star Hotel Initiative aims to improve environmental standards in the Egyptian hotel industry.

Entry/Visa : easy to obtain upon arrival at Hurghada International Airport


Vaccines : no specific vaccination required


Climate : year-round sunshine, hot to very hot in the summer, with a coolign sea-breeze to mild in the winter


Currency : Egyptian pound


Language : Arabic - English, German and French widely spoken in the hotels


Telephone reception : excellent mobile connections

Customs / Culture
El Gouna is just 25 km south of Hurghada, located in the center along the bay, with beautiful beaches and coral reefs just offshore. Egyptians working in El Gouna are mainly residents of Hurghada and the surrounding cities. They commute daily to work from Hurghada. El Gouna is primarily a tourist resort, there are not many natives living in the area.

Traditions
The local population enjoy the company of tourists. Often, locals on the street will simply great tourists The Egyptians have a very friendly relationship towards each other and a friend is considered a distant cousin. The local woman in El Gouna dress very differently than the tourists, they are almost entirely covered with a hijab (a traditional Islamic dress, covering even the hair, ears and neck). It is important for local people that tourists do not take pictures without their permission.

Religion
Islam is the dominant religion in El Gouna and the rest of Egypt. The fundamental principle of this is the belief in Allah (one God). Approximately 97% of the population is Muslim in El Gouna. Every Muslim is obligated to fulfill the five pillars of Islam. They must proclaim that there is no god but Allah and Muhammad is his prophet, pray five times a day, giving alms, fasting during Ramadan and have received at least one pilgrimage to Mecca. The most important of these tasks is to pray. The prayers of the faithful are called by the muezzin. Muslims can pray anywhere as long as they pray in the direction of Mecca. The Koran in the Islamic religion acts as a code of conduct.

Events
Holidays:
January 1 - New Year
April 25 - Sinai Liberation Day
May 1 - Labour Day
June 18 - Independence Day - the British departure and evacuation of the Suez Canal zone
October 6 - Armed Forces Day
October 24 - Suez City Day
December 23 - Victory Day

Religious holidays:
Coptic Christmas - Christmas Eve (only for Copts)
Qurban Bair - the feast of the pilgrims
Islamic New Year
Muldi an Nabi - Birthday of the Prophet
Good Friday and Coptic Easter (only for Copts)
The first day of spring - Sham el Nessim
Ramadan Bair - the end of Ramadan

Culinary Specialities
In El Gouna we can enjoy local food consisting mainly of a large number of vegetables. The most popular dish is “ful” which consists of fava beans, pasta with olive oil, lemon, salt and pepper. An equally popular and healthy food is “kuszari”, which is a mixture of rice, pasta, lentils and peas, all topped with a spicy sauce. For the main course the specialty is “mezze” - a few salads and sauces. All dishes are served with pita bread. Islam forbids eating pork; therefore one will not often encounter restaurants that serve pork dishes. Egyptians cook their meals using lamb and mutton and sometimes camel meat. Another popular dish is roasted goose or dried fish called “fasich”. Nevertheless, in pure Egyptian restaurants it is typical to eat vegetable dishes, mashed chickpeas, stuffed vegetables and stewed beans. In addition to the traditional cuisine, one can enjoy the many restaurants serving international cuisine and many local bars where drinks are served.

Lifestyle / Sights
Tourists who come to El Gouna will rarely leave the city. Usually they participate in many water sports. You can however also take a trip to Cairo and Luxor, or take a tour to Hurghada.