Hurghada? Sickness?

[poorlyeye]

We’re looking to go away at Easter - so want somewhere nice at that time of year. We did Greece last year and it wasn’t quite warm enough (pool cold etc)

Were thinking about Hurghada (2 adults 2 kids) - I’ve only ever been to Sharm and both me and who I went with were violently ill (as is common I think 😩) - would Hurghada be similar? If we stayed at a nice all inclusive resort?

thanks in advance - any experiences shared would be amazing

Not worth the risk, especially if the kids are young. A friend’s 8yo DD spent a week in ICU on dialysis after a trip to Hurghada - she caught E-coli from unhygienic food/drink and developed kidney failure as a result. This was at a supposedly 5 star all inclusive!

Oh gosh @OzCalling thats awful! Hope she’s fully recovered now!

Think I’ll be giving it a miss.

Maybe Dubai but it’s much pricier than other options!

Well I had to buy laxatives in Hurghada... the pharmacist said it was highly unusual 🤣
Can't say I would rush back though.

Look at El Gouna- we did all inclusive there and no one got sick- plus I found it a nicer experience than the hyper Ed's of Hurgadha

@frogpigdonkey where did you stay?

Not going back to Egypt, both for that reason and due to the abuse we got from locals for the apparent crime of walking down the street without a man.

Three corners el gouna

It was lovely and you could walk into the town without being hassled

I've been to Egypt a few times (in my defence it's always warm and it's fairly cheap!). The best place we stayed was the Jaz Bluemarine. Lovely hotel, great food. Neither me, nor my partner, were sick while we were there and we didn't hear of anyone else being sick either. It's twinned with Jaz Aquamarine. They're both on the same site, Bluemarine seems a bit quieter but Aquamarine is closer to the sea and has lots of pools and slides. In either hotel you can use the facilities/restaurants/pools of the other hotel. I'd go back!

I wouldn't go back to Egypt if you paid me. Shit food/food poisoning, and constant hassle from men and even young boys lying on the ground trying to look up my skirt.

You were very unlucky if you found a cold place in Greece. Swim in the sea. It's a wonderful country.

If you want to be close to other UK holidaymakers, Paxos is a safe bet.

@poorlyeye Maybe Dubai but it’s much pricier than other options!

There's also the risk of prison, if you don't have a thorough knowledge of local laws.

We went to Tenerife in April 2023 and it was lovely weather. 27C approx. I went to Hurgada years ago and was so very ill.

So many people blame stomach upsets on the food in Egypt, but a very high proportion of infections come from handling money, not food. Most of the notes in Egypt are very old and dirty, and crawling with germs. Before we went to Egypt the first time we were advised to use hand gel religiously every time we handled any money, as well as obviously using hand gel before eating. We've had eight or nine trips to Egypt, and our daughter lived in Cairo for a year, and none of us have ever had the slightest stomach upset. With one exception , we've always eaten out at local restaurants in the evening and so have avoided buffets, which can be a source of infection, although not as much as handling money.

@Growlybear83 I found the money actually smelled like poo 💩

@poorlyeye
What about Cyprus as it is likely to be warmer than Greece due to its location?

We've been to Hurghada for the majority of our holidays over the last 15 years. I get a dodgy stomach every time, but that's not unusual for me - I get one wherever we go, even in UK! I've never been actually sick though, or felt particularly unwell, just needed to use the toilet or be close to one for 2-3 days.

DH has never, DD has twice (and the second time she was constipated which was unexpected to say the least!)

I think it's a combination of the heat, constantly being cold/hot (air con to outdoors, pool to poolside, iced drinks etc), the money (which is indeed filthy) and the oils and spices used in cooking that we aren't used to. Some people swear by taking probiotics for a month before going, I've never tried it but may do this year.

Easter is probably the best time to go, hot but not ridiculous. If you do decide to try Hurghada, happy to give recommendations.

I’ve said on other Egypt threads, we have been multiple times and never had anyone be ill. We’ve mainly stayed AI. We went to the Oberoi in Hurghada but it was years ago, really lovely though.

@RogueFemale I’ve had to travel to Dubai and other parts of the Middle East a few times for work so am quite comfortable in terms of what to do/expect luckily!

In Greece the weather in the day was lovely, but kids were blue in the pool lol, and evenings quite windy and cold.

@HaggardyOldSkin thats interesting!

I have a friend who dives and so goes to Egypt a few times a year and she never seems to get ill either.