Marsa Alam is the Red sea resort located in the south of Egypt. Similar to Sharm El Sheikh, Marsa Alam has beautiful beaches and is ideal for a scuba diving holiday. There are a choice of four and five star hotels in Marsa Alam offering fantastic onsite facilities and great all inclusive packages. Holidays in Marsa Alam offer some of the best diving in the Red Sea with a stunning coral reef including the renowned Elphinstone reef. Deep sea fishing in Marsa Alam for reef sharks and tuna is also popular.
The unit of currency is the Egyptian Pound (EGP), which is divided into 100 piastres. Most credit cards are accepted in major hotels and restaurants. Visitors are advised to take travellers cheques in US Dollars or Pounds to avoid additional exchange rate charges. Banks are usually closed on Friday and Saturday, but private exchange bureaux, called 'Forex', are open daily and banks in major hotels are open 24 hours. Cairo branches of the Egyptian British Bank and Banque Misr now have ATMs available that accept Visa, MasterCard and Cirrus and are quite common in the main tourist areas.
Holidays in Marsa Alam
Marsa Alam offers a variety of expeditions including boat trips and ventures to surrounding resorts, towns and historic sites. Emerald Mines, Myos Hormos, Quseir Fortress and Wadi Hammamat are among the sites that are worth a visit. There are also guided desert safaris on offer that can be enjoyed by jeep, camel train or quad bike. Whilst on holiday in Marsa Alam you can also enjoy snorkeling trips.
Language
Arabic is the official language although English and French are widely spoken, especially in the tourist areas.
Nightlife in Marsa Alam
Nightlife is mainly based in the hotels in Marsa Alam where the 4 and 5 star hotels offer entertainment including live shows and traditional music nights
