Best cities to live in Egypt

Does not apply to Luxor, a work permit is as rare as rocking horse S--t.

And if you get one it will have cost you a fortune. The police here are interviewing everyone in Luxor when they renew their visa's to make sure they are not working.

Hey Choccy, long time no see

I personally love Hurghada.  I've been to many cities, towns and villages around Egypt but I always come back, not only to Hurghada, but to Dahar, the old part of the city.

Sharm is ok, but totally tourist.  I liked Assuit a lot but it's not a place for a single foreign woman to live.  I personally do not like Cairo as I don't like busy cities.  Alex is beautiful but has issues.  Port Said - avoid.  Dahab is very chilled and great for the beach but not the best place to be at the moment.

There are many places along the Nile, from Cairo down to Aswan and beyond.  A lot of them have their own charm whilst some are best to avoid.  Luxor is one of these and unless you have a love of the history and archaeology of Egypt, I'd say stay away.  My experiences in Luxor, apart from those spent with friends and their families, have never been enjoyable.

If you like a quiet life, Marsa Alam further down the Red Sea has amazing reefs and sea still, but less of the Western luxuries.

There's somewhere for everyone in Egypt - travel around a bit and find the place that suits you.

Hi there,

Hope you are getting on OK, did not realise you were in Hurghada, we have just got back from Australia and absolutely loved it. A lot more expensive to Luxor but very vibrant and extremely clean and well looked after. It seems like Tourists are not welcome any more in Luxor, most people are having to leave and come back, some are now saying that if they have to leave they will not come back, some have boarded their villa's up and left, leaving a manager to sell their villa's. But nearly everyone has now got their homes up for sale. Nobody is in disagreement about the visa system, its just the random way people are being selected to leave, its like a lottery with no captain at the helm. I have also heard that they are looking out for people working with out permits and closing them down, but their own who trade with no licenses are being allowed to continue.  Has much as we love the place and love living here, we are now getting a bit tired of the persecution, shown towards foreigners in Luxor, maybe a lot is borne from the poor who see that we still have spending power. What they do not realise is that a lot of our spending power has kept business's going over the past 5 years, now many are leaving, you can see in the shops, all the cheap and nasty food stuff, the unlabeled and branded goods disappearing are now being sold. Now I hear they are stopping visa's for holiday makers being sold at airports. (I agree with to an extent, but they must make available online applications, many of the Embassy's are out of reach to may people) They really  are not wanting foreigners in Egypt. Its like going over the top on security and getting blinded by their real income. I really do not think Luxor will ever return has a holiday hot spot in my lifetime, the bubble has burst and now the new bubble is impossible to live under.

Is Hurghada the same?

Speak Soon

Hello,i am actually surprised after reading your stories about Luxor. Me and my friends have visited Luxor but always feel welcome from locals.
I have been living in hurgada many years, its a bit crisis for tourism ,but that is all,we keep living here like we used to.

Not much has changed here in Hurghada except Dahar has been cleaned up a lot and, to be honest, is improving all the time.  Mamsha is looking a bit tired and tatty and the work being done in Kawser seems to be taking forever.

Tourism obviously dropped off but we were out and about yesterday and there were quite a few tourists up by the Grand Mosque and even in the Fish souk.  More flights seem to be coming in each day now hopefully the tourist industry will pick up again.

"My" Hurghada doesn't depend on tourism, so life is pretty much the same as it has been.  The veg shop, vegetable shop and local shops that we use are all running as normal.  Speaking to the coffee supplier yesterday, his business was growing but is now pretty level.  This is due to a lot of Egyptians heading back to their villages as tourist work has dried up.  The shops that sell tourist tat are really suffering right now, as are the trips and tours companies.  Many hotels are empty or closed.

I always found the issue in Luxor was the amount of hassle and the focus on trying to cheat foreigners out of every penny that they could.  Visiting the valleys became an ordeal rather than a pleasure and running in the gauntlet on the way out of VotK was horrendous.  Likewise, getting in and out of Horus temple down at Edfu could test the patience of a Buddhist.

As this thread is about living in Egypt, life as a resident remains unchanged and feels to be improving, except for the visa situation (which only requires one trip out of the country so that they can register you on the computer system when you re-enter).

My two penn'orth

Being a tourist to Luxor is very different from living here. I agree with what you say, but now more Caleshes are off the streets the hassle is less, now its the golden  boys trying to cheat ladies from their cash in property deals and these Orfi Marriages, too many people think they are safe with an Orfi Marriage, but they are nothing like safe.

If you didn't mention job opportunities then I would of said Dahab. Great place to live, but not much in the way of work.

cairo and alex but theses cities are too crowded
if u wanna chill out go to sharm, or hurghada

El Gouna and Hurghada

I would like to buy a property in Egypt and eventually settle there. I have visited Cairo, Luxor east and west bank, Sharm el Sheikh but not Hurghada which I am planning for in March. Love them all in different ways.

Anney 1 See www.nileside.com.uk

Thank you

Just for future reference if required Anny 1. I can tell you Luxor is nice and peaceful, everyone will tell you so. The only problem is the lack of tourists which from their income things cannot get done quickly. But all in all its the peace that appeals to us, living in a small village with 2 or 3 other Europeans and surrounded by farm land. Bliss!!

Do you mind if I ask where you live, I know parts of the West Bank and like it there.

I live in the village of Gorf between La Galta and Esba, its a small village made up mainly of farmers, but has expanded over the past few years, if you can call 6 new homes expansion! We like it here because the villagers are accommodating, there is no hassle, and in the evenings it is so peaceful. We also like to walk and do 5-6KM everyday through the Banana Plantations. 5 mins away is the Al Bairat Hotel and Aladdins Restaurant. Our villa is right on the edge of the village. We will still stay in the village, but want to be on the Asphalt Road so we can purchase a car and also have room for a garage. You will see on the web Site we are leaving everything in the villa, (A list is on the site) The Villa is Air Conditioned, the AC Unit in the lounge is also a heater version to  keep you warm in the Winter months, so its completely ready to move in, including WI-Fi and OSN Sat TV.

Hi Choccy,

you've posted your website address wrong -

Should be :

http://www.nileside.co.uk/

Thanks Netyoda, I am sure Anny 1 will pick this up from your post. Sorry about that, it maybe that because my laptop is linked that I do not have to apply the http.

it wasn't the http - it was the .com.uk instead of the .co.uk

Regards,

LC

Thanks wondered why it wouldn't connect

Sorry about that Anny 1

I've looked at your villa and it looks amazing. Why are you leaving it fully furnished if you are staying in the village? I think it may be a little too rural for us but I'm sure someone will snap it up. Good luck

Its because the majority of our white goods, TV, theartre system etc are nearly 5 years old, all are still under guarantee until September 2016 but we have decided to purchase new again. Most of the outside is now laid to ceramics, and the internal ceramics were replaced 2 years ago to the style i wanted in the first place. there is a new villa being built at the back of us and when completed  I will be reinstating the built up road again and resurfacing. My wife and self have always lived rural, in fact one of the places we lived in Scotland our nearest neighbour was 3.5 miles away from us, we loved it. Or main thing is we want to be near the asphalt road and have an internal garage, but it will only be withing 500M from the villa, because we love the village and the people.

well I live in Hadayek Helwan Cairo Egypt and is really nice every one very good to me no problems except when I rent they always want large security deposit and the never give it back .......so now I have an Egyptian friend rent because loosing 1,000 pounds is okay but 5,000 no ......I feel safe and I can go any place ....I go to Luxor which I love I go to Hurghada which is okay to visit.....Aswan good to visit.....Alex is very nice....and Mathru is lovely.......I like Monzoura....and to Agga..........and many other towns ....Maadi is nice but has gotten crowed and expensive.......so I will stay in my town Hadayek Helwan and go where ever to visit.......................................................Egypt is amazing and I love it here very much.......for 10 years......... and now we have Tok Toks which I love when driven by a man not a child........

Laady24, its the same in Luxor, if you pay a deposit or fidelity bond, your chances of getting it back are zero

that is the only bad thing about Egypt as the ones with money will always take advantage of all and take their money

That's the same around the world, generally

I agree and sometimes when you hear all the stories of corruption, dishonesty, etc I have to remind myself that Egypt doesn't have the monopoly on all of that.

of course not but it helps....I love Egypt