Discovering Hurghada

Shopping in Hurghada is a great pastime. However, because of some hyperactive street vendors, it can be a little upsetting. You only have to be open and enjoy bargaining with sellers. If you have good communication skills, shopping in Hurghada can be very cheap. It's part of the Egyptian culture, after all. Most stores in the Tourist Village do not have fixed prices, you need to agree on prices. However, we ordered a taxi vie Uber, and went shopping downtown.

Senzo Mall, Hurghada_1

Senzo Mall, Hurghada_2

Senzo Mall became the best place for shopping in Hurghada for us. This shopping mall is located in Safaga Road about ten miles away from the city center. It is open daily from 10.00 a.m. until midnight. Stores in Senzo Mall have fixed prices. Therefore, there is no need to bargain. Some stores are really expensive, but there are also affordable ones. Our favorite stores in Senzo Mall were Mango, Robber’s and DejaVu. In addition, Senzo Mall includes the largest grocery store in Hurghada called Spinneys.

Some other holidaymakers managed to reach Hurghada City Center, the newest shopping center in Hurghada City. This shopping mall is located in Arabia area, next to the Hilton. This is where you will find clothing stores, shoes, jewelry, toys and so on. There is also a cinema. Unfortunately, we had no time to visit so many shopping malls and simply stuck to Senzo Mall shopping.

Bas-relief at Hurghada City Council building caught my eye

There are good shopping places in Hurghada around Sheraton Road - the longest shopping street in Hurghada. There are also cafés and restaurants along the street. Shops in Sheraton Road are designed for holidaymakers, and therefore prices there can vary greatly. There are no fixed prices, so be prepared to bargain. Think about the price you are willing to pay. If you do not plan to buy anything, then there is no need to bargain. It's just a waste of time. Not everyone is ready to bargain for prices. If you really want to buy something, please use some (Egyptian) Arabic at least for greeting and gratitude. I observed that sellers get upset when the customers, mostly Russian-speaking ones, entered the shop without greeting, started speaking only Russian, simply demanding discounts and left irritated and without saying goodbye upon the owner’s refusal to grant as many discounts as those potential customers wished.
As for me, I had written down some Egyptian Arabic phrases that I heard over Youtube, and practised them at the hotel before shopping in Hurghada. As a result, I did not even mention any discounts, but listened to the fruit seller at the market in Al-Dakhar District (Old Town), who, upon calculation of the total sum, said he had granted me a 10-pound discount. It was not even a dollar, but the sum was not my aim. Therefore, you only have to listen to the seller, be patient and wait until the seller himself offers you a discount rather than demand a discount of him.

At the Fruit Market, Hurghada

At the entrance to the Fruit Market_3

By the way, there are places in Hurghada where you can shop without bargaining such as Cleopatra Store.
The beginning of El Mamsha Promenade El Mamsha is very beautiful. It is a place where both locals and tourists shop and spend their free time. This is an ideal place for a pleasant evening walk. While walking near Mamsha, you can go shopping and enjoy the atmosphere. At the beginning of Mamsha there are large souvenir shops with fixed prices as well as smaller ones. McDonald’s is a good place to start shopping in El Mamsha. There are also good shops at the end of Mamsha Boulevard. If you enjoy walking, start walking away from McDonald's and go to the end of Mamsha.

St.Shenouda Coptic Orthodox Church, Hurghada

Visiting St.Shenouda Coptic Orthodox Church, Hurghada_2

Visiting St.Shenouda Coptic Orthodox Church, Hurghada_3

Orthodox Coptic Church located al-Lewaa Salman Mazhar drew our attention during our visit to the old city. Even though our primary aim was to do some shopping at Al Dakhar Fruit Market, we allowed some time to visit all the shrine located nearby including the central mosque in El Dahar district of the Hurghada city. We also approached to a small mosque named Aldahaar Mosque.

Central mosque in El Dahar District, Hurghada_3

Central mosque in El Dahar District, Hurghada_2

Leaving Kyiv for Hurghada