Compatriots on vacation in Egypt go crazy for this place – the photos taken here are the envy of the rest of Lithuania

“If you want to make the rest of Lithuania jealous, go to the Orange Coast. The photos taken there will cause an explosion,” recommends Milda from Kaunas, whom I met at a hotel in the Hurghada spa. This is the third time that He is on vacation in this city, having tried many excursions and entertainments. He was very disappointed, but not in this place, which he highly recommends to all Lithuanians. “We have been there once this year, but maybe we will swim again” says the woman on vacation with her friend and daughter.

Everyone who goes to Hurghada hears an offer from local guides or hotel staff to sail to the mentioned Orange Coast in Milda, called Orange Bay. According to those who work in the field of tourism, it is the pearl of the Hurghada area, the most beautiful place and the most suitable place to take pictures. Of course, the classic phrase for tourist attractions is also used: “If you weren’t on the Orange Coast, you weren’t in Hurghada.” In my head, that’s not the correct saying, but anyone who knows how to advertise that way. Egyptian entrepreneurs, sales secrets don’t really need to be taught.

Muhammad Soliman, a local tour operator who has been working with tourists from Eastern and Northern Europe for seventeen years, says with his hand on his heart that he has never had a guest disappointed with the beauty and entertainment of the Orange Coast during his career. . “Lithuanians are my regular clients, whoever tries to work with me always comes back. I have many friends from your country. Rūta from Šiauliai, Darius from Kaunas. Do you know them?” Asks the travel salesman. Continue praising the travelers of our country : “I really want to go to Lithuania. The most beautiful women out there. Very attractive women, uch. They love to take photos, so they always ask me where the best places are.”

Mr. Muhammad works daily at the main marina in Hurghada, where he actively sells excursions and offers them to all passersby. After 20-30 sales every day! He lives off commissions, so each persecuted client fills his pocket directly.

When trying to have a conversation with tourists sneaking around the country, Muhammad always begins the sentence with the words “hello, my friend”, of course in English. And then hear where the tourist came from. If you hear the name of a well-known country, immediately try to remember what you know about that country. Even better, as long as you’ve had clients from there, be sure to talk about it. Turns out, it’s a great way to earn favor points. As Muhammad explained to me, this is the psychology of tourists. For example, Lithuanians really like to hear the names of cities in our country, so Muhammad tries to remember where his previous clients came from. Even better, if the city mentioned matches the one the attractive customer came from. “If I mention Šiauliai, and that person is from Šiauliai, they will definitely buy a tour with me and leave a tip,” explains the seller.

The travel salesman calls Lithuanians quite lazy travelers who avoid active activities during the holidays. He compares us with Norwegians and Swedes, he says they are the same: they want something calmer, lie down somewhere, sit down, etc. That is why the number one Muhammad offers all our compatriots to sail towards the Orange Coast. According to him, it is a magical place that even falls on the list of the most beautiful beaches in Africa. I don’t know exactly which source the travel expert trusts, but I haven’t found that information anywhere. Maybe it would be on that list if Africa didn’t include areas like the Seychelles, Zanzibar, Mauritius. It is they who are at the forefront of this continent. But Egypt is not forgotten either, it is a shame, not in the Hurghada region, but in the vicinity of another famous seaside resort: Sharm el-Sheikh.

But this should not underestimate the Orange Coast, which is so named because, as can be easily understood, there the Red Sea coast is covered with orange sand. It captivates everyone so much that once you visit the coast, you will definitely want to return again and again. The tour seller is convinced of that. Swimming off the coast is offered for $ 40 per person. “It is a half-day trip through the Red Sea. The price includes lunch on board, diving and, most importantly, a visit of a couple of hours to the Orange Coast,” he says.

It is possible to swim to the praised beach by reserving a single motor boat or even a yacht, but it will be much more expensive. Prices range from $ 30 to a couple hundred dollars, depending on the watercraft you choose. And it is just a fee for a trip, if you arrive to the Orange Coast on your own, without an organized tour group, you will have to pay for a day ticket. It costs EUR 26 per adult and EUR 16 per child from 4 to 12 years old. It is also possible to buy double expensive tickets, the price includes a walk along the coast, lunch in a restaurant by the sea.

All visitors to the famous coastline are controlled by security agents. Tourists line up similar to an airport check-in, with the goal of verifying that no one is trying to bring snacks or alcohol. This is strictly prohibited on the Costa Naranja, because in this way the entrepreneurs who run this place want to increase the turnover of their bars. If you’re cooking something, buy on the spot, with a special surcharge. And if such rules do not satisfy tourists, they will not be allowed to enter the coastal zone, they will have to wait at the marina.

The bars on the coast are really successful, with a number of shoppers constantly reaching out to their side. Although not everyone seems happy, here are tourists from Ukraine, Mr. Dimitrijus, with a friend who refused to introduce himself, was outraged because the prices he had seen on the beach, which was popular with tourists, had not been seen in nowhere. . “It’s a scandal, a scam in the middle of the white day,” they said, looking at the prices. Tourists in Hurghada are generally unwilling to pay anything when they come on vacation with an all-inclusive dining program, so they didn’t really expect to be able to drink beer at that price after purchasing a private tour. “If you normally improve here, it will be half the price of a vacation,” Mr. Dimitrijus continued in disgust. A bottle of beer on the Costa Naranja costs 5.50 euros, lemonades 3.50 euros, pizzas from 5 to 7 euros. In the opinion of the men I have spoken to, Egypt is a great luxury, though not only for the very rich.

But after all, it’s not the bar or the drinks that matter most. The beaches require traveling through the sun and the sea. A huge wooden gazebo has been installed on the shore, especially for tourists, and the seat bags are arranged in five rows. Many visitors are very happy and surprised by the comfort. Here are women from Poland, Anna and Magda have never seen such things on any beach in the world. “Luxurious and very comfortable, definitely much better than traditional hammocks,” the tourists rejoiced. Women dreamed of falling into a beanbag and falling asleep, but sadly they didn’t.

Few people come to the Orange Coast on their own, without a group of tourists. As a result, most people stay in this place for a very short time, only two, at most three hours. Tour operators spend little time. Therefore, tourists try to see and try as many things as possible during their allotted time. And here are the saddlebags to rest, almost unused. Usually they simply place their personal belongings on them, as if to show that they have taken a place, but they do not use that place. Also, the Polish Anna and Magda, who had left their things there, rushed to do a photo session on the coast.

In order for visitors to want to take as many photos as possible, many different spaces have been created here, which everyone can use as they know. At the end of the day, there is no better publicity than the photos of the visitors themselves, which they gladly distribute voluntarily on social networks and thus make them jealous of friends and family. The shoreline managers buried a surfboard in the sand. From young children to the elderly, everyone copes with it and becomes at least one person. As if in Egypt he learned to catch waves and became a real surfer. Even more popular is a huge ring buried in the sand, you can pour it inside and also take a photo.

Well, most visitors to the Orange Coast go crazy for the swings in the sea and the heart-shaped arch that you can sit inside. There are queues of those who want to pose, and even conflicts arise if something takes longer. In the heart of the heart I witnessed an event: a middle-aged Lithuanian couple, a man and a woman, tried for five minutes to create a beautiful composition for a photo, the woman sat down, then stood up and finally knelt. . The man on all sides struggled to find the perfect angle, a beautiful falling light. But it still hasn’t come out. They both posed there and put a lot of effort into the fact that soon a Russian-speaking trio, two girls and a boy, began to blame our tourists. There was a small conflict with several swear words, finally the Lithuanian couple withdrew from their hearts, giving way to the young man.

Tourists often come to Hurghada’s most popular beach to celebrate an important anniversary, which is why it has a multi-story wooden deck with balconies. Like a large restaurant, but with many private spaces where there are no outsiders. “The people who accompany us celebrate weddings, birthdays, corporate parties. Book in advance, we will make a discount”, offers the local waiter and promises to organize a large quantity of fresh fish for the celebration. I was surprised that all the tables were free, no there were customers that day except for a few men drinking beer. The bartender explained that due to the coronavirus pandemic, there are very few people celebrating this year, so managers allow concessions. afternoons when the sun goes down, “he explained.

As a great advantage, there are tables in the sea water on the Orange Coast. “Be sure to try the tables, a very good place,” praise the staff. By sitting on them, people can sunbathe and keep their feet in the water at the same time and still drink what they bought at the bar. However, what the administration sees as an advantage is not necessarily to the liking of visitors. Tourists use the tables slowly, preferring to queue for a long time on the swing in the sea. The Orange Coast is the site of a generation of social networks. A paradise for photography fans.