Egypt Frequently Asked Questions
Did you feel safe in Egypt?
I was a bit nervous about safety in Egypt; even though I had heard from others who had been that it is safe. Overall I felt quite safe there, more so then in some European cities I have been to. The areas that you visit in Egypt are not areas that are likely targets of terrorism. If that is your concern then stay clear of the Red Sea area and the Sinai Peninsula. This tour does not go to those areas. All of the hotels and major sites are well guarded. You will often have to go through metal detectors to get in sites and hotels. There are also heavily armed police all over the place. These steps are in place to protect the 9 Million people who visit every year; the Egyptian government puts a lot of money into protecting tourists. Your Tour Manager will let you know about things not to do, or areas/things to avoid helping keep you safe. But remember you are visiting urban settings and tourist sites so things can happen, so as with any time you are traveling you need to pay attention to the things going on around you.
You can read more about Egypt from the US Consulates advisory page at: http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1108.html.
What should I pack?
Most of my advice about clothes is geared toward females, go conservative. In general you should dress conservatively, woman in Egypt are well covered. The men seem to get the wrong idea about women when they are too revealing and it will bring negative attention. I wouldn’t bring skimpy tops. One of the girls wore a low cut skinny strap tank top and received and one of the guys heard a bunch kids talking about her. I don’t remember what they heard, but basically they thought she was easy… Shorts are also touchy. I would bring a pair or two, but don’t plan on wearing them all that often. Sherif told us the couple times when it was ok, mostly when we were together as a group and not in public places. I would recommend capri pants myself.
Definitely bring a pair of sneakers, it’s very dirty there and a lot of places don’t have very level ground. A flashlight might come in handy in the pyramids, though I managed without mine. Don’t bother with an umbrella or rain gear, a rainy day consists of a light mist for a few minutes.
How did you get your Egyptian Visa?
Living in NY and working in NYC I decided to go to the Egyptian Consulate personally to get my Visa since they can be obtained the same day. The only problem with my plan is that same day doesn’t mean immediately. But it worked out ok when they told me I could pick it up the following day. But most people get it at the airport on the way in, which is probably easier to do.
What’s the best way to bring money and in what currency?
Cash USD! Seriously though, USD is pretty widely accepted there and Euros to a smaller extent – particularly in the markets. You will need to pay for optionals and the tip fund ($15) in USD, most optionals can also be paid for with a credit card or travelers cheques too.
In the past I have usually gotten local currency before leaving, however I decided that for this trip I would just get it at the airport. But since I was excited/nervous about having someone pick me up at the airport I forgot to even looked for an ATM machine, so that didn’t really work out. After the first bit of money I bring I usually count on ATM’s. The ATM’s in Egypt are not reliable. They often run out of money on the weekends (Friday and Saturday) if they work (the ATM at the hotel in Cairo was out of money on Friday afternoon). Or you can end up like Tara and have your ATM card eaten by the machine. Most people used them without problems, but I would not count on ATM’s as your only source of money.
Generally you can’t use credit cards at the markets (where you do most of your shopping), and if you can you will usually be charged an extra fee for using it. You can however use your credit card at the Contiki sponsored shops, though I wouldn’t be surprised to find out that they were charging extra for it, though I can’t confirm that either.
Across the street from the Oasis Hotel is a money exchange, I remember the rates being close to other rates that I saw and had no problems exchanging my money there.
So in short – USD are good in Egypt for exchanging or the markets. ATM’s are available and most people had no problems with them, but I would make sure to have some other sources of money. I brought travelers cheques in USD for emergency which I ended up using for my optionals.
I had brought a money belt with me, but rarely felt like I had to use it, and rarely did use it. I felt that instead of street scams and pick pocketing that you see in a lot of European cities the Egyptians just asked for Baksheesh bypassing the need to steal from you.
How was the food?
The food was surprisingly good. I’m a very picky eater, I was afraid I would starve on the tour, but the food was good. The food that we ate wasn’t cheap, but it was safe and still reasonably priced. You have to be careful about what you eat there, like food from street vendors; it’s highly likely that you will get sick from it. Water isn’t safe to drink either so you have to drink bottled water and no ice in drinks either.
The breakfasts were either a mixture of bread or hot buffets.
The included lunches on the cruise had meats, salads, vegetables, soup and fruit. It was buffet style with a nice selection. When lunch wasn’t included we were taken to nice restaurants that primarily serve kabob (you could choose what type of meats you wanted) with some salads and veggies - these lunches were usually about $10.
Included dinners were buffets - on the cruise or at the Oasis Hotel in Cairo. The rest of our dinners were eaten at the hotel restaurants and were reasonably priced.
Did everyone get sick?
I’m not sure if everyone got sick, but a bunch of people did, though no one missed any major highlight of the tour because of it. When we got on the cruise ship there were a couple people who weren’t feeling great, but other then seeming to rest a little more, you wouldn’t know it. Later on in the trip I was feeling a little off, took some meds and was fine by the evening. A couple people had a similar experience. I know of one person who was sick after tour.
To avoid getting sick avoid food from street vendors and drinking tap water. One person said they were sick after having ice in their drink. When you buy water or soda make sure it’s sealed (not that anyone on my tour had any issues with that). My doctor gave me a prescription for Cypro before I went and I took some Imodium with me, which should be all need for Pharos’s Revenge.
Also, make sure you drink lots of water, especially when it’s hot out.
As for shots: My doctor all but insisted on Hepatitis A, I already had my shots for Hep B. He also recommended a typhoid shot.
How were the optionals?
In general I thought they were all very good, but here’s a break down:
Group Photo (US $11.00)
A great souvenir of your trip to Egypt. The pyramids and Sphinx make an exotic background to a photo of you and your new friends from the tour.
It’s a nice picture of the group in front of the pyramids and the Sphinx.
Cairo Sound and Light Show (US$25.00)
Facing the superb Pyramids of Giza and with the help of modern light and sound technology, you’ll step back in time listening to the fascinating historical events which took place in Egypt thousands of years ago.
They tell the story of the pyramids and the Sphinx, it’s really cheesy. But it was a great opportunity to take pictures of the pyramids at night with the lights on them.
Ramses II at Abu Simbel (US$191)
The temple of Ramses II at Abu Simbel is more than 3,000 years old and is one of Egypt’s most magnificent monuments. Modern technology was used to move it in the 1960’s to a higher site, out of the way of the waters of the Lake Nasser dam. The excursion includes travel by plane to and from the site, which is often un-reachable by road. Not to be missed!
This is not to be missed. The temples make the pyramids look like childs play, it’s simply amazing. No one on my tour missed this optional.
Hot Air Balloon Ride (US$150.00)
Up and away on this early morning balloon ride over the West Bank of the ancient city of Thebes. Drift silently over the temples and tombs of the Great Kings and the mud brick houses of farmers and stonemasons.
I thought this was a great way to see Luxor, and very relaxing, except that I couldn’t stop taking pictures. Some people thought it was a bit pricey, but it was still really cool. I would absolutely recommend this, especially if you’ve never been in a Hot Air balloon.
Camel Ride (US$15.00)
A camel is the only way to travel in a desert! Join us on a one hour ride to take in everyday life on the West Bank of Thebes. Don’t forget your camera.
You’re in Egypt, it’s a camel, how do you not do this? I thought the camel ride itself was a bit scary, but I’m glad I did it.
Were the bathrooms as bad as I have heard?
No, they were all western style. My worst experience was where there was no toilet paper. Egypt is well set up for tourists and this is one of the things they did right. I will admit that I never used a toilet at any of the temples, so I can’t comment on those, but no one ever went to the bathroom and came back with a horror story either. Just be ready with Baksheesh because if there is an attendant they will expect it.
Do women need a head scarf?
No, you do not need a head scarf. I know some girls in the past have used them to divert unwanted attention, but it’s not necessary. But if you don’t like the idea of strange men telling you that they love you and want to marry you, then you might want to bring one. But it’s easier to just say thanks, call one of the guys from your tour “husband” and move on.
How was Alitalia?
I flew to Egypt via Milan and had no problems with the flights. I thought the entertainment system was very good (better then British Airways) on the international flight. The plane for the flight from Milan to Egypt was older and had no entertainment system. The food was ok, some was good some wasn’t – not much different then other airlines I’ve flown. Boarding was chaotic, like every other international flight I’ve taken. My biggest problem was with the stupid entertainment box under the seat and which is under a lot of seats on the plane. I should have looked better on www.seatguru.com and I would have known that.
How was Egypt Air?
All 3 of our flights within Egypt were on Egypt Air and we didn’t have any problems except that our flight to Abu Simbel seemed to have taken a bit longer then it should have. The planes seemed older, but the service was fine. A couple people from tour took the non-stop flight from NY JFK to Cairo and on the flight over there was no water, as in not able to use the bathroom and all the fun stuff that comes with that.
