We’re heading to Egypt for three weeks next month and wondering if anyone has any good advice.
Anything of the beaten track or unusual to recommend? Scams to avoid?
Any tips would be great.
Don’t try to turn U turn in the Suez canal
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Last visited in 2004 when it was about 11 E pound to 1 GB Pound and the old regime was in place, so take all this with salt grains:
Almost every restaurant we went to put a fresh unopened bottle of spring water on the table. If you opened it you effectively agreed to pay whatever price they set (unknown at that time).
Similarly locals try to get in your photos so they can ask for baksheesh.
Negotiation is key, always haggle over the price but try not to screw them over. However, it seemed like culturally only men did this so if you happened across a woman selling stuff prices seemed v reasonable outside of negotiating.
The great Pyramid at Giza was great to go in but you got basically the same thing at the Red Pyramid with way fewer crowds.
“La Shukran” (rolled R) is your goto phrase, meaning no thank you, to keep sellers away.
They tried to make sure we got 1st class rail everywhere, maybe because they thought we must have great trains in the UK but honestly even their cheapest ones were amazingly spacious.
We went in March and we were often colder than expected in the mornings an evenings so take some warm, light layers.
The Western Oases and chalk deserts are really amazing but a bit off the beaten track.
Absolutely see Abu Simbal if you can but try not to look at photos much before you get there!
If you can ride bikes the Valley of the King’s and Valley of the Queens can be cheaper/easier to get around.
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Don’t go.
Where abouts? All inclusive or travelling about?
Traveling about. We’re backpacking it basiclly. Starting in Cairo for a few days, then the train to Aswan and working our way back up the country. Taking a crusie on the Nile, if we can get a cheap ticket. We’re going to do some diving off Marsa Alam.
The TV wants to go out to the Western Oasis but even with three weeks that seems ambitious.
Their airports are a fucking nightmare, even by airport standards
We did it in two and we had to leave off the Sinai peninsula. Three is good as you’ll get used to it after a week and relax a bit. At the start the constant levels of people asking us for stuff and the need to haggle was stressy.
You’re going to actually get a bit of Egyptian Temple fatigue in the main bit up from Aswan. Like they are all magnificent but there’s a lot that’s the same, which is part of what made the western Oases great.
If you can afford to fly to Abu Simbal it might be worth it as the drive down took 4 hours each way with the only stop being at the dam (where there was a temple) on the way back. It was wort it but also I was 29 and a lot more supple.
We didn’t do a Nike cruise but did have a trip on the boats (felucca? Something like that).
Look out for the lack of standard translations too. Eg we took the train up from Aswan to Edfu but that station sigh had “Idfu” and it was only my more aware friends that made sure we got off correctly.
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That’s exactly what I did - Cairo then train down to Aswan, working my way back up. Although I would rank it as the worst country I have ever been to, tip-wise try to get down to Abu Simbel to see the temples and the balloon trip over Luxor is a must.
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look out for pyramid schemes
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Smh
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A friend just got back from Cairo and said the best choice they made was getting a guide, apparently it’s a culture where nothing happens unless some money changes hands.
He was alarmed to see their guide handing out banknotes everywhere they went but when questioned she cheerfully said that it was all included in her fee.
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We spent a few months in Egypt about 20 years ago. Mainly lived in Alexandria - it was a nice place to spend some time, although not particularly touristy (which may have been part of the attraction). It was the end of a year backpacking around Africa so may just have been battle hardened by then but there are far worse places for hassle (Mali was awful). Morocco was worse too.
I’m not that fussed about going to tourist attractions but the pyramids in Giza and undeniably impressive.
Eat lots of fuul and falafel.
I spent some time learning Arabic in a language school when we lived there and a little language goes a long way to making life easier, and possibly reduces the hassle.
Not sure if you are male or female. If female it’s well worth wearing a headscarf. It made my wife’s life so much easier compared to other western females who we knew in Alexandria who didn’t wear a scarf.
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Thanks.
Tunisia was the same
You’re travelling without a guide? please be safe
Yeah, it’s made with broad beans instead of chickpeas, best falafel I’ve ever had
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May be true but also Cairo is WAY more intense than Alexandria. My parents lived in Cairo for a couple of years (also about 20 years ago) and certainly as a young white woman at the time I was never very comfortable there. Went to Alexandria once and it felt like a breath of fresh air.
So yeah, just be prepared for Cairo being really intense, but there’s still plenty of good things to see. Maybe the most intense of all is the bazaars at Khan el Khalili but still worth visiting. Giza and the pyramids is outside of the citu but also verryyy intense.
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