Tips for Visiting Egypt
Egypt is a fantastic place to visit for a holiday and there are plenty of things to do and see. In fact there are several ancient sites which you simply cannot afford to miss especially if you are excited by tales of ancient Egypt, the pharaohs and their stunning monuments. The problem is Egypt is a big place and so if you want to see the best sites you will have to do a bit of travelling around once you are there.
We went a couple of years ago now and started in Cairo before taking a coach trip down to Luxor and boarding a cruise ship which sailed up the Nile to Aswan. From Aswan we took a flight so that we could see Abu Simbel. It was an incredible holiday full of ancient wonders and awesome spectacles and so in future articles I will highlight the places we enjoyed the most. In this article I’m going to provide some tips which will help you enjoy your visit more.
In terms of preparing to go you shouldn’t need any special shots unless you are visiting the specific region with a mosquito problem, which I believe is called Al-Fayyum. Always check with your doctor before you go. You’ll also need a Visa to get into Egypt and you can pre-order these from your Egyptian embassy.
Once there you’ll be struck by the heat, believe me it is incredibly hot in the middle of the day so I would advise planning your activities for the morning or later afternoon. Make sure you don’t drink the water, this extends to watching out for ice cubes in your drinks otherwise you’ll be laid up for a couple of days. You can buy bottled water cheaply everywhere so take advantage.
Finally remember that Egypt is a Muslim country and as such they have an attitude about women who don’t cover up. If you are an unmarried couple I’d advise just saying you are married, it will save you some hassle. While the vast majority of Egyptians were extremely polite and friendly we did find that some of the men had a sleazy attitude towards western women and that if you walk around somewhere like Cairo in a short dress you will get a lot of shocked and disapproving looks. Alcohol is not as commonly available in Egypt as it is here and drunkenness is definitely frowned upon so be careful if you are drinking.
It is extremely worthwhile learning a few simple phrases in Arabic if you can at least say please and thank you the locals will appreciate the effort and you’ll find you get a much warmer reception. Many Egyptians speak English and they are generally extremely hospitable but at the main tourist sites you will find more people out to simply sell their wares.
When you visit sites of interest always make sure you use an official guide, it is actually illegal for other guides to operate so this is important. I would suggest the smaller operators are generally more fun and whether you are hiring a boat or asking for a guided tour you can always strike a deal that suits you both. Haggling is an essential skill if you are going to shop for souvenirs, never accept the first price you are offered.
Egypt is a great place to visit, we found that the further south we travelled the friendlier people were and of all the places we visited Aswan was easily the most laid back and welcoming. Hopefully these tips will be of some use to you in your visit. Check back for some detailed articles on the best places to see when you visit Egypt.
