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Any Tips For My Trip To Egypt?

by TLTheLiberator
10 replies
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The wife, kid and I are going to see the only remaining wonder of the ancient world on this Friday - for 8 days along with a 2 day cruise on the Nile. ( longest river on the planet )

Next year, it will be somewhere in Asia, then we'll have all the continents covered except Antarctica.

My uncle has a friends' granddaughter working at the American embassy, so I'll make a call and be sure to let everyone I meet know that we have a friend that works there etc.

We'll hit all the major attractions along the Nile.

I hear, it's going to be a lot of walking.

Anyone been??

Any tips for an more enjoyable trip?


How can I avoid the mummy's curse?


I want to visit the same tomb that Alexander The Great & Napoleon visited and both came out shaking like a leaf.


( What happened in there??? Will it happen to me?? )


The wife & kid like to go to bed early, is it safe for me to hang out at night?


Any foreigner friendly night spots?


Hopefully the time difference won't be a major prob for me as it was when we visited Europe- at least for the first couple of days.


( my snoring kept interrupting the tour bus operator's presentation.


My snore timing was impeccable as in ...


Here we are, at the gates of ( loud snoring ) Versailles where bla, bla, bla etc.


I know, don't drink the water.



All comments etc., are welcome.



All The Best & enjoy your Xmas.


TL
  • Profile picture of the author Michael Motley
    bottled water is your friend. try not to look so 'american'. dont be one of 'those american travellers'.
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    • Profile picture of the author TLTheLiberator
      Originally Posted by Michael Motley View Post

      bottled water is your friend. try not to look so 'american'. dont be one of 'those american travellers'.

      I'd love to sport my Colts & Laker jerseys and my many P-Funk tee-shirts.

      I must remember the bottled water even when I brush my teeth.


      TL
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      "It's easier to fool people than to convince them that they have been fooled. -- Mark Twain

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  • Profile picture of the author Mark_w
    Egypt, especially around the tourist areas is quite safe. There are lots of foreigners there. They even have a pizza hut next to the Pyramids. The risk of a car accident is thousands of times higher than any Anti-American type problems. Your biggest worry as an American should be getting ripped off.

    Usual big city precautions at night, but nothing over the top. Free Worldwide Travel Guides - Wikitravel will have further information.
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    • Profile picture of the author TLTheLiberator
      Originally Posted by Mark_w View Post

      Egypt, especially around the tourist areas is quite safe. There are lots of foreigners there. They even have a pizza hut next to the Pyramids. The risk of a car accident is thousands of times higher than any Anti-American type problems. Your biggest worry as an American should be getting ripped off.

      Usual big city precautions at night, but nothing over the top. Free Worldwide Travel Guides - Wikitravel will have further information.

      Thanks!!

      Wikipedia did have a lot of info on the local customs etc.

      Thanks again!

      TL
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      "It's easier to fool people than to convince them that they have been fooled. -- Mark Twain

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  • Profile picture of the author Kelly Verge
    In many parts of the world, it's considered low class for men to wear shorts. I suspect Egypt would be one of those. If there are enough tourists in the areas you're going it's not a huge deal, however the locals will always be friendlier if you follow their basic customs.

    Drink bottled water and don't eat fresh fruit (unless you cut it). Brush your teeth with bottled water - that's an easy mistake to make.

    Haggle for everything. It gets kind of tiring, but they'll be much more open and friendly if you do.

    Air travel is not difficult, but be aware that the security could be much more intense than you're used to. Make sure anything at all out of the ordinary gets stowed.

    My son had 20 pounds of rocks in his carry-on pack when we came back from Nepal this summer. At the airport in Kathmandu, they didn't bat an eye. In New Delhi, no matter how many times we tried to explain it, security didn't quite understand why we would fly with a bunch of rocks. We had to COMPLETELY empty our bags and were fully patted down three times. The whole time there were guards with automatic rifles. It was stressful to say the least.

    I'm sure you'll have an amazing trip.
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  • Profile picture of the author Thomas
    Originally Posted by TLTheLiberator View Post

    My uncle has a friends' granddaughter working at the American embassy, so I'll make a call and be sure to let everyone I meet know that we have a friend that works there etc.
    :confused:

    It's always beneficial to know somebody who works at your country's embassy when visiting a particular country (any country, really) but, to be honest, if you go about telling everyone you meet that, don't be surprised if you get laughed at. People will think you're a paranoid nutjob.

    If you make yourself at least somewhat familiar with Egyptian cultural norms (even though people all over the world will still tolerate behaviour (within limits) from tourists that they wouldn't from their own countrymen), and take the same safety precautions as you do at home (or anywhere else), you'll be as safe in Eqypt as you are at home (or anywhere else).

    Originally Posted by TLTheLiberator View Post

    How can I avoid the mummy's curse?
    You can't. Mummy's hate tourists. On the way back from Egypt, you need to gaze at a full moon, while hopping backwards on one leg, while simultaneously rubbing the spit of three wise virgins into the back of your neck. That's they only way to break the curse. If you don't follow my instructions exactly, you will regret it. I can promise you that.

    Originally Posted by TLTheLiberator View Post

    I want to visit the same tomb that Alexander The Great & Napoleon visited and both came out shaking like a leaf. (What happened in there??? Will it happen to me?? )
    The King's Chamber in the Great Pyramid. What happened in there? Most likely they just got spooked when alone in a dark enclosed (very hot) space. Will it happen to you? Nope: You won't be alone. It won't be (that) dark. And you should bring plenty of bottled water. Be prepared for a hard climb though (with sore back and knees for a while afterwards) and, if you're in any way claustrophobic, forget it altogether.

    Originally Posted by TLTheLiberator View Post

    The wife & kid like to go to bed early, is it safe for me to hang out at night? Any foreigner friendly night spots?
    Lots. If you're staying in a hotel, check with them. Or check with your guide.

    Originally Posted by TLTheLiberator View Post

    Hopefully the time difference won't be a major prob for me as it was when we visited Europe- at least for the first couple of days.
    Europe and Eqypt are in different time zones. If you flew directly to France, you would have landed there several thousand miles sooner than Cairo, which is at roughly the same longitude as Kiev in Ukraine. If the time difference caused a problem in Europe, it will probably be as much a, or an even bigger, problem in Egypt.
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    • Profile picture of the author TimPhelan
      As far as going out by yourself, my ex-fiance just went to Cairo for a week recently and went all over by herself. She does speak arabic though, which would make it easier.

      She really loved the marketplace in Cairo, the 700 year-old Khan al Khalili. It is one of the city's oldest bazaars located in a one and half-square mile section of medieval Cairo. At one end is the tourist section, but my ex liked the non tourist part better. Your wife might enjoy this marketplace as well.

      Tim
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  • Profile picture of the author Jagged
    Most important rule....

    Have fun & make memories...
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    • Profile picture of the author khushee
      - If you have some free time in Cairo, take a cab and ask the cabbie to take you to places not frequented by regular tourist buses. Ours took us to a mosque that was out of the beaten path, but beautiful and with a really old keeper who enthralled us with stories (can't remember the name right now, will post again if I remember it). Another place he showed us was this vast section of the city that had tombs all over and homes with tombs in the lawns. We paid something like $40 or so for a whole day of driving us around.

      - Every shop and trinket seller will over price everything for the tourist. Haggle as much as you can. At times we found it easier to haggle a little and to write off the rest as a vacation cost. You know you are over paying if they accept your first counter bid.

      - The Nile cruise is serious fun. Be open minded. The cruise ships give themselves a five star rating, but are truly not so - they must have a different rating system. Every time your ship drops anchor, you will have many carpet/shawl sellers row up in their little boats and toss their wares for you to inspect and buy. It's a cool, fun experience. We didn't really walk much. If the spot we were visiting was far from port, we took a horse carriage.

      - When you visit any mosques, respect their customs and leave your footwear at the door and cover your head. Also leave a small donation (whatever you fancy) - they'll love you for it.

      - They have a separate Tourism Police. You'll see them all over the tourist spots. It was a tad bit disconcerting when they flirted with us. But it was good to see their presence.

      - Local food is good. Enjoy it.

      - It's a great time of year to be there. Have a great trip.
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  • Profile picture of the author submitserve
    HAVE A SAFE TRIP.
    DON'T FORGET TO SEE ALMISHAP MUMMY DOME.
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