BootsnAll Travel Community

Hello folks! This year I am planning to visit Egypt (Africa) and I’ll be glad to hear some good advices from you that have already been there. I can spend two weeks of my time and about 1200 euros of my money. Can you suggest me what to visit and where to stay according to my time schedule and my money budget? Which is the best season to travel there? Did you enjoy your vacation there? Thank you in advance!

Have a look through the Middle East forum - there are a few Egypt threads in there.

Neil and I highly recommend a white desert/oasis tour. they are typically 2 days, 2 nights, with one night spent in a hotel-type accomodation, and one night under the stars in the desert. It's a fantastic experience, well worth the tiny detour (usually it's about a 4-5 hour bus ride from Cairo).

You can do Egypt on your own, or you can arrange an independent tour through many hostels/hotels and travel agencies in Cairo. I don't recommend booking before you get to Egypt, you'll pay a lot more (exception, see the link below). The independent tours booked through your hotel/hostel are usually the kind where they will arrange all your accomodations and transportation, some of the tourist sites and guides, and basically ship you on public transport from one town to the next via an uncle/cousin/friend/brother....it's basically a network of hosts.

This is the company we booked with, through the Canadian Hostel (also a decent place to stay - very affordable, very friendly staff, fairly clean and comfortable (though I think it depends on the room)). Independent tours can be catered to your interests/timeframe/budget. We have a friend who recently booked a package tour with them, which look fairly reasonably priced, and within your budget, if that interests you. It would be more organized than an independent tour, but I think still better than booking through a major travel agency. His tour departs in May, so no feedback on that yet. Also, avoid the Nile dinner cruise in Cairo - total tourist trap.

Don't let people con you into paying extra for arranging a visa for you, as unless the rules have changed, you can purchase your visa upon arrival for I think it's $15US, or 15Euro. It's basically a tourist tax.

Bring your own toilet paper if you're used to Western toilets, and carry it with you at all times. Probably a good idea to get a prescription to combat the Pharoah's Revenge (traveller's diarrhea) to take with you, as most traveller's to Egypt encounter at least minor disruption.

If you decide to travel independently, your budget should afford you a fairly comfortable time - Egypt is quite inexpensive, and you could easily stay in 3-4 star hotels on that budget. From what we've seen of the hostels and 1 star hotels, though, they are decent enough, and even most lower star hotels, especially in Upper Egypt, will have AC.

2 weeks should give you decent time to take a relaxed pace and see everything you want to, though you may not be able to get to Alexandria, the White Desert and Sinai. You may have to choose among those, or feel rushed. We opted not to go to Alexandria, and have heard mixed reviews about it, but that's not to say it isn't worth going. it's just in the opposite direction of everything else.

There's a basic tourist route that 99.9% of tourists follow, and that is to take in Cairo, either at the beginning or at the end, take the train to Aswan, spend a day or two seeing the sights there (the High Damn, Philae Temple, Kitchener Island and Elephantine Island (highly recommended and much less touristed, both of them)), take in Abu Simbel (either take a very early bus convoy, or if you can afford it, fly and spend one night in Abu Simbel, which much fewer tourists do), felucca to Edfu/Kom Ombo, bus to Luxor to see Karnak and Valley of the Kings/Queens, Hatshepsut's Temple (some people do a day's donkey ride somewhere in there, I've heard that's an interesting, if slightly awkward, experience), then either bus/train back to Cairo, or overnight bus to Sinai.

If you enjoy diving, Dahab is a fantastic diving area on the Red Sea, a nice laid back, back-packer resort kind of town. Nice mix of people.
We've recommended Dahab Diver's, as they were very kind and hospitable to us, even giving us a discounted room rate, given the circumstances. Which it has just occured to me, Dahab was bombed one year ago yesterday, and it was a year ago today that we arrived on the scene. We chose not to stay after that, simply because it did not feel right, people were in mourning (most of those who were killed/injured were locals, so again, what a stupid thing to do as it ended up killing more of them than us). But Dahab Diver's were really good to us, so the least we can do is try to send some people their way. and it's a really nice place, for a reasonable sum (30-40 Eur/night is what it was a year ago).

hope that's of some help. feel free to post more questions if you have them. Lots of Booties have been to Egypt over the years.
oh, one more thing - be prepared to fend off the touts - they are quite aggressive, don't feel bad/rude saying no, and be firm. though, do also keep in mind that they are less fortunate than most of us, so while don't let yourself get ripped off, don't haggle to the point of stupidity either.

Eya!

I'm glad I ran into this thread. Lots of great pointers there, TheWanderer!

I'm flying off to Egypt in March! Woot! I'll actually be staying with a local friend who has generously offered to show me around, but I'm still very interested to know what's there to do when by myself.

We're looking at just hitting Cairo, Alexandria, and then Sharm and Hurghada for diving. Any must-sees from these areas?

Also, I'll only have a total of 12 days in Egypt, so I'm thinking I should max out the days with my friend. But will I be missing much by not swinging by the luxor area?

Luxor was one of our favorite locations. We arranged a tour of the Valley of Kings/Queens and Hatshepsut Temple through our hotel (New Radwan---in 2004, it was $14 or so for a nice room with AC and pool access). The tour was nice as it was just our group (4 of us) plus one additional person in a small van. Our guide was very knowledgeable and it was worth the price (which wasn't that much). Temple of Karnak and Luxor Temple are stunning--Karnak for its overwhelming size and Luxor because we visited after dark and it was other-worldly (highly recommend).

In Cairo, plan to spend some time walking around Islamic Cairo, a good couple of hours exploring the Egyptian Museum, and plenty of time to just wander the city, its markets, etc. It's a cacophony of sights and sounds. I loved it. Of course, also plan for a day trip to Giza.

If you want to go to the Red Sea, I'd advise going to Sharm or Dahab over Hurghada. Hurghada is just a huge hassle. We went snorkeling from there and had a very enjoyable trip, but the town itself is not nice at all. We were so ready to get out of there once our snorkeling trip was over.

We found Egypt very easy to travel independently. The constant requests for baksheesh can be frustrating, but learn to ignore it (unless of course the person has provided you with a service). Be sure to agree on a price before you get in a taxi and stick to it when you arrive even though the driver will probably ask for more. The toilet paper advice is useful since it's usually not available. Also, be sure to dress respectfully...you'll feel much more comfortable and the Egyptians will be much more open to you. Have fun. I found Egypt to be am amazing place. (I actually just wrote a post about it on our blog, which you can link to from my signature.)

This is really useful info, because we definitely want to go to Egypt on our RTW. I had read from several sources that it is basically impossible to travel independently to the Pyramids/Sphinx because all groups must be accompanied by armed guards, or to move around between cities in Egypt because of the strict rules relating to tourism safety. Is that true? If so, how did you see those sites and how did you get around Egypt?

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I had read from several sources that it is basically impossible to travel independently to the Pyramids/Sphinx

I don't nknow where you read that... Unless things have changed but I would be really surprised. I was there 2½ years ago. I just got myself a taxi for the day and I went!

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because all groups must be accompanied by armed guards, or to move around between cities in Egypt because of the strict rules relating to tourism safety

Between Aswan and Abu Sinbel, yes. Hence, the convoy. I know there are other places too where tourists shouldn't go but REALLY, traveling independently in Egypt is VERY easy.
As the Wanderer said, once there, you can even have people organize your trip or part of your trip for you e.g.we took the train from Cairo to Luxor and someone at our hotel got us the ticket. It was cheap and easy.

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most traveller's to Egypt encounter at least minor disruption.

Of course you always have to be prepared and be careful... However, please don't be scared of eating in Egypt. Shortly after arriving, we met a Spanish tourist who was drinking tap water and didn't get sick. And so my friend decided that she too would stop buying bottled water and she also didn't get sick(We stuck to big cities). After a while of watching her eating salads and whatever she felt like without having any problems, I got jealous. And so I decide to slowly try to incorporate "risky foods" and surprisingly, nothing happened. By the end of my trip (6 weeks)I would eat whatever... And I DON'T have a particularly strong stomach... And so YES, be careful, but don't be paranoid thinking that everyone gets sick...

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Did you enjoy your vacation there?

I LOVED it!
I had SO MANY good experiences with Egyptian people!!! They sometimes have a bad rep, but many of them have such a good heart!!!
e.g. I have MS and two years ago I could still walk but I had to travel with a cane and a little foldable camping seat on which I had to sit every 2-5 minutes in order to rest my legs (or else I would collapse!). In Luxor, the owner of a little hostel I was staying at asked me HOW I would manage to visit the Valley of the Kings (lots of walking). I answered that I would walk, then sit, then walk, then sit, etc. It was unacceptable to him. He said that I needed a wheelchair in order to enjoy the sites, and he was going to get me one. I learned then, that there are no stores renting wheelchairs in Egypt. You have to get it from someone who owns one. And so here's what happened the next day. The owner had a friend named Ahmed who was a taxi driver. Ahmed knew an old lady who had a chair but only used it when going out. The old lady had to move. The owner (I wish I remembered his name...)asked his staff to go help the lady move. And in exchange, she let me use her chair for a few days... free of charge...

Ahmed the taxi driver would take us to the sites. And then, he would insist on pushing me so my friend could also enjoy herself...

In my chair, every time I went up to a booth to buy a ticket for a site, the ticket agent would charge me a student fare. "I'm not a student", I would say. "I want to help", they would reply...
Seriously, I had amazing exepriences everywhere I went. Yes, touts can get on our nerves. Very much so! But try to meet the other Egyptians because truely, they are amazing...

HAVE A NICE TRIP!

ABDUL! The owner's name was Abdul! I know it's not important but he was so nice to me, I felt bad not remembering...

It´s easy to go to the pyramids and the sphinx. Take a cab there from teh city center, or a bus, if you can read arabic.

Go to the booth, buy the tickets, and walk up the hill. Couldn´t be easier.

Now, the Valley of the Kings in Luxor is a different matter, because the number of tickets to various venues are in theory limited, but pose no problems to the guided tours.

Besides, its hot hot hot and they bus you around quite nicely.

Be careful of ALL tours in Cairo. They specialize in sucking money from tourists there, though I had no problems in Luxor. I really did like Luxor. A lot. Huge chaotic cities like Cairo confuse and tire me. Call me a small city kind of guy.

Re: the armed guards at the pyramids - our hostel hired us a taxi for the day (they seem to have a handful of drivers that they regularly deal with), he dropped us off at the entrance, we bought our tickets, and off we went. There are 'tourist police' on site, as there are throughout the country, but we didn't have to be accompanied. Indeed, one of the 'tourist police' actually harassed me. Don't trust them any further than you could throw them.

And as far as doing the country independently, I'm fairly sure that if you wanted to, you could do almost all of the sites independently, buy your ticket and go in, but in places like Abu Simbel, the sites around Aswan and Luxor, having a guide can be a good thing, especially if you happen to get one who knows his/her stuff. There are quite a number of people who have 'degrees' (not sure exactly what that means in Egypt) in Egyptology, and we lucked out particularly in Luxor with a guide who not only knew the stuff, but was quite enthusiastic about it.
Otherwise, you're just looking at a bunch of old stuff with pictures all over, and unless you've studied it yourself, it doesn't have a whole lot of meaning. The stories are really interesting.

I'd also recommend a guide for the national museum in Cairo - we just rented the audio guides, which only worked half the time, and were kind of boring. We listened in on a couple of English tours, and I think that I at least (can't speak for Neil, since museums generally put him to sleep no matter what you do), would have gotten much more out of the experience had we hired one.

I found Egypt to be rough for a solo traveler. I ended up paying significantly higher prices for many sites than I would have if I was in a group. There were many places that were simply inaccessible if you are not part of a group (Abu Simbel, Sinai interior), and other places won't let you use public transport.

The West Bank of Luxor was the big exception ... it was the only place I went where I felt free to wander, and where it was acceptable to flag down and jump on a local shared taxi. Maybe it's because they see more archaeologists and students there. Most everywhere else? You need a guide to leave the city limits (upper Egypt), or you will be subject to literally non-stop hassling (lower Egypt - where the hassle actually increased the further I got from the touristed areas!).

Egypt is a fine choice. I did 2 weeks solo in November/December of last year and thoroughly enjoyed it.

You'll be fine traveling alone.

If you book travel on air egypt, be sure to put Egypt as your home country to get great rates. I did it three times and had no problems at all.

Cairo--Coptic Cairo was blah. Islamic Cairo was great...don't miss it. I spent 5 hours at the Egyptian Museum. It's noisy and chock full of people, so my mp3 player helped. Saqqara and Giza are great stops, as is Dahshur. Skip Memphis...You can do them all in one day by hiring a car. Taxi rides are a great thrill.

Abu Simbel-Don't miss it. Convoy is tiresome, but a great way to meet fellow travelers.

Aswan-check out the Nubian museum; grab a taxi and visit Kalabsha and St. Simeon's--it's fun to get lost in the ruins. Philae was decent, but skip the unfinished obelisk and the high dam: complete waste of time.

Luxor--hot air balloon ride was incredible. Luxor museum was excellent; can't say the same for the mummification museum. Both banks offer plenty to see. VoK is a bit of a hike, so plan on a cab...the rest you can do walking or on bike. Tombs of the Nobles are hidden, so expect to pay plenty of baksheesh to find them...

Dahab--was fun for sure. Great way to finish your trip, relaxing a little bit.

You can do Kom Ombo and Edfu via fellucca, but that's a long time sitting around. I did it in one day on my way from Aswan to Luxor via train (2nd and 3rd class) and it was fun. 3rd class trains are a great place to meet locals and enjoy shai for 50 piastres. Just hop on and pay on board. They're safe...just stay away from the bathrooms. Hop on local taxis (little trucks) to get from the train station to KO...Edfu is a fun walk from station to temple.

Abydos is a great temple. I went solo on a train instead of a convoy and was detained, so it made for a memorable visit. After some interrogation, I got a police escort to and from the temple! Great little adventure, but I'm sure the convoy is a bit less nervewracking and more comfortable. That was the only place I went where they weren't thrilled to see a tourist flying solo...even though I felt plenty safe.

If you arrive in Cairo via plane, go to the exchange booth to purchase your visa. When you exchange your money DO NOT accept damaged or torn (even slightly) bills...I had a helluva time getting anyone to take them.

Keep plenty of small change for baksheesh.

Eat street food. Taamiya, Ful, and Koshari and delicious, cheap, and safe. Bottled water is cheap and plentiful. If you have a sweet tooth, do yourself a favor and stop by El Abd in Cairo, they have some great pastries.

Have a blast!

Egypt is wonderful to visit. We traveled (the two of us) on our own without any problems. Here are my tips.

1) Learn the numbers in the arabic script. It is very helpful to check all the restaurant bills etc. You catch it when they add stuff in or round up the total. When I would challenge a bill, they would look chagrined as say, "oh you read Arabic?" and then tell me what the charge was for. Most of the time it was legitimate, but they just tried sneaking it in.

2) Know what you want and stick to it. Business and social are a big mix in Egypt, that's just the way things are done. It's cool but it means that people you meet always want to show you around to cousins who own alabaster shops or whatever. I was firm but friendly when I didn't want to see another cousin/friend's shop. I met a wonderful man who owned a felucca and he invited us to his home and we had a great time meeting his friends and family. Egyptians are very welcoming.

3) Carry lots of small change for baksheesh. You tip all the time in Egypt. It's generally a good thing and small change. But there are annoying people who break things then ask you to tip them to make it right. I always made sure to have the smallest coin possible for tipping them. When we stayed in a nice hotel in Luxor, I tipped the guy who made the rooms for doing our laundry and he brought me flowers. So I gave another bigger tip, and he brought the hugest bouquet I've ever seen to our room. Tipping makes a difference there.

I agree that the train is good and not too expensive. Feluccas are wonderful, definitely a must for me. I spent some weeks in Cairo and it's definitely worth it. It's easy to use the bus to get to the pyramids, but make sure they give you change if you deserve it. Drink fresh pomegranate juice. The red sea is amazing in clarity so you can see a long ways down - and it was like a vacation inside my trip. It's sily but I loved riding the camel around the pyramids. All the people above had great advice too. Have a wonderful trip.