Egypt - any tips?
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Upstihaggity
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Re: Eygpt - any tips?
Really jealous of you. Egypt is the one place that we actually went on holidays for 2 consecutive years.... we actually went to Hurghada, then an internal flight to Cairo (booked a day in advance, it cost about e120 each. Not bad as the alternative is a 12 hour bus ride.)
and then sleeper train from there to Luxor.(wagons-lit sleeper train to Luxor for $50 each. "First class" with a bunk, and includes meal and breakfast. Nice way to travel and cover the accommodation, and you don't waste a day travelling)
My main tips would be as follows:
1. Cairo is crazy. DO NOT RENT A CAR THERE IF YOU ARE UNFAMILIAR WITH THE CITY! It is terrifying enough just being a passenger in a taxi!
2. I would recommend the Lonely Planet guide to Egypt - it has all the relevant info, most of which is up to date. It also has a table of numbers in Arabic, which is very useful when getting the bus from the airport. Unfortunately, they don't tell you the numbers are in Arabic (and read from right to left), it took us about half an hour to figure that one out.
3. The Nile Hilton is a lovely place to stay - super pool, and super views of the Nile and the Centre of Cairo. If you don't get a room on the Nile side, don't worry, you can go up to the Pyramids bar on the roof and see all around.
4. If an Egyptian is talking to you ...they invariably are either selling you something or about to!
5. Make sure you do the Valley of the Kings in Luxor. We hadn't booked a tour in advance, and they all leave before 8am, which is when the offices open.... it gets extremely hot around midday there...so best to get it done while its relatively cool!
6. Sound and Light show at Karnak temple is amazing ...
7. We did four days diving in Hurghada. If you did snorkelling and liked it, DO SOME DIVING. We did a PADI course for EURO595 for 2 of us (about 1/2 price compared to Ireland)...the best Diving EVER!
8. The Egyptian currency notes look very similar and are generally in V bad condition...one taxi driver claimed we only gave him a 50 piastres (pence) note. We thought we gave him a 50 pound note; we paid him in the end, as we were only a bout 70% sure. Turned out it was a common way of making an extra 50 pounds off an unwary tourist.
9. There's always more to be paid! ...Generally even after you've paid for your tour or whatever, its expected to give the driver or guide 'baksheesh' (a word you'll become very familiar with during your stay!! - it means change r tip) . Have some small change with you at all times for these eventualities.
Hope this helps and that you have a great time!
Really jealous of you. Egypt is the one place that we actually went on holidays for 2 consecutive years.... we actually went to Hurghada, then an internal flight to Cairo (booked a day in advance, it cost about e120 each. Not bad as the alternative is a 12 hour bus ride.)
and then sleeper train from there to Luxor.(wagons-lit sleeper train to Luxor for $50 each. "First class" with a bunk, and includes meal and breakfast. Nice way to travel and cover the accommodation, and you don't waste a day travelling)
My main tips would be as follows:
1. Cairo is crazy. DO NOT RENT A CAR THERE IF YOU ARE UNFAMILIAR WITH THE CITY! It is terrifying enough just being a passenger in a taxi!
2. I would recommend the Lonely Planet guide to Egypt - it has all the relevant info, most of which is up to date. It also has a table of numbers in Arabic, which is very useful when getting the bus from the airport. Unfortunately, they don't tell you the numbers are in Arabic (and read from right to left), it took us about half an hour to figure that one out.
3. The Nile Hilton is a lovely place to stay - super pool, and super views of the Nile and the Centre of Cairo. If you don't get a room on the Nile side, don't worry, you can go up to the Pyramids bar on the roof and see all around.
4. If an Egyptian is talking to you ...they invariably are either selling you something or about to!
5. Make sure you do the Valley of the Kings in Luxor. We hadn't booked a tour in advance, and they all leave before 8am, which is when the offices open.... it gets extremely hot around midday there...so best to get it done while its relatively cool!
6. Sound and Light show at Karnak temple is amazing ...
7. We did four days diving in Hurghada. If you did snorkelling and liked it, DO SOME DIVING. We did a PADI course for EURO595 for 2 of us (about 1/2 price compared to Ireland)...the best Diving EVER!
8. The Egyptian currency notes look very similar and are generally in V bad condition...one taxi driver claimed we only gave him a 50 piastres (pence) note. We thought we gave him a 50 pound note; we paid him in the end, as we were only a bout 70% sure. Turned out it was a common way of making an extra 50 pounds off an unwary tourist.
9. There's always more to be paid! ...Generally even after you've paid for your tour or whatever, its expected to give the driver or guide 'baksheesh' (a word you'll become very familiar with during your stay!! - it means change r tip) . Have some small change with you at all times for these eventualities.
Hope this helps and that you have a great time!
Don't trust anyone! We were told this before we went and still managed to get duped into buying perfume. Common scam is they say they used to live in Ireland or had an Irish girlfriend, so you think they are different.
Another scam is the taxi drivers who have a 'Hilton hotel' badge on their dashboard. They will approach you at the bus stop for the pyramids, tell you the bus doesn't run today, then lull you into a false sense of security by pretending they are from a 5* hotel so you will go with them. It's harmless stuff but it does get annoying when you figure out everyone is lying.
Try get a student card as it will get you half price into everything. If you don't have one, there are lots of guys doing this for foreigners in Cairo - they are usually hanging around the more popular hostels . I stayed in a hotel when I was there so missed out on this, but most people I met had invested in one.
I would go to Dahab rather than Sharm El Sheikh. It is like a haven away from the hustle and bustle of the rest of the country. People will leave you alone and you can relax in peace. I stayed and dived in this place twice and am returning again at the end of the month -
www.bedouin-lodge-dahab.com
Hurghada is a ghastly place so don't plan on staying there!
Another scam is the taxi drivers who have a 'Hilton hotel' badge on their dashboard. They will approach you at the bus stop for the pyramids, tell you the bus doesn't run today, then lull you into a false sense of security by pretending they are from a 5* hotel so you will go with them. It's harmless stuff but it does get annoying when you figure out everyone is lying.
Try get a student card as it will get you half price into everything. If you don't have one, there are lots of guys doing this for foreigners in Cairo - they are usually hanging around the more popular hostels . I stayed in a hotel when I was there so missed out on this, but most people I met had invested in one.
I would go to Dahab rather than Sharm El Sheikh. It is like a haven away from the hustle and bustle of the rest of the country. People will leave you alone and you can relax in peace. I stayed and dived in this place twice and am returning again at the end of the month -
www.bedouin-lodge-dahab.com
Hurghada is a ghastly place so don't plan on staying there!
Upstihaggity
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It is worth taking a horse/camel for going around the pyramids and sphinx as they are quite far apart ...plus it saves you a lot of effort walking through the sand in the heat!
If you are male, you are not permitted into the first carriage of the metro as it's for women only.
If you are male, you are not permitted into the first carriage of the metro as it's for women only.
I would really recommend a stay at the Mena House Oberoi which is right beside the Pyramids in Giza. It used to be an old hunting lodge and is so full of character and beautiful Islamic art. Its not cheap but well worth the money. Don't expect a modern 5 star hotel but you do get the 5 star service and its much nicer than a modern hotel
The best things about it is the great view of the pyramids and it's very romantic. If staying there splash out the extra for a palace room as the garden rooms are newer and apparently not very nice. We went out to Giza early, saw the Pyramids and then stayed there. There is a fantastic Indian restaurant there too. Really recommend it!
The best things about it is the great view of the pyramids and it's very romantic. If staying there splash out the extra for a palace room as the garden rooms are newer and apparently not very nice. We went out to Giza early, saw the Pyramids and then stayed there. There is a fantastic Indian restaurant there too. Really recommend it!
M
me,me,me
Guest
Helen said:
I was in Dahab and it was my worst holiday ever ! Apart from a day trip to Morocco from Spain, nothing else compared to it.
The scams are many. As you said ," common scam is they say they used to live in Ireland or had an Irish girlfriend" ,...I remember our taxi driver telling me he used to live in Dublin for 2 years with his Irish wife - I asked him where in Belfast did he live, and all he could say was "downtown", and he could not remember anywhere else in Dublin. Check the seals on your bottled water are not tampered with. The best bit about Egypt was tasting the food when we got home. Another thing about Egypt - we saw no local women at all in Dahab. None. They were not on the planet. Every hotel worker, every cleaner, every shop person , every beggar , every scammer etc was male. I love foreign holidays, but never again to a middle east country.