Egypt for a holiday

EmmaG · 09-06-2008, 08:48 PM

OH and me are thinking of going to Egypt for a holiday in a couple of weeks time. Anybody been before, any tips..good/bad etc We were thinking of going to Taba

Kazz · 09-06-2008, 08:53 PM

Mags went to Egypt...........I've never been but sure it looks lovely.

Elaine · 09-06-2008, 09:05 PM

Never been myself but the photos Mags posted looked stunning.

candyshandy · 09-06-2008, 09:14 PM

You must go its amazing, most of the sightseeing areas are in Luxor.

The highlight for me was Abu Simbel.

I love Egypt and was going to go back to Sharm this year but going to Singapore/Bali instead.

yola · 09-06-2008, 10:03 PM

We went about 10 years ago. It was a wekk long Nile cruise and whilst I didn't go a bundle on the whole cruise thing, it meant we got to see a lot of places in quite short space of time. Luxor was truly beautiful; I didn't get to see Abu Simbel as I was not long after an operation and the 4am start didn't agree. But OH went and he was completely over-awed.

I would recommend it thoroughly but go prepared to be hassled by locals for money relentlessly and take lots of immodium

Oh, and it'll be getting on for hot now. We went in June and it got up to 45 degrees C . . . .

Mags · 09-06-2008, 10:10 PM

Emma, we had a wonderful holiday in Egypt in April....... we went to Luxor and stayed on Crocodile Island (now renamed Kings Island). Most of the sights are located in Luxor....the Valley of the Kings, valley of the Queens .....King Tut's tomb was open when we visited......the Temple of Hatshepsut, Karnak Temple.....the list is endless.

I haven't been to Taba but I would think the same tips would apply ...........

Egypt is Africa - it is very hot - keep head covered between 10 and 3 at least. It reached 104º in Luxor in April!

Drink plenty of mineral water (from sealed bottles) carry water when touring.

Do not drink water from the fridge - swirl it in your mouth to warm up - high
temps and very cold drinks are probably the biggest cause of upsets.

If you get sick - use local medicines - Antinal is the current popular antibiotic.
You can buy it in Egypt, we were told that our Immodium would be useless in Egypt. We didn't get any upset tums at all but you must be very careful regarding hygiene there.

Try flat Coca Cola (not Diet Coke) for any upsets and for rehydration...(that was a tip we were given in case we needed it so I don't know if it works or not

)

The most important tip of all is to wash your hands after handling the money - it's a major source of infections and the smaller notes are absolutely filthy. We took 4 bottles of antibacterial handwash and 4 boxed of antiseptic wipes with us and were continually washing/wiping our hands just in case..

Check your change - most are honest - not all.

Egypt is a Muslim country so it is best to dress so as not to offend the Egyptians. Around the hotel grounds it is ok to wear shorts, vest tops, swimwear (going topless is banned in Egypt) but outside the hotel grounds it is better to wear dresses or three quarter trousers and have your knees and shoulders covered if you do not want to attract a lot of attention.

It is quite usual to tip everyone as their wages are very low.....maybe only the equivalent of £15 per week.

Don't be upset by the haggling that goes on everywhere, it's part of life in Egypt .........try to learn a few words of Arabic - La Shokran = No thank you when hassled.

That's all I can think of at the moment, I'll add to this thread if I think of anything else. It may all sound a bit daunting Emma but Egypt was probably one of the best holidays we've had. It helped though by being on an island away from all the noise and hassle of Luxor itself.

Mags · 09-06-2008, 10:14 PM

One other thing.... most trips start very early, any time between 5.00am and 7.00am as it gets so hot there you wouldn't be able to stay out in the heat. We were usually back in our hotel by midday. A hat is a must too!

candyshandy · 09-06-2008, 10:17 PM

If you go on tripadvisor it will give you loads of tips

EmmaG · 09-06-2008, 10:25 PM

Thanks Candyshandy we have been researching Trip Adviser

Thanks a lot Mags for the tips, I had read about the money being filthy. I will get some antibacterial wipes/soap etc.

We plan to stay more or less in the resort as we are only going for a week and I would love to just relax and rewind.

candyshandy · 09-06-2008, 10:37 PM

You may want to look at Sharm - beautiful and you can go diving??

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