Planning on trying to visit Egypt in late May to early June. I know I need a visa and my passport is up to date, but is there anything else I should be aware of or reserve before going? Or is the situation in the bordering countries too intense? No itinerary yet either. I appreciate any help.
>No itinerary yet either.For one; figure out where you want to go and what to see. Are you only interested in the ancient sites or do you want to go scuba diving too? You will either need to fly down or take a cruise down the Nile to Luxor or vice versa. Dont bother with the train; not only do they regulate when tourists can take it; its takes too long and is unpleasant.Egypt is a third world country in every sense; meaning you're going to be a walking piggy bank for everybody. You're also going to be babied by every staff member of every institution. Like with most things in life; the more money you throw at the problem - the better it gets.Get a local guide to show and drive you around. Not only do they know what they're doing; they act as a buffer between you and the lot.Take diarrhea meds with you. I would make an anecdote about Anubis but I think I've over played it. Long story short; food quality is debatable and you will most likely get the runs.
>>2650948Egypt is kino and a huge /trv/ filter. >It's an extremely safe country>It's a police state, but the police genuinely have your back (military owns lots of tourist infrastructure)>People will try to scam you (even Romans wrote about this)>The hassle can be intense if you stand out>Don't rent a car unless you're a VERY experienced driver (i.e. Africa-tier experience)>Learn basic Arabic.>Download Uber, don't bother with local taxis from the street unless you know Arabic or know the pricesKino experiences off the top of my head>Cycling Valley of the Kings>Feeling like Indiana Jones visiting pyramids which are NOT Giza, i.e. Saqara, Dahshur complexes>Diving and chilling in Dahab>Chilling in Aswan, paying pennies to kids to get boats between banks and islands>Nile Cruise and temple hopping>Colonial feel hotel bars in Cairo>Falluca at sunset on Nile (prefer Aswan near cataracts over Cairo, personally)>Experience the absolute clusterfuck of chaos which is old Islamic CairoAsk specifics and I'll be happy to help. Lived there for a year just after the revolution and visited 2 years ago for a month.
>>2650983>Cruise down the Nile to LuxorNearly all tourist cruises are between Aswan and Luxor. If you're on a budget, overnight buses and trains are absolutely fine in Egypt. They're not AMAZING, but they do the trick. There's plenty of trains running up and down the country. You'll just be restricted to first class, which is still cheap.You don't need to throw money at shit. Just don't stand out, learn basic Arabic, keep your head down, and don't bother with politieness. A simple click of the mouth, or la'a proves to most people you're not worth the time. (exception being on the corniche in Luxor and Giza pyramids where it's pretty tiring and people can following you for a bit). You don't need a local guide. Just plan your day out and walk with purpose. In Cairo, you Uber everywhere nowadays anyway, which negates a lot of hassle, and I don't think the black taxis run any more, which were a great source of lulz and stress. The whole idea of Egypt is like feeling you're on an adventure, desu. It becomes kino when you can slip between the cracks and see things 95% of others don't bother looking for. Guides will give you a watered down experience. They aint taking you to the rooftop bars, el Horreya, Dahshur/Saqara, renting bikes for you, getting lost in markets, etc. They'll just A-B-C you through ezpzville.But yeah, prepare to be sick. Don't let that stop you eating local shit though. Sitting on street side cafes and getting random street food is really half the fun.
>>2650989Thanks for all the info! My first question would be whether it's worth it to try to link up with a group of other visitors? I'm really wondering whether that might offer some added security or if it'll just bog things down>>2650993Good to know! Is it worthwhile to bring along medication to deal with those issues?
>>2651012 (me)By the second question I meant to ask if there were acceptable substitutes available or if I was better off bringing my own, sorry about the unclear question
>>2651012Definitely. If you're new it'll be quite overwhelming, and hooking up with some other travelers can never be a bad thing. Be careful you don't get caught up with faggots who only want to do lame shit though. Also some locals are utterly clueless about their own city from a tourist standpoint. Security really won't be an issue. When I lived in Cairo, I was hearing more stories of people returning lost shit. Never heard of anybody getting robbed. Egyptians will actively and dramatically show they're not picking something up if there's something on the floor. Being labelled a thief in Egypt is a hugely negative thing. The only danger really is if you fuck off out into the desert without a clue, or head into North Sinai. (Or get mixed up in political shit or start criticising Islam).Fuck, just remembered, crossing the road in Cairo will NOT be pleasant the first time. You literally have to walk into 4 lanes of moving traffic in some places. It's seriously a matter of walking at a steady pace and not stopping and letting cars drive around you. Hard to explain, but if you stop, you'll confuse drivers and shit will go down. Follow locals the first few times until you get the idea.>>2651013You can get shit in pharmacies easily in Egypt. My old colleagues used to get good drugs over the counter. May be different now. No harm in bringing your own shit though just in case. If you like drinking, you're limited to one bottle of spirits to bring into the country. I got searched coming in to Cairo. Good alcohol is HARD to find in Egypt. They have these shite '''duty free''' shops with local brands. Good alcohol is in hotel bars for $$$.
>>2650989>Learn basic Arabic.>Download Uber, don't bother with local taxis from the street unless you know Arabic or know the pricesI'd second both of these points.I haven't spent nearly as much time in Egypt as the anon to whom I'm replying, but I visited for several weeks near the end of 2019. I had an all-around good trip, and found that touts weren't nearly as prevalent or persistent as I'd expected. The only person who gave me much trouble was some fucker on a camel inside the pyramid complex, but he scurried off after about 30 seconds of banter. FWIW, I took a year's worth of Arabic classes in university. I can barely speak, but remembered just enough to have very basic interactions. I could be wrong, but I think it went a lot way in deterring touts (even incredibly simple phrases like "la, shukran" worked better than expected). I also took Uber everywhere and didn't have any significant issues. One of my drivers seemed to have intentionally veered far off course, and delayed a quick trip to the Citadel of Saladin by about 45 minutes. It was annoying, but I submitted a complaint through Uber Support and was refunded for the ride. Following up on that: I have a lot of Egyptian friends, and all of them said to avoid using regular taxis unless accompanied by a local. And, even in those instances, taxi drivers will still try to overcharge the second they hear English spoken.
>>2651023That makes sense, are there any hard and fast methods that you'd recommend for learning basic Arabic? I'm inclined to pursue that free program that the US gov has, but I've also heard it doesn't do much more than equip you with just the necessities out of context
>>2651025You basically need this at a minimum (please feel free to correct me, i've forgotte most of my Arabic):>Salam alaykum = hello (VERY important to get right and prove off the bat you aren't the 90% tourist crowd>shukran = thanks>hena qawais = here's good (taxi)>ma salamah = goodbye>>aiwa = yes>la' = no>la' ah = NO>emshi = piss off>the numbers!!!!!!!!!!!!>mumkin = is it possible (it's your catch all way to begin a request)>aiza = i wantI found Pimsleur audio tapes to be great for grinding out functional phrases and drilling them into your head. you only need to listen and hear things. It's boring as shit, but it really works.Fuck the writing system. BUT, learn the numbers. Learning 10 symbols isn't hard, but gives you a big advantage.You don't need to learn to say your name and shit, and you don't need words like cat, table, etc. Learn names of things you like, i.e. beer, coffee, "one more", no meat, etc.AI can help you build an Egyptian phrase boook and transliterate things. Just cover and repeat. You'll have time to kill on buses, trains, planes, etc.BE CAREFUL that you're learning Egyptian Arabic, and not Modern Standard Arabic (i.e. Saudi and Quran Arabic).Learning basic functional things, recognising typical responses, and recognising numbers will make your experience so much better, and you'll see a noticeable difference in how people interact with you.OH, and Fall of Civlization's episode on Egypt should be essential listening to contextualise the history of the place and what you're looking at.
>>2651025I'm the same anon from (>>2651023) and would largely agree with (>>2651029). If you're only going for a two or three weeks, there's not much sense pouring tons of energy into trying to attain anything resembling conversational proficiency (unless, of course, you're very eager to interact with ordinary Egyptians--in which case I'd encourage you to explore more options, as learning "the local language" lets you engage with elements of culture and socialization you'd otherwise never understand or appreciate). However, most people don't have the need to do any of that. In most cases, you'd be find memorizing a handful of phrases in different tenses. The bare minimum for me is typically:>greetings >personal information (my name is, I'm from [x], etc) >small talk (how are you, I'm good, etc) >basic requests and commands (please give me [x], turn left, turn right, etc) >basic help questions (how can I get to [x], where is [y], can you help me with [z]) >numbers from 1-100, or whatever works best with the local currency denominations
>>2651031>>2651029Oh, and that anon pointed out something I'd intended to mention: many of the Arabic lessons you'll find online center on Modern Standard Arabic (termed "fus'ha" by Arabic speakers). Most Arabic speakers will be able to understand fus'ha, but you might not be able to understand much of what they say in response. Again, I can't remember very much about Arabic. But I do remember that the differences between fus'ha and Arabic-language dialects can be immense. In fact, some Arabic speakers struggle to understand other Arabic speakers from more distant countries. One of my close friends, for instance, is from Iraq--he can very easily understand people from the Gulf, Levant, and Egypt, but says that Moroccan and Tunisian Arabic is often borderline unintelligible. (ofc, if two people from two very different regions meet, they can most probably adjust their speech--my friend was probably talking about listening to music or watching the news and football commentary, as it's standard practice in the Maghreb to mix in lots and lots of French) However, to the best of my recollection, Egyptian Arabic is the most widely-taught Arabic dialect--there should be plenty of resources, as well as easily-accessible media that you can engage with.
>>2650948https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13349377/Cambridge-student-28-tortured-death-mistaken-spy-legs-arms-seven-ribs-finger-broken-severe-burns-slashed-body-razor-Egyptian-security-officers-inquest-hears.html>cuts and bruises from severe beatings >more than two dozen bone fractures>seven broken ribs>all fingers and toes broken>legs broken>arms broken>shoulder blades broken>Regeni's body had multiple stab wounds on the soles of his feet>slices in his skin made from a sharp object suspected to be a razor blade>several cigarette burns.'We briefly talked on the day of his disappearance, about two hours earlier. He was happy and cheerful, he was about to meet a friend. No indication of any worries whatsoever'.>Italian and Egyptian prosecutors initially investigated the case together, but came to different conclusions.>Egypt said the killing was the work of gangsters and denied any state involvement in Regeni's disappearance or death.Yeah I'm never going to that shit hole
>>2651069>Associates say he was also interested in the long-standing domination of Egypt's economy by the state and military. Both subjects are sensitive in Egypt.>He was also found to have been writing antigovernmental articles under a pseudonym for the left-wing Italian newspaper il Manifesto.Imagine traveling to another country and undermining their institutions. The moment you get involved in politics, you're not a tourist any more, you're effectively an operative representing and pushing a foreign ideology.
I’m planning a trip for Egypt in December. I want to do Cairo, Alexandria, Luxor, and then the city of Tunis in Tunisia to see the remains of Carthage. I’ll overall have exactly two weeks to get it done. Does 2-3 days in each city sound like a reasonable time frame? I plan to start go in the order I listed and then fly back to Cairo and then home once I’m done with Tunis. Any tips or criticism of my itinerary??
>>2652008Tunis is a big (!) in this itinerary. You're not traveling overland there. It's some real hardcore dangerous shit, and the border's probably sealed the fuck up on both sides.Also, you may know more than me here, but I'm pretty sure there's hardly any remains of Carthage. You'd probably be better off seeing Petra if you're in the region. Alexandria isn't amazing btw. You may be underwhelmed traveling there.Things you may want to add>Aswan (& Abu Simbel>Siwa Oasis>Nile CruiseWill need more info on how you're planning to get in and out (also from where?), and how you envision your itinerary going, and what are the most important things for you to do/see/experience.
>>2650948ohh boy you are going to get scammed every day
>>2652012I will fly there from Cairo. No traveling by land
>>2652012>>2652020From Cairo to Alexandria will be Uber, then Uber back to Cairo when I’m done. From Cairo to Luxor is a flight to and from. Then from Cairo to Tunis like I mentioned above is a flight. Other than the pyramids, valley of the kings, their citadels and fortresses and some sites in Alexandria I don’t have much planned
>>2652023Sounds all very disjointed with lots of fucking around here and there, desu. You'll be burning time traveling for no reason.I just looked on Google flights in December and found picrel. You could do:>Tunis - Athens (30EUR with Aegan)>Athens - Alexandria (60EUR with Aegan) 2 days later>Alexandria - Cairo>Cairo - Luxor (probably 100EUR)>Luxor - Aswan cruise>Aswan - Abu Simbel (could fly back to Cairo for 200EUR, or fly back from Aswan for 70EUR)Staying overnight in Abu Simbel is kino, as most people have to fuck off to get the bus convoy back. You could get a boat trip on Lake Nasser and see stuff 98% of people don't.Best way to see the left bank of Luxor (area around Valley of Kings) is by bike. Most people get a bus there like a faggot. Again, Giza pyramids are lame and overcrowded. Best pyramids are elsewhere around Cairo, where you get stuff to yourself, and can pay police to take you around on quad bikes and shit, or pose with their weapons and hats.Traveling 'down the river' will give you a proper sense of traveling somewhere with a purpose, which will make your conclusion in Abu Simbel, watching the sunset over the lake all that more meaningful. Hopping around city to city without much plan will detract from the experience. Also is kino flying back home over all you've traveled to.
Is there a good way to visit Giza or is it just a touristy mess that I should avoid? Also, is it better to get an international plan with my carrier or get a sim there?
>>2653071its going to be a touristy mess and everybody is going to try and scam youas mentioned; get a guide to act as a buffer
>>2653096How do you source and retain a trustworthy guide? I don't want to sound asinine but wouldn't they also be inclined to scam me?
>>2653102EMO Egypt tours is who I used last time; local travel guide with actual Egyptians and not some travel agency.Its a double edged sword, not going to lie. They will no doubt protect you from other scammers and riffraff; they are inclined to take you to a restaurant owned by their second cousin and then a perfume shop owned by their uncle. You can protest of course, but otherwise weigh it up if you want to handle the hassle with touts all day or not.You risk the same with some international travel agency or a with a local student trying to pass off as a tour guide or go at it on your own.
Should I get hotels reserved in advance or just find places each day? Or are good hostels easily available?
>>2653071Avoid Giza and go to the pyramids in Saqara and Dahshur. Honestly, you'll have a MUCH better day, and you'll get places like picrel all to yourself.Seeing Giza pyramids from the road is enough, or just grab a very overpriced drink with a view.>>2653690Best to book things in advance, imo. Just saves fucking around. Hostel scene isn't amazing outside of Dahab. I stayed in Dahab Hostel in Cairo. A little grimey, but they've got a really cool terrace on the roof with nice swingy chairs. Buy some wine and chill up there for epic views. Something about looking out over Cairo in the evening which is magic, imo.Can also recommend Bob Marley Hostel in Aswan. Again, cool rooftop terrace, booze and decent food, and decent rooms.Really, I cannot stress enough that the fun of Egypt is feeling like you're an adventurer. Being herded around by a guide will rob you of this experience.
>>2653698Awesome, thanks!A couple other questions:- how much money should I bring for a 20 day visit? Is there a particular place to exchange it or just pick some random place in towns as needed?- any recommended clothing to bring or avoid? I'm fairly fair-skinned so I'm also considering a pith helmet or other sun hat and sunscreen; I know that shorts tend to be less acceptable than pantsThanks again for the help
>>2650948Fuck, also forgot>JuneBe prepared for it being FUCKING HOT. Like, no joke. I used to get headaches on a 15 minute walk to work in Cairo in summer. The combination of heat, pollution and noise is a killer. Egyptians laugh at tourists wondering around in the heat.Make sure you wear loose clothes which cover your skin, and stock up on water, especially if you're doing an outdoor activity. Seriously plan your days around the temperature. it's no joke. Try and leave the city wanderings to the evening and get taxis around. Be aware that hostel accommodation may not have AC, too, which may mean sleepless nights.I don't usually drink goyslop, but a glass bottle of coke (they pronounce it 'bebsi' as they can't say the 'p' sound) from the local shops are fucking delicious and are a welcome treat on hot days.
>>2653705Just withdraw shit in an ATM as you need it. Google which ones have small/no fees.I think I spent around £1000 (gf spent the same too) for a 25 day trip 2 years ago (without flights), this included 4 nights all inclusive in Hurghada and a Nile Cruse. You can cut costs by:>picking up booze in Drinkies or duty-free stores (bars are expensive relative to everything else)>picking up snacks and water in the supermarket>Eating street food like koshari and not being scared to eat local stuff. Just look where people are eating. Acclimatise to cuisine ASAP and assume you'll be sick towards the beginning.>Avoiding flights. Coaches are generally fine (i.e. Gobus), and the train to the south isn't that bad. >Don't speak to anybody on the street, ever. Walk with purpose and don't think you're being rude by blanking people. (Say 'la shukran' (no thanks) firmly at most).>Learn the numbers!!! >Make sure your cash game is good. Have a wad of small notes handy to reduce chances of getting gipped on change. I.e. spend big notes in supermarkets. If you don't know how much something is, give them 10EGP.>Be aware you might get gipped on currency conversions. Some faggot on our Nile cruise demanded we pay in USD and gave us some utterly retarded rateIf you are thinking of a Nile Cruise, you can book boats in Luxor/Aswan on the spot. It's actually quite fun visiting all the boats, too. I think we paid $70/night with meals and excursions included. Have a backup plan in case this doesn't work out due to full-booked, only expensive shit left, etc.Don't wear shorts. You'll stand out as a tourist. Loose combats or something are fine. Save your safari looking shit for actual excursions where you're outside a lot. Dress casual in the cities to avoid standing out.Let me know if you want a run down of the bar scene.
Ah, also, make sure you have cash for the visa sticker on arrival. It's 25GBP/USD/EUR afaik. I.e. actually paying in these 3 currencies. I recommend cash as you may end up having problems with your bank card, no internet, etc.If you're flying into Sinai (i.e.Sharm) your country probably has visa-free access for Sinai, but you'll NEED to queue in a separate place in arrivals to get a visa sticker which allows you to visit the rest of Egypt. Do not cross passport control without this sticker. If you land in Cairo, you obviously can't make this mistake.Get a local sim card asap. Many people run services through Whatsapp. Download Arabic on Google Translate so you can use it without internet. Also download Maps of where you're going.I never had problems with Uber, but I've heard some drivers try and do shit like cancel and ask you to pay in cash. Don't take part in any silly games, and be firm. Just leave and report if they try anything whatsoever. The metro works perfectly fine. Just make sure you don't get in the women's carriage if you're not a tranny. A way to cut costs is to get the metro somwhere (avoid traffic, too) then taxi the final part. Stops:>Where all the lines cross = the centre, close to Tahrir Square.>Zamalek = island in Nile which is the "western district" with lots of embassies and hotels.>Mar Girgis = Coptic Cairo, which is kino (and short taxi journey away from Museum of Egyptian Civilization )>Bab El Shaariya = the absolutely clusterfuck of chaos which is Old Islamic Cairo.>Ramsis = train station>Giza = for the actual huge city of Giza, not just the pyramids>Helwan = possible to get Uber to Saqara/Dahshur and has a very local feel (be prepared to wait a while. taxi back will be hard, I ended up getting a KINO tuk-tuk journey through 'real life' Cairo suburbs).
>>2650948I did an emo tours private tour through Cairo which was fantastic and got a driver to take me through the Sinai where I stayed the night in Saint Catherine's and then crossed the border into Israel.My advice is to get out of Cairo ASAP. Absolutely awful polluted city. See the museum, the pyramids, old Cairo and gtfo.
Do need to pre-apply for a visa using the governments online site or do I just get it when I arrive in Egypt? I’m American, is there a chance I get denied?
>>2654150Americans and most people eligible for eVisa can do both.
>>2653874>Private tour was fantastic>Advises people to gtfo the city asap
>>2654150I recall purchasing a visa on arrival, though you can likely apply for a visa in advance, too. >I’m American, is there a chance I get denied?You can be issued a visa and denied entry upon arrival. In either case, you'd likely have to raise several red flags to have this happen.
Any alcohol I should avoid or look out for?
>>2655562All of it's the same, it's good
>>2655562This is where I used to get booze in Cairo:https://www.drinkies.net/They used to do deliveries to your door, back when this shit was unheard of back home. If you gave the cunt 7 bottles, you'd get a free beer, too. Used to have a nice little collection going in the hallway.Be discrete when you're carrying bottles out. Also, I was never sure whether I could drink in my hostel, so I put shit in a flask, and played it on the dl. Better not to offend anybody. Drinking in public is a huge no-no.As you can see on the site, the stuff they sell is no name Egyptian shit, produced locally. Think Heineken do the beer on license, though. (Resorts have specially tagged western booze which is dirt cheap in comparison).I remember once I was boozing with a mate in some kino bar with sawdust on the floor. He was ordering "Zibiba" which is Egyptian Ouzo. The shit is fucking rough. My mate went to the toilet, fell the fuck over, and smashed his head on the sink after a few drinks of it. Think I mentioned earlier, bring spirits in luggage (check the limit! think it's 1 or 2 bottles). It'll make an excellent gift for anybody you clock is a drinker, as good booze is a bit of a commodity around town.In other cities there are "duty free shops". Important to stock up here if you like boozing in your hotel room, or are on a Nile Cruise and don't wanna get gipped.All in all, the 'spirits' aren't world-beating, but they get the job done. Apparently the whiskey is ok-ish in comparison. I never bothered and just went beer al the time.
