I'm going to Egypt in July, what should I know?

In My Humble Opinion
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Three friends and I are heading to Egypt at the end of July 2013 and our plans are to pass out information about freedom and help facilitate rallies, demonstrating America’s long standing and successful tradition of intervention in international affairs.

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Ok, just kidding, but you were scared I was a special kind of dumb for a moment there, weren’t you? Don’t worry, I’m only a little dumb. :smiley: Seriously though, whenever I tell people we’ve planned this trip, everyone seems to think I’m going to be some sort of ill-advised freedom fighter. No sir, I’m going to be a tourist, which is only mildly better. :wink:

Three friends and I booked a 7 night Nile cruise via Groupon ($399 a person!), we’re going at the end of July 2013. For 3 of us, this is a lifetime dream trip-- since I was a kid I’ve wanted to go to Egypt. I’m just now starting my research about everything we can do, but our plan is (roughly): fly to Cairo from LAX (seems like we can get this for $1000-$1100), spend a night or two in Cairo (I really want to spring for this place- like really, really), then do the cruise.

Here’s the cruise itinerary. And this is the full list of excursions we can choose from.

Has anyone here done a Nile cruise? What should I know? What about Cairo? I know to avoid Tahrir Square, but other than that, what stuff can’t be missed? Teach me, Dopers! :slight_smile:

A few things to note: we are all single people, 3 women, 1 man. Two of us women are incredibly experienced travelers. We’re aware of the civil unrest and after quite a bit of research into the security situation there, we decided to go for it. That said, I will be getting trip insurance with the “civil unrest” coverage, will be registering with the State Department, and will not wander around aimlessly and alone, looking all American and vulnerable. I also know it’ll be hot, but I’m from the central valley of California, so I’m used to a sumer over 100 with low humidity, so I think I’ll survive.

2

As a former resident of Cairo (2002-2007), I can tell you that a lot of people say they get sick on Nile cruises from the food.

Females are rudely treated in Egypt for the most part. Prepare to be groped, yelled at, and ignored.

Egypt has a kind of “in your face” culture from an American standpoint. The desperation that people now feel due to reduced income from tourism (a major driver of the economy in the past) is going to intensify that. Expect people to thrust tchotchkes, post cards, and the like into your faces at all times. You will have to ward them off. The Egyptian Arabic word for “no” is “la.” If you make it into two syllables with a glottal stop (“la-a!”) it is firmer. Practice saying it, you’ll need it.

The Khan el Khalili, Pyramids of Giza, Citadel, and Egypt Museum are standard tourist fare in Cairo and more or less worth while (though you will be deluged with people trying to sell you stuff, as I said - and many people are surprised at just how tired and dusty the museum is). Skip the zoo, it’s heartbreaking.

Al Azhar Park (built by the Aga Khan) might be worth a visit, but its main attraction is that it is an escape from the dry dustiness of the city - since you aren’t trapped there you may not feel the need. Also, the park opened while I was there, and seemed quite beautiful. But the upkeep didn’t appear that great, so it may have gotten shabbier over the last few years.

My own preference would be to focus on something like Wadi Digla* (sometimes spelled Wadi Degla), which you can enter from a road in Ma’adi. It’s not a standard tourist destination (if there is anyone manning the booth at the front, they’ll want a few dollars from you but the entrance is likely to be deserted) but since you probably can’t include a week of camping in the White Desert on your itinerary, it’s the next best thing, although it will be unbearably hot in July. If you are tough enough for a desert hike, walk in for 2-3 miles and explore, but be careful not to get lost, and FFS take a ton of water and suncreen. Sometimes you can find a driver willing to take you in for a the first mile or two, if they have high clearance or don’t care about their suspension. That’s good because the scenery gets better the farther back you go.

Seriously, though, the wadi is super hot and dry, and you won’t have much cell phone reception back there. So although the hiking itself is mostly not onerous (you can climb up the sides of the canyon walls if you want, but even that isn’t especially tough, though it can be a bit treacherous where it is steep, and the shale is brittle), BE CAREFUL. If you go off the main canyon, pay attention - the scenery is fabulous in spots but it really is easy to get lost (says the woman who used to hike there alone and did not always retrace her steps in the originally intended fashion :slight_smile: )

  • For your convenience, links to GI using “wadi digla” or “wadi degla.” Unsurprisingly, I recognize some of the people in those photos… The collection of thumbnails doesn’t do it justice; look more closely at some of the scenically interesting shots and imagine being there. It’s extraordinary (plus there are cool fossils, petrified wood, curious rocks, and crystals to be found, although you should not take them with you when you go).

Wadi Digla

“Wadi Degla”

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I’ve never understood why Americans think it’s a good idea to go vacationing in a country that’s experiencing some pretty serious civil unrest. I guess you might have some exciting stories but it seems unnecessarily risky. Then again, if you’re traveling in July 2013 maybe things will be settled down by then. Just keep an eye on the situation there and don’t be afraid to cancel the trip if it seems unsafe. Even if you end up losing your money.

All of the women I’ve known who have traveled to Egypt complained of being treated poorly. You can expect to be on the receiving end of verbal harassment and there’s a good chance you’ll be groped or touched in some way you don’t care for. A lot of your harassers will be very young men.

Drink bottled water and don’t eat raw fruit. There’s going to be some venders selling tamarind juice out of containers they carry on their back. You probably shouldn’t drink that either.

People will be constantly in your face trying to sell you things. Sometimes Egyptians will offer you free things (a ride on a camel or a guide to a tourist spot) and then expect you to pay.

There are a lot of places where the bathrooms are basically holes in the floor. You might want to carry your own toilet paper as the bathroom might not have any.

I don’t mean to paint a bleak picture of travel through Egypt. All the women I know who have traveled there enjoyed it quite a bit.

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Don’t pee directly in the water. :smiley:

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The Amazon is in South America :rolleyes:

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Right. And don’t disturb the kangaroos.

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Two more things -

  1. Felluca rides on the Nile at sunset are one of Cairo’s best offerings.

  2. You are aware of the fact it is going to be Ramadan / Eid Al-Fitri during your visit, right? This makes a huge difference in the experience you will have. I would not choose to visit Egypt during fasting month myself, but if it you think it just adds to the adventure, then go for it. I strongly recommend being alert to how the holy/fasting month is having an impact on your experience, though: otherwise you will miss a lot of the value of your trip.

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I suppose I hadn’t considered how Ramadan would effect me, what should I expect?

And Odesio, while I appreciate your concern for my judgment, I’ve done substantial research into the state of tourism over there. It seems that Brits are going to Egypt constantly and enjoying themselves without much issue. Certainly, there are protests and such, but they generally aren’t at the historical sites. I’ll be aware of myself throughout the entire trip, but the State Department seems to indicate that the two areas of concern are Cairo (so, stay away from all demonstrations) and the Sinai (which I wasn’t planning on wandering to anyway). If things worsen substantially over there, I’ll cancel my trip. The current state of things, however, seems to indicate it’ll be fine.

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Ramadan and the Eid change the way everything works - it is particularly intense in 2013 because Ramadan falls during the summer: in other words, the hottest months and longest days of the year. So fasting is especially stressful and takes an extra huge toll on people’s well-being.

Some of the manifestations of Ramadan that you will encounter:

1.Authentic restaurants have a higher likelihood of being closed during the day - don’t worry, you won’t starve, but your food choices will be far more limited, because most of the locals can’t eat while the sun is up. (Exceptions include Copts, children, anyone who is sick, and women who are pregnant or menstruating. So you’ll see a bit of food consumption going on.)

  1. Places that normally serve alcohol may stop doing so for fasting month.

  2. Prices will be much higher than normal.

  3. People will expect double the tips they would at other times of year and won’t be shy about telling you so.

  4. People will be listless and grumpy during the day because they cannot eat, drink or smoke. Islam teaches that you should be extra calm and forgiving during the fasting month, but for cultural reasons it does not work this way in Egypt. People get irritated and are not afraid to let it show. We always marveled at the fact we saw far more physical violence (for example, drivers having a fist fight after a collision) during Ramadan than at any other time of the year. And we sure heard a lot of screaming and yelling.

  5. Just before iftar (fast-breaking) the traffic will be crazy dangerous - I am not trying to be hyperbolic, I’m giving you a serious warning. Everyone (well, the men anyway; the women have been home cooking for a while) is rushing as fast as they can to get to their iftar before sundown. Egyptian drivers are nutty at the best of times; when they are speeding to get to their first food and drink after a long hot day, they are distracted and insane. Do not get into a vehicle just before iftar - but you’ll have trouble getting a car and driver at that time anyway. Be a careful pedestrian too.

  6. Depending on where you are (you won’t hear much on a cruise or in a 10th floor hotel room), at roughly 4 or 4:30 in the morning you may hear quite the cacaphony every day. Everyone is being awakened for suhur - their last meal before the sun comes up.

  7. Egypt is always a late-night culture anyway, but this effect is intensified during Ramadan. People barely move all day if they can help it, and everything comes alive at night. Stores and restaurants will be open at 3 a.m.

  8. It looks like Eid al-Fitr will be around the 8th of August, so you may not be there when it hits. If you are, don’t expect anything to be open and don’t expect to be able to hire tour guides, drivers, and the like.

I’m sure there is more, but I"m so used to the routine that it has ceased to seem remarkable to me.

If you get invited to an iftar at someone’s house (and you might - for all their flaws, Egyptians are among the warmest, most hospitable people I’ve ever met), go! You will be stunned at the amount of food served and consumed. Be sure to bring a nice gift - flowers are a no-no, and obviously wine is too. The correct thing to bring is a large package of Ramadan sweets, which should be conspicuously on sale in many locations.

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On reflection, that’s an overstatement. It will take more effort and cost more, but anything is possible, particularly in the tourist sector. You’ll be fine, just a little lighter in the wallet.

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Sorry for the side track but this and Cooking with Gas comment made me laugh.

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Unfortunately, I know little about Egypt (and have little hope of visiting in the foreseeable future :(; see my location) – but I just want to say that if you’re going to be in this part of the world anyway, you may want to consider extending your vacation by a week and visiting Israel as well.

You would probably want to go to Egypt first, and go from there to Israel through Cyprus or something – and if you plan on visiting Arab countries in the future you should (and can) ask Border Control in Israel to stamp your entry and exit visas on a separate sheet of paper you put in your passport for the duration of the visit – but for relatively little extra cost (since you’re already here) you can visit another historically interesting place.
And hit the beach and the night life in Tel Aviv, too :slight_smile:

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No, Kangaroos are usually only found in Austria.

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How timely - article this morning

‘Men don’t have to worry about being caught’: Sex mobs target Egypt’s women