Egypt Travel Tips
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| Overlooking the Nile with the Cairo Tower, the best part of Cairo | View of the capital from the Citadel, dusty and dry. That is Egypt. | There are no strict rules to preserve health and safety. It feels very liberating but remember that under these conditions you'll have to fend for yourself. |
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| The Cairo market. Here you can find the cheapest products and at the end of this little road you can have a traditional lunch for 5 egyptian pounds for 2 people. (Bargain, bargain, bargain!) | A lovely area close to Zamalek, I don't remember the exact name but I think it is 'The Islamic Cairo'. The most clean and beautiful neighbourhood of all of Cairo. (Post here the name if you remember it, please) |
Holiday Tips (Cairo and Alexandria)
Image that you are going to see the pyramids of Giza and that it is surrounded by a sand desert with massive international hotels around it, with palm threes and beautiful camel rides available for all the family to have fun and relax on the best, most prestigious, spot in the World, and have a nice lunch. That is not what you are going to see!
Around the grand pyramids you see a massive, ugly and dirty slam. You are always on the target for useless, jobless, fat guys trying to take some money off of you. They are religious, muslims, so they can't still anything, but for some reason cheating isn't forbidden in that country. They will charge you more then they should because the country is so week that there is no regulatory organ to impose honesty and there is nothing wrong, in their culture, to make someone feel shit for over paying for something.
Always offer 50% of what they asked for and never believe when someone tells you their are artists and that they want to show you their work. It is always a lie. Don't be afraid of being rude, they are used to that.
I still want to go to the south and to the Red Sea, but Alexandria is a total waste of time and Cairo is only enjoyable when you are having a perfect dinner at the Sequoia (for £15 you can have one of the best meals you'll ever have, puffing sheesha/narguilet and drinking beer - which isn't easy to find.) I recommend going to the pyramids by taxi: 20-40 egyption pounds (around 2-5 british pounds) each way. It is affordable. Don't hire a camel before going in to the pyramids area, in there is 10 times cheaper. Never show your ticket to anyone apart from the entrance to the sphinx. There is always someone trying to get your ticket and only returning it if you pay 1 pound or something.
Pyramids, Sequoia restaurant and Fellucca boat hire were the 3 best things I've done. It can be very romantic and peaceful. It is also very safe, there is no robbery or anything like that, and you don't need too much money to enjoy it. 2 or 3 days is more than enough for this part of the country.
Accommodation
Recommendations
- Stay away from people to claim to be artists
- Don't trust police officers, they will help you only in exchange for money
- Alexandria library is a very new building and don't have interesting ancient books as you might hope for
- Negociate with a bit of anger, they will eat you alive if you are nice, fare and honest
- Always buy big bottles of water. It is very dry and you will need it
- It is a safe place to walk around during the night (liked that)
Language Tips
- Learn how to say the numbers, can be good on times you need to negociate with people who don't speak English
