EGYPT

We took the ferry from Aqaba, Jordan, to enter Egypt. There are two boats: a fast and a slow one. It is possible to obtain your visa on the slow boat. However, you will be subjected to considerable bureaucratic hassles when you arrive in Nuweiba. Next time, I would obtain one at the Embassy in Aqaba. Also, if you take the slow boat, you will miss the 4pm bus to Dahab and points south. You could spend the night in Nuweiba and take the bus in the morning, but we forked over E100 for a taxi to Dahab. Steve Sosa, USA (Mar 99)

I was told by the embassy that everyone must obtain a visa before arrival in Cairo.
P Bostjan, Slovenia (July 98)

I have been informed that as from the 1st June, 1998 you now required to pay for a visa to enter Egypt. The cost is AUD$35 to purchase.
Michelle Bromley, Australia

From June 1998, Egypt began charging for the costs of visas.
Bob Skinner (June 98)

If you're getting your Egyptian visa in Aqaba, present application shortly before midday because whenever you present it, it will be given back only at 12pm (save your self a long wait). Certainly in April I found that having my visa already saved no time at all in Nuweiba as you had to wait till everyone else on the ferry was processed before they let you out of the port.
Jenni Fleming (Apr 98)

Travel Tips

Cairo: the northern entrance to the citadel seems to be closed; we were directed from here to a new entrance on the southern wall.
Amelia Simpson, Australia (Mar 99)

Valley of the Kings: the tombs of Seti I, Saptah, Tawsert/Sethnakt and Seti II are all closed.

Don't plan on finding a place to stay at St Catherines: it is typically booked up by tour groups. Plan on a day, or actually a night trip from Dahab. This requires leaving Dahab at 11pm and hiking up in the dark (bring a flashlight), shivering on top for three hours until the sun rises, then driving back to Dahab. A Dutch couple tried to drive out in the morning to hike up during the day, but were turned back by police.
Steve Sosa, USA (Mar 99)

I lived and worked in Cairo for a year teaching in a refugee project. Cairo is a very vast and complex place with many layers. I believe that the fastest way to get past the horrible tourist layer of hawkers and scam artists (I had my fair share: my friend gave out LE20 to all three of the baggage handlers at the airport when we first landed - they had Christmas spread all over their faces) is to simply get on a bus, easily found in most places in Cairo, but especially in front of the Ramisis Hilton where the bus station is. Any old one will do, and when you arrive somewhere that looks interesting get off. Then find your way back, stopping of at sheesha bars and coffee shops on the way. This gets you out of the tourist rat-trap and takes you direct to the real people of Cairo, who are extremely honest and friendly. A few words of advice: make sure you have LE50 on you - this will get you a taxi from anywhere to anwhere else in Cairo, whatever the taxi driver says to you - so you can get home if you get totally lost. Also, go with somewhere else, because it is more fun and also increases safety, although in a year I was never mugged or attacked or even felt in any way threatened (then again, I am 12 stone, 6 foot and very hairy). I believe Cairo to be one of the safest capital cities in the world, unless you are in a crappy tour bus in which you have no freedom and twice the hassle.
Toby Catlin, UK (Mar 99)

I appreciate that the local wages are extremely low compared to Westerm standards. However, the incessant entreaties from touts to give you their business card, which involved a trip to their shop just around the corner, soon turned from a minor nuisance to a major irritant. One of the ways we found to fend off these "instant friends" was to act hurried and say that we were late meeting some non-existant friends at a hotel somewhere distant.

We also found that it was vital to know where you were and where you were going, as many "street friends" would, after asking you your destination, tell you that where you wanted to go was just "over there," which was coincidentally in the same direction as their shop (or their friend's shop). This of course was nowhere near your original destination.

One way we found to dissuade the perfume merchants was to claim that my wife is allergic to perfumes and essential oils. The shopkeepers and touts seemed to accept this and let us depart without the normal entreaties, much to our surprise.

Unless you are staying at one of the high end, well-known hotels, ask the receptionist to write the name and address of the hotel in Arabic on a card so that even if your taxi driver doesn't speak English, you can get back to your hotel.
Rick Thomas (Jan 99)

Traffic has become worse, if you can believe it. Both the volume of traffic and the great noise it makes, both day and night, need to be taken into account when making plans; ear plugs might be considered.
Audrey Duffy, Australia (Jan 99)

Sinai: a new bus station is now located behind the new petrol station on the road to Na'ama Bay. 200m further down the same road is a new well-designed, pyramid-shaped hospital.
A J Beekman, The Netherlands (Jan 99)

The best place to shop for flights is in downtown Cairo where there are several different travel agencies. Nearby, you will also find the airline offices, but they rarely offer the best price.

Make sure you exchange all of your Egyptian pounds into some hard currency before leaving Egypt for East/Southern Africa, as it is next to impossible to find a place which accepts Egyptian money anywhere else in Africa.
Brad Vaillancourt, Canada (Dec 98)

Sinai: if you take the fast boat from Aqaba to Nuweiba, you will arrive at about 2pm. The banks are closed until 5.30pm, but the Dahab/Sharm bus leaves at 4pm. The only place to get money is the small bank in the port. If you wait until you are in town, you could be in trouble.

All the camps and travel agents run a trip to St Catherine's for Eú25-30. Take the lowest price you can find, as everyone ends up in the same car. They depart at 11pm, reaching the monastery at about 12.30am. You then have a choice of sleeping in the car for three hours before you start the climb, or climbing up and sleeping on the top. Why they don't leave Dahab a couple of hours later is a mystery to me.

Cairo: you are absolutely forbidden from taking cameras into the Egyptian Museum unless you pay the camera fee. This applies whether you want to take pictures or not. I told them that I would leave my camera in my bag because I didn't want to take any photos, but they forced me to leave it at the booth near the entrance. They even let me take my bag, but not the camera. This seems to be the general rule in a lot of museums, including the ones at Aswan and Luxor. There seemed to be no security at all at the desk.
Andy Bolgar, UK (Dec 98)

As of November 4, 1998, six new archaeological tombs will be on display for visitors of Luxor. The archaeological council has lately been clearing the surroundings of several locations in Luxor, in a serious effort to conserve the antiquities of the region. A budget of more than LE300 million was designated for the transfer of ghetto comminutes at these sites. Four hundred out of a total of 580 families living in the western part of Luxor have already settled in their new homes while plans are underway for the transfer of the remaining families.

Extensive development and restoration projects on the Great Pyramids of Cheops and the Queen's chamber in Giza will be completed by the end of October 1998. The pyramids was closed since April of this year as part of the maintenance and ventilation scheme for the Pyramid's lower burial chamber and the leading hallway. The illumination system and the wooden ladders of the Pyramid are also being replaced at this time.
Egyptian State Tourist Office (Oct 98)

Key phrases to watch for from Egyptians :

The regular Egyptian people never initiated a conversation with me unless I first gave some sign of interest and were always extremely polite and helpful. When initiating requests for help from Egyptians they were always anxious to help and were very honest. People would go out of their way to help and would refuse baksheesh. (It is always better to ask someone for help even if it means ignoring someone who is eagerly offering to help on their own initiative). It is too bad the backpacker tourist has so much interaction with a very few Egyptians who are tyring to exploit them.
Leigh Goldstein (Nov 98)

Despite LP's sensible advice on how to combat the constant barrage of hawkers, I generally found that many travellers had a very negative view of Egyptians. I must admit that after ten days and only having seen Cairo, Luxor and Aswan I had similar feelings too. The only remedy is to keep very cool. Remember that you're not in contact with "normal" Egyptians, just those who make a living from tourists so your "relationship" can only be of an economic nature and, if it really gets you down, get out to the oases where the atmosphere is so different.
Ian Ashbridge, UK (Aug 98)

The traditional ferries across the Nile to the western bank now are replaced by a bridge a mile or two south of the city.

In Cairo if you are visiting the Egyptian Museum I have a tip. As soon as the museum opens you should go straight to the rooms of Tutankhamon. It is a truly magnificent feeling to be all alone with those precious works of art before the crowds arrived.
Per-Exel Frielingsdorf, Sweden (Aug 98)

In Siwa, there is an urgent need to inform travellers to adapt to Siwan culture when visiting. One person starts to walk around in shorts and everyone seems to think it's ok not to respect it any more either. People are asked to cover legs and for girls, also arms. When swimming, girls should wear shorts and t-shirt in all springs. Travellers are still very polite in Siwa, but if foreigners begin to walk around uncovered, it could soon be like all over Egypt where female tourists are regarded as being loose and are hassled all the time. It is time for travellers to feel responsible for their impact on the people they visit.
Veerle Libberecht, Belgium (July 98)

The Egyptian government has made it much more difficult for old farts like me to get a student ID card. The new rules impose an age limit of 26 years old, after which an ID will be issued with only proper credentials. I was able to obtain a Teachers ID though.
Bill (July 98)

At the moment, there are not a huge number of tourists in Egypt. We found that we could get cheap accommodation in quite good hotels (3 star) for about 40 Egyptian pounds for a twin or triple share a night if you take the effort to bargain. The hotels are largely empty and will slash prices by well over half just to get someone in a bed for the night.
Simon - The Thorn Tree (Jul 98)

The good news is that the scaffolding has come off the Sphinx for the first time in seven years and it looks well for all the restoration work done. Go see it now before they start digging under it's paws.
Chris Ward (June 98)

Bank Misr had ATM machines that accepted Visa, Mastercard and Cirrus and I had no problems with them. There is a Bank Misr on Sharia al-Bustan (basically opposite the Egypt Air office in Cairo) and the British-Egypt Bank takes visa and dispenses Eú and US$ (just up from Egypt Air). In Luxor there is a Bank Misr on Sharia Nefertiti and in Aswan the Bank Misr is on Corniche el-Nil.

In Cairo there is an ATM in Terminal 1 Arrivals prior to passport control.
Fiona Clarkson

West Bank : The tickets system has been changed or at least made more accessible. The General Inspectorate/Antiquities Ticket Office (near the Colossi of Memnon) is open again and the system isn't as inflexible as it seems. All tickets must be bought here in advance, but tickets of the same price are interchangable. This means that, for instance, a ticket for the Ramesseum can be used instead for Deir al-Bahri, or Medinat Habu, or even the Valley of the Queens. In fact, if the office is out of particular tickets, they will issue another of the same value; so don't worry if the ticket doesn't seem to correspond to the sight.
Faisal Yafai (May 98)

The Mummification museum across from the Luxor temple in Luxor is a small new museum with has a few exhibits, each one fascinating.
Rebecca (Apr 98)

I got this info last week from the Egyptian Tourist Authority office in New York. The closing dates for St. Catherine's Monastery for the rest of 1998 are: every Friday and Sunday, and April 7, 16, 18, 20, May 28, June 8, August 19, November 14, and December 8. Otherwise it's open 9am-noon.

Also, the sound and light shows at Giza, Karnak, and Philae all now cost 33 LE. There are between 2 and 4 shows a night (in various languages) at each site. For example at Giza they are at 6:30pm,7:30pm, 8:30 pm until April 23, then at 8:30, 9:30, 10:30 April 24-September 24. The languages include English, French, Spanish, German, Italian, Arabic, Japanese. There's an English show every night except Sunday at Giza, and Thursday and Sunday at Philae.
Verity - from the Thorntree (Mar 98)

Here a tip for negotiating low hotel prices in Egypt. Buy a bottle of water and read the back label which gives information in Arabic and Western digits about the contents. Learn the Arab way of counting to ten. Then, when you talk hotel prices, check behind the counter where they always keep a big black book with agreed prices for the rooms. They don't realise that you can read Arab so just look what the average price is and refuse to pay more. Always worked for me.
Judith Slot (Mar 98)

The back entrance to the Citadel has now been closed (security) and you now have to walk half way round the perimeter wall to the main entrance.

We were most impressed with the river bus from Capotic Cairo which we took back to central Cairo. We would like to mention too, what an interesting walk it is from west side of the metro train tracks to the Nile. In 300yeards we felt like we had stepped back 300 years.
John Knight - Jordan (Jan 98)

Lloyds Bank is now obsolete. They have moved out and other banks have not heard of Lloyds so I think it is likely they do not operate at all now in Cairo.
Phil Watmough Egypt (Jan 98)

If you arrive at the Pyramids in Gaza at about 5pm when the entrance is about to close, you may be approached by the camel owners at the bottom of the road up to the entrance. They will offer to take you up the back way on a camel for the same price as the admission, which you may reduce by negotiation. Not only is the ride a great experience, but you have the opportunity to see the pyramids at sun set, and without a horde of other tourists around you.
Ken Chamberlain - Australia (Dec 97)

Part of the new Giza-Shubra metro line is now operating. The line links Sadat and Mubarak stations, and between these swings out east with stops close to Attaba square and 200m east of Midan Falaki. Unfortunately for travellers, the stops from Sadat station west of Gezira, Doqqi and Giza are yet to become operational. We were told by metro staff that some of these, at least, should be running by the end of 1999.

The Midan Tahrir local bus station as marked on the guidebook map has disappeared. Buses to most destinations around the city can be caught in and around the city bus station and tram terminal, across from the Ramses Hilton. The only bus going from here to the pyramids now is number 997.

The East Delta Bus Company's terminus and ticket office are now adjacent to the local bus station at the base of the western wall of the citadel. It seems that their buses to the oases still stop briefly at Attaba, but there is no ticket office there, and all seats on our bus to Bahariyya were full when the bus left the terminus.

Bahariyya: there is now a direct bus to Dakhla, via Farafra, each day leaving around 11.30am. The bus seems to come from Cairo and continue on.

The ticket for Upper Egypt is now located in a small booth at the front of the post office building.
Amelia Simpson, Australia (Mar 99)

Abu Simbel: the only way to reach this from Aswan is to fly. Most hotels will charge between US$85-110 to arrange air tickets and transport to the site.
Steve Sosa, USA (Mar 99)

Sinai: there is a fast ferry service from Hurghada. It does not land in the harbour of Sharm el Sheikh, but in Ras Mohammed National Park. It is only reachable by taxi or private car.
A J Beekman, The Netherlands (Jan 99)

The wait is over. The second line of Cairo's underground metro system is running. It is even cleaner and more modern than the first, although the areas it serves are less frequented by tourists.
Jan Chion, USA (Jan 99)

It is still possible to travel from Siwa to Bahariyya, but you'll need to become a bit of a tout yourself if you want to make the journey; gathering six or seven people to make the trip economical enough can be pretty difficult. I missed a 4WD heading south by a day, and in the ensuing five days had little luck finding like-minded people for a similar trip. I was forced to backtrack to Cairo and take a bus to Bahariyya. By the way, the Upper Egypt Bus Company bus station (for buses to Bahariyya) has moved to a street in front of the Citadel, a short walk up from the mosque of Sultan Hassan.
Michael Ward, Australia (Jan 99)

Luxor/Aswan: it is not possible to take one of the minibus taxis between Aswan and Luxor because all private vehicles carrying foreigners have to travel in convoy. This does not apply to the Upper Egypt Bus Company; there are no restrictions on the trains, either.

We found that the train from Luxor to Cairo was heavily booked (all classes, both day and night) so it pays to reserve yourself a seat as soon as you arrive in Luxor if you wish to leave in the next few days.
Andy Bolgar, UK (Dec 98)

I found driving in Egypt was not too bad. Just a couple of things: avoid driving in Cairo or Alexandria - park the car at your hotel and take taxis; don't drive at night. I rented a car and all that was required was an international licence. Once you're out of Cairo, the driving and traffic is no worse than anyplace else.

Overland travel south from Egypt is very difficult. I travelled with an overland truck safari and we were very lucky to secure a passage to Eritrea via Saudi. Basically the Sudan is shut and any ship south is not able to transport both passengers and vehicles at a price affordable to overland travellers. We got stung, but managed to secure a passage. But only after a nightmare, dealing with shipping agents, crooks, shipping Mafia and the Saudi embassy. To cut a long story short, the Saudi's don't want tourists and make it very difficult for you. Many independent travellers and those in vans and small 4WD's were simply leaving Cairo in disgust, faced with growing expenses and little bureaucratic progress. Flying is by far the most feasible option. Preferably to Kenya as independent travel in Ethiopia while possible, requires a very patient outlook. Suited to hardy travellers only. Very pretty, but with a most objectionable people. While extremely poor, they are most demanding and can be very hostile.
Tony Stewart, New Zealand (Oct 98)

The ferry service between Aswan and Wadi Halfa in Sudan has resumed from the beginning of 1998. The port is near the High Dam and there is an easy access from Aswan by train - take a Sadd al Ali station bound train. The departure for the ferry is every Monday around 2 pm. You can get the tickets at the Nile Valley Navigation Office in Aswan town (near the tourist office) or at the port. The Nile Valley Navigation Office in town is open from 9.30 am to 2 pm. The ticket prices are : Eú88.50 for 2nd class (you get a seat) and Eú142 for 1st class (cabin). This includes a meal and two glasses of tea (don't expect a big thing).

If the conditions are good the trip takes less than 20 hours - you should reach Wadi Halfa on the Tuesday morning. There are trains leaving from Aswan station to Sadd Al Ali station at 8 am, 9.30 am and 11.30 am (half hour). Beware : this is a passenger ferry - no car, no motorbike. With a bicycle it is possible with a bit of talk (and a bit of extra money too).
Eric Boudin, France (Oct 98)

The ferry from Aswan to Wadi Halfa is running well. It leaves every Monday and costs Eú88.5 (2nd class). You need to pay a few pounds at the border so save some. Do not change money in Aswan because the rates in Wadi Halfa are better. Travel permit are no problem in Wadi Halfa and when you go to Khartoum for your second registration, ask them to just restamp your permit which will save money.
Hugo Vet

In Cairo buses are no longer in front of Museum on Tahrir but now in front of Ramses Hilton, behind the Museum.
Veerle Libberecht, Belgium (July 98)

Anyone planning on driving the eastern route of Africa and planning to ship their vehicle from Egypt to Eritrea to Ethiopia - think twice. It is very expensive eg US$2000 for just one landrover, US$750 for one motorbike and US$5,500 for a Bedford Truck; passengers are extra. The vehicle has to go via Jeddah, Saudi Arabia which is a highly complex procedure due to the Saudi's reluctance to give out transit visas. We found many people had to be separated from their vehicle and had to fly separately in to Eritrea/Ethiopia. As a result we heard stories of equipment and vehicles being "lost". We tried for one month to get our vehicle on a boat for a reasonable price along with many other people staying on the same campsite. The solution is to try from Eilat, Israel and ship to Mombassa or Durban, this can still be very expensive. Many people we met turned back from Egypt and drove back to Europe and shipped directly from Germany, Holland and the UK for very reasonable prices and with good vehicle security.
Amanda Harvey - A Truck for Africa (May 98)

Forget about getting to Abu-Simbel for a while. The road is closed between Aswan and Abu-Simbel for the moment and no-one seems to know for sure when it will open. The only way to get there is by airplane for which I was quoted US$100 for the day trip. I tried to get a reduced rate but no go, as the Cairo - Abu-Simbel flights are full. For the budget traveller forget it, anyway, the sight isn't going anywhere.
Franklin Murillo (May 1998)

The Luxor bus station has moved. Buses to Hurghada leave from the garage on Sharia television. There is also a small station near the service taxi station.
Fiona Clarkson

You can still get ferry tickets from Hurghada to Sharm-el-Sheikh for Eú100 (Price for Egyptians). Don't go to travel agencies because they do charge you double if you're a foreigner. Instead, when you get a hotel, ask the manager if they can buy the tickets for you.
Judith Slot (Apr 98)

The bus station outside the Nile Hilton in Cairo is no more due to work on the Cairo underground metro system. I was informed that the buses had moved to the bus station just north of the Egyptian Museum.
Richard Gillingham (Apr 98)

I was told in Cairo that the road was closed from Aswan to Abu Simbel - this is only partly true. It is possible with a bit of persistence and a bit of baksheesh to get my bus ticket. About three 1/2 hours driving.

In accordance with the "closure" of the road to foreigners, Air Egypt has lowered their return flight to around US$80 with an in-flight drink.
Jacob Rode (Apr 98)

I travelled through Egypt on a mountain bike. From Cairo over Al-Faiyum to Beni Suef was really great - no problem. But then the hassle started. About 80 km south of Beni Suef I was stopped at a police check point. After one hour waiting for orders they told me that I couldn't go on riding alone. From there on I rode with police escort. One pick up with four armed men in front, then my on my bike and another one behind me.

First I felt like the King of the Universe but it got quite annoying because I couldn't enjoy the scenery and had to keep a fast pace because of the cars. When stopping at a cafΘ to have a tea, the policemen formed a wall around me and I felt very isolated with nobody to talk to. About 30 km north a tank blocked the road, waiting for me. They put the bike inside and I was confined to the machine gunners seat which was really cramped. 10 km's out they released me with tank heading and a pick-up tailing. It must have looked pretty bloody funny, all that hassle just for a biker.
Stefan Gerke (Mar 98)

The sea crossing from Hurghada to Sharm al Shaikh had deteriorated from that reported. It was much longer, much more expensive and very unplesant on a smallish boat. Most of those on board were seasick. If things don't improve, then ground travel would be a better bet for those travelling between Hurghada and Dahab.
John Lea - New Zealand (Mar 98)

Bus number 356 is a new and comfortable way to get to the centre of Cairo from the airport. It only costs 50 pst and is well worth that for air con, comfortable seats and lots of room.
Jenny Lindel (Mar 98)

The bus station behind the Luxor Temple no longer exists; the Upper Egypt Bus Co has a terminal and ticket office on Shavia Television virtually next door to the Saint Maria Hotel.

The bus station behind the Luxor museum (no 7) only has microbuses which since the "accident" are no longer allowed to take tourists. If you're going south you have to be on a bus as part of a convoy or as we did, in a shared private hire service taxi with armed escort all the way to Aswan - EP60 for five of us.

There is no such thing as a "tourist ferry' anymore. You can either take one of the many Felucca and Touts over or take the public ferry. Feluccas are charging from EP1-00 per person upwards, the same as the public ferry, more convenience but also more hassle on the human side.
John Knight - Jordan (Jan 98)

In Sharm El Sheikh the bus station is no longer in the centre of town. The station is now about 2-3 km out of town, easily reached by a minibus, ask for "Haya Norr" they should drop you off outside the big Mobil Petrol station and the bus terminal is just behind it.
John Knight - Jordan (Jan 98)

The road linking Bahariyya and Siwa Oases is a military road with 6 check points in between. You can get permits from the respective military office in either Bawiti or Siwa before you hit the road. The office there will take photocopies of your passport, your car registration and driver's license, etc. In our case (from Bawiti to Siwa) we were not given any paper pass, but were told the office will radio the check points to inform our going. One military officer escorted us to the first check point and we went through fine. However, we had to stop at the 2nd check point for half an hour apparently because they had not been informed. The road condition was not very good, part of the road is covered by sand. We drove very fast in our Land Rover and it took us about 6 hours from Bawiti to Siwa.
Jane Zhang - Hong Kong (Jan 98)

Tourists travelling over a longer distance by car will probably find themselves in a convoy. This means all tourist buses and taxis have to travel together escorted by police cars, so police can see to their safety (and get money for it from the government). If there is not a fixed convoy to where you're going, the police set up an ad hoc one: they'll have one or more police cars precede your vehicle(s), preferably with flashing lights and blaring sirens.

For instance, travelling from Dakhla Oasis to Cairo, the police esocrted us from Asyut to Beni Suef. (it"s like driving around with a sign on your head saying "terrorists please don't shoot HERE", one feels so at ease). There are fixed convoys between Aswan and Luxor, Luxor and Hurghada, and Hurghada and Suez. I believe there is a fixed convoy between Cairo and Alexandria, and there used to be one from Aswan to abu Simble and back.
Carolien van Zoest - The Netherlands (Dec 97)

The boat sailing between Aswan and Wadi Haffa in Sudan will recommence service in January, 1998. Second class fare will be about LE110 each way and the price will include food.
Jan Iversen - UK (Dec 97)

The West Delta bus terminal in Alexandria has been moved - it isn't opposite the Cecil hotel, but now is near Sidi Gaber train station. Ask the taxi driver for "Sidi Gaber Superjet".
Ambrogio Radaelli & Cesare Borgonovo - Italy (Nov 97)

Egyptian train prices have increased 100% (Sept 97) and, in Cairo, are virtually impossible to obtain from the train station. All the hotels in Cairo were buying them so you had to purchase your ticket from them, at an increased price. This also means no student discount. The train stations are in league with them - foreigners were refused service at the ticket counter (Egyptians only)! So start negotiating as soon as you arrive.

Also, there is now a bus service between Luxor and Dahab, a direct non-stop service run by Hamis Travel Ltd. It is a little expensive (E110) but saves hassle, ie. waiting in Suez at 3am for the next minibus at 6am. The service is tourist only and run by hotels in Luxor.
Barbara King & Wayne Christ - New Zealand (Oct 97)

The Egypt guide says there are "no ferries between Egypt and anywhere in Europe". Actually there is a "sort of ferry": a cruise boat of the "Misr Shipping CO" going to Rhodos-Alexandria-Beirut-Lattakia /Syria-Limassos/Cyprus-Antalya/Turkey. As far a s I know they only go during the Summer months. The address is: Misr Shipping Co. 29 Masgid el Nasser St, Semouha, Alexandria. Tel. 420 022 Telex 54189 Fax 4218425. The other possibility would be to go to Tarabulus/Libya and take a ferry to Malta or go to Tunis and take a ferry to Italy.
Othma Zendron - Austria (Sept 97)

Another scam is for somebody to give you a "present" of some description (ie some small blue beads or scarabs). They do not want payment for this, but during the course of the conversation, they say that their mother or some other family member is sick, and needs "medicine."
Rick Thomas (Jan 99)

The man on the cover of LP Egypt spotted our LP guide when we visited Karnak Temple and, having established himself as the cover model, proceeded to give us his own special blessing. Needless to say it was accompanied by a request for a tip - but Eú2 seemed to leave him a happy man.
Rodney & Rosemary Clark, UK (Nov 98)

Street vendors often quote prices in Pounds without saying whether they are talking about Egyptian Pounds or Pounds Sterling. A favourite scam when you try to buy is for the vendor to say he had been quoting "Nubian Pounds" which are the equivalent of Eú20. Of course there is no such thing as a Nubian Pound
Bob Skinner (June 98)

A scam to watch out for : when my companion and I first arrived in Cairo, we got chatting to an Egyptian on the bus going away from the airport who claimed to be an English Teacher. He claimed our choice of hostel area was dangerous and when we got off the bus "helped" us find accomodation for the night. This "friend" tricked us into thinking we were getting off at Tahrir Square and led us around the streets before dumping us in an expensive hotel.
Tim Dymond (Dec 97)

I've recently returned from an expedition to the Sinai and we discovered a phonecard scam that appears widespread. Whenever we asked for a 30(Egyptian) pound card we were given a 20. The 20 has Cleopatra on it while the 30 has a Mosque.
James McKechne, England (Nov 97)

I highly recommend the sound and light show at Giza in the evenings; it was excellent value for money. But dress warmly as it gets cold.
Rick Thomas (Jan 99)

The Abdin Palace in Cairo is now open to the public. Although many of the original furnishings are missing, it nevertheless provides an insight into a forgotten period of Egypt's more recent history.
Jan Chion, (Jan 99)

There is a new Mummification Museum in Luxor. It is on the Corniche, just north of Luxor Temple. Though quite small, it is nicely laid out, with examples of the chemicals used in the embalming, a mummy, various mummified animals and sarcophagi. Entry is Eú20 for adults, half that for students.

Cairo: the camel market at Birqash is really excellent, and absolutely fascinating. There are hardly any tourists, and business goes on as if you are not there. Nobody seems to mind how many pictures you take, either, which makes a change. We did it on our last day, and it had to be one of the highlights of the trip. The entrance fee is now Eú5, and the guy at the gate muttered something about "no cameras" but we were absolutely fine once we were away from him.
Andy Bolgar, UK (Dec 98)

Marsa Matruh is a charming sea town on the way to Siwa Oasis. There are hardly any travellers so it is a great escape from the souvenir markets and accompanying hassle found in the more popular locations. The sea is a glorious light blue and by swimming at the (free) Hotel Beau site stretch of beach, you can avoid the hassle my girlfriend has swimming (fully clothed) at public areas. Trips to Agiba and Cleopatra beaches are well worth the trip (LE 2 in service pickup) though you are not permitted to swim at these places.

Siwa Oasis was the highlight of the trip. The locals are all so genuinely friendly - a welcome change from more touristy areas of Egypt where you unfortunately have to be constantly wary of people approaching you offering help or guidance. The scenery is breathtaking - clear springs to swim in, the Temple of Amun, tombs, salt lakes and endless stretches of sand. An organised trip from one of the hotels is well worth it in order to view sights and places outside bicycle range.

In Aswan, be extremely wary of middlemen who come to your hotel trying to sell you felucca trips. They will tell you anything to get you onboard in the knowledge that once you've set off, it's very unlikely you'll be back. Your captain will then blame the middlemen for his failure or inability to fulfil the parts of the trip you were promised. Get guarantees from your captain before you leave that you will get to Edfu (or where ever you want to end up).
Jonah Fisher, UK (Sept 98)

I had my hand tattooed with henna in a Nubian village on the west side of the Nile from Aswan for EP 10, although asking around afterward indicated that a more usual price for foreigners was E 30. The experience was the high point of my trip. The whole thing took about 3 hours. The process involved a group of four to six Nubian women and children, included tea and dancing together.

The henna tatoo process was painless, and they told me it would last about 45 days. There was a little discussion about the design - I approved a pattern sketched by the artist on paper. First the artist put a paste of henna and water into a small plastic bag, cut off the corner, and proceeded to squirt the design onto my hand rather like cake decorating. The paste was allowed to dry in place - this took about 20 minutes, mostly spent sitting in the sun on the front porch of the house. When dry, the paste was flaked off and the hand washed. The oxygen was daubed on to the design. The tattoo at this point was a pale reddish brown design. Then we went into a room in the house where a brazier had been burning with sandalwood chips placed on it to create a lot of smoke. A cassette of Nubian music was played and we all danced while the tattoos cured. The tattoo, when smoked, became a deep black colour.

It helped immeasurably in bargaining later where one look at my hand showed that I was not just off the plane.
Connie Bennett - USA (Dec 97)

Hitching from Dakhla across the Sahara in January was extremely easy. The majority of people in the convoy were Frenchman taking cars across to sell, with only a driver in each car. No money was expected. If hitching, you can therefore afford to be a bit choosy about who you go with. Our drivers were in a hurry to get to Nouakchott which was rather a shame, as we would have enjoyed spending more time playing on the sand dunes and swimming with the pelicans. Also, my driver turned out to be a French nutter with a death wish undergoing a mid-life crisis, although this probably added to the fun. Driving his Peugeot 505 directly at every obstacle in sight, at one stage 80 litres of petrol flew off the roof still attached to the roof rack. Thankfully they did not explode. At the first sign of a flat stretch, he would challenge all of the other drivers to a race and we would go flying off at 140 kph. It was like a cross between the Lord of the Flies and Wacky Races. I could have sworn I heard Mutley like noises coming from him. On the last stretch, whilst driving along the beach, he lost concentration and the car landed in the sea. Luckily there were some boys fishing close by who helped pull us out, but we had to be towed the rest of the way.
Becky Arnold - UK (Dec 97)