One thing I can’t understand though, is why they built the pyramids so close to the road?
Thats the thing that really got me when I was there. On the tour bus driving through Cairo & suddenly the road just ends & all there is ahead if you are the Pyramids & desert. The road just stops. All the shops & hotels just end. 20th century meets the past & it can't compete so just stops.
To be fair the advice about how I’ll virtually anything that has non-bottled water touching it can make you goes for very many other countries as well and will almost certainly not be the case on a cruise ship.
I have seen the pyramids etc near Cairo but never seen the valley of the kings and those who have say it is amazing. I will go back.
Cairo itself I did not find amazing apart from the museum of Egypt. At the time, there was a much trumpeted exhibition of Egyptian relics (quite a bit from tutenkamun’s tomb) in the British museum that was pretty impressive
then when I went to the museum of Egypt, there were like 7 ankle bracelets and a gap for the eight saying g ‘on loan to the British museum. Shoddily displayed but truly awesome.
Echo all those who say don’t drink the water and be careful what you eat. We had a fantastic time in Sharm about 15 years ago, flew to Cairo for the day and did the pyramids/museum etc, snorkelling and a camel trip out to the desert. However, have never felt as bad as when I fell ill. Honestly thought I was dying and even sent my wife down to the pool 2 days into it so I could pass away quietly. She called the doctor in who pumped me full of various drugs. He said it was a combination of the change in food, dehydration and the fact that although I’d been drinking, it had been ice cold water which apparently is a shock to the system in the heat.
Next week we have our much overdue family holiday to Hurghada, Egypt. This is our first time to Egypt, a new law was brought in by the Egyptian government where you cannot take their currency into the country,.
Reading up its pretty much a cash only country, and tips are a given out there. Nationwide have already told me that I will be charged 3% of any money withdrawn from an ATM. There seems to be a lot of conflicting do and don’ts, and I was hoping that there maybe some sound advice from fellow Lifers.
Visit a town just outside Hurghada called El Gouna. I have been there ten plus times.
Take English cash with you and change it in there cash machines into Egyptian it's a much much better rate.
If you want a reliable taxi driver/chauffer from airport let me know as I know a great one and cheap
Any other questions fire away mate it's like my second home.
St Catherine's monastery ~ the oldest working monastery in the world in the foothills of Sinai. Mount Sinai ~ where Moses received the 10 commandments. And, in many hotels, there is opportunity to travel to the Holy Land by chartered coach. Have a great holiday. Avoid the shark infested hurgada waters too.
St Catherine's monastery ~ the oldest working monastery in the world in the foothills of Sinai. Mount Sinai ~ where Moses received the 10 commandments. And, in many hotels, there is opportunity to travel to the Holy Land by chartered coach. Have a great holiday. Avoid the shark infested hurgada waters too.
Read about the reports of the shark attacks over the last few weeks. If he decides to have a munch on me he won’t have to eat for the next year
Go see Karnak, Valley of the Kings, the Great Sphinx, the three pyramids, Tutankhamen’s treasure.
Get a currensea card, it’s free to withdraw or spend money and you don’t have to preload it. Best thing we did for going abroad.
Thanks for the tip about currensea card, looks ideal for a cruise we are doing where we are visiting around 30 different countries, think we will get an account. One of those countries is Egypt and we are doing all your recommendations apart from the great sphinxes.
@CharltonKerry I can send you a link that if you use to sign up gives you and me a tenner.
Feel free to, probably sign up at the weekend. Thanks
@CharltonKerry and anyone else who wants to get a Currensea card, use this link to sign up:
They've changed the offer slightly, once you've used the card for £100 of transactions, you get a £10 John Lewis voucher instead of £10 credited to your account. Still, if you're going to get the card, why not get the voucher?
Go see Karnak, Valley of the Kings, the Great Sphinx, the three pyramids, Tutankhamen’s treasure.
Get a currensea card, it’s free to withdraw or spend money and you don’t have to preload it. Best thing we did for going abroad.
Thanks for the tip about currensea card, looks ideal for a cruise we are doing where we are visiting around 30 different countries, think we will get an account. One of those countries is Egypt and we are doing all your recommendations apart from the great sphinxes.
@CharltonKerry I can send you a link that if you use to sign up gives you and me a tenner.
Feel free to, probably sign up at the weekend. Thanks
@CharltonKerry and anyone else who wants to get a Currensea card, use this link to sign up:
They've changed the offer slightly, once you've used the card for £100 of transactions, you get a £10 John Lewis voucher instead of £10 credited to your account. Still, if you're going to get the card, why not get the voucher?
Next week we have our much overdue family holiday to Hurghada, Egypt. This is our first time to Egypt, a new law was brought in by the Egyptian government where you cannot take their currency into the country,.
Reading up its pretty much a cash only country, and tips are a given out there. Nationwide have already told me that I will be charged 3% of any money withdrawn from an ATM. There seems to be a lot of conflicting do and don’ts, and I was hoping that there maybe some sound advice from fellow Lifers.
1)Take plenty of toilet paper,you will be charged for it at public toilets 2)never pay the original asking price for anything in any shop or stall 3)Have patience wherever you go,kids will pester you for money and material things. 4)Obviously,you will get the shits if you are not very careful(I did) 5)They take any money,dollars,English pounds,Egyptian pounds,maybe even rubles as many Russians own a lot of the hotels and will often out number English people. 6)Finally enjoy seeing some of the most wonderful sights on Earth,and marvel at how so many years ago they were built.
Next week we have our much overdue family holiday to Hurghada, Egypt. This is our first time to Egypt, a new law was brought in by the Egyptian government where you cannot take their currency into the country,.
Reading up its pretty much a cash only country, and tips are a given out there. Nationwide have already told me that I will be charged 3% of any money withdrawn from an ATM. There seems to be a lot of conflicting do and don’ts, and I was hoping that there maybe some sound advice from fellow Lifers.
1)Take plenty of toilet paper,you will be charged for it at public toilets 2)never pay the original asking price for anything in any shop or stall 3)Have patience wherever you go,kids will pester you for money and material things. 4)Obviously,you will get the shits if you are not very careful(I did) 5)They take any money,dollars,English pounds,Egyptian pounds,maybe even rubles as many Russians own a lot of the hotels and will often out number English people. 6)Finally enjoy seeing some of the most wonderful sights on Earth,and marvel at how so many years ago they were built.
All of these are equally relevant if you're going to a match at S*lhurst or the Den.
I'd recommend taking some electrolytes, either in powder (Dioralyte) or tablet form (SIS and others), some of which may include magnesium or caffeine to help alertness and the like. It's a matter of taste as to which you'd prefer, I find Dioralyte a bit sickly, and generally go for one of the fruity tablet options.
Even if drinking plenty of bottled water, you will lose sugars and salts, so, if you are walking around, electrolytes will really help.
For swimming, I'd stick to the pool and try to avoid the Red Sea, for as an avid Tintin fan I know it's filled with sharks...
We were around the pyramids in Giza when my mate was being as being really hassled by the kids to buy their tat. I stepped in and shouted in Arabic “La” (no) and the kid turned to me and said “La shukran” (no thank you) reminding me of my manners. It did make me smile.
Next week we have our much overdue family holiday to Hurghada, Egypt. This is our first time to Egypt, a new law was brought in by the Egyptian government where you cannot take their currency into the country,.
Reading up its pretty much a cash only country, and tips are a given out there. Nationwide have already told me that I will be charged 3% of any money withdrawn from an ATM. There seems to be a lot of conflicting do and don’ts, and I was hoping that there maybe some sound advice from fellow Lifers.
1)Take plenty of toilet paper,you will be charged for it at public toilets 2)never pay the original asking price for anything in any shop or stall 3)Have patience wherever you go,kids will pester you for money and material things. 4)Obviously,you will get the shits if you are not very careful(I did) 5)They take any money,dollars,English pounds,Egyptian pounds,maybe even rubles as many Russians own a lot of the hotels and will often out number English people. 6)Finally enjoy seeing some of the most wonderful sights on Earth,and marvel at how so many years ago they were built by aliens.
Comments
Tzigane in French and Spanish I think ..used as an insult on the continent
This includes the following…
Do NOT have ice in drinks
Do NOT eat salads or raw vegetables
Do NOT eat ice creams (unless pre-produced)
Do NOT brush your teeth with tap water
It’s a wonderful country but you can get very sick if you don’t take care.
I have seen the pyramids etc near Cairo but never seen the valley of the kings and those who have say it is amazing. I will go back.
then when I went to the museum of Egypt, there were like 7 ankle bracelets and a gap for the eight saying g ‘on loan to the British museum. Shoddily displayed but truly awesome.
https://www.secure.currensea.com/referral/MSG823
They've changed the offer slightly, once you've used the card for £100 of transactions, you get a £10 John Lewis voucher instead of £10 credited to your account. Still, if you're going to get the card, why not get the voucher?
2)never pay the original asking price for anything in any shop or stall
3)Have patience wherever you go,kids will pester you for money and material things.
4)Obviously,you will get the shits if you are not very careful(I did)
5)They take any money,dollars,English pounds,Egyptian pounds,maybe even rubles as many Russians own a lot of the hotels and will often out number English people.
6)Finally enjoy seeing some of the most wonderful sights on Earth,and marvel at how so many years ago they were built.
Even if drinking plenty of bottled water, you will lose sugars and salts, so, if you are walking around, electrolytes will really help.
For swimming, I'd stick to the pool and try to avoid the Red Sea, for as an avid Tintin fan I know it's filled with sharks...
La Shokran
La Shokran