Off topic: Traveling to Egypt
Thread poster: Klementina Shahini
Klementina Shahini
Klementina Shahini
United States
Local time: 01:29
Member (2009)
English to Albanian
+ ...
Mar 18, 2010

The first two weeks of April I am traveling to Egypt with a group of highschoolers from Hampton Road, VA. Any idea, suggestion, and advise about weather, packing, money, food, etc. will be very appreciated.

Thank you to all in advance,

Klemi


 
Heinrich Pesch
Heinrich Pesch  Identity Verified
Finland
Local time: 07:29
Member (2003)
Finnish to German
+ ...
Hot Mar 18, 2010

In April weather is already hot along the Nile. I went there on honeymoon April 2003.
American dollars can be changed at local banks. Probably there ATMs now too. Small bills are better than large bills. When changing money try to get as much small bills as possible. In 2003 almost everything costed 20 pounds.

People were wild after all kind of ballpoint pens. Instead of tips they preferred pens. Take a lot of those pens along.

Food is very good and people are fr
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In April weather is already hot along the Nile. I went there on honeymoon April 2003.
American dollars can be changed at local banks. Probably there ATMs now too. Small bills are better than large bills. When changing money try to get as much small bills as possible. In 2003 almost everything costed 20 pounds.

People were wild after all kind of ballpoint pens. Instead of tips they preferred pens. Take a lot of those pens along.

Food is very good and people are friendly. sometimes too much so. Hope you have a good guide who can explain you all the temples and buildings.

Regards
Heinrich
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Nesrin
Nesrin  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 05:29
English to Arabic
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Egypt... Mar 18, 2010

Hi Klemi,

Do you intend to travel around constantly or mainly stay in Cairo or elsewhere? Are you mainly going there for the antiquities or wouldn't you mind a couple of days by the seaside?
In April the weather is usually just right in Cairo and to the north of it (temperatures in their twenties), although I'm told this year there were some early heatwaves already!
I visited Luxor and Aswan in April 2 years ago and it was already really hot (mid-30s) by day, but very p
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Hi Klemi,

Do you intend to travel around constantly or mainly stay in Cairo or elsewhere? Are you mainly going there for the antiquities or wouldn't you mind a couple of days by the seaside?
In April the weather is usually just right in Cairo and to the north of it (temperatures in their twenties), although I'm told this year there were some early heatwaves already!
I visited Luxor and Aswan in April 2 years ago and it was already really hot (mid-30s) by day, but very pleasant in the evening.
It's also the perfect season to go to some Red Sea resort, but again it depends on whether or not you have that planned in.

As an Egyptian/Cairene I always advise travellers to stay out of Cairo as much as possible and dedicate more time to places like Aswan where you can see more of the authentic Egypt, breathe clean air and enjoy the lovely views. But then I keep coming across people who think Cairo with all its congestion and pollution is a fascinating place - and of course it is incredibly rich city culture-wise and there's a neverending list of Pharaonic, Coptic, Islamic, Ottoman etc sites worth seeing, so I've learned to shut my mouth and let tourists do what tourists do!

If you have time you can also take a trip to the Siwa oasis in the Western desert - it's still on my list, I've never been there myself, but my heart always aches when I see the pictures of friends who have!

Interesting observation on ballpoint pens, Heinrich!! Didn't think that was a rarity in Egypt!
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Nesrin
Nesrin  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 05:29
English to Arabic
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About the food... Mar 18, 2010

Food purchased in packaging from supermarkets is perfectly fine - if you buy fruits or vegetables make sure you wash these really well. As for eating out - if the restaurant looks fine (and there's plenty of those wherever you go) the food is usually good and safe.
I don't recommend buying any food from street vendors, no matter how tempting it looks or smells! Also, unless it's a five-star restaurant, avoid eating salads, as you can never be 100% sure about these.

Water: Alw
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Food purchased in packaging from supermarkets is perfectly fine - if you buy fruits or vegetables make sure you wash these really well. As for eating out - if the restaurant looks fine (and there's plenty of those wherever you go) the food is usually good and safe.
I don't recommend buying any food from street vendors, no matter how tempting it looks or smells! Also, unless it's a five-star restaurant, avoid eating salads, as you can never be 100% sure about these.

Water: Always drink bottled water and make sure the bottle was sealed and doesn't come pre-opened to your table. Most Egyptians drink tap water but I wouldn't risk it. I use tap water to make tea and to prepare food though, and that seems alright (so you can safely order tea with mint after your meals, highly recommended )

[Edited at 2010-03-18 09:33 GMT]
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Klementina Shahini
Klementina Shahini
United States
Local time: 01:29
Member (2009)
English to Albanian
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Thank you - One more question Mar 18, 2010

Dear Mr. Pesch and Ms.Nesrin,

Your thoughts and suggestions are very appreciated and helpful indeed. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Traveling with students is a big responsibility and I want to be sure that I get as much information as I can before we go. Our itinerary is set and Cairo, Aswan, Luxor,Esna, Edfu, Kom Ombe, Nile cruse, visiting the East and West bank, etc. are part of it. Students and I are very excited to face the adventure ahead of us.

I just wa
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Dear Mr. Pesch and Ms.Nesrin,

Your thoughts and suggestions are very appreciated and helpful indeed. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Traveling with students is a big responsibility and I want to be sure that I get as much information as I can before we go. Our itinerary is set and Cairo, Aswan, Luxor,Esna, Edfu, Kom Ombe, Nile cruse, visiting the East and West bank, etc. are part of it. Students and I are very excited to face the adventure ahead of us.

I just wanted to know if it is all the time windy there and what do we need to pack if this is the case, especially when we will travel in desert.

Thank you again.

Best Wishes,

Klemi
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Brian Young
Brian Young  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 22:29
Danish to English
The Pyramids Mar 18, 2010

Hi Nesrin
Are people actually allowed to climb on the great pyramids, and get inside them?
Is there a good system of public transportation in Cairo? If one flies into Cairo, is it easy to get a trip out to the pyramids? What is the coolest time of the year, temperature I mean?
Thanks!


 
Vincenzo Di Maso
Vincenzo Di Maso  Identity Verified
Portugal
Local time: 05:29
Member (2009)
English to Italian
+ ...
advices from a person that feels Egyptian! Mar 19, 2010

Klemi wrote:

The first two weeks of April I am traveling to Egypt with a group of highschoolers from Hampton Road, VA. Any idea, suggestion, and advise about weather, packing, money, food, etc. will be very appreciated.

Thank you to all in advance,

Klemi
Hello Kleimi!
Well, I lived in Egypt and it was love at first sight!
Feel free to ask me everything. Weather in April can be hot. In Cairo temperatures can reach 35°C. People is nice and helpful and crime is rare.
About food, you can both eat local and Occidental food. I lived in Alexandria but I have many contacts in Cairo too.
I can provide you further details. Just ask me!
Vincenzo


 
Nesrin
Nesrin  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 05:29
English to Arabic
+ ...
Good itinerary Mar 19, 2010

Hi Klemi,

I see you got your itinerary well planned out - looks like an interesting one packed with ancient sites! With regard to the wind - it's not generally windy at all (a breeze is always welcome) - HOWEVER there is a seasonal phenomenon called the "Khamasin" which is a combination of hot wind and sand (occasionally turning into sandstorms) that hit Egypt between February and May. These are unpredictable - they may either last a few days and not come again, or keep coming and g
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Hi Klemi,

I see you got your itinerary well planned out - looks like an interesting one packed with ancient sites! With regard to the wind - it's not generally windy at all (a breeze is always welcome) - HOWEVER there is a seasonal phenomenon called the "Khamasin" which is a combination of hot wind and sand (occasionally turning into sandstorms) that hit Egypt between February and May. These are unpredictable - they may either last a few days and not come again, or keep coming and going, or be hardly noticeable at all. Occasionally the sand can be so concentrated it affects visibility, but that usually lasts a few hours, in my experience. So it's not something that has to happen in your two weeks in Egypt at all, fingers crossed. And the wind certainly doesn't mean that it will get colder and that you need to pack extra clothes.

Speaking of clothes, you will have heard that tourists are free to wear what they like in Egypt (as do liberal-minded Egyptians). However, as a friendly word of advice, I would say that although women (and tourists especially) will generally be fine walking about in shorts and spaghetti strap shirts, they will feel even more comfortable/ safer/ less the target of harassment etc. wearing (at least) ordinary short sleeves and below-knee length trousers.

Hope that helps - please don't hesitate if you have more doubts!



Brian - It's been ages since I've been anywhere around the pyramids, so maybe someone else can give you accurate information, but to my knowledge it's no longer allowed to climb the pyramids (at least from a certain height on), but there are guided tours to the inside chambers.
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Rebecca Davis
Rebecca Davis  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 05:29
French to English
+ ...
Some more tips... Mar 19, 2010

Hello Kemi
We went to Egypt over Christmas on an extensive tour, and based on that experience, I would recommend that your students bring:
plenty of wet wipes (for hands, face etc.)
sun hats (a must)
international plug adaptors for any rechargeable equipment they may have
any camera extras they may need (extra photo cards, batteries etc...)
toiletries (this is important, especially for the girls...)
It may be worth looking out for some decent guide books
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Hello Kemi
We went to Egypt over Christmas on an extensive tour, and based on that experience, I would recommend that your students bring:
plenty of wet wipes (for hands, face etc.)
sun hats (a must)
international plug adaptors for any rechargeable equipment they may have
any camera extras they may need (extra photo cards, batteries etc...)
toiletries (this is important, especially for the girls...)
It may be worth looking out for some decent guide books before you go, as the local ones tend to be expensive and poor quality.
Have a wonderful trip!
Rebecca Davis
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Klementina Shahini
Klementina Shahini
United States
Local time: 01:29
Member (2009)
English to Albanian
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Thank you to all Mar 19, 2010

Hi everybody,

I can not find the words to thank you and explain how helpful your shared informations have been. The group is meeting tomorrow for breakfast and I will share all of them. Probably, I will come back to you and ask more questions after the meeting Saturday morning. I am pretty sure that the parents will have a lot of questions. ??

May you all be blessed with a great and restful week end!

Sincerely,

Klemi


 


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