This page was last updated on 30 Sep 2008
Questions & Answers Night - Friday nights
Time: 9pm Venue: Salahadeen Bar, Mara House, Luxor
Anyone interested in moving to Egypt welcome!
TRAVEL TIPS FOR TOURISTS TO EGYPT
Money Luggage Voltage Clothing Misunderstandings Mobiles Internet Access
Tours - hidden costs/possible pitfalls Tummy Bug Tipping Bargaining Giving Gifts Taxi & Calesh
Vaccines Illness/Accidents/Hospital Trains Flights Hotels/Hostels LUXOR Losing your head!
Nile Cruise Package/Private Tour or Independent Travel?
BOOKING YOUR HOLIDAY - When booking your holiday it is always advisable to take out - not only travel and health insurance but also CANCELLATION INSURANCE to cover the refund of any un-refundable money you have paid, in the event you have to cancel or the agencies you have booked with have to cancel your bookings.
PACKAGE DEAL TOUR or PRIVATE TOUR or INDEPENDENT TRAVELLER?
When planning your trip to Egypt, the best advice I can give anyone is not be swayed in making your decisions based on the opinions of friends, acquaintances or people on travel forums etc. Take their opinions/stories and see what suits your own personality.
For example you can read a very romantic, adventurous account of someone taking a felluca (small sail boat) trip from Luxor to Aswan and for the person who wrote the account it was a wonderful trip. But maybe there were things he did not mention because they were unimportant to him or maybe he did not even notice. Would these be trivial or major to you? Such as no toilet or bathroom facilities. Do you like your 15 mins in the privacy of your bathroom each morning to take care of your bodily functions and prep yourself for the day? Such as mosquitos nipping your ankles and making your face look like you have the measles (remember you are on the water)? Are you nervous about safety when you sleep? You will be mooring in quite places at night along the riverbank. Are you particular about how your food is prepared? It will be prepared by the felluca men, veg washed in Nile water etc. Are you happy spending 2 or 3 days in the unrelenting sunshine and contrasting cold nights sleeping on a hard deck?
You get my drift? Egypt (and most other things in life) are neither good not bad. I compare it to garlic....some people love garlic, some people hate garlic. Their perceptions don't make garlic nice or not nice. Garlic just is! Well, Egypt just is! So do your research and make your planning decisions on FACTS, based on your own particular personality, likes and dislikes.
The Traveller's Dilemma: "Will I take the guided tour or go it alone?" In 5 years in Egypt I have not, so far, come across a write up or answer to a question in a forum which tackles this question unemotionally and factually. This is what I will endeavour to do here.
We must first make a distinction between 2 main types of guided tour. There is the Package Deal Guided Tour and there is the Private Guided Tour.
In my personal opinion, having watched people over the last 5 years and what makes them happy or sad with their holidays I think the people taking the packaged guided tours tend to be people who want to relax, be looked after and don't have much of an agenda as to what they want to see or do, they are happy to chill out and coast along with the group. They are here to chill out! The Private Guided Tours and tailor made packages are for people with agendas! People who are very definite about what they want to see, where they want to go. They want all the advantages of the package deal guided tour but with the flexibility of being able to change things as they go if they wish and who don't mind paying for the extra flexibility and care.
The "pros" of a
Package Deal Guided Tour?
|
The "pros" of a
Private Guided Tour?
|
|
The "cons" of a Package Deal Guided Tour?
|
The "cons" of a
Private Guided Tour?
|
INDEPENDENT TRAVELLER
Now for the Independent Traveller....we need to distinguish here between two different types of Independent Travellers. There are the "adventurous" Independent Travellers who want to "rough it" and go "off the beaten track" for the excitement/adventure of discovering what tourists may not usually see. Then there are the "price-conscious" Independent Travellers whose main objective in being an "Independent Traveller" is to do the trip as cheaply as possible and believe that they will do that by staying away from travel agents, guides, groups etc.
In my personal opinion Egypt is not a country to be a "price-conscious" Independent Traveller. You may end up paranoid, disappointed, in poor accommodation, sometimes hungry and go home stressed out without seeing and doing the things you really wanted to see and do.
To be a successful "adventurous" Independent Traveller in Egypt you need patience, perseverance, sense of humour, be willing to spend hours chatting with the locals, not get paranoid if you find as you travel that you have been/or are being overcharged by local standards, either be prepared to alter your plans and go with the flow or solid as a rock in your determination to get what you want, then have the ability not to be disappointed if you don't get to see what you wanted to see or do if time runs out, transport is late or you have been misled or misdirected, maybe accept accommodation you would not otherwise accept, eat food you would normally not eat! So, in short see the good in everything, relax and laugh! Then you will have a great time!
Now for the "pros" and "cons" of Egypt for the Independent Traveller.
|
Pros" of being an" "adventurous" Independent Traveller in Egypt
|
"Pros" of being a
"price-conscious" Independent Traveller
in Egypt
|
|
"Cons" of being an "adventurous" Independent Traveller in Egypt
|
"Cons" of being a
"price-conscious" Independent Traveller
in Egypt
|
My personal opinion is that everyone should experience a Nile Cruise at least once in their life! Luxurious and relaxing! My recommendation is the Presidential Nile Cruises Company www.pnccruises.com
Trip Advisor has two threads running where people tell about their good and bad cruises ..this is the recommendations for the good one nile cruise reviews
When booking your accommodation check out the facilities available eg. if you are not very mobile does the accommodation have a lift? Try to find out if you are going to be in the same type of room that you are looking at the photo of! And you might want to ask when it was last decorated!!! When reading reviews on websites remember the person writing the review might not have the same preferences you have! The things that make a good review for him/her might not be important for you, whereas the absence of things that are important to you might not have even been noticed by that particular writer.
If phoning your hotel before booking it make sure the person on the phone understands your questions! I once called a hotel to book a room and ASSUMED my reservation was being taken because the person at the other end of the phone was making the appropriate yes and no answers. I arrived at the hotel to find no reservation and was told that the person had been the cleaner who answered the phone in passing and spoke virtually no English!!!
You should call the day before you arrive to confirm your arrival time and booking...ESPECIALLY in Cairo. If you don't you may arrive to find you have no room, especially if you are arriving in the middle of the night. Many places hedge their bets by giving the rooms to people who just show up because so many people who make bookings do not actually turn up (often persuaded to go with touts, tour guides or "friends" they meet along the way who tell them they can help them do better). If you have done your homework and chosen the place you want to stay don't be easily persuaded to change....remember they are going to be paid commission for bringing you (no matter how friendly you have become, it is still just business to them)
It is usually worth the little extra to arrange to be picked up by the hotel from the train or plane....at least you will be sure to arrive at your destination as quickly as possible!
Fly Spray Take a fly spray (4LE in most pharmacies and some grocery shops) especially if you are staying in Cairo hostels otherwise just one little ol' mosquito at night may drive you nuts and give you a face that looks like you have measles!
Day Use of Swimming Pool Most of the big hotels allow people from outside to use their pool facilities for a daily rate (different rates, different hotels)
Accommodation Law Under Egyptian law it is not permitted for a foreigner (of either sex) to share accommodation in hostel, hotel or rented flat with an Egyptian (of either sex). Marriage Licences are required at registration and if a hotel, hostel or apt. landlord is found to have allowed this there are severe consequences. Places of Accommodation are required to present a copies of their guests to the police on a daily basis and have their premises open for inspection at any time.
Taxis If you want to save money don't have your hotel call or arrange a taxi for you....walk a little bit away and hail it yourself.
Safety Especially if you are travelling by yourself it is a good idea to let the hotel reception or somebody know where you are going and what time you should be back. Although Egypt is, in my opinion, probably one of the safest places in the world, you should be as careful here as you would at home......going off with new friends you meet on holidays without telling anyone where and who you are going with is not a good idea. It may also be an idea to leave information in your luggage and in your wallet (I know it is on your passport) about who to contact in an emergency. Before you leave home make sure you give someone your itinerary and the contact numbers of the places you intend to stay.
You should ask your own doctor because he knows you and your medical history best. What they will recommend will be polio, tetanus, hepatitis B, typhoid. Some people think they have to get anti malaria medication but it is not on the list of recommended vaccines to be considered.
In the unlikely event that you need a doctor one will be easily got for you by the hotel, cruise ship or wherever you are staying. You should, however, have your own health and travel insurance.
You should make sure you have an adequate supply of any medication you are taking. But should you run out you should be able to replace it. Most pharmacies speak English and are very good at recommending medication similar to your own if a specific brand is not available. Also no shortage of pharmacies anywhere in Egypt.
www.sleepingtrains.com is the website of the Abela Egypt company that runs the sleeper trains. You can reserve your tickets with them online or by phone. You must pay in foreign currency.
www.egyptrail.gov.eg for booking non-sleeper trains.
www.seat61.com/Egypt.htm is a very good site for train information.
www.egyptair.com.eg is now open for online booking of flights. But do remember to print out your confirmation because security will not let you pass into the airport without this. You will be sent to the Egypt Air office in the airport for them to print it out for you if you don't have it.
Make sure you confirm your flights 24 hours before hand (and sometimes it is not a bad idea to confirm just before you leave for the airport, it may save you being stuck there for hours if your flight is cancelled!)
In Cairo if you are staying far from the airport it is a good idea to leave for the airport 3 or 4 hours before your flight time...traffic can be horrendous on the airport road especially at rush hour and up to about 9pm.
Make sure you have a pen on you to fill out your departure card....you would be surprised how many people are looking for pens when they are given these card to complete!
By the way (not just with Egypt Air or in Egypt) I recently found out to my cost that when you book a flight online you need to keep an eye on the fine print as to how long it will be before your reservation is automatically cancelled by the airline if they have not issued your e-ticket (your reservation confirmation is no guarantee of a ticket)
Bringing your mobile is a good idea but go to your local mobile phone store and check that your phone is unblocked for roaming in Egypt. You can also get your phone unblocked to take an Egyptian SIM card which you can buy for around 50LE and the top up cards are from 10LE to 100LE. I think buying an Egyptian SIM card is the best way to go because it allows you to phone taxis, your hotel/accommodation etc. etc. and gives you independance.
TOURS - hidden costs/possible pitfalls.
TEMPLES & TOMBS ....Entry fees ...are they included in the price? When comparing tour operator prices remember to compare the length of time you will spend in each place.....you could be racing around so fast your trip becomes just a passing blurrrrrrrrrr! Take a flashlight because some of the places are dark and it is difficult to see some carvings.
FOOD.........Is it included in the price.... lunch, dinner, drinks, How much is this likely to cost you?
GUIDE....Is the guide a transfer guide or Egyptologist guide? Is he included in the price or is your tip expected to pay him?
LUXOR....West Bank tours...what sites are actually included in the tour? Is it going to be possible for you to see non-included sites if you wish......and if so how much is it going to cost to see the non-included sites?
INTERNAL FLIGHTS....if part of your itinerary are they included in the price?
OVERNIGHT TRAIN...if this is part of the itinerary......do you get a bed or are you going to be sitting in a reclining chair for anything from 9 to 14 hours? If it is reclining seat...can you upgrade to a cabin with a bed and how much is it?
TRANSFERS....which are included and which are extra?.........Examine the timing of your transfers and if you are going to have sufficient rest time before sightseeing or are you doing something like getting off a sleeper train and heading off on a day of sightseeing that is going to let you exhausted.....eg you could find you have got up early in Aswan to fly to Abu Simbel...delighted that you are then flying direct to Cairo/Luxor..only to find yourself sitting in a plane for an hour or so in Aswan/Luxor waiting for more passengers to board the plane. This could mean you had breakfast at 5 or 6 am and are not going to eat a decent meal again until around 4 or 5pm....a journey that ensures exhaustion and high stress levels!
BALLOON RIDE....how long are you actually going to be in the air and how far is your balloon going to travel? What is the safety record of the company?
GIZA .. the Pyramids........are you guaranteed to actually get into a pyramid...if so which one? Is this extra? (most tours do not include pyramid entry fee and many people do not get to go into a pyramid). ....Is the entry to see the solar boat included in the price or is it extra?
OPTIONAL EXTRAS...tours or activities...what are they and how much will they cost?
BEFORE DEPARTURE - Entry Visas
Your Passport must be valid for 6 months after your departure date. Entry visas for most nationalities can be bought on arrival at the airports but check with your nearest Egyptian Embassy if this applies to your country. It is only a stamp BUT IT MUST BE PAID FOR IN EUROS, DOLLARS or STERLING. The window in the arrivals hall that has the "BANK" sign is usually where you get the entry visa. Buying your entry visa on arrival is cheaper. You need the Visa, Passport and Landing Card to go through Passport Control.
Want to stay longer than your original visa? In Luxor simply go to the Passport Office in Khalid Ibn Walid St. opposite the Sonesta St. George Hotel with a passport photo and your passport and you can apply for an extension for 1 year (max). You can go and come during that year as many times as you like but before you leave you should go to the Passport Office to have it stamped....otherwise it is no good and you will have to buy another visa on re-entry. If you go at 10am you should have your visa within an hour...later and you may have to come back the following day. You are not allowed to work on this visa, you must apply for a special Work Permit.
Take several photocopies of your passport with you. This will save you time in many places such as hotel check-in desks, banks if you use your passport to withdraw money from credit cards, etc. etc. and not all places have copy machines.
ON ARRIVAL - Landing Cards
Before you go through passport control you will need to have your landing card (sometimes but not always given to you on the plane) filled out. If you have not got it on the plane....head straight for any rep you see gathering his group around him and ask him to show you where the landing cards are. People who are unaware of this sometimes join the queues at the passport control only to find when they get there they have to go find these cards, fill them out and re-join the queue at the end! ....frustrating!
The currency in Egypt is the Egyptian pound (LE). Don't change your money before you come to Egypt...you will get a better rate here. Euros, dollars and sterling is accepted (notes not coins) but your money will go much further if you change it to Egyptian pounds. ATM machines are in all the major hotels and outside banks. Putting your money into your credit card before you come and drawing it out at the ATM's is a good idea (provided you are in credit with your card!) if you are worried about losing it.
Not a good idea to use the ATM machine at the Bank beside the Philippe Hotel in Luxor. Sometimes it says it cannot contact your service provider (or some such message) and still takes the money from your account. If this happens you, keep a check on your account for the next few days (having noted the date and EXACT time the incident happened) and ensure the money has not been taken from your account. If it has you should go to the bank and tell them what happened. Ask them for a photo copy of their ATM roll showing your transaction was cancelled (this is why you need the exact time you tried the machine). You will have a lot of trouble trying to get your money back from your bank if you go home without this photo copy.
You can also take cash from your credit card in the banks and at the banks in the big hotels just using your credit card and passport without having a PIN. Depending on who is on the desk they may not want to do it for you. Many of them don't like doing this transaction and will give you reasons such as they are closing, changing staff, don't have enough money etc. as excuses for not doing it. Stick to your guns and make sure they have a real legit reason for refusing before accepting the refusal! You will need to leave a photocopy of your passport with them.
Take time to study the money...especially the 50 piastre and the 50LE note...tourists can be prone to mistakes here! 50 piastre is half an egyptian pound. When buying something hold out the money to the trader but keep hold of it until you see the amount of change you are getting and if you are giving a 50LE note SAY "here you are...50 pounds"...if you are making a mistake he will tell you pretty quick! And you will see he is right and not be wondering afterwards if you have been diddled. The 1LE and 10LE are kind or similar also if you are not used to the notes.
When people come up to you in the street showing you euros, sterling or foreign COINS they are not begging....they are asking if you can change the coins to either Egyptian or Foreign NOTES, because they cannot exchange the coins is banks. The coins are given to them in tips by tourists who don't know they are no good to the Egyptians.
There is now a new 1LE coin which you have to examine carefully because it is very very similar to the 1 euro coin.
Electricity current in Egypt is 220 volts 50Hz and uses round prong plugs. Don't forget to bring an adapter!
I usually recommend a max of three changes of clothes, your beach wear, toiletries, camera/video/hairdryer. There are excellent 1 day laundry facilities on the ships and hotels and it is most likely you will be surprised at the bargains in everything (even western fashion if you are going to Cairo), to be found here. Most people end up having to buy extra bags to take their bargains home! So save your space for your bargain buys and an extra fold-up bag would not go amiss!
CLOTHING
- Dress Code
Bikinis and skimpy summer wear is ok for pool side and beach, but not on the
street, dining room or otherwise in public. Lightweight clothing that you
can layer is the best...then you can dress up or down according to the weather. Women travellers should be
aware that showing your cleavage, legs and even upper arms gives the local
population the impression that you are promiscuous and in all
probability...looking for a man and/or sex. Remember....tourists are
largely responsible for how the muslim/arab world views the West and are in a
sense all ambassadors from their home countries.
YOUR "Go-Everywhere With Me" BAG!
Should contain your bottle of water, antinal tablets, sanitary wipes or spray, anti-histamine cream, insect-repellant, sun screen, sun glasses, plenty of small notes for tipping, fan, phone card, business card for the hotels etc. you are staying (in case you get lost!), camera, tissues, mobile phone, sun hat or scarf.
It never ceases to amaze and amuse me when I listen to Egyptians and Tourists talking....much of the time there are two different conversations going on and neither individual is aware of it....because each is focusing on what he himself is saying and not focusing on what each other is saying!...EG. in a jewellery shop one day the customer is asking if it is possible for the jeweller to dip a silver ring in gold because he wants a silver/gold ring......the jeweller is getting more upset by the minute because he thinks the customer is accusing him of selling gold plated jewellery instead of solid gold!" Neither realised the escalating misunderstanding until I apologetically intervened!
Internet access in all big hotels and at least one in nearly every street. Average price is about 10LE per hour in Cairo and it varies in Luxor from 5LE upwards, but if you keep using the same one you can bargain a better deal.
Forget about bringing stuff from home. If you feel you are starting an upset tummy.......a product called "Antinal" available from all pharmacies in Egypt without prescription is the best answer. One or two tablets should set you right within an hour or two. The big mistake that most people make is thinking it will pass.....it probably won't because it will become your main focus of attention along with the fear of not being able to get to a toilet in time if you leave the hotel etc! All the hotels and cruise ships' reception areas will be happy to supply you free of charge...I repeat...the secret to a quick recovery is acting in time.
I have never got sick from salads (many people tell me they have been advised to bypass the salads by well meaning friends etc.) in the hotels or cruise ships I have been on. The water in Egypt has nothing wrong with it. It is treated same as the water at home. However, some people can get a tummy ache because they have sensitive tummy and are not used to the different mineral composition in it.
Differentiate between upset tummy and food poisoning due to bacteria. If you have ingested a bad bacteria you will have to take an antibiotic. Drinking lots of water will not wash it out! And "Antinal" is specific for bacteria problems in Egypt etc.
We are all individual and different so here are some of the things that CAN give SOME people upset tummy as opposed to food poisoning.
-
Too much carbonated drinks such as coca-cola, pepsi, fanta drunk in the sun/heat
-
Taking iced drinks in the sun and/or too soon after coming in from the sun/heat. Internal body temp. will be hotter than you are used to and suddenly drinking in iced cold water or other beverages puts it into shock, resulting in tummy upset. Wait at least 30 mins. Drinking tepid water (from the bottle you have carried all day in the heat!) will quench your thirst and rehydrate you which is very important!
-
Cold showers after coming in from the sun also shocks your system. It is cooling down the body exterior while the core temp remains hot. Wait at least 30 mins or take a shower that is warm.
-
Drinking alcohol in the heat/sun
Other Sources of food poisoning bacteria if you want to get really paranoid about it!
-
TOUCHING ANYTHING ANYWHERE!!!
-
money
-
door handles
-
hand-shakes! Everyone wants to shake your hand here!
-
wiping the sweat from your face with hands that have picked up something such as money the maybe licking your lips!
Get the Antinal as soon as you arrive (around 8 LE for a packet) and take anti-bacterial wipes or little bottles of anti-bacterial hand wash with you THEN relax and enjoy the good food available happy in the knowledge that you have the remedy in your bag should you BEGIN to experience tummy discomfort. It would be a shame to miss out on sampling the great food available because you are afraid of something that MIGHT happen!
TIPPING causes problems for many Europeans who are not accustomed to tipping......if you are visiting Egypt please read this article http://www.touregypt.net/teblog/messagecenter/?p=28 and understand how important tipping is here......wages (where they exist) are very low. You are expected to tip everywhere....guides, room cleaners, baggage handlers, toilet staff, waiters, people who run errands for you, (taxi/calesh..debatable....maybe if they do more than you originally hired them to do).
The tip, if not included in money you are handing over for a service, should be folded in the palm of the hand and quietly passed in the handshake while expressing your thanks. Some Egyptians consider it good manners to quietly decline the tip once or twice so it is considered good manners on your part to insist (with sincere thanks). This specially applies to people with whom you have spent some time in the course of your journey and now consider you their friend.
If you have been invited to someone's home for a meal they will have pulled out all the stops to impress you .... if the meal contained meat, they may have spent their money on meat specially for you as Egyptians do not normally buy meat everyday....too expensive. If you want to give your Egyptian friends a present it should be something they will use, maybe something outside their normal price range or something that cannot be got in Egypt.
Guidelines: At the end of the day tipping is still entirely up to you...but the following are guidelines to usual tips normally given.
Porter or Baggage Handler 2 - 5LE
Housekeeping 5 - 10LE per day
Pool Attendant 20LE
Restaurant Waiter 10%
Toilet Attendant 50piastres - 1LE
Guardians at sites 5LE if he genuinely shows you something
Hotel/Cruise Reception 20LE generally this is where you get most information.
Hotel/Cruise Crew 30LE per day (this is divided among ALL (!) crew members)
Sightseeing Guide 50LE per day per person
Bus Drivers Tours 20 - 30LE per day per person if only one or two persons in the bus, but
if part of a large group reduce it.
MAY 2008 Update - Prices for basic foodstuffs has risen here quite dramatically. This kind of rise can tip the poorer section of any society into starvation level. Everyone is finding the prices rises extremely difficult....please remember this when you are tipping....it means even more now than it did 2 months ago to get a good tip.
A subject that drives some people nuts! So here are my thoughts on the subject.
In western shops remember that in paying for our item the costs are included for raw material, labour/craftmanship, distribution, retail outlet + the profit for each of these sectors. Then don't forget that the manufacturer, distributor and retailer ALL pay for advertising which is also passed on in the final purchase price.
In Egypt you pay for the raw material, craftsmanship and shopkeeper. So when you go into a shop in the souk or the market places every shop has a bottom line for every item which the salesman cannot go below. Mostly the salesmen are not paid wages...they are only paid "Commission" on what they sell. That is why you can see several people outside a small shop. They are sitting there day after day from morning to late night in the HOPES of making some money by the end of the week. Most people who take you or show you any shopping expect either a tip from you and/or commission from the shopkeeper
Foreigners tend to get frantic when they hear the word "commission". For the shop workers in the souk it is not commission in the sense that we know it.....it is wages. So when you are bargaining.....how much the sales man gets as his "wages" at the end of the week or month depends on how much he gets from you. If you see somebody getting genuinely upset with you...it means you have got him down to the shop owner's price and he will give it to you for that price, out of due respect for the owner....but maybe has nothing for himself. So if you are feeling generous, be kind, give the guy a tip!
BUT BEWARE when walking in the streets of the guy running after you offering to take you to the market or who attaches himself to you and stands beside you when you are looking at or going into a shop....he is chancing his arm by conning the shopkeeper in believing he has brought the shop a customer. These guys are normally aggressive when crossed or challenged and it is not worth the hassle to the shopkeeper to argue with this guy so he will hand over some of your purchase money to him.
Golden Rule: Fix a price in your mind before you begin bargaining as to what you think the item is worth and stick to it.
Why can you get the same item in different shops for different prices? For any or a combination of the following: ............The shop owner also had to bargain..........one shop bought the goods from source, while another got a "lot" cheap from another trader that was doing no business somewhere else in the city or country and needed the money.............one shop owner might really NEED whatever he can get on the day even if it is below cost price, for the rent, family emergency, illness, food whatever............different rent prices for shops.......the salesman is having a bad day/week, needs the money and is willing to settle for anything rather than nothing..........quality might also be a factor and possibly a factory that is invisible to you e.g. I know that in the beginning I couldn't tell the difference between 100% pure cotton and cotton with polyester! And when it comes to jewellery.....two pieces may look the same but vary in weight and ct.
So fix your price in your mind and don't be upset if you meet someone who tells you they paid less for something that is similar or appears to be similar.....when it comes to clothing, material and fabrics remember the test is in the washing when you get home, that is when you really know you got a bargain or not.
By the way....when you are passing by in the street you will constantly hear "Only 1 euro!" or "Only 5 pounds!" Practically nothing of quality is only 1 euro or 5 Egyptian pounds. It is not even going to start at 5 Egyptian pounds! The guy just wants to reel you into the shop....how to get rid of him? Be quick to see what he is pointing to and question him...pointing to the same article..."Only 5 egyptian pounds?" He will most likely be taken aback and admit..."no, not that one...this one" and will beat a hasty retreat in case you hold him to the original statement! When bargaining clarify which currency you and the trader are talking about!
I am adding this in here because there seems to be so much about it going on in forums at the moment. My personal opinion is that everyone in the world loves to get gifts, especially children. You are not going to anger their parents, they are not going to think you are about to abduct their children and if you give them sweets you are not going to be responsible for tooth decay! This is mostly a poor country and everything is appreciated. Egyptians are the most generous people I know and give gifts even when they cannot really afford it. They welcome tourists into their homes and share their meals with them. They are forever giving gifts in the bazaars and it is not always to con you! We have grown so cautious and suspicious in the West that we now miss out on much sharing and affection. Sometimes relatives are even afraid to hug children in case it will be misconstrued. Gifts that are welcomed here for children include pens, pencils, sweets, chocolate (but if bringing from abroad remember the melting factor!!), games (that do not require reading or speaking a foreign language to understand), toys AND A SMILE!
Luxor Train Station can be a nightmare at times. There are touts inside and outside the train station who try every possible means to divert people to accommodation where they are given commission. No reputable hotel or hostel employ these people. One person told me that having tried several times to get the taxi man to take her where she wanted to go, it was only when she said "I am a police woman and I am here to meet with some friends in the police whom I met in England so if you don't take me to where I want to go RIGHT NOW I will call one of them!" She was instantly taken to her hotel after already being driven around for almost an hour. Some tactics they try are:
1. One person asks where you are going then a second comes up to you (having been told by the first one where you are going) and gives you the name of your hotel....obviously you think he has been sent for you!
2. Some people fall for the line "I have been waiting for you!" To which you might reply "Oh, are you from __hotel?" and off you go!
3. "You want hotel? Cheap room, very clean, Just 5 mins down the street!"
Then there are the taxi drivers shouting "Tax! Tax!"
Either way you will probably get in a taxi and when you say where you want to go you may be told that hotel is closed down, had a fire, (owner may be sick, dead or gone on holidays), too far away and last resort may be "So sorry, thought I knew where it was but don't remember now....but I have a very good cheap, nice, clean hotel....good good hotel I can show you...if you don't like it no problem...up to you. Well, what are you going to do now? You are stuck and at his mercy!
It is a good idea to make direct contact with where you plan to stay before you arrive and confirm your arrival and ask to be met at the train station. Even if they charge extra for the pick up it should not be more than 25LE to go to any hotel in Luxor from the train station. MAKE SURE TO TELL THEM HAVE A SIGN with either your name or the hotel on it!
LUXOR - getting around
1. Travel by tourists between towns in Egypt by car, taxi or coach is permitted only with the police convoy which is twice daily between most town. Travel by train is allowed but not all trains. It is possible to arrange for a private police convoy outside of the normal convoy time. Tourists can travel in the public buses between towns normally unless there is political unrest or the police suspect it may not be safe.
2. You can go anywhere in Luxor on the public minibus (arabeya) for only 50piastres (went up from 25 to 50 recently). This is carried out in a very trusting way....the passengers simply pass the money to the person in front who passes it up the bus to the bus driver!
3. The bridge between the East & West Bank in Luxor is closed to tourists from 6pm to 6am so all tourists staying on the East Bank who go sightseeing on the West Bank must be back across the bridge by 6pm unless they want to travel on the ferry which operates all night and on which there are no restrictions. The ferry is 1LE for tourists.
LUXOR - ILLNESS/ACCIDENT/HOSPITAL
Should you require hospital treatment go to the International Hospital. They have facilities for evacuating medical emergencies if necessary. Hospital treatment is not cheap and you should be aware that you are required to pay the bill before you leave the hospital. In fact you cannot leave the hospital without paying even if covered by insurance. The hospital will accept telephoned, faxed or emailed confirmation from your insurance company that they will cover your expenses but they will not initiate the phone call to the insurance company. So if you want to get out of the hospital in a hurry have your insurance contact numbers to hand and tell them the hospital you will pay for the cost of the phone call. They will not offer for you to make the call yourself. If you don't make the call yourself you could be waiting for hours for the insurance company to call the hospital back. (I waited 8 hours longer in the hospital with a friend because we did not know this!). Then when the insurance company comes back to you to confirm the payment make sure you have someone in authority from the hospital with you to accept the confirmation if it is going to be given by phone.
TAXI & CALESH (Calesh is a horse-drawn open carriage)
Always agree the price BEFORE you get in. If doing a return journey BE CLEAR on the TOTAL price of the journey. Take the time to ensure you have all your belongings out of the taxi BEFORE you pay. Try to have the exact amount handy and pass it in the window. Since you have previously been clear about the fare take you belongings and walk away after paying. DO NOT look back...this signals you are willing to pay more if he has a problem with what you gave him.
If your hotel calls or arranges a taxi for you it will cost you a little extra.
Taxi prices in Luxor are much higher than in Cairo, not just for tourists - but for Egyptians also. This sometimes confuses and upsets people who have mastered the art of getting around Cairo in a taxi and come to Luxor and feel they are being ripped off in their first taxi ride! I think it might because there is more work in Cairo for taxi drivers.
If hiring a calesh to tour be clear BEFORE you get in how long the ride is, where it goes, and the total cost for the calesh NOT per person and in which currency.
If you want to help the horses: Many people get upset and angry about the condition and treatment of animals here. If you want to help I would suggest the following:
-
Choose a calesh where the driver does not have a whip
-
Choose a calesh where the horse looks in good condition (any sore spots....look at the legs...any rope chaffing)
-
TELL the driver you don't want the horse beaten or whipped and you are not in a hurry!
-
TELL the calesh driver you are refusing that it is because his horse is not well, looks sick etc. this takes time and patience
If enough people do the above long and often enough the drivers will get the message because it is affecting his pocket.
There is something in the air in Egypt that is wonderful! It makes many, many people lose their heads! It never ceases to amaze me how many tourists do things here they would never, ever do at home like:
....................Being persuaded by a perfect stranger who is a taxi driver, calesh driver, fellucca man, guide, shop assistant or just some "really nice guy I met in the street" to forget about going where they were just on their way to.....and follow him! (Maybe some distant genetic relationship to the famous man who said "Follow Me and I will make you........!" Millions have followed Him!) Anyway, it happens on a daily basis here. Foreigners come and end up being led around by the nose by their new "friends" They are guided by them as to where to sleep, eat, shop. Some are even guided into buying or sending presents, helping them financially with their businesses or giving money to start businesses, paying for their children's education, their family's healthcare, buying land, paying for building projects, long term apartment rentals and even marriage. All this with people they did not even know a week ago!???? Definitely something in the air. If someone could figure out how to package it he would make a fortune! KEEP YOUR HEAD and enjoy this wonderful, beautiful country. Take it all with a smile and a pinch of salt!