EGYPT guide
General Information for Visitors to Egypt
Passports
All UK Nationals need a Full passport, valid for at least 6 months after your return date. Children who are British citizens are now required to travel on their own passport.
Visas
An entry visa is required for certain areas, and can be obtained in advance from the Egyptian Consulate in London at a cost of £15.00. Visitors travelling to Sharm el Sheikh, Taba and Neweba for up to 14 days will be given an entry permission stamp on arrival. Visa can also be obtained on arrival at your Egyptian point of entry, and although generally less expensive than the cost of a visa issued by the Egyptian Consulate (address and telephone number is given below), it can sometimes involve lengthy queues. If you decide to obtain your visa from the Egyptian Consulate in London, you should allow 5-10 working days for the visa to be processed.
Egyptian Consulate in the UK
2 Lowndes Street, London SW1X 9ET, UK
Tel: (020) 7235 9777 or 0906 550 8933.
Website: www.egyptianconsulate.co.uk
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 0930-1230 (lodging applications); 1430-1600 (visa collection).
Health Requirements
There are currently no vaccination certificates required for entry into Egypt, however, regulations do change and we therefore recommend that you consult with your doctor well in advance of your departure. It is your responsibility to ensure that you travel with appropriate certification, if required.
Climate
You can expect the weather to be very hot and dry during the day, except for the winter months of December, January and February when temperatures, particularly around Cairo, can be much cooler. The dry heat can be deceiving, so it is imperative that ample precautions are taken to avoid sunburn.
Language
Arabic is the official language of Egypt although English and French are widely spoken.
What Clothes to Take
Pack informal, comfortable clothing with sensible walking shoes or trainers for sightseeing. In winter temperatures drop in the evenings so pack a jacket or woollen cardigan for warmth. In summer light cottons are advisable and a sun hat is a must. Casual dress is all that is needed for a cruise and evenings are informal – a jacket and tie is not essential. Dress should be conservative when visiting local areas and mosques.
Food and Drink
Local food is a mixture of Arabic and continental cuisine and can be delicious. Hotels tend to serve food that will appeal to European tastes, as well as some traditional Egyptian. We would strongly advise against eating food from street trolleys and markets. Dine only in good restaurants and cafés, drink only bottled water and avoid iced drinks. Wash all fruit before eating.
First Aid Kit
A small first aid kit is useful and could contain plasters, antiseptic cream, anti-insect cream (before and after) and sunburn lotion. Stomach upsets are not uncommon in Egypt and many visitors carry preparations to combat diarrhoea. Local doctors can provide stronger preparations if necessary.
Tipping
“Baksheesh” is part of Egyptian life and it is customary to tip for any kind of service, however small. It is a good idea to carry a lot of small change around with you for the purpose of tipping. Cruise passengers tip at the end of the cruise for services provided for the duration of the cruise. Approximately £15.00–20.00 per passenger is collected and distributed among the crew. This is considered to be the fairest way of rewarding crew members, for the services they have provided. You will have a resident guide during your cruise and passengers also tip their guide. This is in addition to the monies collected for staff on board the cruise boat.
Valuables
You may be travelling around a great deal and it is best to avoid bringing valuables such as jewellery. Observe sensible precautions – use safety deposit boxes in hotels for passports and money and take care of your handbag or wallet when in crowded areas.
Getting About
Taxis are cheap by UK standards and readily available. Horse drawn cabs (caleches) offer a slower and more romantic ride, but agree a price before you set off. Traffic in Cairo can be very congested. Travel by road between resorts is by convoy (with the exception of the Sinai). This is required by the Egyptian government and is for the safety and protection of all visitors.
Best Buys
Best buys include Egyptian cotton clothes, alabaster, carpets, copper utensils, inlaid wooden boxes and chess sets, leather goods, papyrus prints and jewellery. Bargaining or bartering is a must when buying from street sellers or market stalls. Never offer the price you wish to pay- start much lower and gradually increase – it can be great fun!
Remember
Egypt is different and it helps to have a sense of humour and be broadminded. Standards you might expect elsewhere are not always adhered to, however, you will find the country and the people fascinating and will long to return.
Other Useful Addresses:
Egyptian State Tourist Office in the UK
Egyptian House, 3rd Floor, 170 Piccadilly, London W1V 9EJ, UK
Tel: (020) 7493 5283.
Website: www.egypt.travel
Egyptian Tourist Authority in Cairo
Misr Travel Tower, Abbassia Square, Cairo
Tel: (2) 285 4509.
Website: www.egypt.travel
Places you have to go
RIVER NILE
Few places in the world can compete with the magical atmosphere and grandeur of this spectacular waterway, dotted with ancient temples and sites wich have stood for thousands of years.
LUXOR
Luxor possesses undeniable charm. Here and there among the palace halls and gardens and on facades of nineteenth-century buildings with corbelled balconies there is a glimpse of the past and of a time of British colonials and Egyptian monarchs.
The ancient Egyptians called it simply “Niut”, “the City”. Homer named it the “City of a Hundred Gates”. Vivant Denon, who accompanied Napoleon’s troops, noted, “This city remained such a vast apparition for our imaginations to grasp, that on catching sight of the scattered ruins the Napoleonic army stopped unprompted and broke into spontaneous applause.”
ASWAN
Aswan seems to close the doors on the Middle East and to open those on Africa. Swirling and flowing strongly, the Nile snakes its way between islandsand black rocks which disturb its stately majesty, and challenges the high dunes of golden sand to bury it once and for all.
RED SEA
The huge advantage of the Red Sea is that visitors can enjoy the beauty of the marine world equipped with nothing more than a mask, snorkel and flippers. The spectacle is of course even more impressive when wearing a tank and weight belt.
HURGHADA
Hurghada is the undisputed favourite resort among Egyptians and visitors from around the world who love sunshine, sea and diving.
At least one hundred tourist developments of varying levels of luxury stretch for twenty kilometres along the coast.
It seems a long time since Hurghada was nothing more than a small fishing village and modest shipyard ignored by the rest of the world, including the Egyptians. In fact, it is only in the last ten years that Hurghada has grown into a town of 35,000 inhabitants to become the most popular seaside resort in the country. Hurghada is the undisputed favourite resort among Egyptians and visitors from around the world who love sunshine, sea and diving. At least one hundred tourist developments of varying levels of luxury stretch for twenty kilometres along the coast. The town centre, known as the Ed-Dahar quarter, has preserved a certain traditional character with a small souk and cheap hotels.
Few coral reefs are accessible by swimming from the shore and it is therefore worth paying for a day’s excursion out to sea. Various clubs offer this type of trip and among the most prized destinations are the Giftun Islands. The islands are a conservation area and access is restricted. Rubbish and wastewater are collected by specially equipped boats.
EL GOUNA
El Gouna prides itself on being Egypt's only fully intergrated town on the Red Sea Coast. El Gouna is the first tourist development reached when heading to Hurghada from the north. Built along 10 kilometers of beachfront and spreading across a myriad of islands interlinked by beautiful lagoons, the resort's unique architectural styles offer six luxury hotels, a golf course, shopping mall and an open-air amphitheatre. Services and activities are centered round the immaculate downtown village and the marina harbour town. Countless opportunities for fun, wellness, fitness and chilling out are scattered throughout the resort to satisfy each age group and personal inclination. In short, it is a pleasant place to holiday for those happy to settle for sun, sea and sand.
SHARM EL-SHEIKH
Sharm el-Sheikh considers itself and indeed is the seaside resort in Sinai. Large numbers of visitors holiday here every year. The small town has grown rapidly and there are more and more tourists enjoying the charms of the place.
Sharm el-Sheikh considers itself and indeed is the seaside resort in Sinai. Large numbers of visitors holiday here every year. Sharm el-Sheikh Bay, Naama Bay and Shark Bay are about 6 km apart but the development of the resort is such that they will soon form one settlement. The long beaches of fine sand already attract visitors and since the small town has grown rapidly, there are more and more tourists enjoying the charms of the place.
Visitors love to lie and roast in the sun but beware of too much exposure, as it is very fierce. They also love to swim in the extraordinarily clear waters and to hire windsurfing boards, ideal for making the most of the ever-present breeze. The seabed close to the coast is like some gigantic coral aquarium, home to coral grouper (red fish with blue spots), Napoleon wrasse, parrotfish, butterfly fish (always in pairs), map angelfish (blue and yellow), threadfins and scorpion fish with long, elegant fins.
After sunset, visitors have the choice of touring the shops, which open quite late and offer the usual souvenirs or of frequenting the café terraces strung out along the main road running parallel with the beach. Those not worn out by their day of sun and sand can head off to one of the numerous hotel discos.
