The travel warning for Egypt did make me stop and rethink my decision to take my son on the trip. I did a ton of research via my trusty sources..youtube, Instagram and Trip Advisor reviews. I went so far to reach out to several travel Instagram gurus who recently went in the past year as well as the US Government site regarding travel restrictions. With information in hand, we decided to go and I am so glad we did not let fear get the best of us.
On our journey to Egypt, we had a three-night stopover in Rome. On paper you would think that you couldn’t hit the key attractions though to my surprise, we covered a ton of ground on this short trip (and an excellent way to break up the long flight to Cairo). I am quite satisfied with what we saw and will definitely plan to go back for a more thorough exploration. I will post a blog about the details and itinerary soon.
The flight from Rome to Egypt was nice and short, 3 hours. We quickly learned our first mistake! The cab situation was a little chaotic and one that I would change next visit. I highly recommend you have a car ordered waiting for you with your name waiting for you at the airport. You will be approached by numerous people and told they have your car when it actually is not your car. Our car took some time to locate us and we were approached nonstop about a ride. I get it they want to make a living however there was no way I would get into a random cab. That’s just the New Yorker in me…
Tip #1 CAR- Pre-order your car thru your hotel prior to your trip! Order your car in advance, pay the extra fee and have them meet you inside the airport with a sign. This way you avoid the craziness especially if it’s your first time in Egypt.
Tip #2 HOTEL
We stayed at the JW Marriot which was about 35 mins outside of Cairo. I did not choose this hotel simply because we were tagging along with my love on a business trip. However, after visiting Egypt, I highly recommend you stay at a large brand hotel such as Marriott, Hilton or Ritz. It makes life easier when everyone speaks English, banking is on site and security is pretty extreme. We were there during a defense show and just to get into the parking lot every car was logged, it was recorded, dogs sniffed the cars, soldiers checked the trunk. When we entered the hotel our luggage went thru a security systems similar to the airport and we walked through metal detectors. When you exited the elevator for your floor, you were greeted by an armed undercover soldier. Initially, this was bit startling however you just get used to it.
Tip #3 EMBASSY
Contact the Embassy and let them know you will be in town. They actually have an online system to register. In addition, provide one family member in the states with the information just in case something goes wrong. This practice should go for all your trips. The embassy is a great resource if you get sick, arrested, lost passport or have an emergency. Hopefully, none of the above stated situations occur but it is better to be safe than sorry.
Tip #4 GUIDE & DRIVER
Getting a guide and driver is a must!!! Your guide not only shows you the sites but will be the buffer/ security when needed. We did encounter a couple of situation that I was extremely happy he was there to intercede. The Embassy can provide you with solid recommendations. The guide will provide you with a set itinerary however you may change it based on your needs and wants. I cannot recommend our guide enough! He was a wealth of information, pacified my ignorance of the culture, and provided us such a great experience. My son walked away with an education that no classroom or textbook could provide! One of my highlights of the trip was when we finally convinced our driver to put his pride aside and have dinner with us at an outdoor barbeque site near Saqqara. The entire trip he stayed in the car while we had lunch because it was not customary for him to break bread with his clients! Not only did we get a well-guided tour we gained some new friends! I will provide all contact information!
Tip #5 MUST SEE SPOTS
The Khan el- Khalili Market
The Pyramids are obvious. However, the Khan el-Khalili Market took me by pleasant surprise. Khan el-Khalili is a major souk in the historic center of Islamic Cairo. This is a must go however you definitely need a guide! I probably would still be in there if it wasn’t for ours. He took us to the vendors that he has used for years and knew his way around. This is a great place to get your souvenirs and jewelry. The market is overflowing with rich culture and local experiences. I highly recommend you do your research and find out what is the ideal items to purchase in Egypt. Once again, our guide was super helpful with negotiating prices!
Tip #6 Research
Do your research and not just the travel/tour content. I was very equipped with all the knowledge I needed to have a great trip however my biggest regret was the lack of information I had on the current culture of Egypt whether that be political, social etc… Thankfully my guide caught me up to speed daily however I do wish I read up prior to getting there.
Tip #7 PET LOVERS
This is for all the dog lovers out there. NYC has our pizza eating rats, well Egpyt has street dogs. They are beyond adorable and you will be highly distracted by them if you are an animal lover like us. We even went so far to research how to take one home and quickly came to our senses. The dogs will wait by the tour buses near the pyramids hoping to benefit from some leftovers. So if you would like bring little leftovers from breakfast to share with these cutie pies am quite certain you will have a new friend.
Tip# 8 CAMEL RIDE
Take a camel ride…this is definitely a tourist trap, however, our guide took us to someone who he knew. Once again he did the dirty work with the negotiating and off we went. I totally acted like I did this every day and proceeded to mount the Camel with a fake smile as if I was not scared. My son was hesitant and I spotted that he might back out which I was not having any part of that. It is a bit rough getting up and down with the camel however it’s totally worth it!!! Our guide was younger than my SON! We took some great pictures and had an amazing experience! You have a choice of a short ride, 20 mins or you can take the longer 45 min. I recommend you do the 20 min ride for your first Camel adventure. It was so surreal!!!
Tip # 9 TIPPING
Be sure to bring USD for tipping. You will be asked for a tip everywhere. We were exploring inside the Pyramids and were approached for a tip. This cute picture with this NoMad was for a tip. The Egyptians love USD and they go along way. We ran out and thought we could get at the bank in our hotel however we were mistaken.
Tip # 10 BLONDES AND SELFIES
My main security concern was the mob of school kids / older teen boys who would want selfies with me because of my bleached blonde hair. My guide warned me the first day and I took that warning lightly. Well, I quickly awakened when we were swarmed by a bunch of school kids taking selfies with me. My son was frightened because our guide raised his voice in Arabic and the museum security took the kids phones away. I was simply horrified that they were taking the selfies from a NON FLATTERING ANGLE!!! Being a middle age mom this was kinda flattering at first however it can quickly get out of hand. Blonde hair is not often seen in Egypt and they are in awe of it. I did not read one article, blog or post about this with all my research. My guide sheltered me a ton from being asked however if he left my side I was asked. On our last dinner, he left for 5 min and the kind timid waiter quickly swooped in and asked for a selfie and tip. Even our quiet driver who refused to eat lunch with us took a quick selfie at dinner. We were touring a pyramid and a father strategically placed himself in front of me so his son could get a picture. So if you are blonde just beware that you will be asked for selfies. This also happened to me in the safety of our Hotel too. I was actually invited to a wedding and if I had a dress and we were not leaving for the airport I would have gone! I totally wanted to do a expose on the Egyptian wedding and like who wouldn’t! I would have had a list of question tucked in my clutch.
The response from people about this trip tend to be mixed. Some stating that it is such a cool trip and some people thought I was crazy for going. Egypt definitely has a bad rap with travel regarding safety and rightfully so. However, I will provide you with my perspective and you can make your own decision. Egypt is not a place that you can just get off a plane and wing it. You definitely have to preplan a ton of stuff and have reputable tour guides in place. I found the people of Egypt to be extremely friendly, hardworking and kind BUT, I definitely was sheltered by where I was staying and who I was with.
I had an amazing experience and definitely plan on going back and going in deep with the touring. Being cautious and informed is my recommendation – it is a country under a level 2 travel advisory so keep up to date on the happenings and base your decision when the time comes. I cannot feed into all this fear of travel. I happen to live within 15 miles of 9/11 and a plane crashed 15 blocks away from my house. Unfortunately, this is the world we live in and I refuse to let it dictate how I am going to live or travel. That said, you cannot be ignorant of the warnings – take precautions and be aware.
Be smart, plan ahead and do your research and it will be worth the trip!!! I had a wonderful experience however I really hope a selfie of me with a triple chin is not floating around the internet somewhere.
