Egypt-bound in 2006, logistical/travel advice needed

[fremontjessie]

Hello all! Jessie from Seattle here. Just got introduced to this site by a new buddy I made on a recent trip to Cozumel. Had a total blast in Mexico and now I'm ready for a real brainbending adventure...gonna to to Egypt in 2006!

I've seen great info posted on the various threads already, and I've made up my mind to book a week-long liveaboard out of Hurghada. Not sure which one yet. As a single 27 yr. old female, would much prefer a crew with decent manners - suggestions are welcome.

What I REALLY need now is logistical information, because I plan to fly in to Cairo, head immediately south for a week of diving, and then...

...rent a car with some (thus far unidentified) friends and crawl back up the West Bank, sightseeing at our own pace for a couple weeks before returning to Cairo.

Am I nuts? Is it safe? Are car rentals reliable? Are tourists too vulnerable when traveling independently in a group? What can we do with all our dive kit as we tour? Will it be damaged or stolen if we keep it with us? If we keep it with us, how should we store it to keep it safe - can it live in the car or would we want to take it out every night? Or should we just ship it all back to Cairo and if so, how?

I'm a smart kid and I travel a lot...just rarely outside the US. Want to see and do as much as I can without being hogtied to a tour group...and most importantly want to stay safe.

Thanks all - looking forward to learning and diving! J

 

[mania]

I've seen great info posted on the various threads already,

You ask a lot of questions. First look here - some basic info for all going to Egypt. The only thing that may changed since I posted this thread are exchange rates
http://www.scubaboard.com/showthread.php?t=68804&highlight=tips+Egypt

As a single 27 yr. old female, would much prefer a crew with decent manners - suggestions are welcome.

Generally all staff on the boat is absolutely decent - so here no reason to worry. Try explorer divers or some other dive centers already mentioned here on the board.

...rent a car with some (thus far unidentified) friends and crawl back up the West Bank, sightseeing at our own pace for a couple weeks before returning to Cairo.

Renting a car may not be easy in Egypt - this is not a popular service there

Am I nuts? Is it safe? Are car rentals reliable? Are tourists too vulnerable when traveling independently in a group?

Yes Egypt is safe - this is what I keep repeating here all the time. But on the other hand traveling on your own is not advisable - at least now. Tourist should not do this!!!!!It's a different thing when you are a foreigner but living there. Normally tourists are convoyed by the Tourist police and to be absolutely honest - even I who know Egypt well and speak a bit of Arabic would not do it. I do travel there but with Egyptians. So the solution is rather instead of renting a car find a driver with the car. And contact tourist police in Hurghada to talk with them about such plans.

What can we do with all our dive kit as we tour? Will it be damaged or stolen if we keep it with us? If we keep it with us, how should we store it to keep it safe - can it live in the car or would we want to take it out every night? Or should we just ship it all back to Cairo and if so, how?

Stealing is something that almost does not exist in all Muslim countries. The ones that do steal there are foreigners and other tourists. But storing diving gear can be a problem. You could probably leave it with the diving center but that means going back to Hurghada to pick it up. Or you can have it shipped back home - but this will take quite a bit of time - surprisingly post is working there although its timing is unpredictable

I'm a smart kid and I travel a lot...just rarely outside the US.

Well, traveling outside of US, especially in such countries as Middle East is a lot different.
So what I would do is - finding a cheap plane to London and from there I would book through the travel agent a charter to Hurghada. Then go there with the travel agent - a week of liveaboard, and then use them for more organized trips to travel around the place. Every travel agent organizes trips to Cairo, Giza, Luxor. Or - take another week to do liveaboard on Nile river - then you have a chance to see almost the most important parts of Egypt.
Anyway - if you have any other questions - ask or PM me.
Mania
PS. Believe me - diving there is absolutly incredible!!!!!!!!!

 

[fremontjessie]

Thanks so much for all the advice...I really appreciate your honesty and the tips and resources you gave me will go to good use, I promise!

The main things I've picked up are that I should fly into the UK rather than Cairo to save money, and that I should NOT rent a car with friends. The latter piece of advice bums me out, but I will not have fun if I don't feel safe. I'll talk with some travel agencies to see if I can arrange something more appropriate...I know I can make some sort of a road trip happen! Diving is amazing, but it isn't everything and I couldn't imagine going all the way to Egypt without seeing what's above water as well.

Again, thanks a million and please be in touch. If any of you are toying with the idea of going to Egypt in 2006, let me know - we can chat each other up a bit, help each other with planning, and who knows...maybe make friends!

For all you Seattelites out there, look for me at Alki some weekend. My friend Kevin Casey should be getting me into the cold water sometime soon...and this summer we plan to kayak out to the San Juans, camp and shore dive!!! KC has all the necessary toys, I'm just along for the ride. Always looking for a good time and great people .

 

[Aaron Neely]

Thanks so much for all the advice...I really appreciate your honesty and the tips and resources you gave me will go to good use, I promise!

The main things I've picked up are that I should fly into the UK rather than Cairo to save money, and that I should NOT rent a car with friends. The latter piece of advice bums me out, but I will not have fun if I don't feel safe. I'll talk with some travel agencies to see if I can arrange something more appropriate...I know I can make some sort of a road trip happen! Diving is amazing, but it isn't everything and I couldn't imagine going all the way to Egypt without seeing what's above water as well.

Again, thanks a million and please be in touch. If any of you are toying with the idea of going to Egypt in 2006, let me know - we can chat each other up a bit, help each other with planning, and who knows...maybe make friends!

For all you Seattelites out there, look for me at Alki some weekend. My friend Kevin Casey should be getting me into the cold water sometime soon...and this summer we plan to kayak out to the San Juans, camp and shore dive!!! KC has all the necessary toys, I'm just along for the ride. Always looking for a good time and great people .

I have a friend that recently returned from Egypt. He said that there were several attacks on tourist groups while he was there. They were shopping in Cairo in a little shop area and a car pulled up. Yep you guesses it...car bomb! Everywhere they went the needed to be escorted by the "tourist police". Although he said it was a beautiful country, he wont be going back. Apparently tension is high between Egypt and The U.s...why I dont know. just be prepared

 

[Marek K]

I have a friend that recently returned from Egypt. He said that there were several attacks on tourist groups while he was there. They were shopping in Cairo in a little shop area and a car pulled up. Yep you guesses it...car bomb! Everywhere they went the needed to be escorted by the "tourist police". Although he said it was a beautiful country, he wont be going back. Apparently ...why I dont know. just be prepared

If your friend meant the attack in early April at the Cairo bazaar, I think your friend got his facts a little exaggerated... it wasn't a car bomb, as far as I understand... more like a home-made amateurish motorcycle bomb... that still managed to kill two or three foreign tourists, and wound a bunch of other people. Then there was an incident at the end of April that was apparently related, as Egyptian police were pursuing someone who apparently was connected to the first bomber.

Being escorted by the Egyptian police -- I assume during bus travel outside of Cairo -- is nothing new there.

Why does your friend say that "tension is high between Egypt and The U.S."? The main tension would probably be the Egyptians being horrified at the potential loss (again) to their tourist industry -- and whether the U.S. State Department issues a travel advisory...

--Marek

 

[mania]

Ditto what Marek said - you are more and more influenced by me

Not to mentioned the fact that tourist police exists since the Luxor attack which was several years ago. There is no tension between the US and Egypt - Egypt is the best US ally in this region (check how much money goes as help from the US to Egypt). And while it's a perfect place to go for holiday it's generally not a place to srive a car on your own - as i wrote if you are not living there.
mania

 

[Marek K]

Ditto what Marek said - you are more and more influenced by me

I am not.

:11:

No no no no nooooo...

 

[Marek K]

There is no tension between the US and Egypt - Egypt is the best US ally in this region (check how much money goes as help from the US to Egypt). And while it's a perfect place to go for holiday ...

As Americans, we visited Egypt as a family for the first time last year... stayed near Hurghada diving and lazing by the pool and on the beach for two weeks, and did day trips to Luxor and Cairo. So I'm far from an expert... but I do know something about international relations in general.

It was partly a function of where we were staying (we traveled using the German travel agency TUI, and stayed at a TUI hotel -- therefore mostly Germans) -- but the whole two weeks we were there, we never ran across one other U.S.-American there. Closest was in Luxor -- I heard what I thought was American-accented English, and walked up to the family to ask -- turned out they were Canadian.

You have to understand that Egypt's second-largest source of foreign income -- behind only the Suez Canal -- is... tourism. And most-recently since 9-11, there's been a near-collapse in the tourist industry -- mostly because American tourists flat stopped coming.

I talked with Egyptians every chance I got. Again, I understand I wasn't talking with the average person in the street, but with Egyptians engaged one way or another in the tourist industry. But I never ran into any animosity toward Americans.

Just the opposite, in fact. A common tactic on the part of merchants to engage you in conversation, and therefore to get you to check out their shop, is to ask "Where you from? Woher kommen Sie?" as you're walking by. How can you not answer?

We'd always tell them, honestly, that we're Americans. Every time, they'd be shocked (expecting Germans, or at least Brits)... Then they'd break out into a wide smile, spread their arms, and say something like, "Americans!! Welcome!! ... You're back!!"

We'd have to tell them, no, we're not quite back yet...

I realize it was largely the hospitality, and being good merchants... two characteristics that are intertwined there. But it went deeper that that. The Egyptians are quite pragmatic. They'd tell me they have nothing at all against Americans; in fact, they like Americans a lot.

One Egyptian did tell me, though, "...it's just your President Bush we have a small problem with..."

OK, I can deal with that... the Germans don't like our administration either, but that doesn't affect me there.

Bottom line... We never felt less than completely welcome in Egypt. And it is a police state, that knows where its interests lie... with the security measures, we also never felt less than completely safe.

Your mileage may vary.

--Marek

 

[mania]

I am not.

:11:

No no no no nooooo...

Shall I start enumarating things you changed your opinion about? Egypt, Pan Stefan.....and.....

Mania

 

[Marek K]

Shall I start enumarating things you changed your opinion about? Egypt, Pan Stefan.....and.....

Mania

You never changed my opinion about Egypt. You merely added some... dimension to it.

And I never doubted your opinion about Pan Stefan. I was just looking for an authorized Sherwood dealer. And unsuccessfully for a good Sherwood dealer.

That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.