Judy

We are going to Egypt in three weeks. I'm confused about how to dress. I will be taking khaki pants (no shorts) but have several short sleeved (not sleeveless) shirts and blouses. Would they be okay or should I plan on buying more long sleeved shirts? I understand two piece bathing suits are okay at the hotel and on the Nile cruise. Does the same dress dictums go for men? Or can they wear shorts? What about short sleeved t-shirts. What does one wear if not a Nike type shoe? <BR> <BR>Thank you very much for any suggestions. We don't want to offend anyone. <BR> <BR>Judy

Leslie

Was in Egypt from Oct. 1-12th. I wore khaki & black cotton pants with short sleeved shirts for most of the dusty, semi-rocky tour sites. I carried a long sleeved overshirt with me in case I felt the need to cover up. ( It was cool in the AM in Cairo & I needed it for warmth then) I wore Timberland walking shoes. <BR>Cairo is a big, sophisticated city. Still, almost anything was worn by tourists. I wore long skirts with silk or cotton tops. Shoes were microsole flats. I was very comfortable and "appropriate". <BR>I notice that Cairo's temperatures have dropped a lot recently so I would definately bring a cardigan and some heavier weight clothes. My husband wore nice cotton pants (similar to Dockers) with short sleeve shirts everywhere. He wore something like a lace-up topsider. <BR> shoe. <BR>Dress on the Nile tour was the same. ( We had a group of French tourists on our boat and I wouldn't worry about offending - they flashed enough cellulite to keep us afloat.) <BR>Have a great time! <BR>

Laralyn

Judy, <BR> <BR>Just got back from Egypt Oct. 24th. I Wore long pants like you discribed and light weight, cotton long sleeved shirts most of the time. I saw people wearing all sorts of things. The only time I really needed to wear long sleeves was when we visited Islamic Cairo. I would suggest you take a scarf with you if you plan to visit many mosques. There was only one mosque that made me cover my hair and since I had forgotten to bring my scarf, I was given this blue thing that smelled like it had never been washed, and was made of polyester so it was really hot. <BR> <BR>It was just starting to cool off a little bit when we left. In early October it was unbearably hot. I imagine it's still hot around Aswan especially Abu Simbel, but I'd take a sweater or jacket just in case. <BR> <BR>I wore a pair of comfortable loafers around Cairo because they were easy to take off when going into mosques. You're going to have a great time. There were no crowds while we were there. One suggestion. Go to the pyramids early morning and don't go on friday. We did and were mobbed by camel guys and people wanting to take our picture (for a fee) etc. Feel free to e-mail me if you have any more questions.

agneha

<BR>HEY GUYS <BR>WE WANT TO GO TO EGYPT, CAN YOU RECOMMEND ANY LOW FARE PRICES AND ACOMMODATIONS? <BR> <BR>THANKS - AGNEHA

cb

Before touring Egypt, I consulted my Egyptian friends <BR>who were originally from Cairo. They said, cover your <BR>arms, even for the men, because hair on the arms should <BR>not be seen. When we got there, there was an Egyptian <BR>in the tour group who grew up in the US and married <BR>to a woman from Alexandria. She wore long dress with <BR>long sleeves but he wore shorts and short-sleeved <BR>shirts the whole time. <BR>For me, I say respect customs and traditions. <BR>One never knows if a Moslem extremist suddenly <BR>snaps at the sight of immodesty and runs <BR>amok. <BR>By the way, scarves are worn by their women <BR>for modesty's sake, but they are <BR>useful for keeping hair clean from dust. <BR>Other than in hotels and cruise ship, <BR>the resort areas in the Sinai (Naama Bay, etc) <BR>was where I saw bikinis. Signs at the beaches <BR>said that it is illegal to sunbathe topless, but <BR>many women tourists ignored them. <BR>

Joanna

I agree with the above clothing suggestions. I noticed I received fewer stares wearing loose pants than I received when I wore jeans. Re scarves - there are lots of nice ones you can buy in the markets in Cairo and other places in Egypt as heargear for mosques and they also make a nice, useful souvenir.

Nura

As for attire in Egypt, nowadays almost anything goes. Don't worry too much about modesty: i.e just stay away from Daisy Dukes and you should be okay. Moderately long shorts and even sleeveless tees should be okay and you'll appreciate them on those really hot summer days. I recommend light cotton and linen, but dont' bring ANY dry clean clothes, the cleaners there aren't very reliable and have shrunk quite a few of my outfits. As for footwear, don't bring anything expensive or dear to you; chances are you'll throw them away once you get home. Also try to avoid sandals as sewage and animal dung line the streets as does sand and mud. Tennis shoes are your best and most comfortable bet.