Egypt in July--need some advice
 

For many months now I have been avidly reading the various posts regarding touring Egypt. Thanks to the many wonderful reviews, I booked a tour through Lady Egypt for this July. I realize that it will be hot, hot, hot. However, it is the only time in the foreseeable future that our family will be able to travel together.

We will be spending 2 days in and around Cairo (Giza, Saqqara, etc.), an overnight in Abu Simbel, on to Aswan to join our Nile cruise and then 2 days in Luxor before returning home.

What do I have to be concerned about regarding food and drink? I'm aware that bottled water is a must. What about dairy products? How careful do we need to be on the cruise? Any advice on footwear? We will be visiting tombs and temples. Should I wear a good pair of hiking sandals or regular hikers? Lastly, since we have a couple of days in Luxor, I was hoping to do some shopping. Can anyone recommend a place to buy some cartouches? I know Debbie from Casual Cairo mentioned a shop in Cairo, but I don't think we'll be there long enough to do some proper shopping.

Any other thoughts or suggestions are very welcome.
Thanks so much!

Definitely do not wear sandals, as sand and pebbles will get into your shoes.

You are right about bottled water and make sure to brush your teeth with that too. I'll let another expert answer your questions about dairy as I'm not too sure. I'm also not much of a shopper so I'll defer to others on that one too.

<<<I wear a good pair of hiking sandals or regular hikers?>>>

Any closed-toe shoes are fine (although the four 20-somethings who were with us -- my DS and DD and their friends -- all wore flip-flops). I ate packaged yogurt at breakfast when we were there and suffered no ill effects.

Drink only bottled drinks with NO ice cubes.
No salads and only veggies or fruit you can peel.
Eat at established places-street food is very iffy.It can be a local place(and there were some fabulous ones in Aswan and Luxor) that aren't expensive.

We learned from others that despite what a 5 star cruise ship or hotel will tell you about their food you really don't know how the food is prepared.So I would still be wary?

We were with Lady Egypt but did go off the beaten track on our own time and even stayed at our own favorite hotel in Cairo.All four of us in my family stayed healthy throughout out two weeks in Egypt and Jordan.The tummy stuff that they sell in the pharmacies for about a US dollar is the way to go if you do get sick though so buy some as a preventative.We did pack Cipro,lotomil and pepto bismol among our medicines just in case.

Closed toe shoes are really the only way to go so that you feet won't be filthy.My daughter and I wore Chakko sandals on the Nile Cruise but that was about the only time as the sand,dust and dirt are unbelievable as you walk around.It will be REALLY REALLY hot in July so always make sure you have water with you along with sunglasses,hat,long sleeved shirt to put over your Tshirt and sunscreen.

It was a great trip for our family and I hope that you make lots of memories with yours!

Thanks for all the helpful tips. Egypt sounds alot like India, so I'll be well prepared when it comes to food and water. In terms of the heat, we were in Death Valley last year in July and we managed well.

Dutyfree, do you recall the names of some of those restaurants in Luxor and Aswan that you mentioned?

<<<In terms of the heat, we were in Death Valley last year in July and we managed well.>>>

I've never been in Death Valley (despite living in California), but we were in Egypt in August 2008 (we also had no choice regarding time of trip). It is brutal. I recall the day at Karnak Temple as the hottest I have ever been, and I've been in Palm Springs and Las Vegas in the summer (but not for sightseeing!). Just be prepared. Buy bottled water at markets --- much much cheaper than at the sights you'll be visiting.

We ate at a decent place in Luxor called "Dean's" - owned by an expat Englishman. Best green curry chicken I've ever had, and everything else was pretty good, too. My family (sans me and DD also ate at an Indian place in Luxor that they liked, I'll try to find out the name).

I think sandals are fine if you don't mind dirty feet at the end of the day. I guess the choice is sweaty feet or dirty feet. I live in my Tevo sandals from April through November nearly and that means EVERY WHERE. It's really a personal choice. The idea that your toes show should not effect your choice at all. Even the most farmer (local) women wear flip flops all the time, thus showing their toes. This is not frowned upon here. Upper class women will spend plenty on weekly pedicures to show off if they can.

Re Food in Luxor - don't go to Luxor for the food. It is not a Foodies paradise. The Brits have come in and opened numerous restaurants (like the one mentioned above) to suit the British tastebuds, but that isn't very exciting cuisine - sorry for that comment to anyone from the UK. Other than that there are NO fabulous Egyptian or other restaurants there. You will be fed, and there are plenty of choices but Cairo is much better for a variety of memorable meals.
(I do agree that the Indian restaurant down near the St. Joseph's is good - IF you like Indian food)

I ate wrapped cheese that I bought from the supermarket in Cairo and didn't have any issue. Hotel in Egypt also usually have cheese selections for breakfast too, and I was fine eating those.

I'm not much of a foodie, but when I was in Luxor I tried out some of the restaurants recommended in the guide book and they were fine. I had pigeon, and it wasn't bad :) If you're craving for fast food then the Happy Times place across from Luxor Temple will do.

My concern with footwear is because I'm working through a very stubborn knee injury. For the tombs and pyramids, I'll probably wear sturdy shoes and sandals for walking in town. I can't imagine having my feet covered up all day in the heat we'll be experiencing.

Debbie, I have read many of your tourist recommendations. It was based on these that we booked our stay at the St. Joseph hotel and ballooning with Hod Hod Soliman. Would you have any recommendations for a shop in Luxor where I can purchase some cartouches? We won't have the time in Cairo.

Thanks.

Take at look at Keen Venice H2 sandals. They are a closed toe sandal and have pretty good arch support and a nice thick sole. My sister and I bought them for our upcoming trip to Israel and Jordan.
http://www.zappos.com/keen-venice-h2

I'm sure the keen's described above are nice, but when we were looking for sandals for a recent trip to Southeast Asia, we both tried on every brand out there, Privo, Keen, Merrell, Teva, and we both ended up with Ecco. Not that they're better for everyone, but the others just weren't comfortable for either of us. Everybody's feet are different!

One night when we were out and about we discovered mcDonalds in Luxor. Just out of interest we went to look at the menu to see how different it may be from back home. A few things were similar. My husband and guide got an ice-cream as it was hot. Hubbie had no ill effects. Hubbie ate many things and at many places that made me cringe.

Hubbie wanted to wear hiking boots and I said he was crazy as it was too hot. In the end he chose regular runners. I wore runners if we were going to a place that was sandy, such as the pyramids, other places, such as Karnak, I wore thongs.

ggrace-
Chakko(sp?) sandals are the best! They are designed with support,cost a little more than Tevas but really are great for walking in foreign cities with rough roads.They are very popular with people who work around boats as they give you support,are in many different styles/colors,keep your ankle with the rest of your foot and wear well in water,mud,dirt and for just walking. We have bought ours online and at REI stores.I like them so much that they are my footwear everyweek when I am overseas on my airline layovers in the warm weather.

Debbie from Casual Cairo gave us a great hotel in Cairo that is fabulous,inexpensive,close to everything and a great place to relax after the hectic atmosphere of Cairo. Its called Hotel Longchamps and about 5 blocks from the Marriott.It is in a great neighborhood with memorable restaurants,pharmacy,grocery,etc.Check out what is said about it on Tripadvisor and you will see why.(The lady who runs it was a customer service agent with Luftansa and gives attention to very detail-her mom was a famous Egyptian movie star who previous owned the hotel.)The hotel has several big balconies with tons of plants to chill out with wine;free internet in a open family room atmosphere,wonderful breakfast,etc.

My memory is bad so will ask my kids for the restaurants that we liked in Luxor and Aswan. The one that I was thinking about is actually several blocks away from the Nile in a neighborhood,two stories and is the number one LOCAL restaurant there for Koshari(sp?) which is the Egyptian dish of noodles,chickpeas,orzo,etc.Yummy!!!Then you add whatever topping you want on it.My son found it on the internet and I was leery but it was unbelievable! It was probably the cheapest meal with drinks our whole vacation and the tastiest!
I will get back to you with the names as soon as I get the names.

If you want sandals, then Teva-type are good as they have a solid sole, but expect dirty feet at the end of the day. Ground is uneven and dirty whether in Cairo or in Luxor/Aswan wandering thru temples. Otherwise, a comfy closed shoe.

Bottled water always.
Wide brimmed hat.
SPF on any exposed skin.

Everyday returning indoors from the brutal sun/heat, we had drinks (whether local mango, other juices, soft or alcoholid) with cubes daily... no tummy upset.
We also had milk in our coffee, ate cheeses, yogurts (some packaged, some freshly made), salads and melons... no tummy upsets.

We always travel with Cipro, pepto and Lomitol and never had any need anywhere in the world

So it's up to you what you will or won't put into your mouth.

Thanks for all the suggestions. I do have 3 sport sandals that are quite good. For descending into tombs, I think I'd want even more support. Asics and Merrells have never failed me. One thing I learned many years ago is to spend the money for a really good pair of shoes. I've found that you are less fatigued when you have good support.

On a side note, my husband and I were talking about food and wondered if Egypt has a signature dish. From some of my reading, it seems that much of the influence has been Turkish/Arab/Mediterranean. Any thoughts?

Hey one of our pilots got food poisoning from a burger at a 5 star hotel restaurant on the Nile/Cairo last year on a layover-had to go with two pilots and pick up a relief one in London for the flight home as he was truly dying.His comment when I flew with him later was he thought that he was "safe" at such a nice hotel restaurant?

https://picasaweb.google.com/dmlove5...eat=directlink

(Sorry, I couldn't resist :-)) )

Sorry, I screwed up the link:

https://picasaweb.google.com/dmlove5...eat=directlink

ggrace -
I do not have a jewelry store I especially like in Luxor. I think you will pay more there for lower quality, unfortunately. I hope that is my personal predjudice and does not hold true for the whole city, so look at every store you pass. Find a cartouche you like, get the best price they will offer you on it, and figure that even if it is a bit more, it is less expensive than the cost of extra days you'd need to come back to Cairo to save a bit in Cairo. If you love it, and it doesn't set you back more than you can afford, it's worth it...and will be something you'll love for a long time.
As with ANY gold bought in Egypt though, make them show you the gov't stamp proving it is 18K gold. It will have a small embedded stamp on it that looks like a 1 and an upside down V. That is how they write 18 in the numbers they use here.

You also asked, "On a side note, my husband and I were talking about food and wondered if Egypt has a signature dish. From some of my reading, it seems that much of the influence has been Turkish/Arab/Mediterranean. Any thoughts?"

You are absolutely right - most dishes found here seem to be a variation on anything from the Mediterranean. The few dishes that I believe to be truly Egyptian would be
1- Kosheri
2- Falafel/Tamayia
3- Foul

I think they developed those themselves. If anyone knows different, let me know.