travellingsoon

HI,
My husband and I travelled in Egypt last November.
there was never a moment when we felt unsafe. We always spend our money with the local tour guides and taxi drivers, and shop owners etc. would not travel with large tourist companies where the money does not get to the locals.
we walked the streets met and interacted with so many people, because that is what is so easy, the egyptians are so welcoming and friendly. Of course most think you can buy everything they have and can be very insistant.
We were lucky enough to allow a young lad to take us to his home in Luxor for a visit. Wonderful experience being welcomed in their home, even the neighbours came in to say hello!
We travelled by car convoy from AbuSimbel to Luxor, but there was no sense of forboding or concern ( only at the speed we were doing ! )

The Egyptians live with such limited chances because of the autocratic government, I really hope that further terrorism escapes them.
The experience of visiting Egypt and learning ,by seeing, the lasting evidence of their mesmerising and sophicated history
was amazing.
So wish we had travelled on to Jordan.
regards

thit_cho

<<I will check into good places for Azeri cuisine (not my fav - so I have to ask!) and next time I am in the Old City, I will go by the hotel and check on your reservation.>>

Thanks for the offer. I did hear late today from Old City Inn and I'm confirmed for mid-August.

Grcxx3

Percy - we "had" to order the expensive stuff.....nothing but the best for you!!!!!!

Michael - Glad you heard from the hotel. Oh - and try to get a book called "Azerbaijan: With Excursions to Georgia" by Mark Elliott. I think it is available from Amazon. EXCELLENT book with lots and lots of information. All of his maps are hand-drawn and very detailed. The maps take a little while to get used to but one you have them figured out - they are great.

DaveJJ

My wife and I just returned from our tour of Egypt with Insight Vacations. We never felt unsafe and would return to Egypt in a heart beat. If we had children I would not hesitate to bring them in fact, it would have been irresponsible for me as a parent to not expose my children to this type of history and cultural interaction. Yes we did have to pass through security screening even to get into the Marriott hotel but that is the reality that we face in many countries these days. I did not find this disturbing. Yes, there are tourist police but they are there to 'manage' the higglers (and disputes between them and tourists) more than to combat terrorists. No, we did not have a gun pointed at us.

I must admit that when we were first thinking of this holiday I was somewhat apprehensive given the report incidents in recent years. Our family and friends thought we were nuts. However, after reading many trip reports and acknowledging that 'attacks' have occured in England, Spain, USA and elsewhere we decided that no matter where we go there is always a possibility of 'danger' and that this should not dissuade us from fulfilling a life-long dream.

Luisah

You're not crazy. I agree with everything the other posters have written. I haven't read the posts on the Europe thread yet but will.

I was in Egypt in October and it was full of tourists from several countries so there are a lot of people who don't put any stock in the scare stories.

I never felt unsafe and the presence of guards didn't bother me at all. I've seen armed guards in London and in Paris and if you all remember, in U.S. airports after 9/11.

Yes,I would go back and probably will some day.

thit_cho

<<Oh - and try to get a book called "Azerbaijan: With Excursions to Georgia" by Mark Elliott.>>

Thanks, I've been waiting for the release of the new Lonely Planet in May, and I have the Bradt guide to Armenia and Georgia, and I appreciate the recommendation. I haven't seen the Mark Elliot book in my local bookstore, so I'll order it from Amazon.

heymo

I have heard similar responses from people who have posted on the Europe board...don't feel bad Grcxx3.

When my husband and I were in Egypt in Oct. of 2006, we never felt unsafe. We did, however, have two instance where we felt slightly uncomfortable. Both times involved tourist police offering to give us "tours" of areas off limits in the hope of getting some baksheesh. They were very friendly, but it is somewhat disconcerting when a man with a machine gun asks you to follow him...especially when one man (who was not in the official tourist police uniform) tells me to follow him and he will show me his wife! (he meant my husband, who had wandered in an area he shouldn't have.)And another took the clip out of his pistol and handed it to to have my picture taken!

Nevertheless...we had a marvelous time in Egypt and would go back in a heartbeat!

huladolphin

Many people (me included) on this board have lived in Egypt. We don't (didn't) live in mortal fear of our lives. I even dragged my family over for a visit. And they didn't die, get blown up, or kidnapped. Why?

A) Because the Arab world is NOT full of extremists wanting to blow people up.

B)The Egyptian government is extraordinarily conscious of the income tourism brings into the country and protects them. Hence the annoying border stops in the Sinai.

C) Egyptians are human, just like you and me. No more or less safe than your next door neighbour.

Egypt is as safe, if not safer, than anywhere else in the world. I would never walk along the Potomac alone at night in D.C., but I have frequently in Cairo.

It's not perfect-there's lots of harassment, directed especially at foreign women. But shying away from those stereotypes simply perpetuates them. Egypt is a wonderful experience.

Totally off topic, I'm off to India in 9 days!!!

Laura

Percy

huludolphin

Good Advice Laura.

Happy travelling to India you lucky person


Percy

Grcxx3

Thanks again for confirming that I'm NOT crazy (at least with respect to this area!!).

Laura - have a great trip!!

Phinn

My family and I lived in Cairo for eight years (1994-2002) and enjoyed it very much, even if family and friends thought we were made to impose this on our young children. True, Egypt takes a bit of adjustment for most Westerners, but people are warm and welcoming especially to anyone with children. While American policy in the Middle East is unpopular, to put it mildly, I do not recall any incident where Americans were targeted as individuals. I would say Egypt is a very good place for a family holiday because it is so child-friendly. People will bend over backwards to accommodate little ones!

Percy

Grcxx3


You are 100 % correct Grcxx3. You are NOT crazy.

At LEAST not in this area.

Ooops!!! I just got myself into trouble.
I'm getting out of here.

Percy

Chris_GA_Atl

My wife and I visited Egypt (including Sharm el Sheik and St. Katherine's) in 2001. We absolutely loved it and would not hesitate to go back -- in fact we plan to do so sometime in the future. The Egyptian people we interacted with, from people on the streets of Cairo, Luxor and Aswan to the tourist police and everyone else -- were very welcoming and friendly. We never felt unsafe of threatened. The security presence was massive, but that didn't bother us -- it was just an indication that they were taking security seriously.
There are no facts to support a conclusion that Egypt is an unsafe destination, because the facts are to the contrary. People who feel it is unsafe are just displaying ignorance or prejudice. It is as simple as that to me.

Chris