Is Egypt safe ?
 

I know there have been several posts recently on trips to egypt and all sounded great. No one mentions any real problems about tourist safety or concern for terrorism in egypt. Yet whenever i mention the thought of going to egypt to anyone of my family, friends, or collegues I am cautioned against it.

I am thinking of going to Egypt in may/07 for 5 days divided between cairo and Luxor.

Should i take the plunge or go to Petra instead?

jon

Honestly, Egypt is perfectly safe, more safe than most American cities. I've lived here for over 5 months and feel very comfortable walking around alone and have never had any concerns about terrorism. The government 'discourages' terrorists from operating and takes substantial efforts to ensure tourists are safe. Police are everywhere, and all of the major sites are under tight security. Trust me, I too was forwarned against coming here, and everyone I knew was skeptical about my safety, but most people are so ignorant about the Middle East. Do not worry about your safety in Egypt. Take any precautions you would normally implement on an overseas trip, but I assure you there are not bands of masked terrorists mowing down tourists. Almost everyone will welcome you and your American wealth warmly. Take the plunge!

Laura

Which members of your family, friends and colleagues have actually been to Egypt recently?

We just returned from a family trip and had a wonderful vacation. We did not feel unsafe at any time. The security presence is very high in all tourist areas.

My rule - Never tell anyone you're going anywhere until right before departing (so someone knows where you are), if you must. Best to tell friends/family on your return to tell them about your great adventure and bombard them with your photos.

Thanks for the information and support.
I think we are going to go for it. Egypts sounds too interesting to pass up! I will just have ignore all the negative feedback.

jon

Hi Jon,
I just want to agree with the other posters. I just returned from a 3-week trip and felt very safe and welcomed in the country. And I, too, had people say to me beforehand, "Egypt! Aren't you afraid?" I had the experience there of people walking up to me, asking where I was from, and saying "welcome to Egypt" and shake my hand. These were not the vendors, either, but people at museums and other sights. I'd been to Egypt 3 times before, but my last trip was 17 years ago so I was filled with apprehension. I was so glad to see that the average person on the street had not changed. Of course there are extremists in the country, but it is doubtful you will see any. The government is very concerned about keeping tourism alive -- they simply cannot afford to have incidents happen as it cripples their economy. So they have many tourist police around and check people thoroughly before they are allowed to enter the sites. Go and have a wonderful time and come back as Sandi said to bombard them with your great stories and photos.
Best wishes.

I always suggest one checks the state department travel warnings; the government has better intelligence than tourists; I always feel safe if only due to being naive. There is not a state department travel warning for Egypt. Others will say the state department plays politics with their travel warnings but I do not believe that.