vegiemite

Hi all
My partner and I want to go to Egypt with our 9 month old baby - We would like to go to Luxor and on a cruise down the nile or to Cairo. Could u take a baby to these areas or should we just stick to Hurghada or Sharm el- Sheikh (if any).Opinions welcome.

Judy_in_Calgary

Hello Vegiemite,

I answered a similar question on another Fodors forum:

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34470232

If you still want to take your baby to Egypt, may the force be with you.

Mily

Visited Egypt some years ago and although I have no kids, I would not recommend taking an infant to this destination. Even if you are well travelled, big cities will be very chaotic (part of the charm of this destination) and dusty. Instead of enjoying you trip, you will be constantly worrying about what your baby puts in his/her mouth. I also agree with Judy in regards to the long flight.

Grcxx3

Unless you plan on making several trips to Egypt - what's the point of going to Hurghada or Sharm without taking the time to see Cairo and Luxor? They're beautiful beach areas - but surely, there must be closer beaches to you if that's the experience you want.

Personally, I wouldn't advise taking a baby to Egypt - for several reasons...

- long flight
- lack of smooth surfaces if you wish to use a stroller
- many sites along the Nile cruise have numerous stairs
- dust, dirt, more dust, more dirt
- water/food/formula issues - and I'm not sure about the availability of disposable diapers
- if you plan on taking any local taxis, most do not have seat belts with which to secure a car seat
- depending on the time of year - the heat and sun can be brutal
- lack of sanitary conditions in some areas
- you will probably end up carrying the baby a good bit of the time since there will be few places you will feel comfortable putting him/her down outside your hotel room
- nothing in Egypt is really childproofed, so you will be on constant guard watching for things


Now, on a good note, Egyptians LOVE CHILDREN! You will be fawned over and taken care of, but you will probably also have many, many strangers wanted to touch and/or hold the baby (especially if there is a headful of blond hair!). Some people are okay with this - others aren't.

My suggestion would be to find someone to watch the baby - while you enjoy an "adult" trip! In the long run - the baby won't miss anything (except you - which won't cause any permanent harm!) and you will be able to really enjoy everything Egypt has to offer!

MauiMaui

I ws in Egypt for 12 days in January 04 and saw 1 baby about 10 months old at one of the temples and he was not a happy camper!! The guide tried her best to talk over the crying, and I;m sure the mom missed a lot. I did not see any on any of the cruise ships.

Bchen

Don't listen to the nay sayers.
Traveling with an infant is much easier than with a toddler or preschoolers. No worries about finding a bathroom or not liking the food or getting tired. Request the bulkhead seat and the basinet that gets attached on the airplane.

Bring a "snugli" or back carrier (I don't recommend a stroller), diapers and wipes and prepackaged baby food and you're good to go.

Make sure he/she has a good sun hat and stays hydrated.

never too early to groom a world traveler.

Grcxx3

I guess it depends on your definition of a toddler and it definitely depends on the child.

My first child was crawling all over the place at 9 months, was content in a stroller, but hated the front and back carriers (too restricting). My second child was walking and running at 9 months and wouldn't get anywhere NEAR a back carrier. I can't even imagine having them on a cruise ship - I would have been exhausted from chasing after them the whole time. Not the relaxing experience a cruise should be.

I have seen people at the beach resorts with babies/toddlers, but it's hard to tell which ones are visiting for a week or two and which ones actually live in Egypt and are just on a little vacation.

I stick by my original comments - bringing a baby/toddler/young child to Egypt is possible, but definitely not easy.

Travelnick

Grcxx summed it up entirely with both +ves and negatives. Egypt is certainly not one of the cleanest places in the world and is high up the tummy upset list for UK Which magazine - India and Dominican Republic (the latter due to lots of all inclusive resorts with buffets) are much higher, so why go through the potential grief - you can go to lots of other places which will be more comfortable and satisfy Bchen's point.

NnN

I would certainly not recommend a baby when visiting Luxor. Its a really exhausting visit as there's so much to see, lots of walking to do, and you'll want to carry camera's and water, carrying a baby would just really hamper your ability to enjoy it because you'll be so tired. If its just beaches, you'll have a good time, Hurghada and Sharm are great destinations and you'll find everything you need from formula to baby wipes (I live in Egypt so Im pretty sure). Best leave the historical/monumental travel till your kid is older and can share the fun of exploration