cpasings

I am going to Egypt Nov 15 for 3 weeks. Its an expensive tour (trip of a lifetime!). I have been told to pack light but be prepared for hot weather (up to 90 F) and then chilly weather (down in low 50 F). Also not to bring too scanty and casual attire due to culture. I don't want to spend time ironing and would welcome any suggestions. Also, what does anyone recommend for a tour where staying hydrated is highly recommended. Travel Backpacks? Waist packs? Or just a small pocket book and carry your water.

Thanks for all help and any other suggestions for people who have been there.

gail

Water - is sold everywhere. Just make sure cap is factory sealed. Noi need to haul a tanker with you. If have a freezer in hotel room or on cruise ship (if you are doing that), freeze a bottle and take it with you.

Clothing - read suggestions here. Obviously layers. Cotton or some of the "wicking" clothing. Long pants (capris if female), looser tops with at least short or mid-length sleeves. If doing a Nile cruise throw in a skirt for dinner, but one you can wear with other tops. Bring a sweater or similar fleece or wrap. If female, a scarf for head covering when needed (used mine only once).

Look for comfortable and appropriate clothing - fashion is secondary as most people going to Egypt are not their for show off their latest designer clothing.

Comfortable footwear without heels. Walking sandals work for some, sneakers. Ground is often uneven.

We were a family of 4 and brought one small light-weight backpack for the 4 of us on day trips. Used it to carry water bottle, sunblock, small guidebook, film - that's it - don't take enough stuff for a day trip that you need to rent a camel!

kleroux

Look at the Magellen Travel store (on line too)...they have a super light weight vest with tons of pockets. Its in the mens section, but it works for women too. I also got linen blend pants and jacket from Travelsmith, I think, that isn't supposed to wrinkle..if this is a delux tour they should provide water. I'd wear light weight T-shirts with loose long sleeve cotton shirts over them.

neejas

We're a family of four and just returned this week on a 15 day trip to Egypt. It was one of the most awesome experiences ever.

We carried a light backpack for bottled water, sunscreen, film and cameras. There's alot of walking and climbing, so don't overburdend yourself with extra weight. Bottled water is sold everywhere and the cost for 2 bottles of 1.5 liter size was about 5 LE (Egyptian Pounds) which was about a $1. We never came across a broken seal on the water we purchased. We were told by our guides not to drink the hotel or river cruise water, to stick to the bottle water. The ice was safe. We brought along powdered Gatoraid to mix with our bottled water which worked great. If you start your siteseeing early 8 a.m.---noon, you'll find it much cooler, also you can stand in the shade and the temperature drops quite a bit because of the low humidity.

I would not worry much about wearing casual attire or shorts. With the heat in August, shorts were the rule most everyday. Gail is right about fashion being secondary. We had no problem. The only time we did not wear light clothing was on the Spiritual Cairo tour or dinner at a restaurant, we wore light weight slacks. But all the people we ran into were all really kind and wanting to always help or satisfy you, even the local strangers staying at the hotels or at the restaurants were always smiling and waiving.

I would say no to wearing open sandals. Some people had flipflops and had some trouble with the sand and rocks. I had a good pair of tennis shoes and still got a rock or two in them.

I know you'll enjoy your trip.

heymo

Neejas, may I ask you some questions about your trip?My husband and I are leaving for Egypt in 37 days...

What was your itinerary, and what were your favorites? How much did you tip your tour guide? And what may sound like a silly question...did you find places to do laundry?

Conlet

A reply to the laundry question - we had some done at our hotel and on the cruise ship (less expensive there) for a reasonable cost and prompt service.

sunshine007

check out this entry, too. It should be in the first page.

"Clothing and shoe suggestions for Egypt in October?"

LizYoung

cpasings - I lived in Cairo for about 1.5 years so I have perhaps a slightly different approach than other posts so far (all good suggestions). Cairo in Nnovember is going to be relatively pleasant (except for the bad air). The really hot weather is over in October most of the time so you should feel fine in a light weight cotton long sleeve shirt during the day. (Any sleeve that goes above the elbow is offensive.) Keep in mind that all of the sites you are going to visit are dusty and dirty so bring pants and long skirts that are going to wash and wear well. Linen is good because it's cool. I never wore jeans in Egypt - just too hot. The ground is VERY uneven so wear solid sandals or shoes with good support. The evenings in Cairo will get quite chilly (much like the desert in America) so be prepared with layers. Clothing matters a lot and it says loads about you as a tourist visiting what is becoming an ever-increasing conservative Muslim state so V-necks are out, sheer fabrics are out, shorts are out. You'll never see an Egyptian wearing shorts...especially women. I used a regular backkpack and carried a camera, water, snack, and whatever else (always a roll of TP) when I first visited. I would recommend reading Culture Shock Egypt which will just give you a point of view about culture...I know you're gong as a tourist but just knowing some of the basic "rules" will make a large difference.

I NEVER felt unsafe the entire time I was there either as a visitor or as a resident. Feel free to walk around whenever you like (bring a flashlight always) and just enjoy yourself.

Laundry shops can be found near all major hotels. They're dramatically cheaper than the hotel and you can get your clothes back in 24 hours. Never send underwear - it will come back in pieces. I brought a bit of rope and some pins and used my balcony as a drying area.

I tipped 5LE a day ($1.00US) to the hotel room maid (which is huge) and added to the gratuity on the restaurant receipts. Get plenty of 1LE bills so that you can have "baksheesh" to buy things on the street, pay a bribe to see something, etc.

Try to take a felucca ride on the Nile at night. Buy a bottle of wine from the hotel and just float on the Nile for a few hours. It's dirt cheap and really wonderful.

Have a great trip. If you have more questions, etc. you should feel free to email me at [email protected]

Grcxx3

Liz - great suggestions, especially about the clothing, shoes and the felucca ride!!! There are a lot of things I miss about living in Egypt, and some things I don't miss. But I REALLY miss those wonderful rides up and down the Nile!

LizYoung

I should add this...technically you can wear whatever you want and do whatever you want. Egypt and other friendly Middle Eastern countries are so hungry for tourism right now that you can't really get into trouble...I found that the more I stuck to Arab culture, the better the day.

Oh...and don't say hi to any man on the street...ever...you'll end up getting followed with a marriage proposal.

vineetha

hi
you seemed to have got all the right answrs for your queries! we were in egypt few months back and lots to sightsee. so shoes have to be comfy walking shoes and clothes light and uncrushable. taking a light scarf to beat the head instead of a hat (which could get warm) is a good idea.carry a back pack for water, scarf, a light stole a nights can get chilly. (the sound and light show at night got nippy when we went). take something to munch as can get grubby during those long sightseeing hours.

heymo

I have a couple questions for you Liz...you said "the bad air"...what does that mean exactly? Do you mean smog or something else I'm not aware of?
I've also been told that Egytpian wine is horrible, can you readily find wine we might purchase here in the states? We leave Oct. 10th and I keep adding to the list of things to make sure I buy or pack!

Grcxx3

About the bad air....my experience has been that the air can get very nasty with smog-type problems. A couple of times a year I remember that the (rice???) fields were burned and the air was horid - but I think that's more like Sept and April. Just keep in mind - there is so little rain, that whatever gets into the air - STAYS there for a while.

As for wine - NO - you can't get what you are used to in the US. Imported wine is available in restaurants and duty free shops, but it is pricey. Egyptian wine is tolerable if you stick to Grand Marquis (there is a white, a red, and I think a rose - but I would stay away from the rose). Ptolomy and Obelisk always gave me nasty headaches.

But to be honest - the Egyptian beer is rather good. I liked Saqqara, altho it gave my husband a headache. He liked Stella. You can get a nice big, cold can of Saqqara for a little over a $1 (well, it's been a couple of years....so maybe $2).

Have a great trip....Egypt is spectacular!

LizYoung

Bad Air - Cairo has some of the worst air pollution in the world - it's right up there with Mexico City in fact. My asthma really kicked in the first few months I lived there and my throat was a bit scratchy until I got used to it. There is always dust in the air...and you just don't see it. You'll go out into Cairo for a day of sightseeing and when you come back, wipe your face with a cloth and the cloth will become black. Your feet in sandals are super grubby, too. If you do have asthma, you can buy inhalers in every pharmacy and they also have singulair pretty cheap. You're not going during the worst weather (Khamseen when it looks like it's "snowing dust&quot but it's still bad nonetheless. Stella was my favorite as the wine gave me a headache. I used to also splurge and buy a bottle from the hotel and enjoy at my leisure. The Marriott has a good selection of wines and they also have a nice PUB for a good, cold beer. Just bear in mind that you're going into the developing world and trash burning, dead animal burning, field burning, and other events happen whenever people feel the need so it's definitely an adventure. And speaking of adventures...you must go to the very wild camel market...some of my best photos are from the market...it's crazy.

gail

Another reason for dirty air (and streets) and dust in Egypt is that it rarely rains - anything in the air or on the ground just stays there or blows around.

The most wonderful thing we encountered was iced damp towels which were available upon reboarding Nile cruise after each trip out.

heymo

Thanks for the clarification. That's one thing I hadn't heard much about. Not that it will stop me from having a wonderful time, but it's good to know beforehand!

About the camel market...how far is it from Cairo? They only have it on certain days, am I correct?

gail

With new TSA rules I do not think you can bring a camel in your carryon for the trip home.

huladolphin

About the camel market: It is very difficult to find on your own, the guidebook directions read something like this: take the ring road 6 km east of Cairo, turn left at the gas station, go exactly 2.2 km, turn right onto the dirt road by the palm trees... you get the idea. The Sun Hotel organizes camel market every Friday morning for 40 LE per person. They only do it once a week, and I think it starts early, at 7:30, so call ahead to book early. They do speak English. If you wanted to bring a camel home ;-) I think they go for between 300-600 dollars, females, of course, far more valuable than the males. If you need the Sun's phone number, let my know. It's located along Talaat AlHarb near Medan Tahrir, so right in the center of the city.

huladolphin

Oops, I meant to say they organize camel market tours, lol

heymo

Darn, and I promised my father-in-law I would bring him home a camel...I may ask our tour guide if we can make a side trip out there, I'd really like to see it!