My mother and her husband, both 80, enjoyed their time in Egypt.

But were sadly scammed at Elite Perfumery / Aromatherapy in Aswan. Mum purchased a set of six perfumed oils, during a tour operator-led trip to this store. They were a gift to me.

Presumably what they sampled in the store (like sitting ducks) and what they bought, are very different.

I have tried three of the six oils. When you take the cap off and sniff, they smell good. When you shake some oil from the bottle however, it is a horrible-feeling oil (like cooking oil, not a body oil) with hardly any scent to it. Almost NO scent to it.

It's as if there are drops of essential oil in the cap or the dropper nib (which is why they smell good when you sniff the bottle). But the actual oil in the bottle is just nothing.

Might be good to burn in an oil burner, but I wouldn't bother, it is that dilute.

I haven't told mum as it would upset her and she has no chance of recompense.

If you are reading this Elite Perfumery, or any such other store: Shame on you.

Thank you for the tip, but please do not allow this event to color your impression of Aswan, or Egypt in general.
Personally, I never take the advice of "guide," who I am sure you now gets a commission or toting foreign tourists to a shop...
I am sorry you lost money and had a poor experience, but honestly, I would blame this more on your guide than on the shop; your guide obviously knew the the place as not a quality aroma source....and he is in on the fraud, no doubt.

It's a shame that there are so many scammy type events like you described, in parts of the Middle e/ast, and all across-the world....take it in stride.....part of the travel experience but I do admit that although I've made a few trips to North Africa, the many touts and "guides' do put me off a bit and although I would like to return, the is one of the things that put other destinations ahead.....and I travel mostly as a single female.....it is just tiring to have to deal with all the people trying to "get" something from you. but we must understand the dire economic state of some of these areas,, as well as the style of selling......

No doubt I have not helped you oe bt but I do have sympathy and the fact that you took the trouble to post this, as a first time member of this site, allows me to understand that it was a very badf experience for you...

Again, do not let that one experience color the wonders, and the wonderful people, that you might meet across North Africa. Someday this will be a tale to tell....

I bought Kohl from a souk in Fez, complete with a nice silver-colored applicator, and a lot of spices....the Kohl looked great for about two minutes, before it dripped down my cheeks and I looked like a Halloween spook figure!!!!

I sometimes think about returning to Cairo but will probably will not.

Anyone who has an interest in this city might want to read any articles by PETER HESSLER in THE NEW YORKER; he lived there and wrote some compelling pieces about the life of the "have nots" in that city, of which there are many.

One more thing: I wonder if a shop that has an awning written in English might be a place to avoid....maybe next time try to ask a local female about where she would recommend buying perfumes........I bet you could find good tips doing that........

The price of the "real" scents has escalated so much in recent yers that anyplace advertising some kind of bargain might be a place you would want to walk past, on your next trip...

Very good points by ekscrunchy, including that the guide was no doubt in on the fraud and that the store will feel no "shame" and will be happy to keep continuing to scam suckers as much as they can.

It's important for OP to recognize that they have a different value / ethics system -- we're the stupid, naive westerners with money for the taking, so they see these sorts of trickery and shenanigans as a necessary a means to an end.

If you haven't been, Algeria and Tunisia are free from all these shenanigans (scams, touts, etc.) that you get in Egypt. And are excellent countries to visit. They're sufficiently off the beaten tourist path. (Haven't been to Morocco and have little desire to do so because it seems similar to Egypt in the shenanigan level.)

Yes, the annoyance of the touts is almost universal in all the places I visited in Morocco.

I've been to Tunisia only once, mainly to Djerba, Matmata and Tunis/Sidi Bou Said......but that was early 1970s! Seems a real possibility for me...

So, Algeria???? There is a current thread from a well-regarded poster here who is planning a trip. But if archeological sites are not a top interest of mine, would a trip to Algeria still yield much interest?
What destinations would I put on my list?

Solo female traveler?
Big interest in local food, scenery. Want very comfortable hotels...

Thank you!!

Algeria is well worth it if you're not into Roman ruins. They're very impressive and totally untouristed so I wouldn't totally discount them, though. If you're into scenery, Djemila and Tipaza are Roman ruins with beautiful settings -- even if you're not so into the ruins themselves.

Putting aside Roman ruins, Algiers and Constantine are musts. Constantine is epic for scenery -- if it were in Europe, it'd be flooded with tourists. We didn't get out to the desert but the desert experiences looked very authentic there and would have been nice if we had more time. Here's our TR: Trip Notes: 5 Nights in Algeria

Getting good local food is tough in Algeria. It's one of those places where locals don't go out to eat nice meals at restaurants. You'll mainly eat a bunch of fast food and won't really get to appreciate the great cuisine they have.

As for hotels, we have low standards, but there are major Western chain hotels in the major cities...

I am sorry your mother's gift wasn't the delight it should have been and hope she didn't pay too much for it. You are kind not to mention your disappointment to her. I hope she and her husband enjoyed their trip and have many good memories of their time in Egypt.