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Egypt

Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
edited January 2023 in General Chat
Anyone been??

Would you recommend it??

Thinking of going with my Lady sometime this summer, probably to the Sharm el Sheikh area (south tip, on the Red Sea), rather than the Cairo/pyramids experience.

Had a look at hotels and even the Hilton works out about £35 a night so was wondering if it was worth laying out for.

:chin:
Post edited by JustV on

Comments

  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    just been to sharm el sheikh! it was good fun; although there are many hotels as nice as the hilton that you don't need to pay as much for, especially if you book online. I spent my time mainly scuba diving; if you're not into that there are a few excursions for you to go on. night life is lovely! food is great. also a good holiday if you're looking to just relax on the beach! be careful about when you go though, it can get really hot and if you're not off out on a boat in the breeze etc be careful!!

    also if you get ill out there; tummy ache or the runs; be sure to take the local medicine and get it sorted whilst you're out there. the local medicine is a lot more powerful and capable of dealing with any bug you might get, whereas in england we're not used to it. I contracted gastroenteritis and after taking their medicine was as right as rain in a few days; however a friend who didn't take anything til she was back in england was off work for months because of it!

    you also need to drink shitloads of water. I was there end of march time, with 24 degree day times and cool evenings, and i needed to drink 2-3litres a day. it'll be much more if you go in the hotter months.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Get yourself a copy of the Rough Guide, it should give you some ideas on where to go.

    I think you'd be wasting a trip to Egypt if you didn't go to check out the pyramids. If you're going in to the south, then consider getting on a train up to Giza. It costs practically nothing to travel "first class". It'd take a while but be worth it. Try to book somewhere to stay up there too though.

    Southwards consider Karnak and Luxor Temple, which are fabulous.

    If you want to go in one of the western hotels then you should do fine quality wise, though they do (or at least did when I was there a while back) tend to keep you isolated from the local culture.

    Don't even think about driving over there, unless you have high masochistic tendancies.

    When we went, a lovely chap met us at the airport and talked us through customs really quickly before leading us to a taxi outside. It was only as the tourist policeman stopped him from loading our bags on board that it became apparent he was about to scam us by taking us to his overpriced hotel instead of where we wanted to go. Watch out for little tricks like that.

    Drink lots, wear cool, loose, white clothing. Try to avoid roadside crushed ice if you can and be wary of bottles that may have been opened and refilled.

    Expect to barter in markets etc. it can be quite fun.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Ah thanks for the info I am also travelling to Sharm-El-Shiekh this summer. Ive heard its possible to get a flight for a day trip in Cairo, would people recomend this as the best way to get over there?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    DUDE! I thought you were dead! Well, not really, but not posting any more.

    I want to go to Egypt, but i agree with Mist - there's not much point unless you go to see the pyramids etc.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Thank you both!!

    Was thinking about just booking flights and hotels seperately as it seems a lot cheaper that way and then just getting ourselves from the airport to hotel.

    Was thinking about going either early July or late September time, I guess it's always gonna be hot in egypt though isn't it??

    Is there much of a beach life?? One of the main reasons we're going is to just hang out in the sun, catch a tan and get a little drunk at night.

    :)
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    If you're choosing between July and September, I'd say go September...the heat can be fairly unbearable in July, but you still get decent weather (typically, mid to late 20s) in September - and it won't be packed full of kids, if you're looking for a bit of space for you and your lady!! :)

    If you fancy getting around and getting to see a little more of Egypt, a day or a couple of days in the desert or up by Cairo might be a nice contrast to the main, coastal part of your holiday.

    I actually work for a company who mostly take groups out to the Sinai desert in Egypt, but we also offer tailormade experiences for people, which includes just sorting out a day/couple of days excursion to fit in with the holiday you already have booked...

    ...we can do trips to Cairo/pyramids, but we actually specialise in taking people on trips to the desert behind the coast, so you can see how the Bedouin tribespeople who live in the desert, live! The landscape's pretty spectacular, and it's a pretty amazing experience - I'd definitely recommend it! (Well, I would.....:o but it IS genuinely great! :p )

    We've been doing this for over 15 years, work with a well trusted company over in Egypt, and provide you with a local guide, so it's really safe, too.

    If you're interested, PM me and we can talk a bit more about what you might fancy doing! :thumb:

    ETA: Ooo...and yes..as people have said, make sure to drink plenty of (bottled) water and keep away from ice cubes, and preferably salads or anything uncooked that the hotels might offer too...it might have been washed and prepared in water that doesn't agree with you...nothing worse than a grumbling gut when you're on holiday!! :grump:
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Is there much of a beach life?? One of the main reasons we're going is to just hang out in the sun, catch a tan and get a little drunk at night.

    :)

    Are you sure you're going to the right place? I'd say Egypt is more of a cultural tourism destination. I could be wrong like, but it'd be obscenely hot for drinking in - and drink I think would be fairly expensive over there.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Mist wrote: »
    Are you sure you're going to the right place? I'd say Egypt is more of a cultural tourism destination. I could be wrong like, but it'd be obscenely hot for drinking in - and drink I think would be fairly expensive over there.

    Drink (and just about everything else) is dead dead cheap....and while the rest of Egypt is a cultural kind of holiday place, the coast (especially around Sharm el Sheikh) is pretty much the kind of place to go for that kind of holiday...although it's no Ibiza, either...somewhere in between....:thumb:
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