ENGLISH PROJECT
THE WORLD AROUND ME
EGYPT
TEAM 3.1416TU2
MANU: Egypt. One of the countries full of great History and
Culture. Surrounded by Great Buildings of its Old Time in History. A great
option to travel, know, learn and enjoy. Surrounded by large cities, rivers,
markets, traditions, tourism and a great special atmosphere. Here in this video
guide, we will show you some tips and details that you should take into account
if you plan to travel.
1. HOW TO GET THERE: Cairo receives daily flights from many
countries of the world and you can use a specialized search engine if you want
to organize the trip on your own. The prices of tickets have risen considerably
in recent years as companies have reduced the number of flights operating with
the Egyptian capital. In case you would like to access Egypt by land, bear in
mind that this country borders on Libya, Sudan and Israel. Three countries with
a somewhat complicated If you are
traveling from Israel, know that an Israeli stamp in your passport can make it
difficult or impossible to enter Egypt.
3. VISA AND PASSPORT: Your passport must have a minimum validity of 6 months to
enter Egypt. The visa can be
obtained at the same airport by buying it at the exchange offices for $ 25 (if
you pay with euros they will give you a few pounds of change). Once you
have the sticker, you must pass the control in which they will seal it (do not
hit it!). The tourist visa lasts 30 days. If you want to expand it, it is
necessary that you do it just before the end of the month. For this you must go
to the visa office first thing in the morning (in the case of Luxor, it is
located opposite the Sonesta hotel). The visa extension is about 600LE, and you
need a photo, photocopies of your flight in and out, and fill out a form. It
can take all the morning or maybe they make you return the next day, it depends
on how well you fall to the official on duty. Although, if you are clear that
you will be more than a month, it is best to process it directly from the
embassy of your country of origin. Keep in mind that spending the month, is a
much higher penalty that will be charged when you want to leave the country. I
also recommend that you bring photocopies of the first page of your passport.
They will ask for it every time you check in at a hotel and also at the police
checkpoints. Another document that you must present in the control is the entry
card that will be delivered to you on the plane and in which you will have to
complete information regarding your name, nationality, passport number, flight number
and place of residence in Egypt.
4. CUSTOMS: At the airport it is not uncommon to have your checked bag
checked once you pick it up on the tape. Sometimes they can get a little heavy
if you carry a bottle of alcohol or a pack of tobacco. Foreigners are allowed
to carry two bottles and two packages per person. In case they tell you that it
is not allowed, insist on talking to the person in charge and do not let
yourself be intimidated. It is difficult to get alcoholic drinks away from the
main tourist sites - Muslims do not drink liquor - they are expensive and
scarce. Do not carry anything fragile in the suitcase, it is more
likely that it will break, since nobody is careful with the suitcases. A good
means of prevention is to mark the suitcase with the name of the hotel in case
of loss.
5. CURRENCY AND CHANGE OF MONEY: The currency of Egypt is the Egyptian
pound LE or Egiptian Pound (1 LE = 100 piasters). At the time of my trip, one
euro was equal to 20.81 LE. However, it is a value that is continuously
fluctuating. In recent years it has been devalued to double, so the change with
the euro is quite advantageous. However,
the prices have gone up a lot, including that of the monuments, so you really
do not get to notice the change. There are bills of 1, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100 and
200. Treasure the coins (50 piastras and 1 Libra) and small bills, they will
come in handy. The most advisable thing is to change a quantity at the
airport (the same visa vendors are exchange offices) for the first expenses
that we are going to have, and then change in the cities we visit according to
our forecasts of expenses. Keep in mind that you will find exchange offices
only in the main cities (especially in the main roads, except in Cairo where
curiously there are not many) and you can also withdraw money from ATMs,
although with a less advantageous change. It is very easy to change from euros
or dollars to pounds, but more complicated and obviously unfavorable to do it
in reverse. In addition, you will see that many Egyptians even in the most
unsuspected places will ask you to change their euros (coins they receive as
tips) for your Egyptian bills or pounds. This is because in banks and offices
they only change tickets.
BRANDON: 6. HOW MUCH MONEY TRAVEL: This section will depend on the type of traveler you are and
the trip you want to make. Egypt is a very cheap country if you sleep in
hostels, you eat in Egyptian places and if you manage to agree a fixed price
when it comes to establishing transport costs and other services. The most
tourist places have similar prices or slightly cheaper than ours. Another
advisable option to save is to buy bread and make our own sandwiches (it never
hurts to take something from home in the suitcase). It is highly recommended
when you do excursions, since you will leave very early and you will not have
much time to stop to eat. So for giving you an idea, a daily budget that
includes sleeping, meals, transportation, monuments, tips and a purchase should
not exceed 50 euros. I speak to you at an adventurous level and sharing
expenses of course. Bargain without fear but with a smile. The prices are
always inflated and for the tourist much more, do not be afraid to ask for a
discount, otherwise you will end up paying double for anything. You are in the
country of the thousand-year-old merchants.
7. WHERE TO SLEEP: You can reserve the accommodation by Booking, choosing the option that suits
you best. However, something interesting happens in Egypt. It seems that
mid-range accommodations do not exist or are very scarce. In the most tourist
cities you will find many hotels that share the same opinions of the users: in
their time they had to be great complexes, but not now. The drop in tourism
seems to have affected many of these large resorts where maintenance is
conspicuous by their absence. As a result we have two options: hotels of pure
luxury that do not go below € 70 per night and simpler accommodations that are
very cheap (an average of € 20 per person) and that sometimes offer great
service.
8. WHAT TO EAT: Eating in Egypt is very cheap, especially if you do it in
places that are frequented by local people. To give you an idea: a Kushari in
Aswan (El-Safwa) cost us 75 cents or € 1.5 an Egyptian crepe in Khan al
Khalili, one of the souks in Cairo. However, it is true that we must be careful
what we eat since our stomach can be affected. Always ask for bottled water and
try to avoid foods that are not cooked like salads. Of course, you will find
restaurants focused on tourism in which there is nothing to fear. As for typical dishes, I recommend you try the Kushari (a
combination of legumes based on lentils, chickpeas, pasta and rice accompanied
with sauce of tomatoes, spices and fried onions), the Taameya (bean cake, what
we know as Falafel ), Tahina (sesame sauce), Babaganuf (eggplant paste),
Waraaenab (vine leaf stuffed with rice and meat), fetir or Egyptian pizza,
which can be sweet or salty and Kebab, one of the best-known dishes and which
consists of charcoal-grilled lamb meat served with vegetables and spices. The
sweets and Egyptian cakes, tremendously sweetened, are the least interesting.
In the majority of the restaurants at the price of the menu, 12% is added in
taxes, 10% in service and 10% in gratuity.
9. WHAT TO DRINK: You should bear in mind that being an Islamic country does
not sell alcohol in most establishments, although they do make their own brands
of beer. The best known are Stella and Saqqara. You will find them in
restaurants and tourist bars. The best are the natural juices (mango, pomegranate,
watermelon, melon, lemon, dates ...). They usually have them in many stalls and
restaurants, and they know wonderfully. In addition, they are surprisingly
cheap (around 8 LE, less than 40 cents). Of course the teas such as Shai or
Karkadé, the first is the Egyptian tea par excellence while the second a Nubian
infusion that is made with the hibiscus flower and can be taken cold or hot.
The most typical coffee is Turkish, strong and flavored with cardamom. It is
better not to consume raw foods, or the husks of fruits, the water must be
distilled.
10. TICKETS: The price of tickets is usually not very high. The most
expensive ones correspond to the most famous monuments such as Abu Simbel and
The Pyramids of Giza. In the case of Abu Simbel, the entrance charges part
local tax and a fee that you must pay for using a guide. If you do not have a
guide, you will still have to pay the fee. They are only a few pounds, but we
were struck by the fact that they force you to do so. As you will understand,
tourists pay considerably more than Egyptians. Look closely at the price
tables, the faces are ours. The entries have been rising for several years, due
to the devaluation of the currency. This past December was the last climb. If
you are a student under the age of 30, you must obtain the international
student card (ISIC), you can do it on the web for a cost of € 10 valid for one
year. It is highly recommended because with it you will save half of each entry
and at the end of the trip, if you do accounts is a considerable amount. Another aspect that you will have to keep in mind is that
those who are going to sell you tickets casually almost never have change. It
is a small technique of "I charge my commission", as this way you
will have no other option than to leave the rest. Try to keep small bills (10
and 20) to pay exact or insist that you return the difference.
MARCOS: 11. TRANSPORTS: At the time of moving either by taxi, pickup (small vans
that work as buses), motorboat (boats that cross the Nile) or the ferry, you
will surely be a little lost as to the amount you must pay. To give you an
idea, in the case of a taxi, a good price would be about 20-30L per car for a trip
in the city of small or medium distance. A longer route varies from 50-80LE.
Always negotiate the price first, you will not want to meet an angry driver who
demands an exorbitant amount. A motorboat that crosses the Nile in Luxor will
not fall below 10LE. It also depends on the people, if you are a large group,
15 or 20 LE would be the best and everyone is happy. If the trip involves going
to another point on the shore (like Karnak), we are talking about at least
50-60 LE. The ferry that crosses the Nile if it has an established price: 1LE
per person, the same price as a displacement in a pickup. In Lúxor and Asán you
can take feluccas (traditional sailing boat) to navigate the Nile. The price
also has to be negotiated depending on the number of travelers. They usually
charge around 30-40 LE per person, if the felucca is more or less complete. If
you are little, obviously the price will rise (in the end it's all about
negotiating, in Egypt you have to be a hard nut to crack). In the West Bank of
Luxor or in Aswan, an advisable option is that you agree with a pickup or taxi
a price to work for you that day and so you can move more easily to the main
places of interest. It's a matter of bargaining, and of the places you want to
see. You can agree with them the journeys and the time that you need, so that
they are waiting for you at the exit. For a full day 300LE is very good, and if
you give a good service, you can give an extra tip. Bargain without fear but with a smile. The prices are always inflated and for
the tourist much more, do not be afraid to ask for a discount, otherwise you
will end up paying double for anything. You are in the country of millennial
traders. Leave everything clear, especially with money. If you hire a service,
you must pay for transportation or a specific guide to the terms of the
negotiation and do not allow them to charge you for more. It is better to make
deals in local currency. If
you are a student, manage the International Student Travel Confederation (ISTC)
in your country, with this card you can receive discounts on tickets and
transports.
12. BARGAINING: Prepare to negotiate everything you want to buy or do. In
Egypt in most cases there are no established prices, everything is subject to
the game of bargaining, from a figurine of a deity to hire a transport. This
fact can become a real hell if you do not have several clear aspects. They are
always going to inflate prices, I do not exaggerate if I tell you that up to 10
or 12 times its value. They are going to swear that it is made by hand or the
purest material that exists, but almost 99% is usually a lie. You have to be
clear and let them know that we know what things are worth. You will never get
the Egyptian price, but at least try a fair amount for both. The advisable
thing is that you always negotiate and close the prices very well since it is
not rare that they try to change them later. To give you an idea of some
prices: 5 EP a small bottle of water and 10 the big one of 1,5L, a soft drink
10LE (in the stalls in the street they are somewhat more expensive than in the
supermarket), pita bread sold in bags of 10 for about 5LE, a magnet is worth
between 10 and 20LE, a small figurine of some deity around 20LE (take it as a
reference for larger ones), a tea or juice usually does not exceed 15LE, a
T-shirt 40-50LE. As for shopping in souks, basically you have to arm yourself
with patience. If you really care about something, try not to show much
interest, keep in mind the fair price that you are willing to pay and depending
on that, start offering 30 or 40% of the price and then raise it to that
amount. There are souks like the one in Luxor in which the vendors are much
more aggressive to a point of considerable oppression. The one in Cairo, the
market of Khan El-Khalili, is simply oversized in dimensions. For my taste, the
souk of Aswan was the best. The quietest and in which Egyptian buyers mix with
tourists. Many will tell you: "look, do not overwhelm," to reassure
you.
13. TIPS: There is a word that you are going to learn yes or yes in
Egypt: bakshish, that is, tip. It is established as a custom that you must
leave a 10% tip in any establishment, but you will also be asked basically for
everything. If they offer you help, they will usually ask for it. Also if that
help seems like a simple offering of information. The 'gafir' or guardians in
the monuments (for which you have already paid a ticket) will try to get close
to explain something about the place, help you down to a grave, show you some
place supposedly forbidden access, or give a simple switch ... and then:
surprise! they will ask for the famous bakshish. I comment this because it is
something that becomes too tiring. My recommendation is that you give it to
them when you feel they deserve it, because there are some really charming
gafirs and others who without doing anything demand it from you. Sometimes they
will ask you for a cigarette or a pen. If you do not want to pay tips do not
ask for favors, in Egypt everyone asks for tips to the police.
14. SECURITY Security is one of the factors that most concerns when
considering travel to Egypt. It is true that the instability generated after
the Arab Spring and the series of attacks that have occurred in recent years
have negatively influenced tourism. The Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs
considers Egypt as a dangerous destination to travel, so you should send your
data so that they have you located. The reality is that it is not a really
dangerous country, can something happen? Yes ... but the sad reality is that no
country in the world is free of a terrorist attack. Egypt is aware that this
fact affects them deeply and they are the first to be harmed since tourism is a
fundamental part of their economy. Therefore, they have focused on trying to
offer maximum security to foreigners arriving in the country. In this sense,
they are forcing tourists to report their travel program to the authorities to
know at all times where they are and to be able to act more quickly in the face
of possible attacks. There are police and military controls everywhere and
especially at the entrance of the most tourist places. In fact, the police can
become a headache. There are times when they may be overprotective and decide
to escort the transports to places that could be understood as safe, which
considerably lengthens the journey. In all the tourist places they check the
backpacks and even they cache you (although here I must point out that many of
the scanners are purely symbolic and they check you without much interest). The
truth is that the feeling of insecurity disappears once you are there, but
still have to comply with all indications: move in the most tourist sites, if
possible in groups, and be cautious. Let there be no doubt that you can walk
calmly. In the souks is where you have to be more careful, but before you
assault or steal, the most normal thing is to try to sisarte with the change
when buying. We should not pay until we have closed a price well. Be you who
give them the tickets already counted so they do not try to confuse you. Egypt
is going through a politically unstable moment, yet tourists are always
protected. Be careful to comment on the government or your situation with other
countries -Israel, Palestine, Iran, the United States, etc-
15. TRAVELING FOR FREE? The current situation in the country makes it
difficult to travel freely. Only
if you know very well how everything works and you have many contacts or local
friends it is possible to make a trip of this type. As I have said, one
of the requirements that tourists are required to report is their movements in
the country, so it is difficult to travel without having any kind of local
intermediary to provide this information. It is true that, within certain
planning, the trip can be organized with a greater degree of freedom and it is
not necessary to contract everything with an agency. However, you will need to
at least contact a person who in turn can hire a reliable driver for commuting
and excursions (which in my opinion is the most important part), since renting
a car in Egypt is not feasible . As for hotels, they can be freely reserved
online. The entrances to the monuments do not need to be reserved in advance,
since they can be bought in the same place.
RODRIGO: 16.
CLOTHING: In Egypt, regardless of the date you go there are two common
factors: a warm and dry climate, and a lot of dust in the environment. For this
reason, fresh and light clothes (preferably cotton), head coverings, high
socks, sunglasses, protective cream and cocoa are recommended. Temperatures
usually vary considerably from night to morning, so it is always good to bring
something warm. As for women's clothing, although it is true that they are
accustomed to Western women, it can be perceived that it is somewhat shocking
for them to see according to what garments. I recommend wearing clothes that
cover at least the thighs and shoulders. No shorts, very low-cut or
tight-fitting clothes. More than anything, you will get rid of some
uncomfortable glances and comments.
17. BE A WOMAN IN EGYPT: Linking this aspect with the previous one on
clothing, traveling alone to Egypt as a woman is not exactly something I would
recommend. I can not speak
from my own experience since I traveled accompanied, but it is easy to guess. The
looks and innuendos (many times in Arabic, taking advantage of the fact that
you do not understand them) can be overwhelming. It is not uncommon for you to
ask for kisses (literally), insist that you drink a tea with them, and needless
to say, ask for a phone, facebook and so on. The best thing to do is to wear a
ring and say that you are married. No boyfriends, husbands. It seems that the
Egyptians have some kind of hope if you tell them you have a boyfriend, but if
you tell them that you are married they will respect you. Egypt is an
essentially Muslim country where decorum and modesty are the order of the day.
Women should dress modestly-no necklines, no short skirts-and men should
refrain from making compliments or jokes, nor should they wear shorts. Women
can have a hard time if they do not wear the right clothes or behave liberally.
They run the risk of being sexually harassed or verbally molested because they
are assumed to be easy and morally unassuming women.
18. PHOTOS: Outdoor photos are allowed. In the museums you have to pay a
separate ticket (in the Cairo Museum:). In the Valley of the Kings, if you want
to enter with the camera you will have to pay about € 15 and if not leave it in
a small password before the entrance. In others, they will directly tell you
that it is forbidden, like inside the temple of Ramses II at Abu Simbel. It is
not strange that in the tombs, and even if it is forbidden, the watchers tell
you that they can turn a blind eye whenever you bring a bakshish. It's up to
you, although sometimes they can be very heavy if you enter the game. To take
pictures in some museums and in the valley of the kings it is necessary to ask
for permission and pay a money, do not try to skip the norm and avoid problems.
19. VACCINES, KITTENS AND INSURANCE: None is required, although tetanus and
cholera are recommended. As for suggested medications, apart from the basic,
some to curb possible diarrhea. The handkerchiefs or small packs of wipes
always come in handy. You must also have travel insurance. There are cases in
which the same credit card with which you buy the plane offers you one. In that
case, check with the entity that manages it to see if it fits your trip and if
not you can choose other options. In the Nile it is not good to bathe, to avoid
the spread of diseases and possible diarrhea. Only bathe in authorized sites.
20. LANGUAGE: Because of the language there is no need to worry, there is always
someone who speaks Spanish, as well as all other languages.
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