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Visa is required for Egypt.
Many can get visa upon arrival at
International Airports in Egypt while others
need to get it before going to Egypt. If you
are not sure what is valid for your country,
send us an email and we will come back with
updated information.
Check with your own country's health
guidelines for travelers to Egypt. For
general health information we advise to look
at
WHO, UN's World Health Organization's
travel and health information for Egypt.
GMT + 2 hours
Summertime (GMT + 1 hour)
observed from late April until end of
September.
Egyptian Pounds
(EGP) is the local currency in
Egypt.
Major Currencies can be changed nearly
everywhere. Banks are in all cities as in
most top end hotels. Automats for credit
cards are found in most banks and mentioned
hotels. Please note that most hotel and
service contracts are given travel agents
and tour operators in US$ or Euro and then
payment must normally be in same currency.
Top season in
Egypt is the "Winter Season" which for the
travel industry starts 1st of October and
lasts until end of April.
"Summer Season" is from 1st of May until
31st of September.
Peaks periods are Christmas and New Year
which normally last from 20th of December
until 10th of January. Second peak season is
Easter - dates here vary from year to year.
Some destinations will have peak season
during the summer (as Alexandria and Al
Arish) due to the Egyptian summer
holiday and summer guests from Arab
countries.
(winter
and summer):
Egypt has lower temperatures during the
winter season which normally is from 1st of
October until end of April.
Summer season have higher temperatures,
but note that humidity are so low many
places in Egypt that these temperatures can
not be directly compared to similar
temperatures in most other countries.
Find month by month temperatures for
Cairo, Luxor and Farafra Oasis
Egypt got a dry climate and very little
humidity apart from the Mediterranean and
Red Sea coast. Especially dry and low
humidity in destinations as Luxor and Aswan,
and of course even more in the Desert.
On a hot summer day you can actually
have a more pleasant time in a desert oasis
compared to Cairo even if the temperature
are lower in Cairo. Reason for this is the
near to zero amount of humidity in the
desert.
There is normally a good difference
between night and day temperatures in Egypt.
For winter time it's advisable to bring
some warm clothes for the evening as the
night can be a bit chilly even if it's good
and warm weather during the day.
Egypt is a
meeting point between Africa, Europe and
Asia and this meeting point is clearly
reflected in her different dishes. The last
few hundred years influenced by Turkish
cuisine due to the Turkish presence in Egypt
- and yes McDonalds and KFC more recently.
Still there is something Egyptian going
though the diversity of the local cuisine,
much with roots back to Ancient Egypt. In
the villages in the Luxor area you will soon
see the traditional round "sun bread", and
in the nobles or royal tombs you find the
same bread painted on the walls.
Beer was as basic as bread in Ancient
Egypt and the good beer of today will most
likely surprise many. Egyptian wine was the
favourite wine throughout the Roman Empire,
but although wine in today's Egypt has been
of a lesser standard than its good beer -
this is in the process of changing. So do
try Egyptian wine, a good restaurant will
help you to find the best.
Yes, Egyptian food can be "hot" - but
not like many other cuisines where
everything is hot. There is normally a lot
to dip into, and all parts got their special
taste. In general Egyptian food is a
pleasant surprise for most visitors.
If you don't know where to go, it can
sometimes be hard to find gourmet
restaurants with real local dishes - but for
international cuisine you will find nearly
everything everywhere.
back to top
Here it's
important to "balance" - meaning that it's
good to know some basic information, but
don't think you are going to another planet
either.
In part of the big cities you will find
Egyptians in the latest fashion from Europe
or North America, while other places you
will find dress customs most will define as
"biblical".
In modern city areas, hotels and more
"tourist" places - go as you please. If you
go to different areas in same city or the
countryside, the tradition will be more
conservative. It is appreciated if you think
about this while visiting these areas. For
men, don't go without t-shirt in such areas,
and for women - have a dress with around
knee length and an upper part that cover
your shoulders.
Apart from going inside a mosque, there
is no place a woman is expected to wear
headscarf. To go inside a mosque, both sexes
will have to remove their footwear. Note
that in churches it's also appreciated if
women wear head scarf - and for men and
women, no shorts in Churches and Mosques.
Again, please remember - you are not
coming to another planet, but Egypt with her
millenniums of history and culture. Use your
logic with above in mind, and you as visitor
and Egyptians as your hosts - will enjoy
your stay!
Tips are main
part of income for many Egyptians and for
most working within tourism. While any
amount is appreciated, tips often range from
5% to 10% of meals or trip costs - to be
split among those involved.
We often recommend to use following
"thumb rule": if any service is done well
and to your appreciation, tips is a very
nice way to show gratitude. On the other
hand, if service on lets say a restaurant is
not good, then save the tips for someone who
deserve it! |
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