Africa's Secrets group posting on GLOBOsapiens

Egypt - is it a good vacation destination?

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gardkarlsen Joined: Dec 02 Points: 2833 Posts: 55 Posted: 2003-11-30 12:25:00    Hi For some time now I've been wanting to go on vacation to Egypt. I have always had the desire to see the pyramids, go snorkeling in the Red sea, visit the Egyptian museum in Cairo and so on. But yesterday I talked to some friends of mine that went to Egypt recently (to Hurghada) and they said that the vacation wasn't all that great. It seemed like everywhere they went they had to pay extra..when they went from the hotel that they were staying in to the beach they had to pay to get into the beach...and on the beach there were lots of different vendors that were bugging them until they want to buy a camel ride or get a fake tattoo or something like that. My friends also said that they were bugged by lots of different people that wanted to take pictures with them...what is the point of that? Well, I'm just wondering if anyone else has gone to Egypt and what impression you were left with. Regards Gard http://www.gardkarlsen.com --- Regards Gard http://gardkarlsen.c-om - trip reports and pictures Reply    Reply with quote    Contact gardkarlsen   marianne Premium account Joined: Sep 03 Points: 20248 Posts: 349 Posted: 2003-11-30 13:18:00    I was in Egypt about 18 months ago. We loved it but did not go to Hurghada and the other purpose-built places for tourists, because this is not the 'real Egypt'. and tourists are seen as 'money'. We were first in Cairo, which you shouldn't miss, then we went west to Alexandria, Mersa Matruh, beautiful beach no beach vendores, and Siwa Oasis. In these places there are relatively few foreign tourists and I'm sure you will like it. In summer these places are packed with Egyptian holidaymakers and hotelrooms are difficult to find as the Egyptian ( mainly from Cairo, 16 million inhabitants )book them in advance and stay there for the summer months. The pyramids are great to see, but here it was quite difficult to see things without a guide, but we succeeded. And of course you can do everything on your own contrary to what people (guides) make you believe. The pyramids are on the outskirts of Cairo and yu can get there by public transport. [ This Message was edited by: marianne on 2003-11-30 13:30 ] --- “I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel’s sake. The great affair is to move.” Robert Louis Stevenson Reply    Reply with quote    Contact marianne   inzaghi Joined: Jun 02 Points: 3862 Posts: 87 Posted: 2003-12-01 05:31:00    I have been to Egypt 3 times, and last 2 times on a shoestring backpack. I did everything on my own, had no guide for all of 3 weeks. Imagine Dahab>Cairo>Alexandria>Siwa by public buses. It was great fun, but requires lots of patience, and being able to laugh when something crops up is a great plus. I would go back to Egypt again anytime. Even though Dahab was pretty touristy, I love the water and seafood. I have been seriously told to avoid Hurghada and the other expensive beach resort (can't recall name). Never miss Siwa - the trip there is special on its own. Rent a bicycle when you get there, cycle to Fatnas Island at sunset, and next day, go to the Sea of Sands for a day excursion. It was hard tearing myself away from Siwa. I love Cairo for the pyramids (did all by my own too), but I don't really care much for the city itself. Too chaotic, and maybe a tad too exotic for me. --- Lover of just five things - travelling, photography, thick crust pizzas, the xy-chromosomes, the Italians and the Dutch. Well, I can't count, so? Reply    Reply with quote    Contact inzaghi   ta-shy Joined: Jun 02 Points: 4110 Posts: 170 Posted: 2003-12-01 07:44:00    I've travelled Egypt and found it to be too touristy for my liking. I didn't really enjoy the museum, pyramids etc just for the fact that there were way too many tourists there for my liking. However, you should go and see it because one never knows how long it will be around. I went snorkling in the Red Sea also but there were too many tourists around there too. I also found the Red Sea to be way saltier than the Indian Ocean. For the most part I mixed with the locals and stayed with their families and friends. They took me to local hotels, stores and night clubs. In Hurghada, someone took me to a "underground" club where there was belly dancing totally different from what you see during Ramadon and what is put on for the tourists. Egypt overall is great to see for the history however it is a poor country and most depend on tourists for their survival. I think the thing one must remember is that: The money that you drop there in your 2 week/month or whatever is the most they will see in probably 6 months.. For me, I don't think I would return because I'm not into the tourist scene. p.s. Northern Moroc is the same if not worse. --- LIFE IS AN ATTITUDE! ALWAYS DO WHAT YOU WISH YOU COULD! ALWAYS! Reply    Reply with quote    Contact ta-shy   beograd Joined: Jan 04 Points: 1464 Posts: 5 Posted: 2004-01-10 15:06:00    Hello, I visited Egypt in July 2003. We stayed in Hurghada for 10 days and 2 days in Cairo. From Hurghada I went to Luxor, snorkeling and went on a day safari to bedouine village in Eastern Desert. What can I say, it was an extraordinary experiance which I would like to repeat. When people asked me what I liked best, I couldn't specifie one thing. My answer was always the same: EVERYTHING. So, if you are asking me about Egypt as a holliday destination, I would definetly say: GO FOR IT! Reply    Reply with quote    Contact beograd