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ABU AND UMM Literally "father of" and "mother of", Abu and Umm are used both as honorific titles and also figuratively as a nickname, picking out the salient characteristic or a person or object. They can also be used metaphorically, as in "The Mother of Battles". ADDRESSES The words for street ( sharia), avenue ( tariq) and square ( midan) always precede the name. Whole blocks often share a single street number, which may be in Arabic numerals. CHILDREN evoke a warm response, which makes travelling with them easier than one might expect. Most hotels can supply an extra bed and breakfast (which should be supplemented for variety), while baby food and disposable nappies are available at pharmacies and stores in all large towns. Children of any age should enjoy camel and felucca rides, snorkelling and (a few of) the great monuments. All the main resorts have discos and sports facilities. From an adult minder's standpoint, most hazards can be minimized or avoided by taking due precautions. Children (especially young ones) are more susceptible than adults to heatstroke, dehydration and tummy upsets. Traffic is obviously dangerous, and stray animals (possible disease carriers), fenced-off beaches (probably mined) and poisonous fish and coral in the Red Sea are also potential hazards. CIGARETTES Almost the entire adult male population of Egypt smokes, and offering cigarettes around is common practice. The most popular brand is Cleopatra (GBPE1.50; GBPE1.60 in a crush-proof pack). Locally produced versions of Marlboro, Rothmans and Camel have a much higher tar content than their equivalents at home; the genuine article can be found in duty-free shops. Matches are kibreet; a cigarette lighter is a wallah. DRUGS Unlike under President Sadat (who smoked dope himself), Egypt now has draconian anti-drugs laws that make hanging or life imprisonment mandatory for convicted smugglers and dealers (which could be interpreted to mean somebody caught with a few sachets of the stuff). Mere possession or use merits a severe prison sentence and a heavy fine (plus legal costs, upwards of US$1000). Despite this, bango (marijuana) is still consumed by Egyptians who can afford it, and by tourists in Dahab, Luxor, Aswan, Hurghada and Cairo. Providing it's done discreetly, the police usually turn a blind eye where tourists are concerned. ELECTRICITY The current in Egypt is 220V, 50Hz. North American travellers with appliances designed for 110V should bring a converter. Most sockets are for round-pronged plugs, so you'll also need an adapter. Brief power cuts are quite common in Egypt. FOOTBALL ( futbol) is Egypt's national sport. The two Cairo-based rivals, Ahly and Zamalek, are the major teams and contributed most of the country's 1998 squad which won the Cup of Nations as well as the Arabic Super-Cup. Clashes between the two teams can be intense - and occasionally have led to rioting - but games are in general relaxed. Should their team win, thousands of jubilant supporters drive around Cairo honking horns and waving flags attached to lances - beware of being run over or impaled. Two other teams currently on the rise are Ismaily and Masry, while Santa Katerina is a team composed entirely of Sinai Bedouin who train by running up Mount Sinai twice a day. You can find detailed information about all aspects of Egyptian football at www.angelfire.com/ak/EgyptianSports/ GAY ATTITUDES Male homosexuality is common in Egypt, but attitudes towards it are schizophrenic. No Egyptian will declare himself gay - which has connotations of femininity and weakness - and the dominant partner may well not consider himself to be indulging in a homosexual act. Rather, it is tacitly accepted as an outlet for urges that can't otherwise be satisfied: few men can afford marriage until their thirties, and boys have no other way of gaining sexual experience. Despite this, people are mindful that homosexuality is condemned in the Koran and the Bible, and reject the idea of Egypt as a "gay destination" (although male prostitution is an open secret in Luxor and Aswan). In practice, this means that men travelling alone are liable to be propositioned (whatever their sexual orientation), but actively seeking partners can cause offence and lead to trouble. Egyptian law prohibits any "shameless or unnatural act" with a person of the same sex, and reserves even harsher penalties for cases involving the corruption of minors - while local citizens may take the law into their own hands in such cases. So far as propositions go, the crucial phrase to remember is " Anna (mish) elk " - "I'm (not) gay". As emphasized under "Health", AIDS is a real threat in Egypt, despite the minuscule number of reported cases. There is some awareness of AIDS amongst Egyptians but most are steadfast in seeing it as a "disease for foreigners" and the concept, let alone the practice, of "safe sex" has yet to emerge. There is no public perception of lesbianism. LAUNDRY In Egypt no one goes to the laundry: if they don't do their own, they send it out to a mahwagi. Wherever you are staying, there will either be an in-house mahwagi, or one close by to call on. Some low-budget hotels in Luxor, Aswan and Hurghada allow guests to use their washing machine for a small charge, or gratis. You can buy washing powder at most pharmacies. Dry cleaners are confined to Cairo, Aswan and Hurghada. MINEFIELDS still exist from World War II along the Mediterranean coast, and from Israeli conflicts in the interior of Sinai and along the Red Sea Coast. Do not take any risks in venturing into fenced-off territory, unless local people go there often. SPELLINGS Arabic is notoriously hard to transliterate into Roman script. The existence of several systems, and the popular familiarity of certain spellings, make consistency a nightmare. Egyptians themselves employ English spelling loosely; basically, you get accustomed to different variations on the same Arabic name. TIME is two hours ahead of GMT and seven hours ahead of EST, and a more elastic concept than Westerners are used to. In practice, "five minutes" often means an hour or more; bahdeen ("later") the next day; and bukkra ("tomorrow") an indefinite wait for something that may never happen. Besides hinting that it won't, inshallah ("God willing") can be a polite way of backing away from unwanted commitments - a game which foreigners can also play. Remember, too, that Western abruptness strikes Egyptians as rude; never begrudge the time it takes to say Salaam aleikum, or return a greeting. TOILETS Public ones are almost always filthy, and there's never any toilet paper (though someone may sell it outside). They're usually known as Toileta, and marked with WC and Men and Women signs. Expect squat toilets in bus stations, resthouses and fleapit hotels; on sit-down toilets, beware of pranging yourself on the nozzle of the curly waterpipe, intended to assist the ablutions of devout Muslims, to whom toilet paper is anathema. Though it's wise to carry toilet paper (GBPE1.50 per double roll in pharmacies) at all times, paper tissues, sold on the streets (50pt), will serve at a pinch.
Egypt4BackpackersEgyptTopView says "DAY 1: Arrive Cairo
Welcome to Egypt! Our representative will meet you to ensure a smoooth path through immigration and customs. You have time to explore at your leisure before meeting your Egypt Top View tour escort and fellow travelers for a welcome drink at the hotel.
DAY 2: Cairo / Desert Tour
Full-day outing to Sakkara and Memphis, followed by a visit to the most famous wonderland in the whole world - the Great Pyramids and the Sphinx. At 10pm we catch the overnight train to Aswan.
DAY 3: Aswan
Arrive in Aswan, meet and transfer to the hotel for check-in. Full-day excursion around the city visiting the Temple of Philae, the Aswan High Dam, and the Unfinished Obelisk. Overnight in Aswan hotel.
DAY 4: Aswan / Felucca
Join an orientation cruise around Kitchener and Elephantine Islands. Overnight on felucca, sailing to Kom Ombo.
DAY 5: Kom Ombo / Felucca
Visit the dual temple of Sobek and Haroeris. Overnight on felucca, sailing to Edfu.
DAY 6: Edfu / Luxor (East Bank)
Morning visit to one of the most well-preserved temples in all of Egypt dedicated to Horus, the Falcon God. Transfer by local transportation to Luxor, and check-in at the hotel. This afternoon, enjoy a visit to the East Bank of Luxor:
- Luxor Temple
- Karnak Temple
Overnight in Luxor hotel.
DAY 7: Luxor (West Bank)
Visit the West Bank of Luxor:
- Valley of the Kings
- Valley of the Queens
- Temple of Queen Hatshepsut
- Colossi of Memnon
Overnight, we travel by train back to Cairo.
DAY 8: Cairo / City Tour
Arrive Cairo and transfer to the hotel for check-in. Then we`re off to the Egyptian Museum where most of the fabulous treasures of the Pharaohs are kept. Then we drive to the Citadel home to Egyptian rulers for nearly 700 years. Later, we explore many attractions in the old Coptic area including the Hanging Church and Ben Ezra Synagogue (the Jewish Temple). Overnight in Cairo hotel.
DAY 9: Depart Cairo
Farewell to Egypt today. Our tour ends after breakfast. Transfer to Cairo International Airport.
Terms & Conditions
TOUR INCLUDES:
- Transfers from/to airport.
- All fully-guided tours around Cairo (as per the itinerary) in air-conditioned buses.
- Fluent, English-speaking tour guides throughout your program.
- All accommodations in 1-star hotels in Cairo. All rooms have a private bath, air-conditioning, TV, and include breakfast.
- All accommodations in 3-star hotels in Aswan, Luxor All rooms have a private bath, air-conditioning, TV, and include breakfast
- All transfer and pick-up services.
- All service charges and taxes.
TOUR EXCLUDES:
- Entrance fees of the sites. We do not charge you in advance for site entrance fees to add flexibility to your program as you may choose to skip one or more sites depending upon your interests.
- Drinks, phone calls, laundry, tips and any other items of a personal nature.
NOTES:
- All of our tours can start on any day, however confirmation in advnace is still highly recommended.
- All of our tours can be customised to fit your time, budget, and interests.
- Optional day trips and activities (add-ons) are available upon request and include the Sound and Light Show at the Pyramids, shopping at the Khan El-Khalily Market, an excursion to the Fayoum Oasis, and much more.
- All day trips leave in small groups and are accompanied by a professional tour guide.
- There are no time constraints for any of the day trips. The time spent depends only upon our guests` desires and the official opening/closing times of the sites.
- Additional accommodation nights can be arranged upon request.
- The tour price is US$200 per person, based on double occupancy. There is a US$40 single supplement charge.
" Delta Tours Egypthamed el gabry says "www.deltatoursegypt.com
Description : in travel business since 1974 , we provide all types of tours and Packages to egypt and midel east
hamed@deltatoursegypt.com" egypt Holidays www.shadesofegypt.co.ukSara Adams says "Ohhh it was so lovely to just been in a great country Like Egypt and we have such a Wonderful time been touring with shadesofegypt.co.uk very nice tour guide and we were dowing our own tours visiting each place with our tour guide and spending the time we want there so if youwere looking for something Special go shadesofegypt.co.uk or Call them at 0845 4664629 From the Uk , 1-800-961-6753 From USA or Canada , 1-800- 463-098 from Australia
" suppliesSarah-J.N. says "When you go to Egypt, you MUST have sunscreen, and lots of it! Don't forget to pack about 4 water bottles for each member of the family or whoever you are going with. It could also be helpful to bring a pair or two of sunglasses and hats. I hope that you have fun in Egypt and that you will have a safe trip and adventure! " Just got back from Alexandria & Cairo!!!Colleen Grimard says "Just got in last night and it was fantastic! We were on the Norwegian Jewel and arrived into Alexandria last Saturday. All the sights are of course around Cairo. The ship was docked for 2 days and since it was about a 2 and a half hour drive to and from we spent the night in Cairo to maximize our sight-seeing time. I was part of a group of 6 girls who were very hesitant to book any tours other than what was offered on the ship. I knew that we could save some money so convinced them to try Egypt Top View but everyone was reluctant and a bit scared. In the end they all thanked me because it was soooooo wonderful. and unlike the big cruise ship exursion we weren't on a big bus and fighting to hear our guide and being herded around like cattle. So we got a better service for a lot less money. From the start Samuel Said, owner and operator of Egypt Top View, was always quick to respond to my emails and questions and I told him what we wanted to do which was exactly what the ship offered (minus the papyrus factory tour) and it was all arranged. We were worried about getting our Egyptian visitor VISAs but the ship gave us our passports the morning we desembarked with the stamp already in it so we were good to go. I man with a sign with my name waited for us outside, we walked to the airconditioned van that fit us all very comfortably, plus the driver, Samuel himself and a bodyguard-who all sat in the front. We drove from Alexandria to Cairo then then to meet our guide for the day-Sally-who was incredible. She really knew her stuff but abbreviated her vast knowledge to the most important for us before entering the museum. After the museum visit we were hungry and told her so, since it's our own little tour van we can do what we want so we stop for falafels. Cheap and delicious. We are so thankful that she knew where to take us and helped us order..we were just so taken care of. From there to see the Mosque of Mhohammed Ali, some interesting churches and crypts and again Sally really enriched the whole experience with her knowledge. She kept it all upbeat, moving along at a great pace and then we went to our hotel for an hour's rest, some of us caught up on our email. Samuel was waiting for us there, checked us all in. We just felt we were in such good hands the whole time. Then we were off to the Sound and Light Show at the Giza Plateau...amazing. And then to a dinner cruise on the Nile with spectacular entertainers/dancers. We were all exhausted from a good day's adventure but none more than Samuel himself whom had been up since 1am assuring that everything would go smoothly with the port authorities. Slept well and up early the next day to have breakfast and go see Sakkara and shortly after the pyramids at the Giza Plateau. Camel rides were a bit extra but our guide that day did all the negociating for us so we weren't ripped off. It was such an experience! We requested to stop somewhere for falafels to go (loved them so much from the day before) and then it was time to head back to the ship in Alexandria. Private, personal, safe, knowledgeable, and made such an improvement to our experience in Egypt. Egypt Top View is the way to go. Email Samuel. He's been in business for 17 years, is very kind, you may regret NOT choosing him. Oh yeah, and we saved a couple hundred dollars each by not doing the ship's exursion. We still ran into people from our ship everywhere because we were doing the same things...just in our own private custom-made tour! The poor suckers! To us it was all a breeze and they were happy to let us think that but infact there was so much behind the scenes work put into making our tour so wonderful. A lot of orchestration, details with documents and all that stuff you don't want to deal with as a tourist...they did it all.
I don't know how long you'll be in Egypt but they offer a variety of tours or write to Samuel Said himself at www.egypttopview.com you'll be soooo glad you did!! We sure are!
Sincerely, Colleen Grimard.
" Egypt Tours & TravelYasser Mahran says "A window to the soul of Egypt
www.egyptunexpected.com
Egypt Unexpected, Offers a variety of travel services throughout all Egypt and Jordan, our services cover all aspects of travel individuals, groups, tailor made packages to meet the most demanding tastes, whether you are a backpacker on a budget or an executive staying at the Four Seasons, hotel reservations, daily sightseeing, transportation, Safaris, Diving, Special interests tours & Special hot offers. We also arrange domestic air tickets. Combined tours between Egypt & Jordon"
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