Egypt is a country on many people’s bucket lists or “I’d love to go there” lists. It truly is an epic place to visit.
…But it’s definitely a place you want to be prepared for; aided with some background research and a strategic packing list. Get these in place and, once you’re there – armed with your own toilet paper, as you’ll find out below 😉 – you’ll have a great time in this fascinating country!
Before I went on my Egypt trip, I did a LOT of research around health, food, water, etiquettes to follow, safety and the like. And not because I’m paranoid; there’s just some things you should keep in mind when travelling in this part of the world.
It’s not the same as your easy-as trip “across the ditch” from NZ to Aussie.
So, after some thorough background research, and of course my own personal experience in this amazing country, I have compiled a list of 15 tips for travelling in Egypt!
Read on for my top tips….
Go with a tour group
My first tip is to travel around Egypt with a tour group. I chose to do a Contiki, but there are numerous companies out there such as Topdeck, Travel Talk, Intrepid and G Adventures. I’m all for having the freedom to explore what you want, when you want, but Egypt is one of those places where it is extremely handy (not to mention, safer) to be travelling in a group and with an experienced tour guide. This is the tour I did.
Feed your mind
Even if you’re not a history nerd, watch some Egypt documentaries or read some history books before you go! We all know it’s a really really really old place, (I’m looking at you, King Tut’s shrivelled 3000 year old body) but having more background knowledge before you go helps you appreciate it even more when you get there.
Money money money
Carry both Egyptian Pounds and US Dollars when travelling in Egypt. Ideally in cash and on a card, but there will always be a need for cash in both currencies.
TOILET PAPER
For those who have travelled Europe, you will be familiar with the idea of paying to be able to use a public bathroom. In Egypt it’s the same – except often there isn’t any toilet paper available! 🙁 Sometimes, there will be a person at the door who hands you a few slices of toilet paper to take in with you. If you’re lucky.
So I highly recommend carrying a roll in your backpack at all times (Sneaky tip: take one from your hotel room).
Don’t forget your hygiene
Speaking of money and toilets and all that jazz, you should absolutely carry some bottles of bacteria-killing hand sanitizer with you, at all times, in your backpack. You’ll also need it for when you use the toilet on the overnight sleeper train and on the bus/coach during a long 2+ hour drive.
Carrying hand sanitizer isn’t just for germ-a-phobes. These thangs are dir-tay.
‘nuff said!
Appropriate clothing
I’m all for wearing whatever you want, whenever you want (within reason 😉 ) but I believe it’s a good idea to respect the etiquette and culture of the countries that you travel to – even if you don’t exactly ‘agree’ with the dress code.
In this case, ideally women traveling around Egypt should have their shoulders covered and wear a long skirt or pants that cover at least to their knees. So, aim to dress more on the conservative side, ladies.
I mean, there’s no laws around you can or can’t wear, but maybe leave the slinky crop top for back at home…
Vaccines
It’s not compulsory to get any sort of vaccines to be able to travel to Egypt, but there are some “recommended” ones. So, if you’re so inclined, book yourself into your doctor (or better yet: a designated Travel Clinic) to go over your travel itinerary and recommended jabs – at least 6 weeks before your trip!
As a heads up, recommended ones include Hepatitis A, Typhoid, Hepatitis B, Rabies and I even took an oral vaccine to prevent travellers’ sickness (i.e. a bad tummy from cholera, e-coli etc). But speak to a doctor to see what’s best for you, of course!
Be prepared!
Speaking of health, be prepared for any sickness or injury by bringing your own first aid/medical kit. It is common to get sick in Egypt due to new foods, new climate and in some cases, poor hygiene.
Well, apparently it’s common. I didn’t get sick (thankfully), but that was probably because of all the preventative measures outlined in this blog post 😉 .
Pro tip: Read more on how to prevent getting sick when travelling and prepare for the infamous “Contiki Cough” in this blog post!
Stay connected
While many travellers prefer to just scavenge for Wi-Fi while on their travels, I recommend that you invest in a local SIM card (it could just be data-only) while in Egypt. Yes, there is usually Wi-Fi in the hotels and Nile cruise ships, but it is extremely slow… or just doesn’t work at all!
Here is a website where I bought my SIM cards before traveling to Egypt and the UAE. Admittedly, I ended buying another SIM card in Egypt as I was going through my original 4GB of data rather quickly (blame the Instagram Stories).
Become an expert haggler
Learn to bargain with the street vendors, otherwise, you will get ripped off. This is where having a tour guide comes in very handy! Our Contiki tour guide gave us the low-down on how much we should be paying for souvenirs and some tips for haggling, before letting us loose onto the Aswan night markets.
Be careful with foods
The general consensus when travelling around Egypt is to stay away from fruit (unless you have to peel it, such as a banana or orange) and stay away from salad. Sad I know, but the reason being is that you don’t know what kind of water the lettuce and tomatoes etc. have been washed in.
Instead, stock up on all the cooked vegetables as much as you can! (I know I did).
Water up
….and you really need to be careful with the water! You will be constantly buying bottled water as it’s deemed unsafe to drink from any taps. My advice is to invest in a fancy water bottle with in-built filter/purifier such as this (I got mine from the Travel Clinic, but I’m sure you could get one at your local sporting/outdoor equipment store too). This also means buying less bottled water, which helps the environment 😊 #winning
Better safe than sorry
I recommend that you register your trip details on your country’s Safe Travel website (For NZ travellers, go here). If something happens while you’re there, your Government knows where you are and will send you travel safety updates. I register for this for all of my overseas trips, but it’s particularly important for travel to countries that are considered to be of higher risk.
Stay clear of strays
I love kitties – and fortunately there’s a ton of them in Egypt – but my advice is: DON’T pat the cats. Apparently, they can carry sickness and disease ☹. In fact there are numerous stories of people (around the world, not just in Egypt) who have contracted disease from petting stray cats and dogs. Not worth it, I say!
Congrats on your engagement
Sometimes you single or solo-travelling ladies might just have to make up an imaginary boyfriend or husband who you conveniently left back at home, to help curb unwanted marriage proposals 😉. Unless you want to take up their offer of 1000 camels, of course.
I actually wore a ring on my wedding finger to help my story too. Nonetheless, don’t be afraid to say a firm “no, thank you” and walk away back to your tour group!
Lastly, but not least… enjoy your time there!
There’s a lot to think about when travelling to different countries that are totally unlike your home country. But if you’re prepared and have all the necessary precautions in place, you have more freedom to relax and have a good time when you’re there. Egypt is a once-in-a-lifetime destination… so make the most of it!
If you’ve got any more questions about Egypt, comment below or feel free to flick me an email on freerangekiwichick@gmail.com
You can book your very own Egypt Contiki tour right here.
