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Health: |
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Compulsory vaccinations: yellow fever
certificate required if arriving from infected
areas. Infants under 1 year are exempt. |
Population: |
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Egyptians are friendly, hospitable
and modest. They also have a sense of balance and
moderation. Egyptians are proud and sensitive.Proud
of their history but sensitive of their present.They
sincerely welcome their tourist |
visitors from all parts of the world. Egypt
remains one of the more secure and friendly countries in
the world for tourists. Egyptians are easy to get on
with and will go out of their way to help foreign
visitors find their way, or invite them for a meal or a
tea. Their offers are usually authentic and not for
expected reward. |
Clothing: |
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On the practical side, leave your
synthetics at home as they will prove to be too hot
in summer and not warm enough in winter. It is
advisable to wear cotton in summer as the heat can
be like a furnace. In winter wear |
layers that can be taken off during
the heat of the day and put back on for cool
evenings.Wear loose and
flowing garments, which are not only modest, but
practical in a hot climate. Bring comfortable shoes as
you will be doing a lot of walking and temple floors are
far from even. In summer, wear a hat to protect yourself
from the heat of the sun. Sunglasses are also a must. |
Language: |
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The Arabic language has its mark on
the Egyptian mind. Classical Arabic is used by the
media and in formal writing, but the spoken Arabic
is colloquial and varies from one region to the
next. The colloquial Arabic of |
Cairo is widely understood throughout
the Arab world, because of the cultural influence of
films, songs and TV
programs. English and French are widely understood by
Educated Classes. |
Food: |
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In Egypt, dining out can range from
stand-up sandwich bars to luxurious five-course
meals. You can find small, inexpensive
establishments that serve good Egyptian food
for only a few pounds. If you are in a hurry, try |
the local snack bars. While the
cubbyholes off the street (which probably have
running water) are generally safe. Most cities have
Western-style fast-food chains like McDonald's and
Kentucky Fried Chicken, which are relatively
inexpensive. In cities, both food and water are safe
although the change in your diet may produce
short-term gastrointestinal upsets. Menus are in
both Arabic and English except in Alexandria, where
they are in Arabic and French. In large restaurants,
the maitre d'hotel will speak English, French, and possible German,
Italian, or Greek. These establishments serve a mixture
of international cuisine but often include Egyptian or
Middle Eastern fare as well. Most hotels also maintain
24-hour coffee shops. |
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Religion: |
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Islam
is the official religion of Egypt, but there is a
large Coptic community and other Christian
sects are represented in the country. There is also
a small Jewish community. |
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Currency: |
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Egyptian currency ranges from
25 Piaster up to 1000 pound. Egyptian currency is
not same size. Egyptian money is both colorful and
attractively designed. |
Click here to show Egyptian Currency |
Visa: |
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Most
travelers obtain their Visa upon entry to Egypt;
Visa applications are normally passed out by
airlines prior to landing at an Egyptian airport. |
Gifts: |
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Egypt has had enough tourists, over
many enough years, to present a diluted image of
true handicraft and tourist souvenirs. Many
Egyptians as well, will often not be able to tell
one from the other. The quality of the |
work is often excellent, and the cost
(after haggling) will be so low, that it is a bit
difficult to point out the very best buys for
visitors to Egypt.
Many get fascinated by
papyrus,
but anyone planning to buy such items, would do best
to shop around first. I had presented 4 different
qualities in the most renowned store of Cairo, and
to my taste the worst quality was the most
attractive, while I felt that the best qualities
were overloaded by colours. Anyone buying papyrus,
do best by choosing the ones they really like best,
but pay according to a scale where brownish colours
are counted as the most crude quality, while the
very colourful ones are considered best. One thing
to always look out for: The papyrus should not have
any painting lost, nor anything in the process of
peeling off. But this applies to the best qualities.
Egyptian jewellery
bought at the right price,
will leave you wondering how anyone could be making any
profits. This becomes especially clear with gold items,
where the price you pay is just a little bit above the
metal price (be awake when stating metal price for gold,
according to the carat value— in 21 carat there is 21/24
parts of gold in the total weight). But also be awake
during the weighing process. Always be cautious with
"antique" stuff, little of the antiques displayed for
tourists are anything but fakes. |
Clothes and shoes: |
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can be of incredible value. Cotton
clothes can be tailor-made, but the quality of the
work is unpredictable. If you know how to spot bad
from good work, here you have a great way of saving
in on the costs of |
traveling to Egypt. As for shoes, I once
bought a pair of shoes for US$7, and they were some of
the very best shoes I have ever had. First class
leather, and pleasant even for long walks Finding a shoe
store in big cities Nothing would be easier, they are
all over for leather
items, skin quality is
generally very good, but the actual work is
unpredictable. |
Prices are good: |
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but check the
workmanship just as much as the leather quality.
Leather shall be soft,- very soft, elastic and firm.
Stitches should be strong enough
to let the vendor have to try to tear the jacket or
bag apart. If you are not |
allowed to test the quality before
buying, check on another vendor. Egypt has many more
good items at sale, than the ones described above.
There are two banal, but important, rules never to
forget: Only buy what you really like, and never
rush into a transaction. |
Shopping: |
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Cairo offers an
incredible selection of shopping leisure, culture and
nightlife. shopping ranges from the famous Khan el-Khalili
souk, largely unchanged since the 14th century, to
modern air-conditioned centres |
displaying the latest
fashions All the bounty of the East is here-particularly
good buys are spices, perfumes, gold and silver,
carpets, brass and copperware, leatherwork, glass,
ceramics and mashrabiya. Try some of the famous street
markets, like Wekalet al-balah, for fabrics, including
Egyptian cotton, the Tentmakers' Bazaar for appliqué-work,Mohammed
Ali street for musical instruments. And, although you
probably won't want to buy, the Camel Market makes a
fascinating trip.
When you need a break from city life, try a round of
golf on the famous Mena House course overlooking the
Pyramids, watch the horse-racing at the Gezira Club or
visit the Zoo and the Botanical Gardens.
The collection, which covers sthe period from the 3rd
century BC to the 7th century AD, is a fascinating
record of a civilisation in the process of change as
religions merged and society evolved. In Alexandria,
Graeco-Roman and pharaonic religions mingled in the cult
of Serapis; the shift from pagan religions sto
Christianity can also be seen in the exhibits which
include mummies, Hellenistic statues, busts of Roman
emperors, Tanagra figurines and early Christian
antiquities.
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Click here to show shopping
list |
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Nile in a felucca: |
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or ride on horseback from the
Giza Pyramids to Saqqara. For a day trip outside Cairo
visit Haraniyya.
village and see the beautiful tapestries and weaving
produced by local |
people. Or get away from it all at
the top of the Cairo Tower,a modern 187 metre-high
tower
with views of the city from all sides, topped by a
revolving restaurant.
Cairo comes alive at night, the best time to
shop, eat delicious Middle Eastern cuisine, or simply
watch the world go by from a pavement cafe. You can dine
in a floating restaurant on the Nile, sample a shish a at
a coffee-shop or see oriental dancers and cabarets at a
luxury hotel. The splendid Opera House complex houses
several galleries (including the Museum of Modern Art),
restaurants and concert halls. Listening to Arabic music
under the stars, in the open-air theatre, is a magical
experience. At El-Ghuriya, in the heart of Islamic
Cairo, you can watch folk musicians and whirling dervish
dancers. And don't forget the most essential after-dark
experience, the Sound and light show at the Pyramids, a
dramatic fusion of light and music recounting the story
of antiquity.
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Assistants |
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Train Schedule: |
The Egyptian State Railway services the entire Nile
Valley down to Aswan , the Red Sea cities of Suez
and Port Said , the Delta and Northern Coast cities
of Alexandria and Mersa Matrouh.
More Details |
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Bus time table: |
Air conditioned buses link most parts of Egypt to
Cairo and Alexandria. There is also a fleet of
cheaper non air conditioned buses.
More Details |
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Cairo metro network: |
Cairo has two underground networks which
links the main towns of Cairo, and greater
Cairo.
More Details |
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Taxi: |
For the tourist , it is more expensive but easier to
get a taxi from a hotel where they are lined up.
Taxi drivers are friendly many speak English.
More Details |
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Tram : |
Metro & Tram: Both Alexandria and Cairo have tram or
metro systems that run through at least part of the
city. More Details |
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Rent Car: |
There are several rent car companies Avis,
Budget Rent A Car, Europcar, Hertz and J Car.
More Details |
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Air Line: |
Air Egypt is served by International airports
at Alexandria, Cairo, Luxor, Hurghada, and Sharm El
Sheikh.
More Details
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Air Port: |
Air Egypt is served by international airports at
Alexandria, Cairo, Luxor, and Hurghada on the
mainland, and at Sharm el Sheikh on the Sinai
peninsula. There are non-stop flights from most
major European cities. More
Details |
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GSM: |
The mobile network supported in Egypt is GSM
900. The two leading private GSM service providers,
the Egyptian Company for Mobile Services MobiNi
(012) and Vodafone(010). More
Details |
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Communication: |
Radio, Television, News Papers, Postal Services,
Commercial Express Mail Agencies, Telephone , Telex
and Fax. More Details |
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Distances between Cairo & other Cities : |
City |
Miles |
Kilometers |
Alexandria |
140 |
225 |
Damietta |
119 |
191 |
Minya |
151 |
236 |
Asyut |
224 |
359 |
Luxor |
415 |
664 |
Esna |
449 |
719 |
Edfu |
484 |
775 |
Kom Ombo |
521 |
835 |
Aswan |
550 |
880 |
Port Said |
137 |
220 |
Ismailia |
87 |
140 |
Fayyum |
64 |
103 |
Baharia Oasis |
197 |
316 |
Farafra Oasis |
262 |
420 |
Dakhla Oasis |
413 |
690 |
Kharga Oasis |
366 |
586 |
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