Whats it like??

Is there much to do & See??

Or where have you stayed??

❓

F3cking beggar central 👿

F3cking beggar central 👿

Sh#te

I realy liked it and would go again.

Can be a bit challenging on the sales technique (see above comments)but plenty to see and do. I didn't go with a tour company and travelled independently with 2 female friends ( who got hassled a bit)so we weren't part of the touristy masses being herded from one place to another. Cairo is not worth visiting apart from the Egyptian Museum and Pyramids. Sinai is fab, great snorkelling and scenery and you can visit Petra in one day, there and back. Stayed in nice international hotels and local B&B's, all fine. Luxor,Aswan and the Nile all interesting and plenty to see. Would like to head out to the Oases and desert one day and take my bike too. Lonely Planet guide is obviously a good reference.

I was unfortunate enough to take a short trip to Egypt from Cyprus last year and personally you couldn't pay me enough money to go back there.

You're a walking cash sign to everyone and they are agrressive with it. I've have met plenty of people who like Egypt but i shall never be setting foot there again.

Throughly hated Cairo, but at the same time I was very glad I went to see the Pyramids and the Sphinx etc.

A real eye opener for me to the third world and in truth probably a lot better than a great deal of places, but it was extremely chaotic, and even the locals didn't seem to know their way around.

I lost it with a Taxi Driver when he asked for Tip at the end of a ride after stalling his car numerous times in the centre of any number of busy traffic junctions and then dropping us off at least a mile from our hotel. Here's a tip "get your f*****g car fixed"

Luxor was much more laid back, although the 13 hour train journey from Cario to Luxor was a little uncomfortable. I flew back from Luxor to Cairo. It effectively meant 13 hours without food (see below) and it was a little off putting to have your train carriage guarded by a child (about 12-13 years old would be my guess) with a machine gun, as the trains between Cairo and Luxor were at the time often(?) subject to terroist attacks.

We did the usual Karnac Temple? Valley of the Kings on Donkeys etc, Hot Chicken Soup Temple (not its real name obviously) a few weeks before a bus load of tourists were blown up there. We did a trip starting at about 3am to cross the river, pick up our Donkeys and ride in the valley to see the sights and get back before mid-day before it was too hot etc. Fantastic.

If you are prepared to put up or enjoy a lot of hassle, the constant begging (Cario rather than Luxor), the inconvenience of not being able to eat anything that is not cooked to only brush your teeth with bottled water and having to check that the bottle is sealed etc before using it, then OK the sights are a once in a lifetime experience. But I wouldn't go back, on balance I am not a great traveller / explorer

We've been, on an organised tour. Flew to Luxor, boat up and down Nile to Asswan, fly to Cairo, fly back to Luxor. Saw all the temples and other historical sights. We were really fascinated by all of it. This was before Islamic militancy reared it's head, and about a week before a load of Germans were machine gunned at Hapshepsut's Temple. (1993 IIRC).

We found it very relaxing, and after a couple of days we had the haggling over prices sorted, and made a game of it. All the Egyptians we met were very friendly and helpful. Unusually for us we tipped regularly, but as the exchange rate was in our favour what we thought was little they thought was generous. Some real poverty there, so we like to think we helped in a very small way.

Yes, you don't eat salads unless you know what it's been washed in, and you don't drink water from a bottle that you haven't opened yourself, but even so all on the trip had one day confined to bed with stomach lurgy.

We wandered around quite freely and never felt threatened, even in the back alleys of the Souk in Cairo where we wandered by mistake. Our women never felt the need to moderate their western dress, and my wife would have thrown a total wobble if asked to wear the veil!!!

Unfortunately Bush/Blair have set the Muslim world against westerners so I'm not sure about going back. But if you do go everything you see will remain with you. Go to Abu Simbal and see the Temple that they lifted out of the ground and rebuilt. Superb. For us one of the best holidays that we had.

A tip we were given is to go later in the year – November time – when the heat is not as intense.

TAP HERE – lol

Hi Dave,

mate of Deb's went years ago with her daughter and mother, they were lined up next to the tour bus and executed.

To make it worse they then sent the bodies back but got one wrong, it took ages to sort it out and find the proper one.

Sort of puts me off going.

tea2- talk to you about next ride I spent months travelling in Egypt and Middle East – excellent for the Valleys and temples but avoid market or be prepared to be very rude /abusive – you can just go one stree further in [from nile]towrds railway station and walk up a parallel street ignored. Better prices and non salesmen Arabs are the most hospitable people alive.
e-mail me if you want to know owt specfic- yes it is hot and dry – no alcohol

We went in November 2009, so only a few weeks ago. Same comments as above really.

The pyramids were fantastic, but I couldn't enjoy them as my wife was being chased by a fat Egyptian who wanted money. Wr got rid of him and the hassling started again.

Luxor seemed a little more relaxed, but by this time we weren't going anywhere to be hassled. Valley of the Kings, Karnak, etc all fantastic and completely fascinating.

Sharm seemed a complete dump, but tbf we only saw it on a bus journey at night.

A friend summed it up by saying that it's a lovely country, pity that the Egyptians live there.

I've been to Morocco several times, and Jordan recently and love those countries. I'm always prepared for a little good natured haggling. Egypt took it to a new, aggressive bad tempered level.

I'm not planning to go back anytime soon.

Exercise good hand hygiene to avoid the squits…. Best place to visit/dive was Dahab… SHarm = Russion invasion/dump.. but good access to diving.

Wife and I went there as part of a trip to Egypt for our honeymoon. We went with On the Go Tours who I thoroughly recommend.

We caught the overnight sleeper train down which while basic (avoid toilet if you can) got us there fine. Station in Luxor was a disaster area at the time as the were rebuilding/modernising/fixing it at the time. Once away from the station we didn't get hassled too much (helps to have a guide with you in this respect).

Mostly avoided hassle by not making eye contact and just walking away saying 'No' in arabic, still irritating occasionally but it's something you unfortunately have to put up with there. Again helps to be on guided tour with others as they are often 'softer' targets who get caught while you make your escape.

Sites as mentioned by others, wonderful places to visit.

Agree with food/water comments and taking sanitizing hand gel with you etc.

dangerousbeans – Member

TAP HERE – lol

Hi Dave, 😈

mate of Deb's went years ago with her daughter and mother, they were lined up next to the tour bus and executed.

To make it worse they then sent the bodies back but got one wrong, it took ages to sort it out and find the proper one.

Sort of puts me off going.

Fair one Mark…. 😯

Plan B then.

The Arabic ain't a problem- my Mums' from Tunisia..
But hey ho…

Lets see…

The best bits of Luxor for me were getting the public ferry across to the west bank and exploring the valley of the kings by bike. Losing myself in the back streets near the 'hotel' I was staying at, playing football with the locals, being taught Arabic by one families' kids.

Sharing a joke with some old shopkeeper about a shampoo tv ad (through mime as he spoke no English and I knew only a handful of Arabic words) – I walked past the guy's shop every day on my way out and back to my hotel, and bought always stopped to grab a few bits and pieces from his shop which he kindly wiped the layer of dust from. On this occasion I walked past and waved as I made my way back to the hotel, and he beckoned me in, gave me his only chair to sit on as he crouched in that way people there tend to rest, and we sat watching awful tv for a while.

Just wanted to offset the negative points already made in this thread. I found the people to be extremely kind, yes the hawkers are fierce in Luxor and can wear you down, but that's Egypt for you.

I'm just glad that I have such memories and therefore don't make ill thought generalisations of the place as seen in some posts above.

TeaTwoSugars (you know your name's mis-spelt!).

Are you going on an organised tour 🙁
Or a solo trip, where you have the freedom to choose the itinerary :D?

I've been maybe 3-4 times. Solo. It's not what it used to be, but arrive at the Valley of the Kings at 06:30 when it opens.
Any later and you have the Kuoni (?0 crowd to deal with.

May I suggest the Lonely Planet and the Rough Guides to Egypt as your starting point, since you're asking about accommodation too?

How long do you have and when are you going?
Cairo last I saw, was owned by KFC, Pizza Hut and McD's.