Egypt

[saints_is_the_south]

Thinking of taking the missus there for our anniversairy as she keeps banging on about how she wants to go to Egypt for some random reason. Anybody ever been before, if so where are the main resorts...etc?

 

Cheers

[timebomb]

Went to Sharm a couple of years back - brilliant!

Go for 10 nights or 2 weeks to make up for the terrible s***s everyone gets, knocks 2-3 days off the holiday.

[Rattlehead]

Cairo worth a quick visit then I suggest overnight train down to Luxor, which is ace with loads to do.

 

Hurghada is really sh*t and Sharm isn't much better (unless you like diving, which is awesome round there). Dahab up the coast slightly better to spend time (but further from the best diving).

[saints_is_the_south]

Sharm was the place i was looking at going too. Does everyone actually get the sh!ts out there or is it just a myth?!?

[Rattlehead]

Tutankhamun's Revenge...I didn't get it there.

 

You'll be fine if you eat in proper restaurants (rather than mass catering package hotels) and avoid ice and salads.

[Rattlehead]

And tap water, obviously.

[saints_is_the_south]

Cheers - I think it's a toss up between Luxor & Sharm. Whats the nightlife like at either?

[Rattlehead]

Better at Sharm TBH. Much better.

[hamster]

If you like James Bond films then Temple at Karnak is a must. But if you get the chance visit the modest but awe inspiring Tomb of Tut Ankh Amun (sp), most of our party refused to pay the additional few quid, but all later said that they regretted it.

 

There is a place called Abu Simbel south of the Aswan Dam which was moved in it's entirey years ago, we didn't fancy the 6 hour coach journey, but later wish that we had.

 

Unfortunately less than a week after we returned from our trip, there was that nasty massacre at the Temple of Hatshepsut (sp), hence Mrs h say's we will not be returning to Egypt. Shame as I really really wanted to visit the Pyramids at Giza, and the Museum of Egyptology.

 

Some will warn that you may get 'temple weary' as there are many to see, but please don't be put off by this. Each has an interesting story, and not all the architecture is identical as they were built by diufferent dynasties and in Cleopatra's time the buildings started to incorporate some features that you would not expect in such a hot climate, such as gutters and drainpipes.

 

One 'to miss' in my opinion was the 'Light Show at Philae' the nicest part of which is the boat trip, but you can do a boat trip seperately if you want on a Feluka (sp) anyway.

 

Take loads of boiled sweets, pencils and note pads for the local kids too, they seriously do get more excited to receive them than if you throw them the odd coin.

 

You may be prey to rip-offs! If you see something that you really want in a shop or whilst on an excursion, be sure that you will see it again at a local market for a fraction of the price, barter, barter, barter.

 

I really do hope that we don't have any budding Egyptologists on here who are going to tear my post apart, as I am writing it from memory and I ain't no Wikipedia.

 

hamster

[Deppo]

Didn't read that.

[hamster]

/\

Read it. You might learn something about stuff.

[Rattlehead]

Good post from hamster. I also wished I went down to Abu Simbel.

 

Horses for courses though really. I'd go for Luxor over Sharm every time but if it's just nightlife and beaches you're after then Sharm is your best bet. Of course, you could do a culture and relaxation/nightlife twin centre holiday over a couple of week. You can travel over land (+ ferry) from Luxor to Sharm in a day. Luxor also fine for relaxation btw (but on the Nile or by a pool rather than on a beach).

[hamster]

/\

Or a pool on the nile, some very luxurious boats down sail down the Nile, we were not on on of them I hasten to add even though we went with Kuoni, who imo trade off of their (old) reputation rather than what they actually serve up.

[Deppo]

Only joking Hamster, I love you really.

[saints_is_the_south]

Lying on a beach all day bores me so on that side Luxor seems the way to go but I also like a good night life, the ferry from Sharm to Luxor for a day trip seems like a good idea.

 

Cheers for the info anyway guys.

[Rattlehead]

Sorry, didn't mean Luxor to Sharm is a day trip as in there and back - it's a day to travel between them. 3 or 4 hours in a taxi/bus (from Luxor to Hurghada) and 3 hours on a ferry (from Hurghada to Sharm) plus time in between. Always check timings as it was a few years ago that I went and they might have changed.

 

You'd need/want more time in Luxor than a day, IMO.

[Rattlehead]

Also Sharm nightlife isn't good enough to travel to from Luxor. Nightlife in Muslim countries is generally not that great.

[red and white saint]

Went to sharm at christmas and had a great time wouldnt like to be there in the middle of summeras it would be to hot. Theres plenty to do if you dont want to lie on the beach all day and would definately recommend the quad biking in the desert and the snorkelling which is supposedly the best in the world

[red and white saint]

Also to add we travelled as a party of nine and not one of us had dodgy stomach and think people who do get it is down to them not drinking enough water, washing there hands before meals and after handlong eqyptian money which is veery dirty

[hamster]

Only joking Hamster, I love you really.

 

You hade better be f^ing joking Deppo, don't forget that I still have those negatives**.

 

**

for those born later than 1989 (ish) - "negatives" does not necesarily mean the opposite to 'positives'.

[hamster]

.... I suggest overnight train down to Luxor......

 

That train journey looks brilliant, wish I could do all these things. I would choose to travel on the roof of said train, not because I am a tightwad, because it looks like fun.

 

There must be some images or vids of that journey.

[Arizona]

Went to Sharm in May and had an awesome time for a knock off price.

 

Booked the 5 star Hilton in Sharks Bay on teletext holidays. £350 all inclusive for a week. Booze, food, the lot. For night life Naama Bay is pretty good. The Diving there is awesome. I did an open water course, which almost doubled the cost of the holiday, but was well worth it. Also met Simon Gillett in the dive centre.

 

They had excursions there to Cairo too. You have to leave at about 1am and it's a 12 hour round trip on the coach, so I didn't bother. Or if you really want to splash the cash you can fly there.

 

And yes everyone really does get the sh*ts, even in a the top hotels like this one. Didn't lose any holiday time, other than running to the bog every hour on the last 2 days, but take plenty of drugs anyway.

[hamster]

Can I add that if you have not been to Vegas before doing Egypt, then you should add it to your list of places to go afterwards.

 

Visit the Luxor Hotel on The Strip and you will wet yourself at their pathetic attempt at recapturing the ambience (seriously, it is pathetic).

 

I must stress that we loved Vegas and really would recomend it for a once-in-a-lifetime holiday. Again, if doing Vegas, do it properly (less the gambling), go up the Stratosphere (we stayed there), FLY to the Grand canyon (don't bus it, as we did), Freemont (but don't walk it, as we did - very risky) and eat like a king/pig.

[hamster]

Went to Sharm in May and had an awesome time for a knock off price.

 

Booked the 5 star Hilton in Sharks Bay on teletext holidays. £350 all inclusive for a week. Booze, food, the lot. For night life Naama Bay is pretty good. The Diving there is awesome. I did an open water course, which almost doubled the cost of the holiday, but was well worth it. Also met Simon Gillett** in the dive centre.

They had excursions there to Cairo too. You have to leave at about 1am and it's a 12 hour round trip on the coach, so I didn't bother. Or if you really want to splash the cash you can fly there.

 

And yes everyone really does get the sh*ts, even in a the top hotels like this one. Didn't lose any holiday time, other than running to the bog every hour on the last 2 days, but take plenty of drugs anyway.

 

**That would do it for me Az.

 

Re the sh)ts, Mrs h got serious dehydration whilst walking around one temple and this very nice chap (he said he was a doctor, lol) helped out by dousing her with water from a big ceramic urn. Almost started an international incident though, as he got a bit over-enthusiastic and I had to 'politely' ask him to get his dirty hands off of my f)^(ing wife. He had the cheek to hold his hand out for a tip too!!! Only tip he got was the tip of my finger in his face and an extremely stern look.

[Arizona]

**That would do it for me Az.

 

Re the sh)ts, Mrs h got serious dehydration whilst walking around one temple and this very nice chap (he said he was a doctor, lol) helped out by dousing her with water from a big ceramic urn. Almost started an international incident though, as he got a bit over-enthusiastic and I had to 'politely' ask him to get his dirty hands off of my f)^(ing wife. He had the cheek to hold his hand out for a tip too!!! Only tip he got was the tip of my finger in his face and an extremely stern look.

 

Do what for you exactly? Actually don't answer that.

 

I was sat lying on a lounger doing the PADI written test, with my Saints towell hanging on the end, which he later told me he'd noticed. I happened to look up and saw him and his girlfriend waddling past (they were wearing scuba gear, they're not fat). Didn't twig who it was until his instructor called his name. Bumped into him a bit later and had a quick chat.

[saints_is_the_south]

1 last thing, whats it like out there cost wise? I see its about £1 to 8 egyptian pounds, so what would i pay for a pint of beer out there for example?

[thesaint sfc]

I went there and thought it was rubbish. I wasn't looking for much - just lying around by the pool and what not. The people over there are horrible. All they want is your money and once they've got it they'll have nothing more to do with you. It's expensive to get there and the hotels are very low standard. I'm the sort of person who is happy to accept cultural differences and what not, but they simply don't put in the effort over there. Going to markets and stuff they won't leave your wife alone - I went there with a couple of girl friends and they were sick of it and stuck to me like a leech because they felt so intimidated everywhere they went. The food is terrible over there too - as I'm sure you've heard, a lot of people have stomach problems.

 

My suggestion would be to go to Turkey. Similar climate, the people are really lovely, places don't survive if they don't put in 110% effort so you won't be disapointed. When you leave the hotel or where ever you stay at the end of the holiday the people staffing the resort will likely wave you off! They really are lovely. Boat trips are amazing, sea is really nice and warm with no jelly fish (big problem in egypt), lots of roof terrace restaurants which are really nice. I wouldn't suggest self catering in either place. If you go to Kalkan in Turkey you WILL NOT be disappointed.

[saints_is_the_south]

I went there and thought it was rubbish. I wasn't looking for much - just lying around by the pool and what not. The people over there are horrible. All they want is your money and once they've got it they'll have nothing more to do with you. It's expensive to get there and the hotels are very low standard. I'm the sort of person who is happy to accept cultural differences and what not, but they simply don't put in the effort over there. Going to markets and stuff they won't leave your wife alone - I went there with a couple of girl friends and they were sick of it and stuck to me like a leech because they felt so intimidated everywhere they went. The food is terrible over there too - as I'm sure you've heard, a lot of people have stomach problems.

 

My suggestion would be to go to Turkey. Similar climate, the people are really lovely, places don't survive if they don't put in 110% effort so you won't be disapointed. When you leave the hotel or where ever you stay at the end of the holiday the people staffing the resort will likely wave you off! They really are lovely. Boat trips are amazing, sea is really nice and warm with no jelly fish (big problem in egypt), lots of roof terrace restaurants which are really nice. I wouldn't suggest self catering in either place. If you go to Kalkan in Turkey you WILL NOT be disappointed.

 

Only going there because the missus has been saying for ages she's always wanted to go to Egypt, if it was my choice we'd be going to the Algarve.

[Danny]

I went on a trip to Taba and Sharm in January. I absolutely loved it. Dahab was a bit pants I thought, but the resort at Taba Heights was good. Mount Sinai is about halfway between Sharm and Taba.

 

Beers were about the 35 Egyptian pound mark, with it being 8Egy to 1GBP.

[Little Bazza]

Went To Sharm in July 2005. Everyone on the trip (8 of us) got the terrible s*its at some stage (luckily mine JUST waited until I got home) and a day before we were due to go home a couple of bombs went off rather too close to comfort. Not a pleasant end to proceedings but we were a lot luckier than some.

 

Im probably an unfair representative of things out there but I wont ever be going back thats for sure!!!

 

as well as ice and salads, apparently it is the money that spreads a lot of the stomach bugs out there. a lot of it is so old and been through so many hands that its there where you often pick up the squits - so i heard anyway.

[StuRomseySaint]

Go All-Inclusive, regardless of where in Egypt you stay.

 

As much as you can drink / eat ( stomach ) from 6am to midnight.

 

Absolutley love Egypt, went to Hurghada last year and going to Sharm in October.

 

You get treated like royalty simply for slipping a quid as a tip.

 

If you just want hotel holiday by the pool then go to Hurghada, it is a bit more cheap, and because you are English, instead of the 90% others, you get treated like royalty and as a priority to the Italians, Germans and Eastern Europeans.

 

Sharm is more English.

 

If you smoke ( even if you don't ) you can get 200 ciggys for about £6, I bought back 2000 (With a street value of £400 and RRP of £550 ), they cost me £60.

 

To summarise, I made effectively £490 profit ( as I was smoking then ) , my holiday cost me less than that.

 

Happy Days.

 

Oh, and the Pyramids really ain't that great.

[Kaiser Soze]

Everyone I know who has been to Egypt came back ill. Avoid their water at all costs.

[thesaint sfc]

Have you been to Turkey Stu?

[dubai_phil]

Egypt was part of my sales region for 13 years.

 

Do not expect it to be a "Torremolinos" holiday, in fact, don't expect it to be a Med holiday at all. Everything is far more basic and their approach to life is different to ours.

 

The best description of an Arabic Holiday resort is that it is a facade and looks sad and faded. There is never a great deal to be had at the markets and the shops no matter how hard you haggle - the bargains are in the real world of Cairo markets etc.

 

The beaches at Sharm are basic at best, dotted with rotting old swings and playgrounds that would never get past a UK health & safety check.

 

The western food is average at the very best, a lot of the diving is now over fished or over polluted.

 

Which is why it is fantastic.

 

The whole way to enjoy these places is to get RID of the usual pre-conceptions, accept that much is held together with bits of string and brown paper.

 

Stay away from the Pizzas and the Burgers, get into the fantastic Arabic Food, especially the Mezzes and the mixed grills. Do not expect Ibiza clubs but sit and watch the people while having a Shwarma and a Sisha. Do your homework on the diving, find the proper dive clubs with ex pats, NOT the smiling local ones, they will take you further and you will get fantastic diving

 

Sharm is odd and quirky and in the middle of nowhere as is Hurghada. The most modern resorts are out of the town and are insulated from the rest of the "resort", to be honest the only way you could tell you were in Egypt would be the vastly overpriced Papyrus in the hotel shops.

 

Golden rules - you are not going to be clubbing until 3AM and vomitting in the street, save that for at home or Newquay/Ibiza, NEVER trust ANYONE as for them 50 quid is a LOT of money and they would sell their kids kidneys for less, BUT, I loved Egypt, I enjoyed Sharm, make sure you take your eyes and ears and actually listen to the history of the place.

 

My recommendation is to try and do two nights in Cairo, 6-8 days in Sharm/Hurghada will be enough and if you can fit in Luxor then it's a must.

 

There are almost hourly flights from Cairo airport, Egypt Air is grim but gets there, and there are a load of charters and low cost wannabees (all about 5 decades behind western operations though)

 

You must see the pyramids (don't bother with the camel rides you just get fleas). You must see the Cairo Museum. Never did much history at School but I've been there 5 or 6 times, it is fantastic. Take a camera with high ISO capability - no flashes allowed but King Tut's exhibition is up there on OMG moments.

 

The Semi Ramis Intercon is old but one of my favourite hotels (even has a casino) if you want a steak then Pascha 1901 or something is an old steamboat with a good steak house close to the old Marriott hotel beer is ok, but the local wine is pants (drink Lebanese if they have it)

 

Can never pronounce it but get a guide to take you Khalil Al Khalili market (be careful though a bomb went off there recently and you must go to the Salah Al Din's castle/palace/mosque on the hill

 

Egypt is great but you must be prepared to treat it as a real Indiana adventure, don't be passive and do the package tourist sit on every bus going rubbish.

[saints_is_the_south]

Thanks for all that Phil, i'll have to print your post & take it with me! Is it possible to get a over night train or something from Cario down to Sharm?

[S41NTS]

I got back from Hurghada last weekend, I managed to avoid "pharaohs revenge" whilst there but have been on the toilet for the last couple of days.

 

I went with the misses and we both absolutely loved it. I'm fortunate enough to have seen quite a lot of the world and it already ranks up there near the top (nothing will ever beat new zealand).

 

As is mentioned somewhere in this topic most of the tourists in Hurghada were not English and some of the locals seem genuinely pleased to meet an English person... there is the sales element to meeting the locals but once you've learned a few arabic words and some of the hand gestures / body language they know exactly when to leave you alone.

 

We actually got friendly enough with some of the locals for them to take us to some proper shops where bartering is not necessary and everything is price marked. Admittedly some of the prices were still a little high but even with GBP as it is nothing seemed overly expensive and we left with a few bags full.

 

The ancient monuments, temples and tombs really are amazing. Also as mentioned above Karnak should not be missed. We did a trip down to Luxor that included many sites. You need a whole holiday to do them all.

 

As for the nightlife, it depends what you are looking for but there is a Ministry of Sound & a Hedkandi in Hurghada, or there are lots of nice restaurants to eat & drink in for not much money. Watch out for the ice though!

 

No one seems to have mentioned Makadi bay on here, before going I assumed it was part of Hurghada. Its actually quite some distance and consists of only hotels so there is not much to do there. Hurghada itself has an old town with some real egyptian life if you want to see it and a little more choice outside of the hotels. I suggest staying in Hurghada if you want to do more than sit by the pool.

 

I'm a qualified diver who dives here in the UK so was looking forward to the Red Sea and wasnt dissapointed. There are many many sites on the water with a large variety of life. We saw dolphins, amongst many other species.

 

We're already talking about the next trip and incorporating a short Cairo stopover to see the Pyramids.

[saints_is_the_south]

Thanks S41NTS. I'm undecided now on where to go, was pretty much decided on Sharm but Hurghada sounds interesting too. I'd also love to see the pyramids & take in Cairo. Unfortuantley being a nipper (no not a student before SRS says!) I'm not on a budget where i could do all of it. Decisions to make!

[dubai_phil]

Thanks for all that Phil, i'll have to print your post & take it with me! Is it possible to get a over night train or something from Cario down to Sharm?

 

yes

 

 

 

But....

 

 

 

You know all those pictures from old movies - Gordon of Khartoum, Young Winston, well ME train services are still somewhat like that, always raised a smile when I went past Cairo station..... Mind you they make the old Southern Region look, well modern and luxurious!

 

But if you get a 1st class... should be ok, but do the searching for the cheap flights first and save a day each way, Egypt is a BIG place....

 

My mate drives but again you guys who think some of the M25 drivers are bad - ain't seen nuffink - really do not recommend it.

[saints_is_the_south]

yes

 

 

 

But....

 

 

 

You know all those pictures from old movies - Gordon of Khartoum, Young Winston, well ME train services are still somewhat like that, always raised a smile when I went past Cairo station..... Mind you they make the old Southern Region look, well modern and luxurious!

 

But if you get a 1st class... should be ok, but do the searching for the cheap flights first and save a day each way, Egypt is a BIG place....

 

My mate drives but again you guys who think some of the M25 drivers are bad - ain't seen nuffink - really do not recommend it.

 

Yeah just looked at flights from Cairo to Sharm, 1 way is £105 for 2 people which is pretty good.

[dubai_phil]

The Camel Bar in Hurghada seemed to be the best bet when I went and my daughter & other mates enjoyed it.

 

Local pharmacies should sell Ecrefuryl - it is an anti-bacterial mix of Immodium and Motilium.

Your local doc probably won't recommend it certainly without a prescription but I never travel anywhere these days without it after my local Doc recommened it, TBH I get more doses of the sh*ts in UK than I did in Egypt, just watch the salads - go grilled as much as possible

 

Oh and do NOT take ANY drugs/medications unless you check with your doc first - some Muslim countries will jail you for Codeine possession let alone anything worse

 

NEVER drink ANY soft drink that you do not open yourself, that INCLUDES Pepsis etc in McDonalds/Pizza Hut from those machines (sods got me in Pakistan with that - it is just tap water into fizz - bad bad bad.

 

Check the water bottle lid has not been tampered - ie glued back on so buy from shops NOT street or beach vendors

 

Above all enjoy

[hamster]

Egyptology trivia question time.

 

Who (Googling not permitted) famoulsy died in motorcycle accident at Corfe, in Dorset?

[dubai_phil]

Egyptology trivia question time.

 

Who (Googling not permitted) famoulsy died in motorcycle accident at Corfe, in Dorset?

 

Without googling, he hung out a bit further east, Wadi Rum was where it was filmed, close to Aqaba in Jordan, awesome place but a tad warm this time of year

 

Peter O'Toole wasn't it

 

And He's responsible for the whole Osama thingy.....

 

Not Peter but the other one

[Saint in Paradise]

Egyptology trivia question time.

 

Who (Googling not permitted) famoulsy died in motorcycle accident at Corfe, in Dorset?

T.E.Lawrence and he wrote Seven pillars of wisdom from memory. MY memory not his :0)

[Winnersaint]

No one seems to have mentioned Makadi bay on here,

Going to Makadi Bay two weeks today. Mainly for sun, snorkelling etc. Dune buggy trip into the desert either at sunrise or sunset looks good. First time to Egypt. First time on any sort of holiday organised by a travel agent since 1995. First time all inclusive. Forums on Red Sea resorts cite the money as a major cause of squitters and also having your A/C too low in the room.

[Rattlehead]

I personally thought Hurghada was a massive sh*thole although, as someone said, the Brits do get treated much better than the many Russians there (many of whom behave like complete c*nts). In fact when I got the ferry from there to Sharm and there was a spelling mistake in my name on the ticket - I was told "don't worry, you're are British there will be no problem. Russians yes, British no". They hate the Russkis.

 

As an aside, all inclusive holidays are for proper pikeys and I can't think of much worse than being near these people for even a day to be honest. Furthermore, I seriously don't think being "more English" is a selling point. Au contraire.

 

I am also disappointed to see thesaint sfc's comments about the people. Sure there are many blatantly after your cash but I generally found the people to be very friendly and the service in top places was truly excellent. I guess kindergarten isn't what he's used to over here.

 

The only place I would go back to (and I would go back there) is Luxor. This is the place to go in my view, by some distance, and it is a special place. Even the top places are extremely good value.

[thesaint sfc]

I went to Sharm. It was a complete **** hole and all people were interested in both inside and outside the hotel were your money.

[hamster]

Without googling, he hung out a bit further east, Wadi Rum was where it was filmed, close to Aqaba in Jordan, awesome place but a tad warm this time of year

 

Peter O'Toole wasn't it

 

And He's responsible for the whole Osama thingy.....

 

Not Peter but the other one

 

T.E.Lawrence and he wrote Seven pillars of wisdom from memory. MY memory not his :0)

 

You know you are correct without the need for me to confirm, so well done especially if you didn;t use Google.

 

I had a 'moment' yesteday whilst in the hopspital waiting room. Picked up the top magazine from the table (Nat Geo) and the main article was about Hatshepsut's reign 'THe Queen who would be King', I know it may just be coincidence, but I was spooked for a moment having mentioned her (him?) hours earlier on here. Interesting tale of her assuming the throne in place of her step-son Thut Mose (sp) who in turn had her depictions chiselled and smashed. Ironically he had some covered in stone to hide her image, thus preserving them for modern day archaeologists and tourists to study. They only recently (2003/4 iirc) identified her mummy, interestingly using a broken tooth found in a wooden box at another location.

[Rattlehead]

I went to Sharm. It was a complete **** hole and all people were interested in both inside and outside the hotel were your money.

 

I agree Sharm is a sh*thole. Basically anywhere with loads of Brits on holiday is 100% guaranteed to be a sh*thole.

[thesaint sfc]

I agree Sharm is a sh*thole. Basically anywhere with loads of Brits on holiday is 100% guaranteed to be a sh*thole.

 

Agreed. Against my initial judgement, German people tend to be the nicest ones I meet on holiday. Russians are c*nts. Just best not mention the war.

[Beer_please]

Like the post by dubai_phil. Where else was in your sales region? Not Morocco by any chance as I'm off there next week with the other half?

 

Don't understand why some people seem obsessed with all-inclusive packages or rush to the irish bar/rock cafe and eat at mcdonalds/pizza hut. Much more fun actually experiencing different cultures when travelling (the good and the bad)