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Published: October 30th 2008
Precautionary Travellers
Our plans are set, but you never know what surprises await us in Egypt! That's what makes travelling so exhilarating! Life happens and it's those unexpected moments that are sometimes the most memorable. For those surprises that are not so memorable, we are taking precautions.Find out what precautions we plan on taking and how we are handling booking private tour guides and tipping. For our itinerary, travel and accommodation plans, check out our previous blogs!
Travel Safety
With food and fuel prices rising over the past year and the ever deteriorating state of the economy, there have been protests and increasing security concerns. Being aware of the political, cultural, and economic environment and what's happening when in Egypt and always being vigilant is important in keeping safe. In addition to avoiding demonstrations and staying away from areas where they are expected to take place, our hotel and restaurant choices, travel and transportation plans take security and health into consideration.
When travelling to developing nations, hotel and transportation choices are important to ensuring safety. Although staying in a 4* or 5* hotel is no guarantee, it is comforting to know that the hotels we have chosen have resources to secure their properties and hotel guests, as well as offer restaurants with quality food that follow international food safety practices. In terms of transportation, we have hired private tour guides & drivers who practice safe driving practices and have air conditioned vehicles with seat belts according to our research, including Trip Advisor reviews. As travellers, we make choices every day when travelling abroad. We do what feels right. If it doesn't appear safe, we pass on it and find an alternative!
While there is a significant security presence to ensure the safety of tourists, we have always taken the approach of being security aware and taking necessary precautions. We never wear jewelry or carry much cash when travelling. We use a money belt, slash proof purse and never carry our passports, travel tickets, identification documents, cash, credit cards, and insurance papers together to minimize the risk of being left with no identification or funds in case of theft or loss. We use the safety deposit boxes at our hotels and never leave valuables in our room.
Because Canadians are advised to exercise a high degree of caution when visiting Egypt, we registered as foreign travelers to Egypt on Canada's Foreign Affairs website (www.voyage.gc.ca) so that we can be contacted and assisted in an emergency, such as a natural disaster or civil unrest, or informed of a family emergency at home. We will continue to check the website for updates in addition to the US State Department's website.
We have also looked at the Public Health Agency of Canada’s Travel Health Web site (www.travelhealth.gc.ca) for information on potential health risks. We have had all the suggested immunizations, including Tetanus, Polio, Typhoid, Cholera and HEP A. Since bird flu" in humans and in birds is prevalent in Egypt, we will be staying away from live poultry in the markets as recommended.
We plan on bringing insect repellent and on wearing long pants and long-sleeved shirts to avoid getting insect bites since there are risks of insect-borne illnesses and sunburns since the sun is a lot more intense than in Canada! So we will be packing lots of SPF 60 with broad spectrum UVA/UVB protection!
We do not plan on swimming in the Nile or its canals, walking barefoot in stagnant water, or drinking untreated water since it poses a risk of exposure to bacterial and other infections and parasitic diseases, such as schistosomiasis (bilharzia).
Since the most common medical problem for travelers to Egypt is traveler’s diarrhea, here are the precautions we plan to take:
• Take Dukoral (Single booster in December 2008 since we took a full dose of Dukoral in March 2007)
• Drink only bottled water.
• Brush teeth with bottled water
• Never swallow water when taking a shower or swimming.
• Limit drinking tea & coffee because you never know if the water has been properly boiled.
• Avoid ice since it is most probably made from tap water.
• Never eat food on the trains or street food.
• Stick to the theory of “peel it, cook it, or forget it.” Admittedly, this is the toughest to stick to since avoiding uncooked vegetables and unpeeled fruit, including fruit juices, is challenging when salads, fruit and fruit juices are so appealing!
Fortunately, we took these precautions when we travelled to Morocco and avoided being sick. Hopefully by taking these precautionary measures, we can avoid Pharaohs Revenge or Mummy Tummy! We have stocked up on antibiotics (Cipro for adults and Erythromycin for a child under 16 years of age) and other remedies with the hope that we won't need them. Our medical kit includes Imodium, Rehydration Salts (Gastrolyte), thermometer, Penaten, Polysporin for skin, eyes and ears, and Tylenol.
Booking Our Private Tour Guides
Mama Canuck has searched the web and scanned travel forums, including Trip Advisor and Lonely Planet's Thorntree over the past couple of months to find: a limousine service for our journey from Alexandria to Siwa Oasis and return trip to Cairo; desert safari company to do a day excursion around the outskirts of Siwa Oasis and the Great Sand Sea; and, private tour guides in Alexandria, Cairo, Luxor and Aswan.
While private tour guides in Cairo were booked with ease and we were successful in booking our private transport to and from Siwa Oasis, the search for private tour guides outside of Cairo has been challenging. Internet connectivity issues, Ramadan in September and minor misunderstandings because of language barriers have required patience and perseverance. After contacting prospects by email and sending and responding to numerous emails, hopefully the time and effort spent vetting private guides will pay off. In the end, we decided to wing it in Alexandria, Siwa Oasis (except our day excursion into the Great Sand Sea-Papa Canuck has no experience driving over sand dunes and frequently gets lost!), Aswan and Abu Simbel. Self-guided tours seem doable. If not, we hope to make arrangements when we get there through local contacts!
Tipping Guidelines
While tipping is a personal matter and we tip based on our personal experience and discretion, here are some general guidelines for tipping in Egypt based on other traveler's recommendations that we plan on using:
• 3 to 5 LE per person tip for breakfast at restaurants and coffee shops. Tip approximately 10%!f(MISSING)or lunch and dinner.
• 3 to5 LE per piece of luggage for bellman
• 1 to 2 LE to mosque attendants per pair of shoes
• 5 to10 LE per night for housekeepers - every two days give 10 Egyptian pounds
• 10 LE per person per night on cruise ship placed in box at reception. Put name & room# on envelope.
• 5 LE per person per full day for driver when part of a group.
• 10 LE per person per full day for tour guide when part of a group.
• For private driver, tip 25 LE for half day and 50 LE for a full day per couple.
• For a private tour guide, tip 40-50LE for half day and 80-100LE for a full day per couple.
• 1 to 2 Egyptian pounds per couple for guards around sites.
Tipping is always awkward when you first arrive in a new country since it is challenging to get small notes in the local currency. Whenever we buy water or anything from a shop, we always use larger notes to get small notes for tipping. Getting some 1LE and 5LE from a bank or exchange office will be our first priority. We always make sure to use the local currency for tipping. While there is no need to tip for children under age 12, we plan on tipping half the amounts stated above since we are travelling with our teenage daughter.
Check out our blogs as the Travelling Canucks head off to Egypt in 6 weeks!
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carol
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Can't wait!
Can't wait to hear more as you travel into Egypt......thinking about doing a trip with Insight or another coach tour next year. Definitely want to know all the details of your trip : ))