Travel Tips

What to pack

A packing guide for Dec in Egypt - mild to cool, weather: 2 pairs trousers/jeans, 3 tshirts, 2 long sleeved shirts, knee to calf length skirt for ladies or knee length shorts for men, cardigan or lightweight jacket, scarf or pashmina style wrap plus one set of dressy clothes for special events. One good pair of sports shoes, pair of sandals, one pair of dressy shoes, flip-flops for the pool, bathers, sunhat, sunglasses, journal, pen, mobile phone, camera, ipod, vitamins, toiletries, antiseptic wipes, sunscreen. A copy of itinerary and passport. Laptop if you must.

Wear the right shoes!

At the Pyramids and Giza and Sakkara, wear closed sports shoes as you will be walking over sand and pebbles. The Bazzar streets are sandy too, so wear good walking shoes. Save the high heels for nightclubs and dinner rendezvous, or buy new in Egypt! At the hotel, sandals are fine.

Save on phone bills with an Egyptian sim

Leave your sim card at home in an old phone, with someone who can take calls. Get an Egyptian sim card in Cairo (they are cheap) plus some credit. You'll feel safer - store all Egyptian contacts on this phone. To sms overseas from Egypt cost local prices.

Keep fresh wipes with you

Arabic food is often eaten by hand - bread, dips, etc. Its a good idea to carry antiseptic wipes with you and wipe your hands before eating. Antibacterial foods help; raw ginger, ginger tea, garlic, lemon...even a nip of white spirit (vodka, gin, rum) works wonders!

Pack light - shopping in Egypt is great!

You can buy cotton clothes, shoes, costumes, Bedouin rugs, trinkets, Islamic lamps, leather goods, handbags, music cds, henna, spices, apple tobacco, perfume bottles, perfume oils, Arabic music, dvds, shishas, fabrics, weavings, ramadan tent fabric and so much more! Khan el Khalili is the best place for trinket shopping, but there are fixed price shops around too.

Power-Travelers eat regular snacks!

Travel, jet-lag or late dinners can cause low blood sugar, and the fast pace of Cairo agitating with the "low sugar grumpies"! Keep some almonds, raisins or health bars in your bag, plus a few pieces of fruit. Need a protein fix? Vacume packed envelopes of tuna with a plastic fork, nuts or a few boiled eggs from the hotel breakfast keep protein up.

Bottled Water

Its sensible to always carry a bottle of water with you, and avoid drinking from the taps. Bottled water is very inexpensive in Egypt when you buy it from local stores rather than from the hotels. You can brush teeth and wash fruit with bottled water, but there is no need to be paranoid as intestinal flora often take a day or so to adjust to the new environment.

Tipping

Tipping is a way of life in Egypt. it is polite to give 1LE to toilet attendants in hotels, shops and road houses. Porters usually get 10le ($2) for carrying bags to the room. Guides and drivers are also tipped as their wages are low, the easiest way to do this in a group is for each person to give 5le ($1). A small tip goes a long way in Egypt and the people are grateful. It is customary to give a tip of 10% of the bill at a restaurant. It is a good idea to try and keep small change in your wallet at all times for tips.

Bargaining tips

Practice your Arabic, smile, have a joke with the shop owners before you start bargaining. When they give you a price, cut down to a third and say - "but its much cheaper in that other shop". If you still don't get your price, say thank you and walk away. This usually works. The trick is to not look too interested. Keep a sense of humour when bargaining at the markets and aim for 50% of the initial price. Use your intuition. Try not to gush over jewellery or magnificent sequins costumes!

Service charges and taxes

Dining out? Food at restaurants and hotels often carries an additional 22-25% service charge and tax, often this is not shown on the menu price, so be sure to add it if it is written in fine print at the bottom of the menu.

Currency

You can withdraw money from most atms with your bank or credit card, in LE (Egyptian pounds) converted at the daily rate. There is usually a bank fee involved. You exchange foreign cash at any bank. Hotels have safes.

Jet Lag busters

It is advisable to get into Cairo early for the Festival, on the 21 Feb to check into the hotel. Rest the first night and try to get to bed by 11pm - no earlier or later! Wake up at 7am the next day and you should be set for Cairo time. Peppermint tea, peppermint oil, ginger tea and sunlight are all jetlag busters, so bring some favourite tea bags and relax by the pool! Yoga stretches also help with jetlag.

Taxi travel

Taxis from the hotel are expensive so go to the street to catch a black and white cab. Name your destination. You can fix a price, but if so be prepared to haggle a bit. Or you can jump in and when alighting, simply give the cab money as though you were a local! It is aprox 5 le for a trip in the same suburb, 10le for 2 suburbs, 15 le for 3 suburbs, 20-30 le for a trip of 30 min to an hour respectively.

Medications and toiletries

Any pharmaceuticals are inexpensive and readily available in Cairo, incase you need antibiotics or have tummy problems. If you take medications, bring them plus have a copy of the name of the medication with you just incase. You may wish to pack yourself a small travel kit with the basics - immodeum, asprin, antiseptic cream, a few bandaids and a muscle balm. Contact lense fluid and toiletries are easy to find. Hairdressers and beauticians are easily available and the fees are very affordable if you wish to get a blow dry, pedicure or beauty treatment for a big night out!

What to eat

Egypt offers a variety of delicious cuisine. If you are traveling for the first time, or have a sensitive stomach, you may wish to eat cereals and cooked vegetable dishes the first day and gradually introduce fresh produce. Salads and fresh fruits are fine as long as they are fresh or served in a good hotel or cafe. Egyptian, meat, chicken and fish is excellent and recommended; superb Egyptian cuisine. However, avoid eating meat and cheeses from street vendors. If you wish to have take-away from street vendors, felafel and tameya sandwiches are best - delicious and under $1!




	Keti's Tips for making traveling easier and more fun in Egypt!

		Visas and entry If you have obtained an Egyptian entry visa in your passport before traveling, go straight to the passport counter. If you need to get a visa on entry, go to the airport bank (just before the passport counter), buy visa for aprox $20 USD then go to the passport counter. Airport banks use the daily exchange rate, so you can safely change some money there. Collect luggage and pass through customs. At the airport you can get a taxi (around 80le) or arrange a transfer to hotel. You can expect them to ask for a tip, 10-20le is fine. Note: Your entry visa is valid for one month.		What to pack A packing guide for Dec in Egypt - mild to cool, weather: 2 pairs trousers/jeans, 3 tshirts, 2 long sleeved shirts, knee to calf length skirt for ladies or knee length shorts for men, cardigan or lightweight jacket, scarf or pashmina style wrap plus one set of dressy clothes for special events. One good pair of sports shoes, pair of sandals, one pair of dressy shoes, flip-flops for the pool, bathers, sunhat, sunglasses, journal, pen, mobile phone, camera, ipod, vitamins, toiletries, antiseptic wipes, sunscreen. A copy of itinerary and passport. Laptop if you must.

	Wear the right shoes! At the Pyramids and Giza and Sakkara, wear closed sports shoes as you will be walking over sand and pebbles. The Bazzar streets are sandy too, so wear good walking shoes. Save the high heels for nightclubs and dinner rendezvous, or buy new in Egypt! At the hotel, sandals are fine.	Save on phone bills with an Egyptian sim Leave your sim card at home in an old phone, with someone who can take calls. Get an Egyptian sim card in Cairo (they are cheap) plus some credit. You'll feel safer - store all Egyptian contacts on this phone. To sms overseas from Egypt cost local prices.		Keep fresh wipes with you Arabic food is often eaten by hand - bread, dips, etc. Its a good idea to carry antiseptic wipes with you and wipe your hands before eating. Antibacterial foods help; raw ginger, ginger tea, garlic, lemon...even a nip of white spirit (vodka, gin, rum) works wonders!

	Pack light - shopping in Egypt is great! You can buy cotton clothes, shoes, costumes, Bedouin rugs, trinkets, Islamic lamps, leather goods, handbags, music cds, henna, spices, apple tobacco, perfume bottles, perfume oils, Arabic music, dvds, shishas, fabrics, weavings, ramadan tent fabric and so much more! Khan el Khalili is the best place for trinket shopping, but there are fixed price shops around too.	Power-Travelers eat regular snacks! Travel, jet-lag or late dinners can cause low blood sugar, and the fast pace of Cairo agitating with the "low sugar grumpies"! Keep some almonds, raisins or health bars in your bag, plus a few pieces of fruit. Need a protein fix? Vacume packed envelopes of tuna with a plastic fork, nuts or a few boiled eggs from the hotel breakfast keep protein up.		Bottled Water Its sensible to always carry a bottle of water with you, and avoid drinking from the taps. Bottled water is very inexpensive in Egypt when you buy it from local stores rather than from the hotels. You can brush teeth and wash fruit with bottled water, but there is no need to be paranoid as intestinal flora often take a day or so to adjust to the new environment.

	Tipping Tipping is a way of life in Egypt. it is polite to give 1LE to toilet attendants in hotels, shops and road houses. Porters usually get 10le ($2) for carrying bags to the room. Guides and drivers are also tipped as their wages are low, the easiest way to do this in a group is for each person to give 5le ($1). A small tip goes a long way in Egypt and the people are grateful. It is customary to give a tip of 10% of the bill at a restaurant. It is a good idea to try and keep small change in your wallet at all times for tips.	Bargaining tips Practice your Arabic, smile, have a joke with the shop owners before you start bargaining. When they give you a price, cut down to a third and say - "but its much cheaper in that other shop". If you still don't get your price, say thank you and walk away. This usually works. The trick is to not look too interested. Keep a sense of humour when bargaining at the markets and aim for 50% of the initial price. Use your intuition. Try not to gush over jewellery or magnificent sequins costumes!

	Service charges and taxes Dining out? Food at restaurants and hotels often carries an additional 22-25% service charge and tax, often this is not shown on the menu price, so be sure to add it if it is written in fine print at the bottom of the menu.	Currency You can withdraw money from most atms with your bank or credit card, in LE (Egyptian pounds) converted at the daily rate. There is usually a bank fee involved. You exchange foreign cash at any bank. Hotels have safes.		Manners Please "Min fad luk" and Thank you "Shokrun" will get you better service and the Egyptians will say "Ah! You speak Arabic!" At cafes - to call a waiter, say "lau samahkt". Egyptians are friendly, open-hearted and like to joke.

	Jet Lag busters It is advisable to get into Cairo early for the Festival, on the 21 Feb to check into the hotel. Rest the first night and try to get to bed by 11pm - no earlier or later! Wake up at 7am the next day and you should be set for Cairo time. Peppermint tea, peppermint oil, ginger tea and sunlight are all jetlag busters, so bring some favourite tea bags and relax by the pool! Yoga stretches also help with jetlag.	Taxi travel Taxis from the hotel are expensive so go to the street to catch a black and white cab. Name your destination. You can fix a price, but if so be prepared to haggle a bit. Or you can jump in and when alighting, simply give the cab money as though you were a local! It is aprox 5 le for a trip in the same suburb, 10le for 2 suburbs, 15 le for 3 suburbs, 20-30 le for a trip of 30 min to an hour respectively.		Counting and Numbers 1 wahid, 2 etnein, 3 talata, 4 arba, 5 khumsa, 6 setta, 7 sabba, 8 tamania, 9 tessa, 10 ashra, 11 hidasher, 12 etnasher, 13 talatasher, 14 arbatasher, 15 khamastasher, 16 settasher, 17 sabatasher, 18 tamantasher, 19 tessatasher, 20 eshreen, 21 wahid wa eshreen, 27 sabba wa eshreen, 30 talateen, 40 arbaeen, 50 khumseen, 100 meyya, 125 meyya wa khumsa wa eshreen

	Medications and toiletries Any pharmaceuticals are inexpensive and readily available in Cairo, incase you need antibiotics or have tummy problems. If you take medications, bring them plus have a copy of the name of the medication with you just incase. You may wish to pack yourself a small travel kit with the basics - immodeum, asprin, antiseptic cream, a few bandaids and a muscle balm. Contact lense fluid and toiletries are easy to find. Hairdressers and beauticians are easily available and the fees are very affordable if you wish to get a blow dry, pedicure or beauty treatment for a big night out!			What to eat Egypt offers a variety of delicious cuisine. If you are traveling for the first time, or have a sensitive stomach, you may wish to eat cereals and cooked vegetable dishes the first day and gradually introduce fresh produce. Salads and fresh fruits are fine as long as they are fresh or served in a good hotel or cafe. Egyptian, meat, chicken and fish is excellent and recommended; superb Egyptian cuisine. However, avoid eating meat and cheeses from street vendors. If you wish to have take-away from street vendors, felafel and tameya sandwiches are best - delicious and under $1!

	Basic Greetings Hello and welcome - ahlan wa sahlan, answer - ahlan bik! - hello back! Good morning - sabah el kheir Good evening - misae el kheir How are you? - Izzayak/izzayik? I am fine thanks to God - Ana kwaiss/a el hamdulilah See you again, God Willing - a shoufak tani, inshalla Where you from? - enta/enti minein? I am from... - ana min..., What is your name? - ismak/ismik eh? My name is... - ismi..., Goodbye - maasalema	Traveler's manners! Yes - aiwa, No - la, Maybe - yimkin It is possible - mumkin It is not possible mish mumkin Thanks - shukran, You're welcome - afwan Sorry - ana asif/a, Pardon? - efandim? Where is... feyn..., What? - eh?, Why - Leh? When - emta, please - minfadluk/ik, Alright - tayyib, I am tired - ana taebana, I am happy - ana mabsoota, I need a taxi - Aiza taxi, Right - yemeen, Left - shemel, Straight ahead - ala tool, Good - kwaiss, Very good - kwaiss awi		Shops and cafes tea - chai, coffee - ahwa, sugar - sokar, mint tea - chay bi nea-nea, milk - laban, water - maya, toilet - hamam, room - oda, hotel - fonduk, house - beyt, tips - baksheesh, money - filus. How much is this - bi kam di? Can I look at this - mumkin ashouf? Thats very nice - di helwa, Too expensive! - da ghali awi! No thanks, I do not want it - la shukran, ana mish aiza, Ok - meshi, today - inaharda, tomorrow - bukra

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