Holiday in Egypt, would you?

a friend has gone today to hurghada, him the wife and kids.
we as a family have been to sharm 6 times, no way would i go again.

The last time I went which was a couple of years ago to Hurghada. We had to switch hotels as the hotel we went to was empty. All the tourists where too scared to go.

We transferred to another hotel that was busy, but then we where advised not to go in to town.

Anyway, we decided to get a taxi to town and literally we where the only foreigners about.

It felt very dangerous. Everyone was looking at as and two little youths tried to pick pocket us.

We got back to the hotel as fast as we could!

Listen to your family and go somewhere else, safe journey, safe return. Have a great time.

i wouldn't go, especially with a girlfriend - why take the risk. Plenty of other nice and hot places if you like that sort of thing.

We had a stopover in Cairo a few years ago, it was about 3am local time and the entire airport was in darkness. They kept it all turned off at night and only turned it on when a flight approached

Egypt, not even once.

No,

Shame really I went about 10 years ago, to Luxor, valley of the kings and Aswan and aside from anyone accepting a bribe to allow you into places where you shouldn't be it was interesting but by no means relaxing. Without significant law and order keeping the populace in there place (read oppression) I would give it a miss for 20-30 years till they sort themselves out.

Plenty of other places to see much nicer where the people might still want to rip you off but wont leave you in a half dead in a ditch.

Wouldn't catch me going to any predominant Muslim country for the foreseeable future even if you paid me. Flame suit on!

Cosimo said:

No...

https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/egypt

Click to expand...

Go for it OP. Have fun and enjoy the deals at the moment. As shown by the link Cosmo posted it is safe in the tourist locations.

It's actually not changed much in about 15 years. The western desert and Sinai have always been places to avoid. Luxor, Hurghada and Sharm will be fine. I'd look into Cairo before going though, largely to make sure which places to not go to. The pyramids and museums should be fine though. There are some crackingly cheap deals on very nice hotels in Luxor at the moment as an example.

Edit:

From the link

The areas to which the FCO advise against all but essential travel do not include the tourist areas along the Nile river (eg Luxor, Qina, Aswan, Abu Simbel and the Valley of the Kings) or the Red Sea Resorts of Sharm el Sheikh and Hurghada.

Click to expand...

The difficulty would be getting to Sharm as the airport is essentially closed to UK flights after the bombing. Hurghada is a torally different airport though.

Vimes said:

No I would not risk travelling there. I'm not sure how you would go on with the FO advice and insurance etc but then again I would not even look into it that far.!

When we went, a while back, and visited the Tutankhamen exhibition there were lots of demonstrations going on in the squares around the museum. The police building next to the museum (or offices) had been petrol bombed etc and I remember being rushed through as the crowds were getting bigger and more than just vocal.

Not worth the risk imo and even if it was politically more stable it must have been one of our least enjoyable holidays, food was carp and very poor hygiene in the hotel we stayed.

Click to expand...

Usually if the area is green on the FCO maps insurance will cover it. You'll need to take out special insurance of you want to go to an "all but essential travel" area.

That aside, poor food and hygiene is part of the course of going to what are essentially developing countries. You just have to get used to it and avoid anything less than a 5* (African standard) hotel.

qqg3 said:

Exactly why you shouldn't go. The price is what is because of the risk factor involved. Travel companies know it's not popular right now, for good reasons of safety, so are trying to flog it. There are other places that can offer the same price, accommodations, weather and you don't have to worry about terrorists.

Click to expand...

Less "risk factor", more "perceived risk factor". The FCO are very conservative in their recommendations. The tourist areas are a very low risk but the public perception is that they are high risk. The positive for those that actually understand this and follow FCO advice is some really cheap holidays with few tourists at world class historical sites.

I first went in 2003 and it was eye opening to see all the police/military with weapons, metal detectors and armed guards at hotel entrances and armed escorts to various places. I went again in 2013 to Hurghada on a diving holiday and it again was fine, with what seemed like less armed presence around.

OP, just nope! On so many levels.

I would not go to Egypt or Turkey for free at this moment in time.

I wont even go to Dubia for free and it has been offered on many occasion.

Just book up one of the canaries islands; maybe not as warm but will have peace of mind

i'd go but not leave the resort.

you'd have more fun there than going to somewhere like Luton.

fendi said:

i'd go but not leave the resort.

Click to expand...

Wow, sounds like such a fun holiday.

Malevolence said:

Wow, sounds like such a fun holiday.

Click to expand...

Relaxing by the sea? Amazing diving? And if in the right hotel, first class service.. Yes it can be a fun holiday.

itchy said:

I wont even go to Dubia for free and it has been offered on many occasion.

Click to expand...

I don't know about Dubia but lots of people go to Dubai.

I went last June and was pretty anxious about it all. Had a nice time but certainly wouldn't go back now.

dacads said:

I don't know about Dubia but lots of people go to Dubai.

Click to expand...

My Bearded Dragon likes Dubia's

No, bolster the European tourist industry, not Egypt, Tunisia, Turkey etc.

no