He who dares: Egypt holiday

[Eurofighter]

My parents have been on a Nile cruise a few times. They liked it.

Also the hotels are massive, much bigger than your average European one. So just don't leave.

Although I would like to see the Pyramids I don't plan on going anytime soon myself though, too many other places I would prefer to go to. Maybe wait until it gets a bit nicer.

 

[SexyGreyFox]

My parents have been on a Nile cruise a few times. They liked it

Easily the best weeks holiday I've ever had.

 

[muon]

How many Brits visit Egypt every year and how many are murdered?

The unwanted attention outside of tourist locations if you are female on the other hand, is a good reason not to go.

 

[Uther]

How many Brits visit Egypt every year and how many are murdered?

The unwanted attention outside of tourist locations if you are female on the other hand, is a good reason not to go.

No idea how many were Brits but literally hundreds of tourists have been killed in terrorist attacks in Egypt.

 

[SexyGreyFox]

How many Brits visit Egypt every year and how many are murdered?

The unwanted attention outside of tourist locations if you are female on the other hand, is a good reason not to go.

Looks like Brits are OK

Recent attacks in Egypt have included:

• on 4 August 2019, at least 20 people were killed by a car bomb in Central Cairo’s Manial district
• on 19 May 2019, at least 16 people were injured after an IED attack on a tourist bus near the Giza pyramids
• on 18 February 2019, 3 security personnel were killed by a suicide bomber in Central Cairo’s Darb al-ahmar district
• on 28 December 2018, a roadside blast killed 3 Vietnamese tourists and a local tour guide on a bus near the Giza pyramids. Several others were wounded in the attack
• on 2 November 2018, gunmen opened fire on a bus carrying Coptic Christians in Minya province, upper Egypt, killing 7 people. Daesh (formerly referred to as ISIL) claimed responsibility for the attack.

 

[muon]

Looks like Brits are OK

Recent attacks in Egypt have included:

• on 4 August 2019, at least 20 people were killed by a car bomb in Central Cairo’s Manial district
• on 19 May 2019, at least 16 people were injured after an IED attack on a tourist bus near the Giza pyramids
• on 18 February 2019, 3 security personnel were killed by a suicide bomber in Central Cairo’s Darb al-ahmar district
• on 28 December 2018, a roadside blast killed 3 Vietnamese tourists and a local tour guide on a bus near the Giza pyramids. Several others were wounded in the attack
• on 2 November 2018, gunmen opened fire on a bus carrying Coptic Christians in Minya province, upper Egypt, killing 7 people. Daesh (formerly referred to as ISIL) claimed responsibility for the attack.

FCO website says 415,000 Brits visited Egypt in 2018. I suspect the number is even larger in 2019 as tourists started going back in 2018 e.g. flights returned in large volumes.

I reckon you have a far higher risk of being injured/killed through normal crime in Cairo than an IED.

No idea how many were Brits but literally hundreds of tourists have been killed in terrorist attacks in Egypt.

Hundreds is a bit of an exaggeration unless you are talking about ever.

I'd be more concerned around the appalling road safety which kills people randomly, which is true of a lot of less developed countries.

 

[SexyGreyFox]

I reckon you have a far higher risk of being injured/killed through normal crime in Cairo than an IED.

Probably more chance of being murdered in any British City

 

[Ocean Breeze]

Stick to developed countries. There is a reason why Egypt holidays are so cheap..

 

[=XDC=FluphyBunny]

Wife went to Egypt a few years ago helping out an animal charity. Just a quick visit but stopped with a local and dealt with a local charity.

The people involved were fine, the people within the tourist parts are fine, outside of that? Not so good. Not saying they are Turkey level of obnoxious but getting there.

Also when my wife was there the locals bins weren’t even collected so in general the county was going to ****.

 

[Amp34]

My parents have been on a Nile cruise a few times. They liked it.

Also the hotels are massive, much bigger than your average European one. So just don't leave.

Although I would like to see the Pyramids I don't plan on going anytime soon myself though, too many other places I would prefer to go to. Maybe wait until it gets a bit nicer.

Now is the best time to go. Less tourists mean you don't have to share the locations with thousands of others.

 

[kedge]

seeing the pyramids

I personally don't understand the attraction to these ugly tombs on the landscape, the sphinx and the phaoroa statues are just as ugly too, also were some if not all kings of ancient egypt just arrogant tyrrants? although having said that some resorts look ok on the brochures, i'd rather go to butlins and keep it British, ha.

 

[SexyGreyFox]

I personally don't understand the attraction to these ugly tombs on the landscape, the sphinx and the phaoroa statues are just as ugly too, also were some if not all kings of ancient egypt just arrogant tyrrants? although having said that some resorts look ok on the brochures, i'd rather go to butlins and keep it British, ha.

You sound like my youngest when she was about 20 and we got off the coach at Giza, she looked up and said "Is that it?", I nearly killed her.

 

[Lokwyr]

Visited Cairo from the Cyprus/Egypt/Israel cruise ferry trip in '94. There were 32 coaches (due to 2 ships arriving at Port Said). We snagged the front seat on the first coach. As the convoy departed another convoy joined us. They were the Tourist Police escort. Leading was a truck full of armed police following another heavily armed vehicle bearing pintle mounted machine guns. Distributed along the length of our coach convoy were about ten more units. The tourist guide said they were there as a confidence measure because some tourists had been hurt a long time before. We visited the pyramids, a papyrus factory and the Cairo Egypt Museum. They were absolutely worth seeing. Departing Cairo, reached the outskirts and stopped. The guides all left. The armed escorts all left. The coach drivers then raced each other back to Port Said. My wife was seriously scared. She spotted a road sign bearing the warning 'Radar speed trap ahead'. Oh good said she. See the bullet holes in it, said I !

I was in Egypt when it was still British. The dirt, filth and smells are the same- but laced with the stench of diesel fumes.
TBH, I felt safer then, in the late '40s/ early '50s when the brits-out movement was active.
In contrast, 1994 seemed edgy.
Would I return? Heck, as like
Edit- '94, not'84

 

[llamadal]

Egypt's decent if you use common sense, pay a more for a nice resort. Water is lovely, diving is amazing. You will get pestered a bit, everyones cousin or brother has a shop that can get you the best deals..etc. A firm no thanks and carry on walking and they will leave you alone.

It can be a bit of a culture shock if you have never left the country before.

Nile is amazing, pyramids ruined a bit by all the touristy crap around it but its still an amazing sight to see if you can appreciate it.

I saw the Cairo museum, not my usual cup of tea but as I had just driven from sharm due to ex Mrs deciding at the last minute she wanted to go and I wasn't going on the pos bus, I wanted explore/see as much as I could. The museum of Cairo to open will probably be very special.

If you want a cheap week of sun hot weather (stupidly hot sometimes) I can't think of a better place for the price.

 

[Mr Badger]

I personally don't understand the attraction to these ugly tombs on the landscape, the sphinx and the phaoroa statues are just as ugly too, also were some if not all kings of ancient egypt just arrogant tyrrants? although having said that some resorts look ok on the brochures, i'd rather go to butlins and keep it British, ha.

I would be astounded that you could be such a philistine, but aren't you the same Kedge who's a bit of a CT fan and evolution denier?

When I did a tour of Egypt I was genuinely impressed by what they had achieved, especially in the context of just how mind blowingly old it was.

Fun fact: The famous Cleopatra of ancient Egypt lived much closer in time to today than when the Great Pyramid of Cheops at Giza was built. Yes she was knocking around over 2,000 years ago, but the Great Pyramid was built another 2,500 years before that.