1. Use A Travel Agent & Book Guides

Although it is not necessary to use an agent or to have guides to go to all of the monuments and attractions, this definitely made our visit VERY easy. We were super lucky to have friends from Canada that are originally from Cairo and they put us in contact with the travel agent that they use when they tour their native country. He was AWESOME! He helped with the itinerary, booking hotels, excursions and guides. This might not seem like a big deal, but he knew how long we should stay in each area (without wasting time) got us great deals on accommodations and transportation and put us in touch with amazing guides.

I have to admit, I’m not one for having my entire itinerary set out for me, but the ease it created was lovely. Throughout our trip I couldn’t believe the amazing customer service. Our agent was only ever a message away and took care of a lot of tiny details for us along the way. He booked transportation that we needed, guided us to the best itinerary to suit our needs and best of all helped us when our luggage got lost! He was constantly checking in with us to make sure our stay was great and to see if we needed anything.

Another amazing plus through this process was getting our amazing guides. We didn’t have to worry about being hassled at the pyramids and other temples and monuments because there was always someone with us that spoke Arabic. They made sure we weren’t being taken advantage of and helped barter for better deals. We’ve never traveled with a guide before and rarely have hired one at an attraction, but these guys were great! Don’t get me wrong, you can totally visit Egypt without these luxuries but for very little money, it made our experience as seamless as it could be!

2. Transportation

Whenever we travel to a new country, I always find it interesting how people get around from place to place. At home in the prairies, our public transportation isn’t very good, so everyone drives. I love cities with great subway stations to help you move about fast and cheap. This is not the case in Egypt! Although there is a metro in Cairo - we had no need for it. We had a private driver for a few days in Cairo and when we were touring the Nile River, but other than that we were on our own. In Cairo and Alexandria, Uber is the best way to get around, plus it is dirt cheap! I preferred this to a taxi because the rates and destination is set. We had a few issues with the language barrier, but the drivers would pull over and ask for help if they needed clarification. And did I mention how cheap it was!!! Our longest Uber ride was about an hour and it cost around $12 CAD.

Another neat experiences we had was taking the GoBus. This would be similar to the Greyhound service in Canada. This was also amazingly cheap! We took a 5 hour bus ride for 10 bucks! Now, the bus wasn’t luxury by any means, but it got us where we needed to go. This was also a great way to see the country side. It’s interesting to me how similar, yet different our societies are. It’s only been in the last 5 years that Egypt has had main highways between their cities, so it was great to be able to experience so many different villages and open space along the way. Do beware of finding your GoBus station in the cities. If you’re expecting a bus station with lots of buses and a big parking lot, you won’t find it. The GoBus stations are literally a small store front and the bus stops on the side of the road to load up and go!

We also took a couple of domestic flights when we were traveling, however, they were much more expensive. We choose to fly from Alexandria to Aswan to save time, however, if budget is your concern, you could take the time and use the GoBus. We did talk to a couple of Americans that used the overnight train from the north to the south, but they didn’t give a good review!

Taxis are also everywhere you go, but you do need to be careful when deciding which one to use. In the northern part of the country the taxi drivers didn’t hassle you for fairs, but in the southern part of the country (where there’s no Uber) - they definitely do! If you can ask someone what the going rate should be for your destination before talking to the cabbie, this can be helpful. As very Caucasian Canadians, they could clearly tell we weren’t Egyptian and would try to gouge us for triple the amount of what the fair should be. Also, try to have some smaller bills with you because they conveniently “Never have change.” Don’t be afraid to decline a driver and walk away if you don’t like the feeling you get from them. I even made one take our luggage out of his car because I couldn’t stand his attitude. Once we got into the taxis they were all very helpful and some even gave their own “tour” as they drove us to our destination.

3. Get An Egyptian SIM Card

In my previous post I mentioned the importance of a SIM card. I highly suggest you take the time at the airport to get an Egyptian SIM card as soon as you arrive. This way you can book Ubers without using your own data. The WiFi is not great in Egypt, so don’t count on your accommodations providing you with good internet service. We sprung for 40G of data so we could pretty much use our data unlimited while were were here. It made it easier to look up things on the go, follow our taxi drivers on google maps to make sure we were on the right track, and stay connected with family and friends at home. It wasn’t a very big investment, so it is completely worth it. Just make sure when you take out your SIM from home, you put it in a safe place and DON’T LOOSE IT!!!!

4. Accommodation Standards

Throughout our travels in Egypt, we booked ourselves in a variety of accommodations. Some rated 3 stars, mostly 4 stars and a couple of 5 stars. Before you leave Canada, you need to prepare yourself that these standards are not the same in Egypt as they are at home. I didn’t feel the need to leave any of the hotels that we had booked, however, there definitely were a few that I wasn’t sad to leave! All the lobbies in the hotels were well taken care of, however the rooms could use more care. Location seemed to play a big part of it.

Our hotel in Cairo was probably my least favourite. It was very small and only somewhat clean. The bathroom was very musty, moldy and only produced hot water in the evening! The plus side was the king size bed was comfortable. We choose to book hotels that had breakfast provided, and this one was adequate. You could get a fresh omelet made, plus a variety of other local food choices.

The only 3 star hotel we stayed in was in Alexandria, and it was pretty nice. Everything was older in the rooms, but it was clean - a lot cleaner than our hotel in Cairo. We stayed in a couple of 4 star hotels in Aswan and Luxor. These were also decent hotels with older furnishings. Both clean with decent breakfast and nice swimming pools. This was appreciated because the temperature was HOT! One downfall was that our hotel in Luxor didn’t have hot water or blankets!

We were lucky enough to enjoy a 5 star cruise up the Nile, and we were upgraded to the VIP Suite. I’m sure the regular rooms were just as nice. Once again, everything is very outdated, however, this was by far the cleanest stay during our entire trip to Egypt. It was all inclusive and we found something healthy to eat at all meals.

At the end of our travels we went to the Red Sea and enjoyed 5 nights at two different resorts. Our first resort was in Hurghada. The room was big, clean and had an amazing view of the ocean - Oh my the ocean!!! So beautiful! I would only recommend going here to experience the Red Sea. Other than that, there were so many pushy tourists and local merchants hassling us on the beach. Plus the food wasn’t very good, with very few healthy choices. It made us both sick and after talking to a few local people, they said that’s common in this area. Our last few nights were spent at a 5 start resort in the El Gouna area. If you’re looking to relax, experience the Red Sea and enjoy good food and clean rooms, I highly recommend this part of Egypt. We got to stay in the coolest little bungalow over the bay.

Overall, we got used to the standards being lower. You should be happy to experience clean rooms, hot water and blankets! Seeing as the prices are so much cheaper, if you can, I recommend booking a higher rated hotel. We spent between $50-$100 CAD a night on our rooms, and standards reflect in the price. When gaging your standards, I would subtract at least 1 star if not a start and a half from the standards at home.

5. Bring Toilet Paper!!!

Although this might sound abnormal to carry toilet paper with you on your holiday, I’m telling you, it could be very helpful in many situations! Not all bathrooms supply toilet paper, especially in the areas that are not full of tourists. Even in the airport, you have to pay to get some toilet paper to use. Also, just like the accommodations, standards a lower for the cleanliness of bathrooms. I try to avoid using public washrooms as much as I can when I travel, but when you got to go, you got to go! If we took our backpack out for the day, we travelled with a roll of TP, and on lighter traveling days, we put some in our pockets JUST IN CASE! There isn’t necessarily paper towel or hand dryers either, so can have multiple uses ;)

All in all, our stay in Egypt was amazing!!! Part of the reason we love travelling, is to experience the differences in cultures and see how other countries live. Egypt has so much to offer as far as history, different landscapes and friendly people. As Canadians we felt like celebrities. Most people we talked to have never met anyone from Canada, as most tourists come from Europe. Depending on the area you travel to, will depend on how many tourists you run into. We saw very few tourists in the northern part of the country, but definitely saw LOTS during our cruise and our stay at the Red Sea.

I would recommend taking the journey overseas to explore this amazing country and all that it has to offer. Travel safe and be prepared for something different than Canada. We arrived with an open mind, and we are leaving with tons of smiles and new lifelong friends.

Thank you Egypt for being so welcoming!!!

 View our travel videos on YouTube