Arabic is the official language in Egypt. Egyptian Arabic is a separate
dialect from the language spoken in other Arab countries with standard
Arabic as the written form used for newspapers and literature. This will
usually be understood in most places but there is a colloquial dialect or
'street Arabic' which varies throughout Egypt. The difference in speech
between Cairo and travel-tips-tipsis very noticeable.
But
don't worry. Egyptians have an amazing ear for languages and most people who
come into contact with tourists will speak English and/or several other
European languages. Even before you speak your nationality will be
accurately guessed by the way you dress and walk. In the most densely
populated tourist areas children from two years old will know how to say
'welcome to Egypt', 'what's your name', 'baksheesh', 'pen', and 'give me
money/sweets/cigarette' in lots of languages! The government is now
encouraging foreign languages to be taught in schools and older children
love to practice their skills.
Time Zone and DST
Egypt is two hours in advance of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT +2) and operates
Daylight Savings Time (+1 hour) from the last Friday in April until the last
Friday in September.
Climate
A
hot, dry country, the temperature of Egypt varies from North to South. Most
tourists visit the country in its 'high season' - October to March. Summers
are extremely hot, especially in Upper Egypt, where temperatures can easily
reach up to 50 C (122 F) in June and July. The average midwinter temperature
in travel-tips is usually around 25 C (77 F) and 10 C (50 F) in Cairo. In the
winter as soon as the sun has set it can feel very cold because of the
contrast in temperature. Rainfall is quite rare in Upper Egypt, but you can
expect a little rain in the winter months in Cairo and the Delta. A strong
dry wind known as the Khamsin (literally 'fifty') blows in March or April
for around 50 days from the Western desert, spreading fine particles of sand
over everything it touches.
WHAT TO BRING
Number one not to do is not to wear shorts and sleeves attire to the
religious places in Egypt. Dress quite conservatively at your visits to
mosques, churches, synagogues and bazaars. Especially women should be more
careful about that. In places less used to tourists, you should even more
careful.
You must pack:
-Hat
-Sunglasses
-Sun screen above factor eight
-Scarf for head and shoulders for the ladies
-Crease-free, comfortable clothing
-Sweater, jackets, coats and umbrella for the winter travel-tipsing
(Alexandria, Cairo and night time desert can be quite cold and rainy in
winter months such as December, January, February, March and April)
-A torch for the tombs and temples
-Your prescription drugs
-Sanitary pads and panty liners for the ladies.
-Good walking shoes.
-Swimsuits if you are planning to swim.
MONEY
Egypt's currency is the Egyptian Pound. A pound= 100 piastres(pt). There are
notes in denominations of 25 and 50 pt and 1, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100 pounds.
Money can be officially changed at American Express and Thomas Cook offices,
commercial banks, foreign exchange (forex) bureaus and many hotels. The most
convenient place to exchange your money is the bank located in your hotel or
the reception. Note that rates can vary quite a bit between banks though the
variations seem to be minimal on the US dollar. Whatever method you use for
changing money, make sure you have your passport with you. It's sometimes
hard to use travel-tipsers' checks. Banks sometimes have a small handling
charge on those. Well-known brands of travel-tipsers' checks are best and,
ideally, you should back them up with your credit card.
You can obtain hard currency or travel-tipsers' checks from American Express
using an American Express Card or, with a Visa or MasterCard, from Thomas
Cook.
American Express, Visa and MasterCard can be used for purchases in a wide
range of stores displaying the appropriate signs.
Visa and MasterCard can be used
for cash advances from many branches of Banque Misr and the National Bank of
Egypt as well as Thomas Cook. Banque Misr generally charges no commissions
for cash advances, and the limit appears to depend on the terms of your
particular card. Outside the big cities cash advances are often impossible,
so keep some travel-tipsers' checks and/or cash handy.
HEATSTROKE
Upper Egypt (travel-tips, travel-tips, Abu Simbel) can get pretty hot in
summer months. Exposure to high temperatures can leave you vulnerable to
heatstroke. You should avoid excessive alcohol or strenuous activity when
you first arrive in a hot climate. Don't rely on feeling thirsty, drink
nonalcoholic beverages and especially water as much as possible to avoid
heat exhaustion and heatstroke. Beware of salt deficiency, as well. Use a
hat and sunsreeen with as many factors as possible.
FOOD & WATER
Please beware of diarrhea. Do not purchase food which are sold on the
streets or in front of the open windows of stores. Do not drink tap water.
Always drink the bottled water. Bring good antibiotics with you against
tourist diarrhea.
EGYPTIAN MEALS
Although Egyptian eating habits may seem erratic, most natives begin the day
with a light breakfast of beans (or bean cakes), eggs, and/or pickles,
cheeses, and jams. Most families eat their large, starchy lunch around
1400-1700 and follow it with a siesta. They may take a British-style tea at
1700 or 1800 and eat a light supper (often leftovers from lunch) late in the
evening. Dinner parties, however, are scheduled late, often no earlier than
2100, with the meal served an hour or two later. In restaurants lunch is
normally 1300-1600, dinner 2000-2400.
Entry Requirements
Visitors are required to possess a passport valid for 6 months from the date
of travel-tips. Entry visas are also required from most countries. A tourist
visa is valid for a period of 4 weeks and may be either single or multiple
entry.
ELECTRICITY
Electrical current is 220 volts AC, single phase, 50 hertz. Wall sockets are
the round, two pin European type (though for some strange reason the socket
holes are often too narrow toaccept European plugs). Bring
adapter plugs and transformers if necessary.
WHAT TO BUY
-JEWELRY: A
cartouche with the name of a friend or relative in hieroglyphs makes a great
gift.
-PAPYRUS
-TAPESTRIES AND CARPETS:
Showing the daily desert life in natural colors.
PHOTOGRAPHY Egypt is full of
opportunities for great photography. It is allowed in many of the ancient
sites, however, flash is banned in most of the tombs. At an increasing
number of sites, the government charges fees for photography and taking
videos. It is forbidden to photograph bridges, railway stations, anything
military, airports and other public works. Signs are usually posted. Ask
first if you want to take photos of people.
