Egypt Nile Cruises

Yes, there are many places that will allow this but before you do so please remember a couple of very important things:

1/ as the day progresses so does the heat, so by the early afternoon it can be exceedingly uncomfortable. Do you really want to be cycling for miles in this, with very little chance of shade? This is especially important for children, who will tire a lot as the day progresses because of the heat.

2/ there are no cycle lanes and so you are sharing the roads with all other forms of vehicular traffic, which is not the best thing to experience. Many cyclists have been injured because of other road users not noticing them.

Abu Simbel can be reached by flight, which is the easiest and most convenient method taking about 4 hours for the round trip and visit, or there are 2 police controlled bus convoys that leave Aswan at 0400 and 1130 that take about 9 hours for the round trip and visit.

You can visit either of these sites by taking the train, getting off at the relevant station and then getting a taxi, or by hiring a taxi or private driven car to take you to them (from Luxor or Aswan).

Though movies like “Death on the Nile” show people using this cruise, it has not been possible to cover this route since the late 1990’s. Flight or train are the only ways to get from Cairo to Luxor or Aswan nowadays.

Yes, but ticket sales for this are restricted to 300 people per day; 150 at 0800 and the other 150 at 1500. Tickets for this can only be bought at the main entrance, not the entrance close to the Sphinx. As tickets are sold on a first come, first served basis it is advised to get to the office as soon as possible as buses will arrive at opening times and they tend to get the majority of the tickets. If you can spare the time, try for the tickets in the morning, and if you are not successful you can be first in line for the afternoon tickets.

There is no restriction on these sales but only one of them is open at a time, they are changed to allow for them to breathe, dispersing the high levels of carbon dioxide levels that tend to accumulate inside. Tickets are available at the main entrance to the site.

No, photography inside tombs, including the pyramids and Abu Simbel, is strictly forbidden, which has led to all cameras being banned from the Valley of the Kings (you have to leave all cameras at the x-ray point at the second entrance). Excessive flash damages the paintwork inside the tombs and so, because of people who ignore the rules, measures have been implemented to safeguard these ancient works of art. The simple rule of thumb when visiting sites is: no cameras inside, cameras are okay outside.

Though most companies will use the same sites for their packages, this is mainly because the majority of visitors are experiencing Egypt for the first time and so these are the “must see” sites. Egypt has literally hundreds of ancient sites which can be visited and it only takes a request for them to be explored.

NO!! Malaria has not been in Egypt for well over 85 years and there is no need for any type of anti-malaria medication. To be honest, it is quite the obverse as any types of anti-malaria medication can actually cause side effects that will simply ruin your holiday. Just because Egypt is in Africa does not mean malaria is here as well.

Yes, but please ensure that you only bring enough for your stay, with just a few day’s extra supply as a back-up. It would also help if you could bring the prescription as well, as proof, or for topping up (there are many pharmacies in Egypt that can do this for you). If you happen to be travelling onwards from Egypt, and so have a lot more of your prescribed medicine with you, please ensure that you do have the prescription as proof.

Yes, but not advised! Egyptian water has a high chlorine level in it which can upset the microbes in your stomach, causing diarrhoea. For drinking purposes it is far safer to stick with bottled water, ensuring the seal is intact before drinking it.

Egyptian water is highly chlorinated, not poisonous, and so it is perfectly safe to do this. You often swallow small amounts of water whilst in the shower, or swimming, and this causes no problems, so why should cleaning your teeth?

Protocol does ask for men to wear long trousers as opposed to shorts, though Egyptians are used to the latter being worn and so say nothing, or little, if it occurs.

Protocol does ask for women to cover bare skin as much as possible and so shoulders, especially, should be covered and a simple scarf will suffice. Again, it is advised to wear long trousers, or skirts, as legs should also be covered. Heads do not need to be covered, despite what some tourist books say, though it is a sign of respect if you do this.

You may wear whatever you like on-board the cruise but you are asked to dress for dinner. Casual but neat is acceptable, you do not have to dress formally. Swimwear is not acceptable.

When walking around the towns, dress as you would for a hot summer’s day back home. Shorts and t-shirts are actually worn by many locals.

This really depends on which site you are visiting and at what time of the day. Some offer little shade and so you should ensure that you do not have too much skin available for the sun to burn (the Giza Pyramids, in the afternoon, is a prime example of this). Temples are well shaded so you do not have to cover so much, but remember that even though they are shaded well, tombs tend to accumulate the heat from the sun as well as the many visitors, so try to wear something lightweight in them, especially cotton fabrics. Though many people like to wear open toed sandals, please note that many of the floors are exceedingly uneven and so it can be easy to stub your toes. Ladies, please do not wear high heels; not only can you easily break them, they can also become trapped between the large stones in flooring, and you will also find you will tend to slip and slide on the stone. High heels and sand are not the best partners either as the heels will sink in (you may laugh, but many ladies do insist in wearing high heels).

Many women travel alone and have found that they have been safe. The police, tourist police and army are always close by and the Egyptians themselves are generally safe and will try to protect solo travellers. On the whole, it is generally safer for a solo female traveller in Egypt than places like Greece, Italy or Spain.

Although the chances of being confronted are almost negligible, please ensure that you take the same precautions that you would anywhere else and do not be tempted to walk in deserted areas alone: get a taxi back to your abode! You may receive some invitations, which on the whole are innocent, do not accept any of these from strangers.

This is a tourist book fallacy. Women walking around these towns can do so as if they were walking around their home towns in the summer. You will be amazed at how many of the local women dress like this as well, looking more like tourists than Egyptian.

Yes. Most places accept these nowadays, including all decent Hotels and Cruises. You are advised to carry cash when shopping in the many street markets (souks) though the larger malls, and street shops, can accept plastic.

Almost every bank has an ATM outside it, or just inside the front doors, and you will normally find that they are guarded by a policeman. Many shopping malls have stand-alone ATM’s and you can also find them located along a busy pavement (sidewalk), or where two busy pavements meet. Airports and railway stations also have ATM’s as do the larger tour company offices.

Egypt has a voltage supply of 220V and the plugs are the 2 round pin type that are common throughout Europe (except the UK).

Yes, alcohol is available in Egypt, either in the better hotels, higher class restaurants and cafes, pubs, and beer gardens. You will also find off licences as well. Please note though, it is illegal to drink alcohol in the streets in Egypt, so do not walk around with a can of your favourite tipple.

Yes, you are only allowed to bring in 2 litres with you.

The legal drinking age is 21.