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Other
useful information
An
other chapter addressing various topics to help
preparing your trip and provide information that might
be useful once there.
Euros,
Egyptian pounds (EGP)
No
need to have dollars in
Egypt, Euros are accepted everywhere. You
can change Euros upon arrival at the airport, in banks
located there where you also buy a visa; the rate is
generally interesting (about 7 EGP for 1 EUR). There are also
a number of banks in Luxor;
but there is no bank in West
bank.
Visit budget
As
you can see under visits,
there
are a number of sites and, even though ticket prices are
reasonable, the total budget is significant, about 500
EGP per person for one
week.
Guides
Although
on your own, it may be worth hiring a guide for most
difficult sites, such as Karnak.
We recommend two knowledgeable guides:
- an
English speaking one, Hassan
Elian, Tel.: 01.05.21.76.40
- a
French speaking one, Farrage,
Tel.:
01.23.54.30.29.
Telephone
It
may be useful to call a guide or a taxi etc. At a
reasonable cost, you may buy a mobile phone
smart card to put in your own mobile (provided it s not
locked by your operator); it costs 60 EGP for 30
minutes.
Cards
for public phone cabins can also be found easily (you
can phone abroad with Menatel).
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Health precautions
A
number of medicines can be found at Egyptian pharmacists.
There is no malaria in
Egypt
nor any other hot country disease. However, depending on the
season (mostly in winter, in fact) there can be mosquitos:
bring what you need to spend quiet nights. Regarding
food precautions, go to food
hazards.
Food
shopping
There
are many grocers in El
Gezira.
Typical prices are as follows:
- 1.5
litre water bottle = 2 EGP,
- 1 litre fruit
juice = 4 EGP,
- 1
kg oranges or bananas = 3
EGP,
- 7
rolls (pita) = 1
EGP
Alcohol
In
principle, forbidden for muslims, but many Egyptians do drink
alcohol, sometimes a lot. Anyway, buying alcohol in a shop is
difficult indeed. There is one shop, in East bank, in the main
avenue to the station (left hand
side) but quality is much lower than prices. You better bring
whisky, or whatever.
Internet
There
are many Internet shops on East bank and West bank. Equipment
is not always up to date, but being connected a while is
possible. Cost: about
5 EGP for 30 minute connexion.
Pictures
Although
not allowed in tombs since recently, you will take a lot of
pictures in Egypt.
Argentic films and memory cards can be bought locally but we
recommend to bring them as storage conditions may be uncertain
due to heat.
Family
names
Egyptians
have no family name. After their first name, generally
Mohamed, Ahmed (pronounce Armed), Mahmoud (Marmoud), Ali, they
have their father's name then their grand father's. This may
easily turn into Mohamed Ahmed Mohamed and it comes out that
many have the same names! Same for the girls, with the
mother's and grand mother's names.
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