My experience in Egypt

on_way_to_fame · Joined: 28 Feb 2005 Posts: 15

Egypt is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful places in the whole world. If it had Pyramids alone, and nothing else, i believe still it would have been one of the most popular tourist destinations.

Egypt is also said to be the world's oldest civilization, which makes it full of cultural heritage. But its more than just pyraminds and old monuments.

It is also Red Sea scuba diving, hot night spots, luxury hotels and five star restaurants, which makes Egypt a great tourist spot. The romantic cruises down the Nile on festive river boats and a night at the grand opera is a cultural experience like none you will ever experience. Egypt is a land bustling with life, sound, visual beauty and excitement, and i would strongly recommend it to anyone planning a vacation soon..

Laura · Joined: 16 May 2004 Posts: 446 Location: San Francisco

I used to see an "adventure trip" to Egypt that included camping out at some desert hot spring oasis that people had been visiting since at least Roman times. It's one of the things on my long list of places to go and things to do and see!

Aer · Joined: 17 Feb 2005 Posts: 3

on_way_to_fame wrote: Egypt is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful places in the whole world. I have to disagree :) It certainly had beautiful views. Like a panoramic view over a river (a branch of the Nile, I think..but I don't really remember it), with at front the edge of the city and on the other side desert/nature like scape, while here and there palm tree's surrounded the river in which people were sailing. Gorgeous.

Also the way some treasures (buildings, wall and ceiling paintings and items) were still in very good condition, was pleasing to the eye. Sometimes it was unreal to me, that I could hardly believe this was for real. Like at the site of the Sphinx. Although no one was allowed near the Sphinx and only could see it from a distance, I could barely believe it to be real. The musea are fab and the sea is beautiful. I've seen fish swim pass and even a turtle, when I was on a trip on a boat who has a lowered hull like a submarine, making it possible to view the sea underwater too. And the police on camels was a fun sight to see :)

However, beyond beautiful scenery, there is also a lot of poverty (begging kids, to name one) and you will barely see any women around, unless it is in a big city. And I have had not such a good time as I wished. Especially touristic hotspots (tourist traps) were a nuisance. To women, it can be even a unfriendly environment. But it depends if you are in the big cities and if you have to do with people who are professional employed, for let's say, as the soldiers (poorly maintained militair posts, which look at little more than a brick tower with a armed guy in it, are everywhere outside towns, along side roads), police and people who have a actual real position in the tourist industry, like in a hotel, etc.

If you are at the wrong places, it can be very stressful to some people when women are getting more attention than wanted, if they look nice and are preferable young. And just normal hasseling to anyone at all. But as written, it depends which places you visit. At the cruiseship only one guy showed a bit of interest for one of the girls in the group (outside the professional industry the men would usually be really bothersome, however). He asked at which age western girls marry. The waiter got as answer that they study until they were about 30. The waiter was very dissapointed and told that another man, a German guy had told him that too :lol: The other man must have thought the same about protecting his daughter by telling that she ain't gonna have any man or marriage anytime soon :lol:

Well. I left some negative experience out, because it all comes down to where you go to, with who you travel and picking the right places and you can have a good time. Not that I experienced the latter a lot, but reading other travel stories, the only positive ones, are from people who avoided the most touristic and poverty area's.