When we decided that Egypt would be part of our next destination, we began to read any number of travel blogs, YouTubers and ask some friends about their experience in that country. Our main objective on this first visit was to only see the pyramids in Giza, since They are the only living monument of the 7 wonders of the ancient world. The results of the search and the reviews were not so encouraging before making the trip, but in the end our adventurous heart won and we left.
Here are some tips that I hope will help you when you plan your trip and arrive in Egypt and will not take you by surprise like we did:
Entry visa: you obtain it “Upon Arrival” when you arrive at the Cairo airport (CAI), always check if your country of origin applies to this type of visa, in our case it did and the process was super simple and fast, you buy your visa for USD25 (you can pay cash or with card) at the counters that are before arriving at immigration, they give you your visa on a sticker and then with that you go to the immigration line. This link can help you validate if your passport applies to this type of visa: https://www.iatatravelcentre.com/passport-visa-health-travel-document-requirements.htm
Internet access: Since we were only going to stay for 3 days we decided not to buy any local SIM and use the data from our mobile phones, then we realized that we did not have good coverage there and we had problems ordering our Uber, we depended on the place's Wi-Fi where we were and for example in some restaurants we found it a bit complex since when you connect to their network they send you a confirmation code via SMS and if you don't have a local SIM you won't be able to access it. There are always friendly local people who, if you ask them a favor, will help you connect with their own cell phones, and we managed to do this a couple of times. Now there are options like Holafly esim.holafly.com which gives you access to data.
Transportation: Uber is functional and quite economical to get around the city, but we noticed that the drivers don't speak much English, so you have to make sure the direction is quite precise to avoid being dropped off in the wrong place.
Stay: we had previously booked the hotel via www.booking.com , we usually choose the location depending on the places we are going to visit to try to get there on foot or if we go by car not to waste time traveling long distances, and this time we decided to stay in Giza, which is like a neighboring city of Cairo, they are literally together, and we can move to the nearby archaeological sites either on foot or by Uber. As we approached the hotel area in Giza, which is about 40 minutes from the airport, we noticed the proximity to the pyramids that you can see almost from the moment you are in the car. When we arrived at the street where the hotel was located, the truth was that it gave us a little scare since it was like a market full of people, shops, cars and tuk tuks, all passing and talking at the same time, the access to the hotel was through a dirt and dark street , the building where the hotel was in theory seemed like an abandoned place, but as soon as we arrived it gave us peace of mind that someone came down to pick us up, we didn't understand much of what he said, but we assumed that the person was from the hotel and we went up with him in the elevator, it turns out that the hotel occupies the top floor of the building and when you go up there it is truly an oasis, excellent service, very clean, delicious breakfast included and with the best view of the place. We really recommend it as you can also coordinate your airport transportation and tours with them. Don't be scared of the area, when you go up to the roof and see the sunset and the pyramids in the background, believe me, it is worth it. Here I leave you the link so you can see some spectacular photos from its rooftop. https://khanduidarinn.com
Cash or Credit Card: the truth is you will need both... all we could pay with a credit/debit card was: the visa at the airport, the hotel, the tours that the hotel coordinated for us, the museums, the tickets to the archaeological sites, restaurants (as long as they are not part of a tour); you will need cash to: give tips (I'll tell you below since this point is super important here) and restaurants (when you go on the tour they ask you to pay cash for your drinks). Remember to change cash into local currency, doing so at the airport is a good, quick and safe option.
Tours: we are NOT big fans of buying guided tours (I tell you why in another blog), but there are places where you feel the need to do so either because of the language or because the time you will be there is very short, which was our case. . The hotel sent us the options in advance and they covered the places we wanted to visit. In the end we completed the planned visits in the short time we had, the experience with the guides was quite good; but we did feel that some tours were overpriced and we didn't like the food that is normally included in them and some shows (like dinner on a boat on the Nile River) were not so much to our taste; You could invest that time and money in visiting more museums or archaeological sites or even better local food restaurants.
They do not sell liquor in most local restaurants and hotels: this had already happened to us in India, and it is a religious-cultural issue in Arab countries, sometimes we wanted a beer to accompany lunch or a wine with dinner , and well, you only have the option, in addition to water and sodas, to enjoy their natural juices (with seasonal fruits), which are truly delicious.
Tip: don't be surprised if they ask you for a tip even when you enter a public bathroom or one in some restaurants, it is part of tourism and it is a way of survival for them since, reviewing statistics, the minimum wage there is low and they always have this extra-income in each of the services they provide. At first, I won't lie, it bothered us a lot because they are insistent and almost force you to give it to them, but then you get used to it; That is why it is important that you always have cash on hand. Average tip of how much you can give and of course this is at your discretion: Between USD1 - USD5, and if you consider that the service was extraordinary of course consider giving them more, it's up to you.
Power connectors: in Egypt the connectors used are 2-pronged (Type F or C). If you forget to bring them, don't worry, you can buy them at some electronics stores and they are quite cheap, USD 1-5.
The visit to Giza: our main visit was to see the great pyramid, but in the previous days we took the opportunity to get to know a little about Cairo, go to the museums and some archaeological sites near Giza, for example our guide took us to the archaeological complex of Abusir, which is 30 minutes from Giza and was one of the cemeteries of the kings during the 5th dynasty (as was Giza in the 4th dynasty), here you can see up to 14 remains of pyramids, some of which are still in very good condition and they are also a UNESCO heritage site, it is not so crowded so you can explore the place without rushing and enjoy it at your own pace. Also as part of the tour they take you to their local markets, we wanted to live the experience of the manufacture of their aromatic oils and papyrus (today paper as we know it) and both were good, they do not charge you to enter and you have the option of buy their products. Then on our visit to Giza we found “the great pyramid” of Cheops, the medium one is Kefren and Mycerinus the smallest, this construction is the only one of the 7 wonders of the ancient world that is still standing, as expected there are Thousands of tourists at the site, the guide leaves you at the entrance of the complex and then we walk for about 5 minutes until we reach the first pyramid. You can also hire the guided tour either at the hotel or right there. The size of the 3 pyramids that are there and the exact symmetry that you observe between each of them is truly impressive. We decided not to take the tour to enter the interior of the great pyramid, but if you are not claustrophobic and you have time, try to do it to see the structure from the inside, it is already known that there are no remains of anything because everything has been removed and placed in the different museums in Egypt and the world. It is recommended that you arrive at the resort either in the morning or in the afternoon before sunset as the weather is quite hot and dry, so dress coolly and wear plenty of sunscreen. Inside the complex, the only thing you will be able to do apart from admiring the pyramids and listening to the history of the site from the guides, is take photos, and take one of the rides around the site on a camel or horse. The truth is that for us it was a quick visit, but we were able to transport ourselves back in time with all those monuments and lifestyle that you can still see and enjoy in Giza.
In short, Egypt was a different experience, we carry with us in our memory:
The best sunset we have seen: The view of the pyramid at sunrise and sunset from the rooftop of the hotel where we stayed, we were impressed by how beautiful and impressive it is, add to this hearing the prayer of the Koran live in the background through the speakers in the mosques of Giza, phew it was too cute and magical.
A trip back in time: every little place you visit tells you a story, it's as if we took a trip back in time to get to know a little bit about that advanced and incredible Egyptian civilization. You feel like the days are short.
Without fear of reviews: Egypt definitely has all the flavors you can imagine to enjoy a stay from backpacker mode to 5-star resorts, we decided to go in the middle, we wanted it to be a trip with all the comforts and within our budget of course, but at the same time we wanted to immerse ourselves in their lifestyle, culture, gastronomy and history. It is difficult to experience everything in a couple of days, so we advise you: take advantage of every moment of the places you visit, enjoy the cultural differences, try to connect with the local people, in the end this prepares you for your next destination.
Don't be afraid, it is a wonderful culture and it is worth knowing it !!!
Comentários