Korean Job Discussion Forums

[SeoulnPepe]

Anyone know how much it costs to fly to Egypt? Just curious. I have a friend who highly recommends it.

I'm also wondering if it would be cheaper to fly to Spain (750,000W/return) and then to Egypt. This would hypothetically take place in February (the whole month, with 3 days in March).

Any suggestions? Comments?

My friend told me that hostels run at 2.50US per night in Egypt. That's pretty dirt cheap; Egypt does sound tempting.

Look forward to your replies.

[Slep]

In Cairo, be sure to check out Dahab Hostel, easily the best hostel i've stayed at as far as fun goes. It's on Talat Harb street
Also, be sure to check out the Suffi Dancers in Islamic Cairo.

[bucheon bum]

as of 2004, you could get a dorm room in Cairo for $2.50 (15 egyptian pounds). The dorm I was in was very clean and airy, very nice. Private rooms are as cheap as 5 dollars.

Falafel and fuul costs 10 cents. Kushari costs less than a dollar. In other words, food is super super cheap.

You can get buy on 20 bucks/day, but you'd be staying in some shitty places. 30/day would probably be a safer bet.

I'd suggest the following:
-Cairo for 3 days
-Siwa Oasis for 2 days
-Aswan for 2 days
-Luxor 2 days
-Sinai for 3-4 days

Honestly I think Luxor sucks ass due to all the touts and assholes there, but you gotta go for the Valley of the Kings and Karnak Temple. Aswan is slightly nicer and Abu Simbel is amazing.

Siwa is really cool simply because it hasn't been corrupted by us asshole tourists (yet), so you can just chill, explore, and see one of the coolest oasis around.

Sinai has some amazing snorkling and diving.

[bucheon bum]

[Bulsajo]

Second BB's suggestion of Aswan.

[SeoulnPepe]

Thanks guys and gals for your posts. But does anyone know how much it costs to fly down there?

Cheers,
SeoulnPepe

[Bulsajo]

Prices? From where to where?
I took a night train from Cairo to Luxor and a plane from Luxor to Aswan.
I'd recommend that sort of routing but 20 years and multiple currencies mean I couldn't give you a meaningful answer even if I could remember (i.e. I doubt telling you how many Egyptian pounds the flight cost in 1986 would help you any).

[SeoulnPepe]

Thanks for pointing that out. I'm looking at flights from Seoul to Egypt or from Spain (Barcelona) to Egypt.

Related to this is a visa. Can I get one at the airport in Egypt? Also, if I decide to travel to Jordan for a couple of days, would I need to get a another visa, are there tour packages from Egypt into Jordan (i.e. Petra)? I'm a Canuck, if that makes any difference.

Anyone have an LP book I could buy off them? Does Kyobo carry it?

[ariellowen]

I don't recall exactly, but last year it only cost a few dollars to go second class from Cairo to Alexandria. (Don't go third class, it's cattle cars.) Egypt is surreal; if you meet some good locals you'll never forget your times in Egypt-- and if you meet some bad ones, you won't forget that either. Don't forget how close you are to Israel, Palestine, Iraq and Sudan, not everyone will want to be your friend, and that is an understatement. Seriously consider meeting some other Westerners ASAP to travel with, especially if you're a gal. Visa can be purchased on arrival in Cairo or at the embassy which is in in Hannam-dong (at the bridge close to Itaewon). You can get opium, hash, weed and hookers cheap-- but be careful, you don't want to get thrown in prison in Egypt. Egypt is hard-core third-world, the further south you go from Alexandria the older it gets, welcome to the nineteenth-century. Cairo is beyond belief: prayers on loud-speakers, ancient tomb cities, covered women, donkeys, fruit, men with bruises on their foreheads and turbans, no traffic lines painted on the roads, soldiers everywhere, Mubarak billboards where he's wearing dictator sun-glasses, narrow windy stone streets, unfinished mud brick buildings .... That'll just be your first day-- then start heading south. (Be prepared, just about every one you meet will try to rip you off.)

These pictures will give you a good idea what to expect (look before you leap):
http://ias.berkeley.edu/orias/2003/peace/myraphotos/cairolg.JPG
http://www.jordanklein.us/jpg/egypt34.jpg
http://www.sat7.org/multimedia/photos/83.jpg
http://www.phys.psu.edu/~tbode/AlbumPics/CairoStreet.jpg

[bucheon bum]

[Wangja]

And as I always to say to those going to Cairo, if you visit the pyramids APPROACH FROM THE WEST.

[sheba]

Just on another note..... safety.

Are you travelling alone or with a friend? Male? The few people I have met who have been to Egypt said its pretty dangerous, especially for women. The men are rather aggressive, offering all sorts of things for foreign women to have sex with them. One man was trying to buy my cousin from her friends - as in he was going to pay the friends to let him take her against her will. My male friend who lived there said women should never travel there with less than one male companion per 3 female travellers. In a tour group is a bit different, but to travel alone can be very dangerous. Also foreign men are seen as competition so bar fights can be a big problem too. Not to menion crime.... Foreigners are targeted because they are much richer than locals.

Just take caution!

[bucheon bum]

Egypt isn't dangerous as long as you aren't stupid. Sheba you're either a troll or naive. Stop spewing nonsense.

The dude was probably joking about buying your cousin but she nor her friends realized it.

1 male/3 chicks? dude, give me a break. I met a few women travelers while in egypt (one of whom I traveled with for a couple weeks, we somehow survived, god knows how ) and beyond some rude comments, they didn't have any problems.

Bar fights? what the hell are you talking about? No single Egyptian women other than prostitutes hang out at bars so there is no "competition." If there are any bar fights, it is just because alcohol turns a lot of people into a-holes.

Foreigners are targeted? By beggars and touts, yes. By criminals? Umm yeah, ok.

[Wangja]

and let's be honest, outside the lbig hotels, there ain't that many bars around ....

[SeoulnPepe]

Thanks for the posts everyone. I found a direct flight to Egypt for 1,065,000W. It's not much more than flying through Spain and then to Egypt.

Still remain undecided, but I'll have to make up my mind soon.