Korean Job Discussion Forums

[ajuma]

Has anyone traveled in Egypt? Any advice or suggestions would be appreciated. My friend and I are planning a trip and have a budget of about 2 million won each.

[VanIslander]

[ajuma]

We're not interested in "luxury" accommodations...

And we're not particularly set on Egypt...any other suggestions?

[Wangja]

Actually Egypt could be OK: are you looking for sun, sea and sand or ancient history?

[ajuma]

History with maybe ONE day at the beach. In another thread you suggested Athens, but my friend has already been there.

I've looked at the Nile River trips and they sound good, but as my friend gets seasick, that may be a bad choice. Would renting a car be a viable option?

[Wangja]

[soviet_man]

[Bulsajo]

Don't drive. Take the night train to Luxor if you don't want to go by boat up the Nile (can't imagine anyone getting seasick on a riverboat, but whatever). Don't miss out on Abu Simbel (just take Egypt Air and check it out for the day). Change money on the black market, but count it very carefully. Stella beer is NOT Stella Artois, and don't experiment with the food and drinks unless you want to take a few days out of your trip to deal with dysentery.

[demianamar]

Never pass up a chance to see one of the 7 wonders of the world!! If you end up going to Egypt, first, make a good Egyptian friend to take to the markets, you have to know that some of the merchants are willing and ready to rip you off if you have no one looking out for you. Second, make sure you get tour guides that are legit and speak more English then what they say at the entrance "do you want English tour? Please come" ...Like someone else said, the driving in Seoul is quiet and organized compared to Cairo, so be careful. Keep a VERY close eye on your money and your identification..u don't wanna be stuck in red tape in Egypt. And by the way...I'd go just to get some good food!! Get some sugar cane juice, but make sure you get it in a plastic cup...
Leave all expectations behind and take in the culture, the beach and the history. I've done a Nile cruise....there's no sea sickness.

It's a BEAUTIFUL place with a beautiful people. (and yes, I have bias there).

[brento1138]

[Wangja]

One more thing: if you do go to Cairo and if you do go to the pyramids at Giza, DO NOT APPROACH FROM THE EAST.

Take the long way round - it is a long way - and approach form the west, from the desert. Best time would be dawn if you can.

[canukteacher]

Hi Ajuma,

I was in Egypt for a month in Jan. 2004. Loved every moment! I was traveling alone and opted to combine a tour with some time on my own. I did a two week intrepid tour, and for the most part it was good. It included several things that I probably would have had a difficult time doing as a solo traveller.

We sailed down the Nile in one of the traditional Felucca boats. It was an overnight trip, and simply magical. We also went into the desert on camels and camped at a Bedouin camp. That was another unforgettable experience.

This is what I think are the must do's in Egypt:

Pyramids
Egyptian Museum
Bazzar in Cairo
Mosque in Cairo (sorry forget the name)

I also hooked up with another traveler and we hired a taxi driver, and he took us to a camel market (not made for tourists) (awesome), and we also went to some other ruins.............don't have my book here, but will worth the trip. If you are interested PM me and I will find the name.

Luxor.................There is so much here to see.................Valley of the Kings, Karnak Temple. etc etc.You can also go to Abu Simbel from Luxor. When I go again I want to stay at Abu Simbel for a couple of days. The caravan tours are simply too quick. You leave before day break, and drive for hours, and have a couple of hours there and back in the van. If I went again I would spend at least 4 days in Luxor, and 1-2 full days at Abu Simbel.

Aswam (sp)............that is where we caught our Felucca trip. There were ruins as well..................have to look in my book.

I also went to Sharm El Sheick (bad spelling again). The Red Sea is protected so the coral there is fabulous. Sharm is bit expensive and touristy, but the Red Sea made up for that.

When I go again I will go on my own. The tour was good, but too quick. Like most tours you never get enough time in the places that you liked.

Personally, I would go down the Nile on a Felucca rather than one of the big boats. I also would not miss a trip into the desert.

I could go on forever. If you have more questions PM me. I can also send you a link to my pictures, if you are interested in having a peek.

I'm off to Cambodia this vacation to see Angkor Wat............can't wait!

Happy travels.


CT

[Gorgias]

I just left Egypt yesterday.

One must see the tempol-history stuff, the freeky bazaars and Cairo. You ought to be aware however that while you can meet many good people and guides, a good number of Egyptians will just see you as a money bag, if not the Great Satan. If you travel alone, you should expect many many problems with harassment. If you are a female, I highly suggest that you do your trip with a tour group or several friends. Traffic, pollution and sexism are way beyond anything in Korea. You must move quickly away from any place where tourists congregate if you don't want to be really harassed, on the other hand you don't want to get too far off track lest you get your head cut off (no joke, Middle Egypt: Edfu to Luxor, is Jihad country), Luxor looks nice, but don't mess around there. If you find a good guide, keep him as far as possible and pay him well. Honestly, one must see the tempols, sphynx (which has a KFC right in front of it), however in my humble opion, Egypt is a $hit hole of angry, theiving, impoverished, religious fanatics. The one decent part of Cairo is close to Nasser metro station, and Alexandria (West Alex) is a fairly cool city. If I was you, plan, plan, plan, and plan some more, travel with friends or on a tour, and pray you don't get your passport stolen so you can get the hell out of there as soon as you have seen the sights. I do not care for the food, it is very heavy or if you like hearty. The bazaars are worth seeing as they are so ... bazaar, and the Arabs smoke tons of weed and hash, and you can too if you are very careful about it. But just a heads up, Egypt is nothing like other countries at a similar level of poverty, the Arabs are very agressive, and the Muslims in general will hate you. As for the post above about Morocco, it is even more bazzar, poor, and wild than Egypt, maybe worth checking out (not alone unless you are ready to throw-down every twenty-five minutes), but I wouldn't recomend a long stay unless you have a death wish or make some Moroccan friends real fast. Lastly, a good guide is worth his weight in gold, watch for these guys.

[bucheon bum]

[bucheon bum]