Of course I was concerned when we were planning our trip. We did hours of the research and I felt confident that we would be safe. We can't tell you if it is safe to travel to Egypt, but I thought we should address the issue on our blog. Because Matt is such an experienced traveler, I asked him to help me write this post to get the conversation started.
“Egypt?” they all exclaimed. “Are you mad?”
Selena has asked me to write about our trip to Egypt and how we decided it was safe for us to go. Egypt is in the Middle East. ISIS is in the Middle East. So don’t go to Egypt. Makes sense, right? Not really.
The British, Australian and US governments all run websites offering travel advice. I strongly recommend visiting these sites as they offer practical, conservative advice on parts of the world that may not be receiving completely fair coverage in the media (unfair coverage in the media? Shocking…).
https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice
http://www.smartraveller.gov.au/
http://travel.state.gov/content/passports/english/alertswarnings.html
It's also important to know that things can change rapidly. Since we traveled to Egypt there was a knife attack at a hotel in Hurghada and a plane crash involving a Russian flight from Sharm el Sheikh. This has had an affect on the air travel from the UK to that resort area. Our trip was this time last year and we might decide differently today.
The UK site notes that there is currently a threat of terrorism throughout Egypt. But it also notes that there is a threat of terrorism in the USA, in the United Arab Emirates, Singapore and even Switzerland. In fact every country I looked at contained a disclaimer about terrorism – I did say the Governments were conservative in their advice. We live in London which currently at the Severe level of terrorist threat, which basically means an attack is highly likely.
Certainly there are large areas of Egypt have a high or even extreme risk of incident, but at the time, the area we were proposing to visit was no more risky than many places people wouldn’t think twice of visiting. One crucial point is that tourism is such a significant contributor to Egypt’s economy that considerable resources are deployed to internal security. Travelling around the country we noticed roadblocks and a very clear military presence around airports and other transport hubs.
Travelling back by road from Luxor to Hurghada, we had to take the longer, less direct road as this route passed through a number of checkpoints and so enjoyed a higher level of security than the more direct road through the desert. We could only travel in a registered car with a registered driver. Our personal information and route was recorded and our progress was followed along the route. So a lot goes on behind the scenes to maintain internal security, particularly for tourists..
We also visited Cairo during our trip (with a private tour). Tahrir Square was the centre of the revolution in 2011, and is still a very important focal point of any demonstration. Inconveniently for the Egyptian tourist industry, the Egyptian Museum is located right next to Tahrir Square. I will admit it is a little odd to be standing outside one of the most amazing tourist destinations on the planet with a long column of tanks parked outside, ready to roll at a moment’s notice if demonstrators begin to gather, in the shadow of a burned-out building that was the headquarters of the government ousted by the revolution. But everything was quiet when we visited and the museum was amazing.
No-one would advise you against going to Orlando because of riots in Baltimore, and I would make the same point about some destinations in the Middle East. Certainly things happen, conditions change. It's imperative to do your research and stay up to date on current travel advisories. You should also make sure that your travel insurance is adequate to cover any potential cancellations due to terrorist events.
It's also important to find the safest way to travel within the country. We chose to use a tour agency for our travels rather than venturing out on our own. We booked private tours rather than large group tours. The two of us in a private vehicle is much less conspicuous than a large bus full of Westerners. Indeed, visiting places such as Egypt when it is relatively quiet produces a much more intimate experience than when the hordes have descended.
Another big concern from people considering Egypt as a destination is the aggressive vendors and touts, the "hassle" that tourists get to part with their money. Selena included some tips on handling this in a previous post. This is a clear consequence of the fall in tourist numbers and the impact this has had on those working in the tourist industry.
The fall in tourists has had an adverse impact on the “hassle” you’re likely to experience. The number of hawkers and vendors did not seem noticeably lower than when I’d visited Egypt a decade earlier, so the laws of supply and demand were not in the visitors favour, at least when it comes to “hassle” – it is probably tremendous if you are looking to get souvenirs at a good price. I say “hassle” in inverted commas, as what to us is an inconvenience is actually people trying to make a living and feed their family.
Egypt has no social security system that we in the West would recognise, so in times of hardship people have to rely on their families or go hungry. A number of the people we spoke to had been doing it tough in the years since the revolution, with tourist numbers down 80% from pre-revolution levels. One professional guide did not earn a penny from tourism for 3 years, instead spending the time writing children’s books.
I will recount one particular story that really left an impression on us. Our guide was a bit reluctant that we would share this on the blog, but we want to recount it as we think it shows Egypt in a good light overall. Selena and I wanted a camel ride by the pyramids. The primary camel wrangler was a friend of our guide, but as we wanted a camel each he then had to subcontract my camel contract to another guy. This guy then proceeded to separate me from Selena as we walked along and gave me a lengthy story about how his kids were hungry and he had no money.
This was getting in the way of my enjoyment of the experience, which I was not getting to share with Selena. So I relented and gave the guy some money, mainly to shut him up. And because not only was I perched precariously on the top of a a camel that he was controlling, but he also had my camera in his hand. It was obvious that he was not going to budge until I gave him some money. We finished our ride and paid the full asking price in the end along with a generous tip.
It was completely worth the price aside from the brief incident. But this guy continued to push things by asking for "green money" and even reached for Matt's wallet when we told him we didn't have any American money. We had to be stern to get out of the situation.
We mentioned this inconvenience to our guide when we got back to the van, and were shocked by what happened. The guide was so affronted that this guy had upset and extorted a tourist, that we drove back, he found the guy and after a brief argument, our guide got the extra money back! As it turns out, all vendors operating in tourist sites such as the Pyramids need a license, and the authorities are so keen to avoid this kind of hassle blackening the reputation of their destinations, they will rescind these licenses if they hear of that kind of behaviour. So if it happens to you, tell the guy that you will report him and I am confident it will stop. This is also a good reason to have a trusted guide with you.
Egypt is a superb place to visit. Sights that are unique on the planet, a culture that is rich and rewarding to experience and people that are friendly, welcoming and are genuinely pleased that you are visiting their country. If you do decide to travel to Egypt, be aware of your surroundings, be respectful of people you meet and I am certain you will have a great time.
If you would like to read more about our week in Egypt, you can read all of the posts here...
All of these photos are from the beach at the Palm Royale Soma Bay Hotel in Hurghada which was the home base for our stay. I will never forget sitting on this beach and gazing off into the hazy distance. There are so many specific moments that I experienced in Egypt that I will forever treasure. Egypt is absolutely magical and if you very get the opportunity to go... then go!
How do you consider safety issues when you travel?
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