According to IAMACCEPTED, Egypt is a popular travel destination, but it is worth remembering that this is a Muslim country with its own traditions, customs, codes of conduct and laws. When preparing for a trip, you should take into account some important tips for tourists in Egypt in order to avoid unpleasant embarrassments and relax as comfortably as possible.
- When planning a vacation in the cold season, give preference to Sharm el-Sheikh. The resort has windless bays where you can sunbathe and swim even in the ” low ” season. When choosing a hotel, study its infrastructure. For winter holidays, complexes with a heated pool and good animation are ideal. From December to February, gusts of wind are observed throughout the country, and the air temperature is + 21… + 24 ° C.
- Being late for a couple of hours is the norm for the Egyptians.
- Muslims are not allowed to eat or drink during Ramadan until sunset. In public places, even tourists are not recommended to consume snacks and drinks.
- Smoking and drinking alcohol is only allowed on site.
- On Fridays until 12:00, during prayer, many establishments are closed. This does not apply to hotels.
- When entering a mosque, it is customary to take off your shoes. Women are allowed to visit the shrine only in closed clothes, their heads should be covered with a scarf. It is unacceptable for men to appear in shorts.
- If you want to take pictures of local people, ask their permission. Filming of government or military installations is subject to fines.
- Women are advised not to wear too revealing outfits outside of hotels (short shorts, dresses, skirts, tank tops and t-shirts with cleavage), especially when visiting non-tourist areas.
- When reading advice in Egypt for vacationers, please note that you should not take expensive photographic equipment, a laptop and jewelry on vacation. Or keep valuables in a safe in the room or at the reception.
- In Egypt, it is customary to leave a tip for minor services (waiters, maids, taxi drivers, etc.). Their size is usually no more than 1 USD.
- On the tour, stay in a group, try not to stray far from the guide. Take a copy of your passport with you.
- Be sure to use sunscreen. If you are going on a trip in the summer, it is better to be at the hotel during lunch time to avoid the risk of heat stroke. The thermometer in June, July and August sometimes rises to +40 ° C.
Tips for vacationers in Egypt when shopping:
- bargain everywhere except boutiques and supermarkets, where a fixed price is indicated on price tags;
- always find out in advance how much the help and advice of a holiday in Egypt from local residents will cost, since tipping for any service rendered is a common thing in the country, most likely they will expect a monetary reward from you;
- agree on paying for a taxi before the trip and firmly insist on the agreed price;
- buy jewelry only in jewelry stores and check the certificate of authenticity, there is a high probability of buying a fake on the market;
- alcohol is most profitable to buy at the Duty Free of the airport immediately upon arrival.
With regards to what you can not do in Egypt categorically:
- to take out fragments of corals, and even shells;
- swim in the river Nile;
- sunbathing topless. For public beaches (not at the hotel) you need a closed swimsuit;
- swim in the sea after sunset.
Carefully study all the tips on Egypt, respect the traditions and rules of the country in which you are going to rest. Here they are maximally focused on tourists and treat them very liberally, so that guests have only positive impressions from visiting local resorts.
Egypt: Money and currency of Egypt
Tourists planning their budget for traveling to the country of the pyramids often have many questions: what is the currency in Egypt? Where to exchange money? What is better to pay: cash or credit card? After all, having studied in advance the information about the direction where the trip is to be, you can organize the most comfortable vacation.
The official currency of the state is the Egyptian pound (LE), which is equal to one hundred piastres. In everyday life, paper banknotes and coins, with images of mosques, statues, rulers. Sometimes quite dilapidated banknotes come across, but they have not lost their payment value.
At the same time, tourists who come to popular resorts do not even need to know what the currency of Egypt is. In tourist centers, euros and dollars are accepted without any problems. The latter is a priority for local residents. But still, for maximum savings, we advise you to exchange currency. After all, you will most likely still receive change from sellers in pounds, and at a very unfavorable rate.
When going to a bank or an exchange office, calculate how much you plan to spend so that at the end of your vacation there will be no questions about where to exchange the Egyptian pound for international money. 1 dollar (USD) is equal to 16 LE, and 1 euro (EUR) is equal to 19 LE. The national currency is quite dynamic and variable, so we recommend that you check the current rate of the Egyptian pound immediately before your trip.
It is best to carry out the exchange at the bank branch at the airport. In hotels and specialized points in resorts, it is less profitable to do this. You can also withdraw pounds at an ATM with an international payment card. Money withdrawal terminals are installed in shopping centers, pedestrian zones, halls of many hotel complexes. It is worth paying for goods and services on vacation in cash. Cashless payments are not available everywhere. In addition, you will be charged a fee for using the card abroad.
