EGYPT MINI GUIDE

Egypt: General information

Location: Africa

Local time: From 30 Sep 05 to 27 Apr 06 GMT +2, From 28 Apr 06 to 28 Sep 06 GMT +3

Capital: Cairo

Language: Arabic, English, French, Spanish

Electricity: 220V AC 50Hz

International direct dialling code: 20

Driving: Driving is on the left. International Driving Permit required

Currency: Egyptian Pound (EGP 1 = 100 Piastres)
Notes: EGP: 1, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100
Coins: Piastres: 5, 10, 20, 25, 50

Traditions/Mores: Women should dress conventionally. A headscarf may be useful if visiting a religious or more traditional area. Business is conducted in Arabic, many executives speak English or French. Business cards to have Arabic translation on reverse side. Islamic conventions apply. At meetings it is polite to drink coffee or tea, when offered. Smoking is becoming unacceptable in government and some private offices. Alcohol is available in most major hotels, cafe-style bars and international restaurants. On social occasions dress as for business meetings unless otherwise indicated

Emergency services: Police: 122 (Cairo), 22147 (Aswan), 960151-122 (Alexandria), 23929 (Suez). Fire: 125 (Cairo). Ambulance: 123 (Cairo)

Air Travel

The national airline is Egypt Air (MS) (website: www.egyptair.com.eg). All the main carriers service Egypt, including Air France, British Airways, JAT, KLM, Lufthansa, Olympic Airways and SWISS. Charter services fly direct from London Gatwick to Egypt. British Mediterranean (a franchise partner of British Airways) operates daily services from London to Alexandria.

Approximate flight times:

From Cairo to London is four hours 45 minutes (from Luxor to London is five hours 35 minutes), from Cairo to Los Angeles is 16 hours 40 minutes, to New York is 14 hours 25 minutes, to Singapore is 12 hours 35 minutes, and to Sydney is 20 hours.

International airports:

Cairo International (CAI), 24km (15 miles) northeast of the city at Heliopolis (travel time – 1 hour). There are bus services every 30 minutes, and taxis are available. Special limousines are offered by local and international operators. Hotel cars may also be available. Airport facilities include incoming and outgoing duty-free shops selling a wide range of goods, several car hire firms, post office, bank/bureau de change, restaurants and bar, hotel reservation service, souvenir shops, bookshop and travel insurance services.
Borg El Arab (HBE), has replaced El Nouzha airport as the main international airport for Alexandria. It lies 60 km (37 miles) southwest of Alexandria. Airport facilities include a duty-free shop, bank and exchange services, VIP lounge, post office and restaurant.
Luxor Airport (LXR) is 5.5km (3.5 miles) from Luxor. There is a regular bus service to the city centre (travel time – 15 minutes). Special limousine and local taxi services are available. Airport facilities include car hire, bank and exchange services, and a bar and restaurant. Improvement works have taken place and are expected to continue to meet the increasing flow of tourists.

EGYPT FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Where to find cheap, possibly non-stop tickets to Egypt? Can I get the best lowest airfare at the last moment? Which airlines fly to Egypt? Which travel documents, passport, visa required, what are health immunization requirements in Egypt.

Compulsory vaccinations:

Yellow fever certificate if arriving from infected areas. Exempt infants under 1 year.

Recommended immunisations:

diphtheria, hepatitis A, *hepatitis B, *malaria, polio, *TB, tetanus, typhoid
* recommended in some circumstances, travellers making 3 or more visits per year, stays of more than 3 months in a rural area, high-risk occupational groups & backpackers staying more than 1 month

Health risks in Egypt:

Malaria, very limited risk exists from Jun-Oct in El Faiyum area (no reported cases since 1998). Rabies

Egyptian Passports

Required, but NOT by the following:
1) Holders of a United States re-entry permit provided country of birth is Egypt
2) Holders of Laissez-Passer issued to Palestinians by Algeria, Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates & Yemen

Notes:

Passport validity: Passports must be valid 6 months beyond intended length of stay

Egyptian Visas

The following DO NOT require a visa:
1) Nationals of Egypt
2) Nationals of Bahrain, Djibouti, Guinea, Jordan (if holding a passport valid for 5 years) Libya, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates & Yemen
3) Holders of a re-entry permit
4) Palestinians holding a residence card provided that their stay outside Egypt did not exceed 6 months

Notes:

Transit

Required by all except those as noted above and:
1) Persons continuing their journey to a third country within 24 hours without leaving the airport, provided holding confirmed tickets
2) Nationals of Afghanistan, Iran, Lebanon, Philippines & holders of Palestinian documents may transit Cairo Airport, provided not leaving the airport transit lounge & continuing by the same or first connecting aircraft
3) Holders of South African passports must obtain a stamp in their passport from the consulate prior to travel to allow them to transit

Special notes:

1) Nationals of the following countries must register at the Office of Foreigners & Nationality within 7 days of arrival (normally handled by hotels on visitor`s behalf): Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Belarus, Belize, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Chad, Congo Dem Rep, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Ghana, Honduras, India, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Liberia, Netherlands, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, Rwanda, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Tajikistan, Trinidad & Tobago, Turkmenistan, United Kingdom, Uzbekistan, Yemen & holders of Palestinian documents
2) Nationals of Bangladesh, Congo Dem Rep, Eritrea, Ethiopia, India, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, Somalia, Sri Lanka & Tanzania must hold onward/return tickets

HOW SAFE IS EGYPT NOW?
(from Joyce Carta, Al-Ahram contributing writer)

... Is it safe now to travel to Egypt? You travel in a private car, with 2 Egyptians: your private Egyptologist and your driver. You are as inconspicuous as it's possible for a Westerner to be. U.S. State Department has issued no travel warnings, advisories or alerts for Egypt. Under the current world conditions the State Department's recommendation, and the recommendation of our Embassy in Cairo is: maintain a discrete profile, avoid large crowds or demonstrations, be alert about your surroundings and generally exercise prudence.Air travel has probably never been safer than it is now. There are metal detectors at the entries to all the sites, and at the hotel entryways. Tourism is one of Egypt's most important sources of hard currency, and Egypt wants in no way to jeopardize a vital economic benefit. October through April has always been the most popular time for a trip. On the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism's and Egyptian Tourist Authority site there are two related articles of interest: "Update on Egypt Tourism" and "Why Egypt Tourism is Safe." ...

Egypt Cities of Interest

Alexandria, Aswan, Cairo, Luxor, Hurghada

Verdi's Aida
Giuseppe Verdi wrote his "Aida" opera commissioned by Ismail Pasha the Khedive of Egypt with the exclusive rights to the first-night performance in Cairo. It was December 24th of 1871, and it was a smashing and ever-lasting success. Money received from the generous Khedive went to support carbonari cause in Italy.

In May 1987 the great "Aida" was recreated for the Luxor Temple production. The glittering first-night audience (among those present were Queen Sophia of Spain, Princess Caroline of Monaco and First Lady Susan Mubarak of Egypt) loved it, especially the Theban parade celebrating Radames's victory. That performance brought onto the stage almost the entire cast of more than 1,500 singers, dancers, musicians, Arabian horses, and one African lion.

Entertainment in Hurghada
The only kind of fun you used to have in Hurghada was Red Sea-diving and pearl-hunting. Today, the things are different here! Today, Hurghada is the party town par excellence in the Red Sea west coast. A town that never sleeps, Hurghada has become a place to combine beach, sea dives and sun with crazy clubbing and bar-hopping, with shisha outlets.

From chains such as Hard Rock Café, to local favorites as the Papa’s Beach Club with their regular Dutch and British party live bands rocking the nights away, to cosy pubs and billiards bars, bowling centers, vibrant discos, karaoke nights, divers’ parties, quiz nights with prizes, foam parties, beach BBQ’s, trendy lounges, the nightlife of Hurghada is one to keep you awake until sunrise!

Red Sea Diving in Marsa Alam
The 24 hours-open restaurant of Marsa Shagra, chalets with private sun terraces, safari trips, diving from a speed boat, tents for simple accommodation. It's all Marsa Alam. The newest and most fashionable tourist resort in Egypt, combining pure nature and virgin marine life with the luxury of super deluxe tourist villages, Marsa Alam, located on the coastal Red Sea 800 km south of Cairo.

Marsa Alam is located to next to its booming neighbour Hurghada. Red Sea Diving Safari is one of the few tourism companies that focuses on ecotourism. It owns three of the finest ecolodges in the area: Marsa Shagra, Nakari and Wadi Lahmi. Marsa Shagra, the first ecolodge in the series, is located 20km north of Marsa Alam. Marsa Shagra Ecolodge is similar to Nakari and Wadi Lahmi. They all have tents, huts and chalets. It is a genuine back-to-nature type experience. Marsa Shagra name comes from a nearby mountain, yellow in colour. Marsa Alam is a diver's paradise; shore dives, truck dives, dives from speed boats to all-day sea safari diving trips. Boat trips include the Elphinstone, a reef 20 minutes by speed boat from Nakari Ecolodge. Find around Elphinstone billions of marine creatures, hummer head, white tip sharks, grey reef sharks and the gigantic manta ray.

Emperor Divers' full service PADI Five Star Gold Palm resort centre is based in the Coral Beach Hotel and only a few meters away from its boats moored on the hotel jetty. The fully equipped centre offers daily boat diving to the famous reefs of Elphinstone, Shab Marsa Alam and Ras Abu Dabab. The dives and bays around Marsa Alam are home to excellent corals, large turtles, Guitar sharks and, a myriad of other Red Sea life.

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