Egypt Holidays Useful tips, Egypt Holidays Traveller Information

General Information Santa Maria Tours, Language, Entry Requirements, Climate

Santa Maria Tours
Would like to welcome you to Egypt. Our Egyptian Representatives are here to assist you in enjoying your holiday to the full, please feel free to call them for any advice or assistance that you may require. If you are visiting Egypt for the first time, we hope the following info will be helpful for you. Your Tour Manager will advise you of any further information regarding your itinerary.

Language
Arabic is the official language. English is the predominant foreign language and French is widely spoken.

Entry Requirements

Visa you will need a visa that costs $15 (US) per person. You can buy this in £ sterling or US$ on arrival for stays of up to one month. Please contact the Egyptian Embassy or Egyptian Consulate nearest you

Passport validity your passport should be valid for at least six months

Customs regulations 5,000 Egyptian pounds is the maximum amount of local currency you are allowed to bring in or take out of Egypt. There is no limit to the amount of hard currency that you may bring in, but sums that exceed USD 10,000 should be declared on arrival. Egyptian currency should not be sent through the post.

Certain valuables such as electrical equipment, video camera etc must be declared on arrival. Electrical items noted in passports must be produced on exit from the country. Failure to do so will result in payment of high rates of customs duty. It is advisable to contact the Egyptian embassy in your country of residence for specific information regarding customs requirements.

You may have difficulties leaving Egypt with an out of date visa. You will not normally be allowed to leave if the visa is out of date by more than 14 days.

Climate
Egypt has one of the hottest and sunniest climates in the world. Summer (May - October) is hot and dry, and whilst the temperatures can reach 45 degrees, the heat is less taxing than elsewhere because of low humidity. The temperature increases as you travel from north (lower Egypt) to south (Upper Egypt). Winter (November - February) is dry and mild with mostly sunny days and temperatures ranging between 13 and 21 degrees Celsius. Rain is rare, except on the coast, and is virtually unknown in Upper Egypt.
April is rather a good time to go...not yet too hot or crowded with tourists. You will be able to wear almost the same type of clothing you would wear at home. But keep a sweater or shawl handy for the evenings, when it still gets pretty cold in Cairo and Alexandria.

Currency & Shopping

Currency
The local currency is the Egyptian Pound which is devised into 100 Piastres. Prices may be shown in either Pounds or Piastres i.e., LE 2.00. Please ensure that you exchange enough money to carry you through the interim stops. An exchange receipt is issued for the amount of hard currency exchanged which you are advised to retain until the end of your stay. Bank rates tend to be the same throughout hotels and cruises. Money changers are everywhere and it is best to change money in Cairo before embarking on your Nile Cruise in Upper Egypt. Before departing Egypt, be sure to use any excess currency or exchange it at a city bank. Surprisingly, shops at Cairo Airport do not accept local currency and limited exchange facilities are available. Please note that it is sometimes difficult to convert your Egyptian currency on departure, so please exchange small amounts at a time.

Payment at Hotels / Cruise All extras, such as drinks and laundry, should be signed for the bills settled at the end of the stay. Payment can be made in either local currency or by credit card such as Visa, American Express or Master card.
Travellers cheques should be converted into local currency with the bank first. Personnel cheques and Euro cheques are not accepted.
Please be aware that if you wish to use your credit card to settle your bill, some hotels/ cruises reserves the right to levy a 4% charge for banker’s fees.
Once you have settled your bill, any further incidental expenditures will have to be paid for in cash (local currency)

Tipping in Egypt is called baksheesh. Salaries are low and baksheesh is regarded as an essential way of supplementing income. Your Tour Manager will be able to advise you how much and when to tip as you go along. In Egypt you will be expected to tip many people including your tour guides, drivers, waiters, porters, hotel concierge, guards in museums and tombs, and shoe minders in mosques. Please try and keep cool about this and don’t let it spoil your holiday. US dollars in small denominations are very useful for tipping.

Shopping
Egypt offers a wide variety of interesting souvenirs; gold and silver jewellery, brass and copperware alabaster, leather goods, hand-made rugs and carpets, papyrus and wood work. Your Tour Manager will be able to best advise you of where to shop to ensure good quality and value. Bargaining is a way of living in Egypt. Shopping can be a joy in Egypt, once you understand that 'bargaining' is a game. Egyptians are very good at it, and actually expect buyers to haggle with them. Offer a third of what they ask, originally. Keep it light, keep it fun, and you will probably get the item for half of the original .

Safety

Safety
Egypt is probably one of the safest countries in the world for travelers. Just use the same common sense you would use in visiting any 'strange' location for the first time.

Valuables the crime rate in Egypt is low but you should take sensible precautions. Take care of your passport and valuables, we strongly advise you to keep all valuables in the safety boxes provided at the Reception desk. Never leave them unattended in your room or cabin. This includes Travelers Cheques, cash, credit cards, passport and your air ticket which should be retained for departure.

Security and Safety our programs are designed to avoid sensitive areas in any case and we have taken further steps in order to tighten security on all hotels and cruises that we use. However, we ask you to observe the following points:

Never leave belongings unattended in any public area or place.

Please always check that you take your belongings with you when leaving your car or coach and upon your return from an excursion.

At times it is possible to leave items on the car or coach during the excursion. Please check with your Tour Manager before you do so. Never leave items such as cash, Travellers Cheques or credit cards unattended at any time.

Please dress modestly when walking in the towns - short skirts and shorts can sometimes cause offence and we must remember that this is a predominantly Muslim Country.

Do not wander into the "back streets" of towns or into badly lit areas.

Always stick to the well-populated tourist areas.

At Esna. when visiting the temple, please go directly there and back to the ship again.

Never agree to go with any locals from the streets. your Tour Manager who can best advise you where to go for the best quality and value.

Do not make private travel arrangements.

If you are in doubt in any time, please do not hesitate to consult your Tour Manager for advice or assistance.

Medical Assistance

Medical Assistance
Whether you have visited Egypt before or not, you may well be aware of the infamous "gyppy tummy" or the "pharaoh’s curse".

We would of course like your holiday in Egypt to pass without so much as a mere hiccup With this in mind, we have completed these notes preferring prevention to cure.

One of the first things to point out is that not only are you coming to a different climate, but a completely new way of life

Notes:

Wash hands often with soap and water.

Drink only boiled water, or water and carbonated (bubbly) drinks in cans.

Avoid tap water, fountain drinks, and ice cubes.

Eat only thoroughly cooked food or fruits and vegetables you have peeled yourself. Remember: boil it, cook it, peel it, or forget it.

Protect yourself from insects by remaining in well-screened areas, using repellents (applied sparingly at 4-hour intervals) and permethrin-impregnated mosquito nets, and wearing long-sleeved shirts and long pants from dusk through dawn.

Always use latex condoms to reduce the risk of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases.

Don't eat food purchased from street vendors.

In any case, if you are feeling unwell at any time, please do inform your Tour Manager or the Reception Desk who will ensure that the best care given to you.

Even if you follow all the recommendation and you still succumb to the "curse", the best cures are rest, dehydration solution, lots of liquids, simple foods such as plain boiled rice and soup and the relevant medications such as "Imodium". Avery effective local.

For general health information see Travel Health.