Egypt Tour Was NOT What We Expected (I wish they told us...)

EGYPT TRAVEL WARNING: 10 Surprising Reasons to Stay Away (#9 is a deal-breaker)

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Egypt is a beautiful country with so much to do and see. However, there are a number of things to consider before you decide to travel to Egypt for your next vacation. Here are 10 Must-know travel tips and a look at the reality of traveling Egypt that nobody talks about. From Egypt tourist safety, to unexpected costs to Nile River cruises and visiting the pyramids, this video dives into all the things I wish I knew before booking an Egypt tour.

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00:00 Introduction
00:24 Air Quality in Egypt
00:55 Never expected this...
01:30 Culture shock in Egypt
02:02 All-inclusive resorts in Egypt
02:22 Pyramid day trips
02:38 Nile River cruise
03:39 Deal Breaker (hidden cost!)
04:32 Tipping in Egypt
04:54 Unavoidable corruption
05:31 Food poisoning
06:02 BIG danger to consider
06:42 Is Egypt safe?
07:40 Nile Cruise vendors (wild!)
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Welcome to Portable Professional, your go-to resource for stress-free travel.

Megan here, Hello! I've taken well over 300 flights and countless trips in the last decade. I have learned how to have seamless travel experiences without unnecessary stress and anxiety. I'm here to help you also feel confident about your travels while making the most of every trip.

Ready for stress-free travels? Subscribe and join us every Wednesday and Sunday for informative videos full of practical tips. You'll learn how to navigate airport security, pack like a pro, identify scams, and even uncover little-known hacks to take your travel to the next level. (these are my specialty!)

[PortableProfessional]

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[seconduser]

For those who can't go to Egypt due to the reasons in the video- cats, smoking, etc- think of how lucky we are to live in an age where you can see ultra high definition 4k videos of just about everything you want to see there- or anywhere really. A hundred years ago all you would get were maybe a couple black and white photos or drawings, or if you were lucky a 30 second scratchy silent black and white film. I heard an expression once about this - "pixels will get you 95 percent there without the dysentery and heat stroke."

[helenlevens]

I have been to Egypt twice. Both a very long time ago and loved it both times! I did a Nile cruise the second time and was thrilled to see the little film at end of your video, with boat sellers throwing things to buy up to tourist boat. They did it on my cruise too, and that was at least 30 years ago! Happy memories. Great some things don't change 😁

[ricardo]

I spent a week in Egypt and yes, I agree with everything you mentioned in this video. I would definitely recommend it to anyone interested because it was SO amazing. 😊

[kvom]

I organized a DIY 10-day trip to Egypt 5 years ago as single older male. I avoided many of the issues described here by going in October, where temperatures were cooler. I flew from Cairo to Aswan, tool a Nile cruise to Luxor, and then flew back to Cairo. In Cairo I took Uber everywhere and avoided any hassles with taxis. Any daily touring I did myself or had arranged by my hotel in Aswan. I had an AC car with driver for visiting Abu Simbel, and we arrived as the tour buses were leaving. I had the site almost all to myself. Being an experienced traveler helps in ignoring touts and scams. In October many of the Nile boats have stopped running, and I never had to dock next to another.

I never had any issues with food, but I never ate street food. The ice cream there is terrific.

[janellemiller]

Yes, we hate smoking, crowds, bad air, pushy vendors, but can't wait for our Egypt trip this January!

[wncjan]

Worked in Egypt in 1997 and 1998 and have later visited as a tourist. Loved the place. To avoid getting sick, don't drink the water or eat anything that have been washed in tap water.

[kevinschenk]

Got back two days ago, you are spot on. The biggest issue I encountered was at the airport, corruption. Take your time in the airport if you are asked to shortcut it will cost you, then you will be introduced to another friend with an additional cost. And in my case another friend with an other cost. The edfu trip should be skipped don't support poor animal treatment, skinny and mistreated horses. Overall it was a great trip

[LoudandClearChastity]

OMG. I think i just wiped Egypt off my bucket list. It sounds like hard work and not a holiday!

[Joe_P]

I lived & worked in Egypt for 10 years. I worked as a geologist; my family was there with me and my son attended the American International school. Your assessment is fairly accurate however I will make a few comments to your observations. First Egypt is safe. I feel more at risk from the US gun culture than when I was taking daily pre-dawn walks alone in Cairo. I did not live in a gated community, my high $ SUV was parked on the street-no problems. Anyone on the street could walk up to the front door of my penthouse apt - 10 years never a problem. Can you get pickpocketed at a tourist morass? Yes. Violent crime is extremely unlikely. Never eat any uncooked salads or food that has obviously been sitting around unrefrigerated. So many visitors would not head my advice and eat salads and live to regret it for days. As a resident we had procedures to de-contaminate veggies at home and it worked. I don't care if you are at a 5* hotel, as Megan says don't risk your short vacation to have that very attractive salad bar. Nile Cruise is definitely worth it, however you get what you pay for. To avoid the "boat parking lot crowd" you will have to pay for one of the more expensive boats. If you do that you will either be on the outside of the "lot", so no one is walking thru your boat, or parked separately. Also keep in mind when the boats are parked, their engines are still running - fumes!! Yes Egypt is a tipping culture-have small bills loose in your pocket, tip a person who provided a legitimate service and then move on. There are many touts looking to take advantage of tourists and sell tourist junk or camel rides. If you don't want it firmly say "La Shukran" (no thank you) and move on - don't get sucked into their pressure by engaging with them. For an item you want be prepared to bargain. Think of these guys as US car salesmen - their final price is not their first offer. Bargaining is part of their culture, some are pros and they will try to take advantage of foreign tourists. As an expat who had a bit of Arabic, I could respectfully "signal" that I was not interested. Be respectful but firm and be prepared to walk away. There are dozens of guys selling the same stuff and they know how much $ they need to feed their family. Also remember the Egyptian economy is very weak, so don't be afraid to be a bit generous. If I felt a guy bargained in good faith, after the deal was struck, if I was happy, throw in a few extra pounds - he needs it a lot more than you do. Women traveling alone: never let an Egyptian man touch you - he would not permit another man touch his wife. Anyone who gets too close tell them to back off very firmly. My wife drove all over Egypt alone for 10 years and following that rule she never had a problem. The Red Sea is beautiful however Hurghada, although convenient to an International airport with nice hotels, is the last place I would pick for a holiday (unless you want to party with tourists in a fairly compromised environment). A far nicer experience to enjoy the natural beauty of the Red Sea will be had at stand alone hotels starting a hour south of Hurghada. Enjoy!

[morrisyarnell]

Went to Egypt several years ago and it was quite memorable. As an Architect the ancient structures were of major interest. Also I had studied Egypt and our guide, being Egyptian and a historian was well versed id many back stories and history and was very proud of his country. I did find the vendors extremely pushy and annoying. Did not take no for an answer. There are also lots of cats in Morocco.

[teresaharris-travelbybooks]

I went to Egypt in 2021 and I had a smashing good time. I hope to go again soon.

[dominiquetheeasyminimalist]

I’m happy that you got to check that item off your bucket list, it must have felt wonderful 😊. Sadly, I took that destination off mine years ago, due to high risks of food poisoning.

[cazgreene]

We just got back from Egypt I agree re the pollution etc - it effected both my husband and I as we are asthmatics but we didn’t notice it too much until
we left. We had a package deal for a 12 day small group tour (including 5 days on the Nile) with a max of 10 people - but it ended up just being the two of us with our guide, driver and representative of our travel agent in Egypt - Egypt Promotion, they were all amazing, we were driven everywhere in comfort and our guides eased any harassment etc the Nile cruise was incredible and yes we had 4 boats tied together (MS Blue Shadow 3 was our boat) but it was not a problem at all. All the staff were amazing. Yes we had to tip
everyone on the trip but since 1 Egyptian pound is worth 5cents Australian and 3 cents US this was such an insignificant amount to us but meant a lot to them.

[carolpool]

Egypt had been on my bucket list for many years and last summer I had the chance to go. One suggestion I might offer is do not go in summer. I nearly died from the heat going into the tombs and climbing out. I am not a stranger to heat living in Texas, but the heat in Egypt in the summer was really horrible.

[lindab]

This is a very informative video. Every destination has its pros and cons, so its is important to set accurate expectations. But if you want to see some of the most iconic historical sites (and I do), then you just have to deal with and/or figure out jow to mitigate some of the cons. Thanks so much!

[petertarantelli]

Egyptians do love their cats! Great idea about the 2 day wind-down. Definitely a bucket list item and would do as a tour as you did.

[itsnotme]

Great info as always Megan!! For me? I'll pass on Egypt. Yes, it's got lots of great things to see, but I'm not a big history buff and if I want wicked hot days, I can just walk outside here in Dallas. LOL Keep em coming with the tips/trip ideas/reviews!!

[Julia-onky]

Last on my bucketlist is Egypt and I already purchased my flight for the last week of January 2024! Thank you for all your great videos about traveling 😊

[ponder]

I traveled to Egypt years ago..2004. It was amazing. My visit to Giza and the Pyramids was marred by aggressive hawkers. I struggled to take unobstructed photos because of their aggressive posture. Very disappointing....even the camel riding tourist police could not deter them.