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Avoiding Wrinkles
My former neighbor tells me that the best way to avoid wrinkling suits is to roll them up carefully, then put them in a plastic bag.
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Organizing The Space
You will undoubtedly want to organize the space in your luggage so that items are easily accessible once you get to your destination. Plastic Bags are Your Friends when it comes to this. You can pack your undies in one bag, your socks in another, your toiletries in another, and so on. (Don't forget to pack an extra bag for your dirty laundry!)
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Avoiding Breakages
If you are traveling with anything breakable, surround it with soft and squishy items. Put your CD player inside a plastic bag, then put it inside a plastic bag filled with your socks. Put your Listerine bottle inside your one of your boots.
You might also want to put your breakable item inside a cardboard box stuffed with foam or packing "peanuts", then putting that box inside your suitcase.
The best way to avoid breakage is to take the item as carry-on, if possible.
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Clothing
Egypt's climate is dry all year round, so you won't require rainwear unless you are going to Alexandria between December and February. In winter you will need light woollen clothes with sweaters, although a light sweater may be useful all year-round in the evenings throughout the country. Cairo can sometimes be surprisingly cool during the mid-winter months so layers of clothing are recommended. From December to February travellers to the interior of the Sinai can experience extreme cold, so thick winter clothing is essential. In spring and autumn a combination of both is advisable for the warm days and cool nights, so pack accordingly. From May to November, light cotton clothes are recommended.
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Health Matters
Full details of the latest health requirements should be obtained from an authorized medical source, such as your doctor. At the time of updating this information, there are no mandatory health requirements for Egypt, however:
Ensure Tetanus and Polio boosters are up to date.
Yellow Fever. You will need a valid yellow fever inoculation certificate if arriving from or via an infected or endemic area (if you are unsure whether you come into this category, please contact either your local Travel clinic or doctor).
To prevent sickness while staying in Egypt you are advised to follow the golden rules, which are:
Only drink bottled water, never tap water.
Avoid ice in your drinks.
Eat only vegetables that have been cooked.
Avoid salads and all fruit that cannot be peeled.
Avoid food that looks as if it has been around for some time; especially meats or salad dressings containing mayonnaise.
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Tipping
Tipping or "bakseesh" is a subject that even the most experienced traveller finds difficult. It is a very personal and individual matter and the decision of how much to give is strictly yours.
Hotel service charges and taxes are usually included in your holiday cost together with all portage of 2 pieces of baggage per person and service in bars and restaurants.
Tips to your drivers, guides, staff on board Nile cruise vessels and to your Egyptologist are usually not included in your tour price. We hope that the following guidelines will be helpful to you:
Drivers: You will generally have the same driver throughout your initial stay in Cairo. A tip is usually given on your last day in Cairo of approximately £E 10 per day per person. For drivers in Upper Egypt a tip of about £E 5 per day per person is appropriate.
Staff on board river vessels: Approximately £E 25/30 per day per person is suggested as a total tip to be divided amongst all the staff on Nile Cruise vessels.
Egyptologist/Guide: Approximately £E 25/30 per day per person is suggested.
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Shopping For Souvenirs
Some of the loveliest and best value souvenirs available from Egypt include:
Gold and silver jewellery, or "Cartouches" inscribed with your name in hieroglyphics.
Wooden boxes inlaid with mother-of-pearl.
Hand-engraved brass and copper-work.
Carved alabaster from the quarries of Upper Egypt.
Hand-sewn appliqué work - with Arabic, Pharaonic, or "naïf" folk designs.
Cotton "Galabeyyas" - traditional robes and kaftans, often beautifully embroidered.
Papyrus - still made by traditional methods, and hand-painted with intricate designs.
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What To Pack ?
In addition to your clothing, following the guidelines above, we recommend to pack the following:
Very good, comfortable walking shoes: You will be doing a considerable amount of walking, and shoes should not be just comfortable, but comfortable to walk long distances.
An Extra Bag: A bag, preferably soft, which can be crunched up and carried into Egypt in another bag will be handy for most people. The bag will then be used to carry back souvenirs.
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Language
The national language in Egypt is Arabic. However, tourists will rarely find a problem communicating as English is widely spoken in hotels and shops, with French a close second, and many staff in tourist areas also speaking German or Italian.
Language Trivia
Arabic is written from right to left, and the language itself has many different spoken dialects, some so far apart from each other that native Arabic speakers from different countries may actually have difficulty understanding each other. The Arabic used in Egypt is the most widely understood dialect, due in large part to the fact that most of the Arabic movies are produced in Egypt. However, written or "classical" Arabic is the same across the Arab world, and is basically an older, purer form of the language. Modern-day spoken Arabic in Egypt is vastly different in both vocabulary and grammar from the written classical Arabic that is used in newspapers, magazines and books - to the extent that if the same difference were expressed in English, it would be as if all printed material were written in Chaucerian! This enormous variety of vocabulary in daily use in the Arab world is part of the reason that Arabic is considered such an expressive language. Native Arabic speakers also tend to have a great appreciation for the beauty of their own language, and poetry, or songs using poetic expressions, are greatly valued.
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Useful Vocabulary
ENGLISH / ARABIC
Egypt= Mus-r / Mis-r
Water= Maya
Good morning =Saba-hel-kheer
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Banking Hours
Are normally 9am till 2pm, Sunday through Thursday, closed on Fridays and Saturdays.
Cairo Airport and the majority of major hotels in Cairo offer 24-hrs banking services. Please remember to have your passport on you as this will be required to effect any transaction.
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Ministry of Interior in Egypt has provided a mobile number for
emergency cases for car drivers on highways such as :
Cairo-Alexandria, wadi El Natroun, North Coast-Alameen, Qattamia-Ain Sokhna
roads effective 01-08-2004
They had a deal with mobinil and will expand their services later ...
so the areas mentioned is their first phase .
The number is: 012-1110000.
Call this number if you need any help. It can receive many calls at the
same time.
Save it on your mobile or put it among your personal papers when you pack
your bags before traveling.
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The official name of Egypt is Jumhuriyat Misr al-Arabiyah. Practice so that you can pronounce and spell it without looking it up.
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Visit Old Cairo, especially the Khan-el-Khalili bazaar. This is where we can interact and bargain safely with the locals.
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It is hot and humid, and there is a lot of walking required to visit Egypt, make certain that you are in good health.
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Baksheesh’ means ‘share’. This term is used to remind you to tip for services like assistance, directions, and so forth.
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Most international airports in Egypt are equipped with baggage trolleys available free of charge. There are also porters with larger trolleys to service individuals and groups.
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Most international airports in Egypt are equipped with baggage trolleys available free of charge. There are also porters with larger trolleys to service individuals and groups.
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For your personal appliances you need an electrical converter and the European round-pronged plugs. The voltage is 220 V.
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OFFICIALS at Cairo International Airport have announced their decision to return all domestic arrivals and departures from terminal one in the old airport to terminal two in the new airport.
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