Anonymous
11/17/2025 12:11
Subject: Egypt recommendations?
We used Abercombie & Kent and had a private guide for most of the trip.
Here were some of our highlights:
--Marriott Mena House has beautiful views of the Giza pyramids
--Grand Egyptian Museum
--intimate Nile river cruise sprinkled with excursions to see Temple of Luxor, Valley of Kings, Aswan
--Abu Simbel-this required us to go out of our way for an extra day but was really extraordinary
--we stayed at the four seasons in cairo which had beautiful lobby and people watching
--did Islamic cairo tour which included several mosques, Muizz street, al-azhar park. We were very grateful for our guide bc you will get approached by many, many street vendors, some are many aggressive. The architecture is beautiful
I will add that do your research before going. This trip is not for everyone. It was a bucket list item for us bc we are history buffs and loved it but we had friends who went and said it was their least favorite place they have traveled to.
Here were some of our highlights:
--Marriott Mena House has beautiful views of the Giza pyramids
--Grand Egyptian Museum
--intimate Nile river cruise sprinkled with excursions to see Temple of Luxor, Valley of Kings, Aswan
--Abu Simbel-this required us to go out of our way for an extra day but was really extraordinary
--we stayed at the four seasons in cairo which had beautiful lobby and people watching
--did Islamic cairo tour which included several mosques, Muizz street, al-azhar park. We were very grateful for our guide bc you will get approached by many, many street vendors, some are many aggressive. The architecture is beautiful
I will add that do your research before going. This trip is not for everyone. It was a bucket list item for us bc we are history buffs and loved it but we had friends who went and said it was their least favorite place they have traveled to.
Anonymous
11/15/2025 23:22
Subject: Egypt recommendations?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Thinking of going to Egypt next June. Two late teens. Any recommendations/things to avoid? Almost everyone i know who has been has ended up with stomach problems, so I am not excited about that aspect…
Why Egypt?
It's a really shitty country for most travelers, especially women and girls. Cairo is sad and noisy and filthy and very aggressive. Go anywhere near a tourist site and the vultures will descend. The harassment is endless. Egypt is not a fun time.
If you want to go the Middle East with teenagers, I'd suggest Oman. Or if you want to see Arabia lite, go to Jordan. Lots to see in both countries and very nice people. Egypt is a nightmare for most tourists and no one wants to go back.
+1 to all of this.
I lived in Cairo for two years for work, and out of the multiple countries where I've lived, Egypt is the one where I can truly say that any positives were outweighed by the negatives.
I'd like to add animal abuse to what the pps mentioned. The donkeys and camels you see are considered tools to use up and then throw away. It is socially acceptable to beat them, to drive or use animals with visible untreated sores and wounds, to leave a dead animal by the side of the road after it collapses. We also saw hideous cruelty to street dogs, with a few memorable examples of Egyptian boys torturing them for fun (with adults standing on casually).
And speaking of how creatures regarded as possessions are treated in Egypt, yes, as another posted mentioned, Egyptian men catcall, and if given the chance/proximity, will also shout obscenities or grope. (Let's not forget this, shall we: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-12476771. The culture that permitted this hadn't changed by the time were were living there years later). Women are regarded as possessions, and a woman walking alone outside of her home is considered fair game because she put herself in that situation.
The vast majority of Egyptian women have been victims of FGM. Consider the kind of culture that embraces that.
The scams and cheating, the way so many Egyptians will lie to your face for personal gain, became sickening to me very quickly.
The filth and pollution are disgusting.
When did you live in Cairo pp? I know what you are talking about and it was undoubtedly very jarring and miserable. I had a similar culture shock when I lived there and my family is from there. I don’t know if you have any familial connections but it sounds like you never got to see a lot of the good in Egypt to begin with.
In any event, the OP isn’t asking about living in Cairo, but visiting Egypt as a tourist. She could avoid Cairo altogether, but I think it’s worth a few days to see Old Cairo, the pyramids, the citadel, etc. Outside of Cairo Egypt is cleaner and people are more relaxed. It is worth the trip if you are organized and simply go with a group or guide.
Anonymous
11/15/2025 22:40
Subject: Egypt recommendations?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Thinking of going to Egypt next June. Two late teens. Any recommendations/things to avoid? Almost everyone i know who has been has ended up with stomach problems, so I am not excited about that aspect…
Why Egypt?
It's a really shitty country for most travelers, especially women and girls. Cairo is sad and noisy and filthy and very aggressive. Go anywhere near a tourist site and the vultures will descend. The harassment is endless. Egypt is not a fun time.
If you want to go the Middle East with teenagers, I'd suggest Oman. Or if you want to see Arabia lite, go to Jordan. Lots to see in both countries and very nice people. Egypt is a nightmare for most tourists and no one wants to go back.
+1 to all of this.
I lived in Cairo for two years for work, and out of the multiple countries where I've lived, Egypt is the one where I can truly say that any positives were outweighed by the negatives.
I'd like to add animal abuse to what the pps mentioned. The donkeys and camels you see are considered tools to use up and then throw away. It is socially acceptable to beat them, to drive or use animals with visible untreated sores and wounds, to leave a dead animal by the side of the road after it collapses. We also saw hideous cruelty to street dogs, with a few memorable examples of Egyptian boys torturing them for fun (with adults standing on casually).
And speaking of how creatures regarded as possessions are treated in Egypt, yes, as another posted mentioned, Egyptian men catcall, and if given the chance/proximity, will also shout obscenities or grope. (Let's not forget this, shall we: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-12476771. The culture that permitted this hadn't changed by the time were were living there years later). Women are regarded as possessions, and a woman walking alone outside of her home is considered fair game because she put herself in that situation.
The vast majority of Egyptian women have been victims of FGM. Consider the kind of culture that embraces that.
The scams and cheating, the way so many Egyptians will lie to your face for personal gain, became sickening to me very quickly.
The filth and pollution are disgusting.
Anonymous
11/15/2025 22:05
Subject: Egypt recommendations?
Anonymous wrote:Do not eat anything raw and peel all your fruits. No ice, no fresh juice. You will get a GI bug.
This. And I’ll reiterate one of my previous posts. Use a probiotic with acidophilus both before you go and while traveling. A friend who spent a lot of time in less food hygiene focused countries game me this tip and it changed everything.
Anonymous
11/15/2025 22:00
Subject: Egypt recommendations?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:There is a reason you don’t see many Egyptian restaurants in the US. Egyptian cuisine just isn’t as a whole that inspiring.
Restaurants on Zamalek tend to be reliable, particularly along the water front. But I wouldn’t even really bother trying to order a lot of classic Egyptian dishes.
Ps If the best places you ate were the restaurants in Zamalek you really don’t know enough to judge Egyptian cuisine.
I have eaten in many parts of Cairo, but if you want more western cuisine that is made at western hygiene standard, Zamalik is a good place to start.
I’ve spent a lot of time working in countries across the world and one thing I’m have been struck by is that even if I love the local cuisine (like Thailand, or India, or Italy, or Greece) as an American we eat many different global cuisines in a week. So I may love Greek food, but I don’t normally eat it for two weeks in a row.
I used to work in the Middle East for weeks on end, but eventually I wanted Asian or Latin American foods, or even just a traditional American style breakfast. And that is ok.
I used to joke with my husband that the hotel I always stayed at in Yemen would get their toaster out of storage whenever they saw me come to breakfast. It is entirely possible that I was the only person who used that toaster for several years in a row. And I think it brought both me and the hotel staff joy that I enjoyed using it every morning.
Anonymous
11/15/2025 15:28
Subject: Egypt recommendations?
Do not eat anything raw and peel all your fruits. No ice, no fresh juice. You will get a GI bug.
Anonymous
10/24/2025 13:20
Subject: Egypt recommendations?
Anonymous wrote:There is a reason you don’t see many Egyptian restaurants in the US. Egyptian cuisine just isn’t as a whole that inspiring.
Restaurants on Zamalek tend to be reliable, particularly along the water front. But I wouldn’t even really bother trying to order a lot of classic Egyptian dishes.
Ps If the best places you ate were the restaurants in Zamalek you really don’t know enough to judge Egyptian cuisine.
Anonymous
10/24/2025 13:19
Subject: Egypt recommendations?
Anonymous wrote:There is a reason you don’t see many Egyptian restaurants in the US. Egyptian cuisine just isn’t as a whole that inspiring.
Restaurants on Zamalek tend to be reliable, particularly along the water front. But I wouldn’t even really bother trying to order a lot of classic Egyptian dishes.
No, the reason you do not see much Egyptian cuisine in the US is that the first wave of Egyptian immigrants in the 60’s, 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s were largely highly educated and well paid professionals: doctors and engineers. Their children have mostly followed and stuck with “elite” professions. Only more recently have “regular” people left Egypt, mostly coming in a huge wave after the Arab spring.
Anonymous
10/24/2025 11:36
Subject: Egypt recommendations?
Hand sanitizer. Lots and often. Money is filthy.
Anonymous
10/24/2025 11:32
Subject: Egypt recommendations?
There is a reason you don’t see many Egyptian restaurants in the US. Egyptian cuisine just isn’t as a whole that inspiring.
Restaurants on Zamalek tend to be reliable, particularly along the water front. But I wouldn’t even really bother trying to order a lot of classic Egyptian dishes.
Restaurants on Zamalek tend to be reliable, particularly along the water front. But I wouldn’t even really bother trying to order a lot of classic Egyptian dishes.
Anonymous
10/24/2025 09:53
Subject: Egypt recommendations?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Thinking of going to Egypt next June. Two late teens. Any recommendations/things to avoid? Almost everyone i know who has been has ended up with stomach problems, so I am not excited about that aspect…
Why Egypt?
It's a really shitty country for most travelers, especially women and girls. Cairo is sad and noisy and filthy and very aggressive. Go anywhere near a tourist site and the vultures will descend. The harassment is endless. Egypt is not a fun time.
If you want to go the Middle East with teenagers, I'd suggest Oman. Or if you want to see Arabia lite, go to Jordan. Lots to see in both countries and very nice people. Egypt is a nightmare for most tourists and no one wants to go back.
Why Egypt? I studied ancient history and have always wanted to see the pyramids and temples. We may combine with Jordan (which both of us have been to) for a more low-key end to the trip, if we don’t go to Sharm el sheik…
Anonymous
10/23/2025 21:29
Subject: Egypt recommendations?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Thinking of going to Egypt next June. Two late teens. Any recommendations/things to avoid? Almost everyone i know who has been has ended up with stomach problems, so I am not excited about that aspect…
Why Egypt?
It's a really shitty country for most travelers, especially women and girls. Cairo is sad and noisy and filthy and very aggressive. Go anywhere near a tourist site and the vultures will descend. The harassment is endless. Egypt is not a fun time.
If you want to go the Middle East with teenagers, I'd suggest Oman. Or if you want to see Arabia lite, go to Jordan. Lots to see in both countries and very nice people. Egypt is a nightmare for most tourists and no one wants to go back.
This wasn't our experience at all. We experienced no harassment. We had lovely experiences with locals and excellent guides. The antiquities were amazing. The desert was incredible. The food was great. A few people tried to sell us stuff but we kept walking. It wasn't a big deal.
Cairo was really interesting and we enjoyed shopping in the souk, visiting historic mosques, seeing the Egyptian Museum and visiting the Great Pyramids. My kids were in awe of the traffic and the size of the city too. It's a must. Ask your guide to take you to a local restaurant in a neighborhood for a local experience.