What you need to know before traveling to Egypt: 7 tips for tourists

Egypt is comfortable beaches, beautiful coral reefs, and a wide range of hotels to suit every budget.

It is believed that the off-season is the most comfortable time to spend on the Red Sea. If you are planning to travel to Egypt, it is important to know a few nuances. OBOZREVATEL has put together a list of tips to help avoid misunderstandings and unpleasant situations while traveling.

1. Choose the right season

If you are going to visit Egypt in the summer, keep in mind that the weather will be very hot. High temperatures are especially harmful for tourists with heart or blood pressure problems. Therefore, it is better to choose spring or late fall.

2. Do not take a lot of things

Due to the hot climate, you are unlikely to need warm clothes, as well as chic dresses for going out. All-inclusive coastal hotels are primarily about lazy vacations. For the evening, you can take a light sweater or tracksuit, but sweaters and jackets will definitely be an extra load.

3. Do not worry about your bad English

Most hotel staff speaks Russian, and some hotels may even serve vacationers in Ukrainian. Merchants at popular resorts outside the hotel will also likely address you in Russian.

4. Get ready to bargain a lot

You will need to fight for a reasonable price at local markets and even individual souvenir shops. If you want to buy a magnet for your loved ones for one or two dollars, you will have to get into a verbal fight with the vendor. Locals deliberately set prices several times higher, so they are willing to bargain.

5. Respect the traditions of Muslims

There are several nuances here. Firstly, if you plan to go outside the hotel, you should wear modest clothes that are as closed as possible. Mini shorts and tops are simply unacceptable for locals. If you go out in such an outfit, get ready to be honked at by all the passing cars and whistled at by local vendors. And secondly, it is strictly forbidden to take pictures of Arab women, some historical monuments, and military facilities in Egypt.

6. Be careful on the roads

Especially if you plan to rent a car. Egyptians behave chaotically on the road, do not follow traffic rules, and blame pedestrians for everything. Therefore, it is better to use a taxi or public transport. For example, in Sharm el-Sheikh, five-star budget hotels often run evening buses to Soho.

7. Do not touch, break or take corals with you

For this, you can not only be scolded but also forced to pay a fine. It is forbidden to touch anything with your hands while diving too, as the Red Sea is home to poisonous fish and corals can cause severe injuries.

In general, you are only allowed to look at corals and take photos if your camera works underwater, but it is absolutely forbidden to tear them off. You will have to pay at least $100 for this. If even a piece of coral is found in your bag at a Egyptian airport, the fine will be many times higher. In addition, you may even be imprisoned.