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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to book a holiday to Egypt?

71 replies

DonutForMyself · 04/07/2013 12:02

I was on the verge of booking a DC-free week away for DP and myself but when I mentioned that Egypt was the cheapest option, a friend pointed out that Eygpt was on the brink of civil war. As I don't watch TV news my usual source of current affairs/news is FB & MN Blush so I had no idea.

The official advice is that the tourist areas are ok, so would IBU to still go? What are the chances of getting stuck out there or involved in any trouble if we stay within the hotel?

OP posts:
chillynose · 04/07/2013 12:04

I personally wouldnt not safe out there at present pick somewhere else

LastTangoInDevonshire · 04/07/2013 12:04

Yes, you WBU to go to Egypt, especially as you have DC.

squeakytoy · 04/07/2013 12:04

It is likely to escalate, so I wouldnt risk it. Go to the canaries maybe if you just want a cheap break with guaranteed hot weather.

ChocChaffinch · 04/07/2013 12:06

usually the touristy areas are OK but in the event of the military coup that's just happened I'd say all bets are off and find a nice deal elsewhere...

ChocChaffinch · 04/07/2013 12:07

isn't Croatia nice? south france? malta

cantspel · 04/07/2013 12:08

I love egypt and have been many times but i fear it will be many years before i go back.

Pennyacrossthehall · 04/07/2013 12:08

Well . . . . I have already booked a holiday in Egypt (end of July) so have been watching the news with interest.

AS you say, the Foreign Office advice (as of yesterday) was that Sharm El Sheikh was still OK to visit. This makes sense to me as it is very remote from everywhere else (having been there once before, other than the hotels there is nothing but desert and sea and no major towns for many miles).

The "coup" appears to have been relatively bloodless (and supported by the majority) and is now "over". I will still be watching the news carefully, but at the moment it looks OK.

Having said all of that, I'm not sure I'd book a holiday there at the moment.

Sirzy · 04/07/2013 12:09

Why take the risk?

ChazsBrilliantAttitude · 04/07/2013 12:10

If you have a choice I'd give it a miss. No one knows how things are going to pan out in the next few weeks.

meditrina · 04/07/2013 12:13

I should imagine that the military will want to protect the remnants of the tourist trade, as it is so important economically. So protection would be high, and destinations not crowded.

But as all the sites that make Egypt Egypt are off limits to all but essential travel, according to FCO advice today, it would just be generic sunny holiday. I think I'd go elsewhere,or at least hold off booking until the situation clarifies somewhat.

Madondogs · 04/07/2013 12:17

Why don't you ever watch the news?
I find it quite astounding that people have no knowledge of major world events.

Personally I would not go.

WilsonFrickett · 04/07/2013 12:17

While I agree that the tourist resorts will be heavily protected, the country has just had a military coup. So no, I wouldn't risk it. Who knows what will happen - there ks form for targeting tourists in Egypt.

Also there are reports of around 100 serious sexual assaults and rapes around the main protest sites. While of course this won't happen in the tourist sites, I personally wouldn't want to spend money in countries where rape is a means of political expression.

WilsonFrickett · 04/07/2013 12:18

There is a reason it's so cheap - no-one is going...

SalaciousBCrumb · 04/07/2013 12:22

And it will be equally cheap (if not cheaper) in a few weeks time I would have thought, when tour companies have empty spaces to fill - can't believe many people will be booking to go there at the moment - and you can see how the situation is panning out.

Original poster
DonutForMyself · 04/07/2013 12:26

Madon, I used to get the news on Yahoo whenever I went online, but I wasted so much time clicking on random stories and reading all the comments that I turned it off! I now waste just as much time on here reading pages and pages about people's dodgy relationships and personal grooming habits - I need to rethink my priorities don't I?!

Yes, it would only be for financial reasons and DP is the type not to have knee-jerk reaction so he's saying we should sit it out and see what happens, but thanks for all your posts. Not at all wedded to the idea of Egypt, but his other suggestion was somewhere in Kent!!!

OP posts:
Original poster
DonutForMyself · 04/07/2013 12:27

Has to be first week of August for childcare reasons Salacious, but I think we will look at the other options to be safe.

OP posts:
celticclan · 04/07/2013 13:55

I personally wouldn't go. I was in Indonesia during civil unrest and although there was no trouble in the area I was in I felt uneasy.

bigTillyMint · 04/07/2013 13:59

I would wait until nearer the time and then do a late booking if it looks more settled. I reckon Sharm will be fine as long as the situation doesn't worsen much.

FWIW, we had booked flights to Cairo the end of March after the January "uprising". We travelled about on local transport, did a Nile cruise and Luxor for a week, etc with our DC and everything was fine.

Hissy · 04/07/2013 14:11

PLEASE don't give that god forsaken place your money?

Just because it's cheap? Do human/woman's rights mean nothing?

Same goes for Dubai.

Cheap at what cost?

98% of women are sexually harassed there, leered over or assaulted.

Go somewhere NICE fgs!

Mamafratelli · 04/07/2013 14:18

98% where do you get your figure from. My sil is Egyptian and is more worried about harassment in the UK

TheRealFellatio · 04/07/2013 14:18

I wouldn't, but that's because there are far, far nicer places to go - civil disturbances or not. It's really not that great, so why risk it?

everlong · 04/07/2013 14:21

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Pennyacrossthehall · 04/07/2013 14:22

As an aside, I would bet that there are people on holiday in Sharm this week who have had no idea what is going on in the rest of Egypt.

BarbarianMum · 04/07/2013 14:26

What do the Foreign Office recommend? Can you get travel insurance to cover you?

If you can't get insurance than you'd be mad to go.

BarbarianMum · 04/07/2013 14:27

But beware of insurance that is nullified by war, civil war or civil disobedience cause that won't help you if things escalate.