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AIBU?

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 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:

Report

bico · 04/07/2013 14:28

I don't think the coup is that well supported. Morse was elected and still has a lot of support. I really doubt that this will continue to be a bloodless coup (it isn't already as a number of people have been killed).

Egypt has been unstable for some time although not widely publicised (I hear from Egyptian friends living in Egypt). It isn't somewhere I'd be going and I would expect the FCO advice to change within the next 10 days.

meditrina · 04/07/2013 14:32

if you prefer to get your news from MN,Here's the current Egypt thread.

bico What changes do you expect to FCO travel advice? That they'll include the resorts on their current 'essential travel only' which covers all the rest of the country except a few specified 'don't go at all' areas? Or a relaxation?

mowbraygirl · 04/07/2013 14:32

I have booked to go to Hurghada with DD and family end of July DH isn't coming. This will be DD's 5th visit and my 2nd to the resort and we always feels safe. Hurghada is about 7 hours travel from Cairo by car.

SIL has friends out there and spoke to them yesterday no problems there and as Ramadam starts soon said things will quieten down.

Unless Foreign Office advises against we will still be going as travel companies always act on advice from them as regards cancelling holidays.

plainjaney · 04/07/2013 14:43

We went to Sharm (well, Nabq) before Christmas, terrorism levels had just been raised then and I was nervous I have to say. I'd been to nabq before and enjoyed it and I was pleased to see nothing had changed. I think I was probably expecting to see Police on the streets or something but it was as uneventful as always.

Personally I felt safe there after the initial OMG I'm in Egypt had worn off. Would I book again? Probably not while all this is going on but if I had a holiday booked there I would still go.

MyThumbsHaveGoneWeird · 04/07/2013 14:52

"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?"

^ ^
This

DonutForMyself · 04/07/2013 14:54

Thanks all, its purely a financial decision, so I think if we can find somewhere else that looks nice at a similar price we will go with that. I've never been to Egypt before so had no idea what to expect, but have lots of friends who have and enjoy the snorkelling and sunshine without ever really venturing out of the resort. We were only really taken by the prices, but as you've pointed out, that is probably because they can't sell those spots to anyone now!

Realistically if there is trouble at one end and its hours away from the tourist resorts its probably a bit like avoiding Manchester because of unrest in London, but better safe than sorry, especially if insurance will be void.

Thanks for the link Med. I guess I avoid the news because its generally pretty depressing and I like to live in my happy little bubble, but this has shown why I should know more about what's going on in the world!

OP posts:

SoggySummer · 04/07/2013 14:55

Sharm is all purpose built in the middle of pretty much nowhere - hence why they are saying its still safe to go there.

Not sure I would be booking a holiday there today though but that said if I already had one booked I would not be panicking just yet.

Pennyacrossthehall · 04/07/2013 15:48

Realistically if there is trouble at one end and its hours away from the tourist resorts its probably a bit like avoiding Manchester because of unrest in London

It's more like avoiding Newquay because of unrest in London. If all of the land between London and Newquay was a desolate, inhospitable desert with no people in it.

LtEveDallas · 04/07/2013 16:03

We are booked to go at the end of Jul. I started a thread yesterday a bit concerned.

A MNer that works for Thomson posted that the Thomson Reps in Hurghada and Sharm have said that it is all quiet.

I later phoned Thomson and they confirmed that if we cancelled when FCO advice was that the red sea resorts were OK, then we would 'lose' a proportion of our money. If Thomson cancelled then they would offer us either all out money back, or a holiday of the same type/standing/star rating as close to our dates as possible and up to £300 per person more than we'd paid.

We've decided to wait it out, but have looked to see what else we could get with our money, so that we can give them a 'this is where we want to go then' should they cancel.

As of last night our hotel's Facebook page was open and posting that Hurghada was as quiet as ever, with no need for any extra security.

HTH

dontlaugh · 04/07/2013 16:10

I think any country where the leader is dressed in an army uniform is a no go for me. (Not the ceremonial dress kind, the front line kind).

vixsatis · 04/07/2013 16:16

The rioting probably won't get you; but food poisoning will (I've been to all sorts of places and been fine but Egypt always gets me). It will also be unspeakably hot in August.

Sallyingforth · 04/07/2013 18:23

Why risk it when there are so many other wonderful and relatively safe places to go?

CloudsAndTrees · 04/07/2013 18:32

I'd happily go to any of the Red Sea resorts. I go to Egypt most years and feel very safe there. I wouldn't go to Cairo or Alexandria at the moment, but Sharm etc will be fine.

bico · 04/07/2013 19:05

meditrina I'd be surprised if the FCO advice isn't broadened to more areas in Egypt to be avoided. Of course I may be completely wrong. A lot of what has been going on in Egypt over the last year has not been widely reported here.

Thecurlywurlymum · 04/07/2013 19:18

Well we are off to Sharm on Wednesday. Quite happy to stay at the resort for a week but wouldn't contemplate Cairo or Alexandria at the moment

pinkandpurplesparkle · 04/07/2013 20:15

Sorry - being a bit dim here - but where do you fly to if you're going to one of the tourist resorts? Do they have their own airports? We went to Egypt about 15 years ago and tbh never really felt that comfortable - there was always an 'unease' about the place, but we were in Luxor and did the tourist sights, rather than being in one of the actual tourist resorts.

Also, a friend and her family were in Cairo during the last troubles (18 months ago I think) ... and they had to be emergency taxied out of the hotel and to the airport, to get the final flight out before things sort of closed down. Nightmare!

Bogeyface · 04/07/2013 20:17

My sister loves Egypt, goes atleast twice a year and is not a worrier by nature. The holiday they are on now is in Greece, she wouldnt touch Egypt with a bargepole. I trust her judgement so no, I wouldnt go.

Scarletohello · 04/07/2013 20:22

I'd go to Greece or Cyprus at the moment. Cheap and sunny. ( unlike Kent)

CloudsAndTrees · 04/07/2013 20:24

The Red Sea resorts are a long way from where the trouble is, and there is an airport in Sharm, one in Hurghada, one in Taba and one in Marsa Alam. So yes, they do have their own airports!

AuntieStella · 04/07/2013 20:30

FCO travel advice here

The key bit is: "In view of the continued unrest and uncertain political situation in Egypt, the FCO recommends against all but essential travel to Egypt except for resorts on the Red Sea in South Sinai and those resorts on the Egyptian mainland in Red Sea governorate".

They say Cairo airport is OK if you stay in the airport. The advice for 'no travel' is to North Sinai.

thenightsky · 04/07/2013 20:41

I'm booked to go diving in Marsa Alam in Sept, so keeping an eye on things. I am a bit worried I must say.

FruminousBandersnatch · 04/07/2013 21:00

My thoughts echo those of WilsonFrickett. The report of the journalist who was gang raped the other day during the protests was devastating. And that's just one incident we've heard of - because she was a Westerner. There is no way I would spend my money in a country where 90% of women (or whatever that crazy statistic is that's been reported this week) have been sexually assaulted.

everlong · 04/07/2013 21:25

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

CloudsAndTrees · 04/07/2013 21:26

90% of women have been sexually assaulted? Where did that information come from?

Egypt is a country with many problems at the moment, but in my experience, the vast majority of people there are good people, and I'm as sure as I can be that most Egyptian men would risk their own safety to protect a woman.

Any country would see their crime rate rise if they were in the situation Egypt is in just now. It would certainly happen in this country, but that doesn't mean our whole country is bad.

The Egyptian people need support from people like us who are lucky enough to live in a stable country. They are good people, they have have a sense of responsibility, a work ethic and a commitment to their families that would shame many of our citizens.

I'm not saying people should go there when its not safe, but I can't say nothing when posters are talking as though we are somehow better than the Egyptians. We are not.

thenightsky · 04/07/2013 21:27

Everlong... Ive been going to Taba Heights for years and it was always like that. The resort is lovely though... which hotel did you stay at? We always used the Hyatt.

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