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AIBU?

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Original poster

Anyone been to Egypt??

122 replies

Chitterchatter48 · 16/08/2024 10:24

Almost everyone I know who has been in the past had stomach upsets and were sick. My DH desperately wants to go here on hols next year to see the Pyramids, and I'm a fly and flop kind of person, so happy just reading my kindle and sipping a cocktail (uncultured me 😂)
But...obviously I don't want to be sick as I've been ill on holiday before with food poisoning and it was utterly awful! We would only be going for 1 week and I don't want to spend half of that in bed!

The few various people I knew who went to Egypt was over 10 years ago, so maybe things have drastically improved since then 💁‍♀️

Does anyone have experience of travelling to Egypt. I would appreciate any thoughts.

TIA

OP posts:
StoatofDisarray · 16/08/2024 10:26

I have and I was ill despite avoiding all the stuff you're supposed to avoid.

Kiztittumne · 16/08/2024 10:29

Yes, we both had diarrhoea. I definitely would not go again.

takealettermsjones · 16/08/2024 10:29

I have and I didn't get ill, but I know a few people who did. I stuck to the rules I always do when going to a place like that - eat vegetarian, only ever drink from a bottle/can you open yourself (or watch someone open), baths only (where possible), good hand washing hygiene etc.

PrincessHoneysuckle · 16/08/2024 10:32

I'm here now and it's our 3rd holiday here.
Choose a very good hotel and you'll be fine.Id only do 5 star in Egypt.

RhaenysRocks · 16/08/2024 10:33

Been several times, all fine. Follow obvious rules about streetfood, drink bottled water etc.

cupcaske123 · 16/08/2024 10:33

I'd love to go to Egypt but I've heard that sexual harassment is rife. How have others found it?

Purplepepsi · 16/08/2024 10:37

We did a 5 star hotel and it was lovely. Put of 4 of us only I was ill. I suspect another guest who I picked something up after rather than anything else as they were cleaning all the time. I would still go back though.

Marinacat · 16/08/2024 10:38

I used to live in Cyprus and the holiday companies sold a 3 day cruise to Egypt to visit the pyramids and the Cairo museum. There was also an overnight flight instead of the cruise ship if you don’t want to sail. It was relatively cheap. You got to see the pyramids etc and then back to holiday in Cyprus !

halava · 16/08/2024 10:39

Did an (organised) trip with overnight sleeper train to Aswan and cruised back up the Nile to Cairo via Luxor, it was amazing, but TBH I was "Templed" out at the end, there were so many temples and wonderful things to see.

As for stomach issues, no I didn't but I stuck to peelable fruit, bottled water, coffee and cakes/bread/cheese/eggs/pastries, boring but kept me going and I didn't die of starvation! I don't drink alcohol so maybe that also helped, I dunno. Didn't touch anything cooked like chicken, lamb, rice, whatever. Most of the other travellers in our group got some sort of food related illness/dodgy tummy.

It is not necessarily the food, although I don't think the hygiene and food safety is up to much TBH. I think it's a combo of heat, alcohol, dehydration, and food prep. I'd avoid cooked food if you're worried, however I might be just a scaredy cat and didn't touch it!

justbeingasmartarse · 16/08/2024 10:40

I went to Egypt n 2009 and was fine. Don’t drink the water obviously (but that’s the case in a lot of places).

CissOff · 16/08/2024 10:42

I went last year and was fine whilst I was in the hotel but think I picked up something from eating at the airport. Ended up with a terrible stomach for a couple of weeks and actually shat myself at one point 😂🙈

DecisionsDecisions321 · 16/08/2024 10:42

Personally I would have gone to eygpt 10 years ago. I wouldn't go now.

Doggymummar · 16/08/2024 10:43

I've been many times and never been sick, but always high end 5 star European or American Hotels, movenpick , Hilton, four seasons etc. it's the pestering I can't abide

Ginorchoc · 16/08/2024 10:43

I’ve been, didn’t get ill but did get harassed, one man even grabbed my camera and then took a random photo and asked money for it back. I’m quite short tempered and we nearly had a roll out with me getting it back!

A friend was locked in a shop whilst browsing, he ended up in quite a heated exchange for them to open the door and let him out without buying anything.

I wouldn’t go back, it’s all very false, the 5 star hotel we stayed in had armed guards it gives a false impression of the reality.

This was a few years ago now though, I think 8? Maybe it’s better now.

onawave · 16/08/2024 10:47

I've been and hated it. Constantly harassed by sellers, even in the supposedly 5 star hotel. Groped very time we went out. Taxi driver drove us miles away from anywhere and wouldn't take us back to our hotel until we gave him more money. After the second day I refused to leave the hotel until we left for the airport. Had to go back there for work on a ship a few years ago and I didn't set foot on land the whole time the ship was in port. No force on earth would get me back there.
Didn't get a bad stomach though so that's something I guess.

ReframeFeelings · 16/08/2024 10:52

Yep. Wouldn't go again. Wasn't ill but really didn't like anything about the place at all.

Oblomov24 · 16/08/2024 10:55

I've been many times over many years, going back 30+ years, drank bottled water, but ate street food, never ill.

Catza · 16/08/2024 10:57

I went 10 years ago or so, ate everything, drunk everything and even rinsed my teeth with tap water after brushing. Zero issues.
But then again, I don't use antibac at home ever and won't think twice about eating food which is 2 days OOD if it still smells and look OK. So, I expect, I have a stronger stomach than most.

BeaRF75 · 16/08/2024 10:59

It is quite common to catch something, but you just dose up with Imodium and carry on! Everyone one does, but there's no need to "spend half the week in bed" - that's a bit dramatic.

BeaRF75 · 16/08/2024 11:01

Oh, and it's not "food poisoning", because the food is fine. It's just different flora and fauna. If you're careful in the sun, and with water (eg no ice in drinks), you will avoid the most severe effects.

countrygirl99 · 16/08/2024 11:03

We went on a group tour and none of our group were ill. My parents went on a Nile cruise and they were fine.

NewJobNewMeNewLife · 16/08/2024 11:07

we went as a family of 4 last year. We really wanted to see pyramids and Cairo. We stayed in an AI hotel with restaurants on site. The only person that god a bad stomach was my husband but I suspect it was too much food/ alcohol/ too much sun etc.
we then did a trip to Cairo on a private trip. We had our own vehicle and guide so we were fine and didn’t get bothered at all because the sellers etc could see we with someone.
at other times we got taxis to the mall and to restaurants and it was a nightmare- taxis stopping down country lanes and refusing to drive until you paid them more money (we were using Ubers) etc. a girl in the hotel was assaulted when she got out of a taxi by a group of men- she was with her dad.
all in all I’m glad we went, we saw Cairo and that’s what we wanted to do- but unless I sss planning more sightseeing or I was planning a holiday just in the AI complex I wouldn’t go back.

Whammyammy · 16/08/2024 11:09

Been to Cairo. Hated it. It smelt, was dirty, I was hassled and was ill with d and v. Never again.

Original poster
Chitterchatter48 · 16/08/2024 11:12

I don't think we'll be going to Egypt 😂 DH will just have to look at the Pyramids on tele 😂 maybe as someone suggested we go to Cyprus at some point and DH can do a trip

OP posts:
Snowfalling · 16/08/2024 11:14

Marinacat · 16/08/2024 10:38

I used to live in Cyprus and the holiday companies sold a 3 day cruise to Egypt to visit the pyramids and the Cairo museum. There was also an overnight flight instead of the cruise ship if you don’t want to sail. It was relatively cheap. You got to see the pyramids etc and then back to holiday in Cyprus !

Does this still exist? might be something I'm interested in