Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Holidays

Use our Travel forum for recommendations on everything from day trips to the best family-friendly holiday destinations.

Original poster

Egypt with 18 week old

122 replies

Margot1029 · 11/01/2023 11:39

Anxiety ridden mum here 😂
Going to Egypt in March when my son is 18weeks old.
I am wondering / panicking about how I wash, sterilise bottles over there. Can I use their tap water to wash the bottles? Can I use their tap water to boil and use to
mix with formula? Been told not to use bottled water?
I’m at a point where I either want to cancel or actually considering buying single use sterile bottles and litre cartons of formula, as just seems easier?
please help!

OP posts:
keepaweatheredeye · 11/01/2023 15:37

Sorry OP - having been 4 times to Sharm, and having had Dysentery, E Coli and Salmonella to boot, there's absolutely no way I'd take a tiny baby there. No way.

BabyFour2023 · 11/01/2023 15:50

Growlybear83 · 11/01/2023 14:16

Although I've not visited Sharm El Sheikh, I've been to Luxor, Aswan, and Abu Simbel many times, and wouldn't be worried about taking a baby or very young child, so long as you are very careful with hygiene. Don't use tap water for teeth brushing or bottles under any circumstances. Many varieties of bottled water are available and are very cheap - just make sure that the seal is still firmly in place, as it's not uncommon for small shops and individuals to re-fill bottles with tap water. Avoid anything that may have been washed unless you can be certain that it has been washed in bottled water. But above all, make sure that you use hand sanitiser EVERY time you touch any money - most of the notes you will come across will be filthy and covered in germs.

The standard of hygiene can be dodgy in some hotels, but in others it is every bit as good as in the UK. With only a few exceptions, we've always eaten in local restaurants and have found that most Egyptian food is wonderful; I think it's a very under-rated cuisine.

I'm generally quite susceptible to stomach bugs and upsets, but I've always been very careful when I've travelled to Egypt and have never had the slightest problem. My husband has never been ill, nor has my daughter, who lived and worked in Cairo for a year.

There’s a reason I put luxury in inverted commas. That’s a huge list of donts for so called luxury! Anywhere you can’t eat normal food or do normal, day to day tasks like handle money is, in fact, unsanitary.

BabyFour2023 · 11/01/2023 15:50

“The standard of hygiene can be dodgy”

”it is not unsanitary”

which one is it @Growlybear83 😂

BabyFour2023 · 11/01/2023 15:53

@Growlybear83 apologies I meant to tag @WednesdaysPlaits

BabyFour2023 · 11/01/2023 15:54

WednesdaysPlaits · 11/01/2023 14:14

It really isn't an "unsanitary shithole". If you are stayignin one of the luxury hotels it will be fine overall as long as you are careful. We have been to a number of the hotels in Sharm and also elsewhere (Nile cruises, hotels in Cairo, Luxor, Aswan etc). Don't drink the water or let any water into your mouth eg when showering, brushing teeth, swimming etc, don't stay out too long in the sun (particularly when mixed with alcohol), don't eat the salads since they don't always wash in bottled water, don't eat fruit unless it has a peel (again due to the washing), don't eat cream/mousse based desserts (which actually rules out a lot of their desserts), don't have ice in your drinks unless you know its bottled water, use plenty of hand sanitiser before eating and after handling money or being in public places err on the side of caution with meat and go for meat which is over done if anything since undercooked chicken etc is fairly common.

Follow those rules and you're likely to be fine.

Show quote history

Nothing screams luxury like not being able to eat drink and do normal everyday tasks 😂😂😂

littlemousebigcheese · 11/01/2023 15:55

Never been as sick as I was in Egypt. I'd rather take my baby to the pits of hell than go back 😂

greenkitten2 · 11/01/2023 15:56

Another vote for cancelling if you can.

BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 11/01/2023 15:59

Just change the destination

Xrays · 11/01/2023 16:19

BabyFour2023 · 11/01/2023 15:54

Nothing screams luxury like not being able to eat drink and do normal everyday tasks 😂😂😂

Show quote history

Exactly. Such fun! 🙄😆

Snoken · 11/01/2023 16:42

Honestly, Egypt is by far the worse place I think I have been. The little food you will be able to eat will be so bland and unexcited, you will constantly worry about what you are drinking. Have they mixed it with water, has there been ice in there etc. You have to assume every piece of fruit and veg has been washed in water that will make you ill. Sharm is also quite uninteresting. It's just a bunch of resorts that all look more or less the same.

I'd rather forfeit the money and stay home, than risk it and go. Things like salmonella can mess with your digestive system for years and years.

georgiesmash · 11/01/2023 16:43

Hatscats · 11/01/2023 11:51

I wouldn’t take a baby there either sorry! Everyone I know has been really sick after.
if you do go I would use bottled water for everything but find a low sodium one. I would be very very diligent with hand washing and where they play - I’d be worried about the pool too incase there are other people there poorly (sorry!).

Evian is suitable but have a google

Mamoun · 11/01/2023 16:45

While I travelled to France twice with a 8 week old, I wouldn't go to Egypt with an 18 months. Unless I was exclusively breastfeeding.

Stroopwaffle5000 · 11/01/2023 17:10

I'm another one who got horrendous D and V. A local doctor ended up giving me an injection in my butt. Husband got ill the day after.

WednesdaysPlaits · 11/01/2023 17:16

BabyFour2023 · 11/01/2023 15:50

“The standard of hygiene can be dodgy”

”it is not unsanitary”

which one is it @Growlybear83 😂

You've quoted two different people there.

As I say you just have to be careful with things made with or washed in unbottled water, the same as when travelling to most African countries.

BabyFour2023 · 11/01/2023 17:19

WednesdaysPlaits · 11/01/2023 17:16

You've quoted two different people there.

As I say you just have to be careful with things made with or washed in unbottled water, the same as when travelling to most African countries.

Show quote history

Did you miss the post where I pointed out I tagged the wrong person?

WednesdaysPlaits · 11/01/2023 17:30

No I meant one of us made one comment and another made the other comment and so I don't really see what the laughter was about.

Anyway..

Greensleevevssnotnose · 11/01/2023 17:49

It's a very personal choice, I used to work for a tour operator specialising in Egypt Morocco and Tunisia and have been maybe 20 times. I have never been ill but many many people are. Food hygiene, heck hygiene in general is like the filthiest kebab shop you can think of at 4am. You have to constantly be vigilant. Heats stroke. Dehydration food poisoning are all prevalent. don't have ice, no drinks that you don't see them pour, no salads. I wouldn't eat in a buffet restaurant, only stay in 5 star hotels avoid water parks and swimming pools. With a new baby you will have enough to deal with. I would stay away from middle east until their immune systems are more robust. Maybe 10 plus.

BabyFour2023 · 11/01/2023 18:23

WednesdaysPlaits · 11/01/2023 17:30

No I meant one of us made one comment and another made the other comment and so I don't really see what the laughter was about.

Anyway..

Ok. If you’re struggling we can leave it there.

crimbocountdown · 11/01/2023 18:38

I wouldn't take such a young child either - sanitary issues aside what do you plan on doing while there with such a young baby? It's kind of a waste of time and not relaxing in the slightest....

ripandhishorse · 11/01/2023 18:42

I wouldn’t take myself to sharm, let alone a baby. Too many horror stories and people having long term problems when they get home.

CottonSock · 11/01/2023 18:42

Could you take a suitcase of ready made formula and single use bottle liners. Do they still exist.

Or cancel and go somewhere in Europe.

IggysPop · 11/01/2023 18:45

I did it years ago - baby same age. Luxury resort. Sort of a treat for older child. Was absolutely miserable. Don’t do it.

MarcelEtCeleste · 11/01/2023 18:45

There’s no way I’d be holidaying with a baby there.

I knew someone who got so ill they had to give up work because the 24/7 digestive distress lasted over 6 months and it took even longer to get back to eating and living normally.

feelingrubbish2023 · 11/01/2023 18:49

There are so many places great for taking small babies, why on earth would you pick Egypt or sharm. Did you book before you knew you were pregnant.

Honestly I'd speak to the travel agents and see if there is any way you change to another destination.

Theawkwardblonde · 11/01/2023 18:53

Another who wouldnt take baby I'm afraid.
We stayed in a luxury hotel in sharm, only drank bottled water, brushed teeth with bottled..ended up in hospital for a month on my return due the horrific D and V. Ended up dehydrated too. I wouldn't risk it due to the need to sterilise, clean bottles etc.
Plus if you get Ill, it's going to be hard to look after the baby. On a plus point I did lose over 2 stone due to how Ill I was 😂