The
Egyptian Traveller’s Survival Kit
Egypt is a sophisticated and modern country,
and most anything that you need may be purchased in Egypt.
But providing that you do not wish to purchase such things
as shoes in Egypt, and that other items may be difficult
to find, or very expensive, we have compiled a checklist
of some of the more important items you may wish to carry
with you. This list may seem rudimentary for the seasoned
traveler, but for many making a first time trip to Egypt,
it may prevent problems.
Contending with Sun and Heat
Hats and other
covering : Large brimmed hats that provide
not only a head covering but also a certain amount of shade
will come in very handy in the hot Egyptian sun. In addition,
women will be more acceptable when touring old churches
and mosques if they are wearing some sort of head covering.
In addition, scarves or other apparel should be taken along
to cover shoulders and arms, and again, or not only important
for visiting religious sites, but also to keep the sun off
during treks. In very hot weather, a cloth hat or scarf
that can be soaked will also help keep your head cool.
"Squeeze Breeze"
: this is a water bottle with a sprayer and a battery-operated
fan attached, which is available in such stores as Wal-Mart
in the US. This item literally kept our Senior Editor, Mary
Kay Radnich, from hitting the deck in the 104F heat on the
West Bank, late one morning. If you can find something like
this among the beach toys this summer, pick it up.
Sun block
: While sun blocks may be purchased in Egypt, you might
prefer to bring your own favorite brand, but do bring it.
We have often, and I wish to emphasis, very often, seen
tourists with painful sunburns after a days worth of sightseeing.
Sunglasses
: Another item that may be purchased in Egypt are sunglasses,
but again, many people will prefer to bring their own. There will
be many times that tourists find themselves in a blaring, sand
and desert landscape and there is nothing better than a good pair
of sunglasses, with the highest UV rating you can find.
 Canteen
or water holder : Staying hydrated will
mean the difference between a comfortable tour and one that
might end with trouble. Most people quickly learn to carry
a water bottle with them, and bottled water is easily accessible.
However, lugging around a water bottle in your hand can
be tiresome. It is much better to bring along either a canteen,
or some other utensil that will allow you to carry the water
bottle on your waist or around your shoulder. Fanny packs
or backpacks with holders for water bottles, and for women,
even a shoulder bag type of purse will make this more convenient.
Other Needs
Very good, comfortable walking shoes: This is probably
one of the first things most people will tell you to bring
to Egypt. Most tourists will be doing a considerable amount
of walking, and shoes should not be just comfortable, but
comfortable to walk long distances. Unlike leather shoes
for mountain walks and such, it is also preferable for walking
shoes to be breathable and perhaps made of a lightweight
nylon or similar fabric. "Tennis shoes" or other
sporting type of shoes are good for this. Also, keep in
mind that there are a lot of steps in Egypt.
Power Adapters: Power Adapters come in two different varieties.
Some electronic equipment have switches to allow you to
change the power input type. For these, a simple wall adapter
is all that is required. However, other electronic devices
do not have such switches and in this case, you not only
need a wall adapter, but also a power converter. Egypt uses
220 volt and plugs are two prong rounded.
Medication:
Of course, bring your prescription medicine. It will usually
be available in Egyptian drug stores, but it may be called
a different name. There is no problem with bringing prescription
medication into Egypt. However, it is also more convenient
to bring your favorite non-prescription medications along.
Though you may find such medication in Egypt, such as heart
burn medication and pain capsules, you may have problems
finding your favorite brands. In addition, many tourists
who are a part of an organized tour will be staying in large
hotels, which may lack a complete inventory of such medication,
and trekking out to find a variety of over the counter medications
may be inconvenient. Don’t forget your Imodium. While
no one wants to get Tut’s Trot or Mummy’s Tummy,
it may be handy to have some Imodium or other anti-diarrheic
with you. The most common bottled water brand, Baraka, contains
a little magnesium and therefore may act as a mild laxative.
Another brand to try is Siwa bottled water.
Camera: Most
people are not going to forget to bring their cameras on
an Egyptian tour. However, a couple of things should be
pointed out. First, while you may take pictures as you like
from the outside of most monuments, many require that you
do not use a flash when taking pictures inside. If you intend
to take pictures inside tombs, for example, you will need
to bring high-speed film. Most people use ASA 800 film,
which they push to 1600. For the most part, this requires
a good 35 mm SLR camera. In addition, monuments in Egypt
are truly monumental, and tourists will often be disappointed
with regular lenses. If possible, a good wide-angle lens
will be nice to bring along. A video camera will also provide
you with nice souvenir footage of your trip, however, keep
in mind that filming inside many of the museums, monuments
and tombs is prohibited.
Travel Alarm:
Sure, most hotels will give you a wakeup call, but for many,
don't count on it. A travel alarm is perhaps less important
on an organized tour, as you will have people taking care
of you. But particularly for the independent traveler, a
travel alarm will come in very handy. It will help make
sure that you wake up when you wish in Egypt. But I have
often used mine to make sure that I could grab some sleep
in airports along the way, and still catch my flight.
Guide Books:
Do invest in an Egyptian Guide book, such as the "Lonely
Planet" or "Rough Guide" or any number of
other good guides. While you may be on a guided tour, such
a book will give you time to orient yourself both before
and after the actual tours to various locations. In addition,
foreign printed guidebooks may be somewhat more expensive
in Egypt, even though they are available. You may also wish
to look around once in Egypt for other guidebooks.
An Extra Bag:
A bag, preferably soft, which can be crunched up and carried
into Egypt in another bag will be handy for most people.
The bag will then be used to carry back souvenirs. Alternatively,
many business people or guests of Egyptians often bring
presents into Egypt, and once emptied, the bag is used to
bring souvenirs back. Again, bags may be easily purchased
in Egypt, but are likely to be less expensive if you buy
it at home and bring it to Egypt.
Sewing Kits:
Some of the larger hotels, as well as some of the better-equipped
smaller hotels (the Longchamps) may supply a sewing kit
in your room. But don't count on this. Most Egyptian tours
are relatively long, and it is not unusual to loose a button
here or there climbing through tombs and pyramids.
Alcoholic Beverages:
There are good suitable beers and wines in Egypt that are
highly affordable, and it is not necessary to bring in such
items unless you have a very acute taste for a particular
brand. In fact, I consider Egyptian beer excellent, and
wish that I could buy it in the states. However, harder
alcoholic beverages such as whiskies and bourbons are maybe
extremely difficult to find, and extremely expensive when
you do. You may bring in up to two litters of liquor, and
you may buy additional liquor at a reasonable price at the
tax-free shop prior to leaving the airport. To give you
an indication of why you should do this, it is not uncommon
to pay as much or more than $13.00 for a single shot of
Jack Daniels, a well-known US bourbon
Cigarette:
Egyptians smoke, and cigarettes are not expensive in Egypt.
However, you will find only a limited variety of cigarettes
for the most part. For example, Marlboro Lights are readily
available, but not 100s. In fact, not very many "long"
cigarettes are. Further, while you can purchase "American"
cigarettes for a price in some of the better hotels, usually
you are getting an Egyptian manufactured cigarette that
is somewhat harsher then the "American" variety.
Just because you are buying Marlboro does not make it the
same Marlboro that you would by in the US, for example.
Finally, bring along a humor and a good attitude. For many,
and even those who have done extensive traveling in the
US or Europe, Egypt will be very different. You will often
find attitudes more "laid back", time less important
and even some of the Egyptians selling their wares or their
services at tourism sites annoying. Egypt is a place where
you learn to let the smaller problems you might encounter
roll off your shoulders, and simply enjoy this, the oldest
of all civilizations.
Karen Phillips'
Purse (From a discussion on our Message system) Karen Phillips
is a travel consultant living in Egypt and, while most all
of these items can be found in Egypt, she maintains that
she carries, and regularly uses the following useful items:
• Tissues
• Wet wipes
• Hand sanitizer gel
• Sun screen
• Bug repellent
• Aspirin
• Diarreha tablets
• Band aids
• Breath mints
• Gum
• Hair spray
• Safety pins
• Small screwdriver & screws for fixing sunglasses
• Note pad
• Pens
• Stamps
• Small change
• Telephone card
• Map of Cairo
• Business cards
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