Egypt - end Feb

[Pvapour]

Looking at 2 weeks, with a trip up the Nile, weather average 23 looks good, Thomson packages look reasonable, any pointers? Kids holidays hav ended by then so that's good

[Pvapour]

Anyone?

[HotJambalaya]

I wouldnt to be honest, not surprised there are good deals though, the tourism economy there is suffering badly at the moment

https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/egypt

[Yex 450]

Avoid like the plague. HM Government don't post notices like that lightheartedly.

[pauljdh]

Egypt was always unique (until Tunisia) in that terrorists specifically targeted tourists. Theres other place. much much safer.

[anonymous-user]

I went a few years back and I know things have changed a bit, but I stayed at the Caribbean World Resorts Soma Bay, which is out of the way and had a few armed guards (had a few interesting conversations with them).

it is pretty much enclosed and pretty safe. and links to other hotels on the beach.

[Sheets Tabuer]

There is no way on Earth I'd take anyone I loved anywhere near the place

[Jessica Moore]

I don't think that it's very dangerous there, especially in hotels. It is not Turkey with constant terror attacks! I was in Egypt 4 years ago in January. I liked it but the days were shot and the sea was cold to swim, especially in the evening. But in general, there are good places to see. Have a nice trip!

[Saleen836]

The Spruce goose said:

I went a few years back and I know things have changed a bit, but I stayed at the Caribbean World Resorts Soma Bay, which is out of the way and had a few armed guards (had a few interesting conversations with them).

it is pretty much enclosed and pretty safe. and links to other hotels on the beach.

Maybe it is just me but I wouldn't be able to relax on holiday knowing there is a reason armed guards are on patrol!

[twing]

A similar thread came up last year and I was an advocate for going again. I went, I wouldn't go again for love nor money.
Felt safe in the hotel but jittery as fk in public places! I just wasn't relaxed liked like I have been previously.

[kuro]

I went on a nile cruise with my dad in 1996. It's an amazing place to visit and I would love to go back someday. I remember seeing quite a lot of armed tourist police at the time and the sugar cane fields were not allowed to grow right up to the roadside to prevent gunmen using them as cover. You feel quite isolated from the general population on a cruiser and we were told not to get off at night at certain moorings. Sadly the year following my trip 62 people were massacred at the temple of hatshepsut. I think it's always been risky and don't know if it's any worse now.

[Pvapour]

bloody hell, thanks for the advice, pretty clear its a no go area when you look into it, we're quite blasé with this sort of thing, we've never checked to see if somewhere is safe to go to tbh so big thanks for the heads up!

so complete change of tack this afternoon has lead us to looking at Abu Dhabi & Dubai which looks like it ticks the heat and entertainment boxes, not much culture but not that bothered.

sound ok as an alternative? any other suggestions?

[kuro]

Pvapour said:

bloody hell, thanks for the advice, pretty clear its a no go area when you look into it, we're quite blasé with this sort of thing, we've never checked to see if somewhere is safe to go to tbh so big thanks for the heads up!

so complete change of tack this afternoon has lead us to looking at Abu Dhabi & Dubai which looks like it ticks the heat and entertainment boxes, not much culture but not that bothered.

sound ok as an alternative? any other suggestions?

Yes, it's a real shame. The sights are awe inspiring and the people are really nice yet these medieval tossers are ruining it for everyone.

[schmalex]

I would avoid like the plague. My employer insists we have Close Protection whenever we have to go to Egypt. There's no way I'd take my family there on holiday now (we've been a few times over the last 15 years, but. It recently). As has been said, the Foreign Office don't post travel advisories for fun

[marcosgt]

"The tourist areas along the Nile river (including Luxor, Qina, Aswan, Abu Simbel and the Valley of the Kings) and the Red Sea resorts of Sharm el Sheikh and Hurghada aren’t included in the areas to which the FCO advise against all but essential travel."

You can go through life expecting and fearing the worst or you can realise you could die crossing the road or being blown up by a nutter on the Tube or gun downed on a romantic night out in Paris or crushed by a different nutter in a bus strolling along on a prom in Nice or in a tourist area in Bangkok.

A friend of mine (female) recently went to Cairo for work - She and her colleagues were accompanied while there, but still went out and saw the Pyramids because she didn't know if the chance would come up again.

We went to Sharm a little while before the Russian plane was blown up and it was lovely, although tourist numbers were down there.

Whilst I've no problem with anyone making the decision not to travel anywhere, avoiding everywhere that there's any risk at all will see you dying in your home.

If you want to do a Nile Cruise, it seems (like Sharm) that the localised risks are fairly low.

Saleen836 said:

Maybe it is just me but I wouldn't be able to relax on holiday knowing there is a reason armed guards are on patrol!

Do you never holiday outside the UK? Most policemen worldwide are armed and one presumes they are for a reason, rather than they just think the guns look cool

Terrorists organisations are always more interested in the perception of danger they represent than in actual acts. Individuals psychotics are different, of course, but the idea of making Egypt (or Paris or Berlin) off limits to Westerners is much more exciting to daesh than killing a few Europeans.

M

Edited by marcosgt on Monday 16th January 11:30