← Back to topic list
In short; Egypt is no less safe for tourists than anywhere else, and a lot safer than most! Just go and enjoy.
Have you ever travelled to a location that your own Government has issued a warning on – have a look at the Australian Government’s Smart Travel website:
http://www.smartraveller.gov.au/zw-cgi/view/Advice/Egypt
Both levels would mean I would have ‘issues’ claiming anything on my travel insurance.
Over the years, I have continued to travel in the ME aware of the my government’s warnings AND the limitations that this can cause in my travel insurance.
However I have also been very much aware of avoiding demonstrations,and areas of crowds - not a big problem since I travel in the ME in northern winter when there are reduced crowds at any of my destinations.
I also ensure that all my valuables are safe (using a money belt) and basically being alert to any changes in the local political arena.
Communicate with your travel insurer and check what barriers there are to you claiming anything while travelling in Egypt IF your government has a travel warning on the country.
A few tourists have been kept by Bedouin tribes in Sinai. All have been released unharmed in 24 hours. It's a kind of way for the Bedouins to attract the attention of the central government in Cairo when they have a request.
Mainland Egypt is perfectly safe and teems with American expatriates having fun every night in Cairo. Believe me, they do not look stressed.
From what I hear from Luxor men who go there to work, it's chock-a-block with tourists! So it cannot be all that difficult.
As for insurance, every underwriter makes its own decisions. You simply have to ask your insurer what's covered and what's not - it's not a case of governments telling insurers what they can and can't cover but of insurers taking advice and making a decision.
Richard
I was also in Egypt Cairo) last year few months after the Egyptian revolution even everything was fine. You have to understand Cairo is big city where nearly 20 Million Egyptian live so if one area of Cairo not safe – other parts are.
Egypt is more safe then many western countries with a low crime rate – my advise go Egypt have great holiday.
Edited By dan30
But just as 'one swallow doesn't make a summer', a few kidnappings in a certain remote area doesn't make a whole country dangerous! America has just had a lunatic kill loads of people who were simply enjoying themselves in a picture house, but that certainly doesn't mean that it's likely to happen in every picture house in the States, does it?
← Back to topic list
Safety issue :)
Hi All. Could advise if it is safe in Egypt for foreign tourists or the situation remains still tense? I'm considering this travel destination together with my friends and we would like to get first-hand information :) Thnx a lot!1
First hand: If the situation in Luxor is anything to go by (which I believe it is in general) then any tourist 'tenseness' would be engendered by putting oneself in harms way! (Joining in a demonstration or similar.) During normal tourist activities, one woulld be very unfortunate indeed to encounter any problems other than the normal hassles amd scams, which surely everyone who decides to travel to Egypt knows about anyway?In short; Egypt is no less safe for tourists than anywhere else, and a lot safer than most! Just go and enjoy.
5
Is this your first time travelling in the Middle East (ME)?Have you ever travelled to a location that your own Government has issued a warning on – have a look at the Australian Government’s Smart Travel website:
http://www.smartraveller.gov.au/zw-cgi/view/Advice/Egypt
Both levels would mean I would have ‘issues’ claiming anything on my travel insurance.
Over the years, I have continued to travel in the ME aware of the my government’s warnings AND the limitations that this can cause in my travel insurance.
However I have also been very much aware of avoiding demonstrations,and areas of crowds - not a big problem since I travel in the ME in northern winter when there are reduced crowds at any of my destinations.
I also ensure that all my valuables are safe (using a money belt) and basically being alert to any changes in the local political arena.
Communicate with your travel insurer and check what barriers there are to you claiming anything while travelling in Egypt IF your government has a travel warning on the country.
7
Your insurance does work in Egypt, no reason to worry. You're not going to Somalia!A few tourists have been kept by Bedouin tribes in Sinai. All have been released unharmed in 24 hours. It's a kind of way for the Bedouins to attract the attention of the central government in Cairo when they have a request.
Mainland Egypt is perfectly safe and teems with American expatriates having fun every night in Cairo. Believe me, they do not look stressed.
9
It is very safe, with the exception of the occasional kidnappings in Sinai - and these are entirely confined to Sinai, as catw points out, and are basically a kind of gambit between disgruntled tribesmen and what is, for them, a distant and hostile government. Sinai is not at all typical of the rest of Egypt.10
"Sharm el-Sheikh is in Sinai though right, wouldn't that be a little rough to get to?"From what I hear from Luxor men who go there to work, it's chock-a-block with tourists! So it cannot be all that difficult.
11
Sharm el-Sheikh gets a stream of direct charter flights from Europe, so has been largely unaffected by events elsewhere in Egypt - it might as well be an island.As for insurance, every underwriter makes its own decisions. You simply have to ask your insurer what's covered and what's not - it's not a case of governments telling insurers what they can and can't cover but of insurers taking advice and making a decision.
Richard
13
My family members just recently came back from Egypt they stayed in Red Sea Resort & few days in Cairo. They informed everything was fine and had no problems at all.I was also in Egypt Cairo) last year few months after the Egyptian revolution even everything was fine. You have to understand Cairo is big city where nearly 20 Million Egyptian live so if one area of Cairo not safe – other parts are.
Egypt is more safe then many western countries with a low crime rate – my advise go Egypt have great holiday.
Edited By dan30
14
I don't think that anyone's laughing about this, although judging from the experiences reported from tourists who have been taken in this manner, it hasn't actually been terrifying or horrific, and they haven't been abused or harmed. So anyone knowing that could take some comfort in that historical evidence.But just as 'one swallow doesn't make a summer', a few kidnappings in a certain remote area doesn't make a whole country dangerous! America has just had a lunatic kill loads of people who were simply enjoying themselves in a picture house, but that certainly doesn't mean that it's likely to happen in every picture house in the States, does it?
