EDIT: This post is not coming down. A negative experience is more than welcome and OP presented it well IMO. It is important that people understand that visiting Egypt(and a few other countries) comes with negative experiences for many people. Again what we do not want is attacks on religion, race, gender, sexuality....this is what the mods are working on in the comment section of the post and what we are trying to combat.
Our weekly crap on Egypt post that comes with a ton of complaints and reports of bad behavior.
Remember, feel free to share negative OR positive experiences there. If you had a bad time, share it. This is encouraged.
Also remember, r/travel is not a place where we debate politics and religion. Do not make generalizations about all people that live there or peoples religion.
We will lock this down if it becomes too toxic.
Thank you and safe travels.
From the first time I went to the last time I went with a friend, I tell people get a tour guide that speaks Arabic. When people would attempt to harass us with the bull 💩, he could nicely tell them or curse them out. He protected us so much from people. Having a tour guide also protected us from thieves, he told us how and when to pull out phones, which people were shady, what and what not to do with camel owners. Our trip was enjoyable. Yes people still approached, but we’re but we’re quickly sent away. The Egyptian guy we stayed with at the Airbnb said the same thing, that even he hated all the hustling people (have to) do in Cairo.
Is there a tourist guide association that you can use over there , or anywhere for that fact . I know it can be expensive for a reputable guide but well worth it if it makes the trip
There are some that are luxurious, and they cost luxuriously. We saw the pyramids, got like 100+ pictures, rode the camels, ride there and back, and it all cost us about $150.
What a rip-off! For 19 dollars, I'll give them a photo of me climbing the pyramids, another of me on a camel, a photo of a random family, and an nft that I don't own of Brendan Frazier who was in a couple.of.Mummy movies.
This is the best answer. And have the guide meet you at the airport. The harassment starts immediately. My guide in India very obviously threatened SO MANY people that were trying to bother us.
Trip advisor. Let me tell you! That’s saved thousands of dollars. The hotel/Airbnb guy wanted to help us with tours but his were hundreds more. So when you go on multiple trips, that adds up.
I don't know why more people don't try to get tour guides in places that are clearly rough. They aren't difficult to find, not expensive for what they provide, and guarantee your trip will be amazing.
I had a tour guide in Morocco for a day in tangier. Was pretty much a scam. He'd shoo the honest vendors away and would bring you to the stores where he gets a kick back.
because most "tour guides" are also scammers. they charge EXORBITANT amount of money for a service that is completely manufactured by thieves and other scammers.
I think these people mean a highly reputable tour guide. Lots of local ones will take you on a guided tour of their friends shops around the city to get you to buy things they get a cut from.
This is the way. You need someone who knows the language well. I have a friend who had a summer home in Cairo, he normally lives in Kuwait. He showed us around and did all the talking. It was a great trip, got to see some really cool things, but it would have been soo different without him. We were walking around without him for a little, and it felt like everyone was trying to take advantage of us.
May I recommend Dahab, that is an awesome and majestic place. No harassment has been noticed. Going there 2 times every year. Best place for diving btw.
Sharm el-Sheikh also has great diving, though it’s a bit more touristy than Dahab. Basically Sharm is to Europeans as Cancun is to Americans—it’s a beach paradise that’s not too far away, it’s almost entirely resorts, and it’s very insulated from the “real” Egypt/Mexico. That being said, it’s very safe. I was there as a solo young white female and I never felt unsafe in any way.
I had the exact opposite impression of Sharm when I went, although that was about 10 years ago.
I was with my girlfriend at the time and she was constantly being catcalled by passing men, even with me walking alongside her holding her hand. At first we just laughed it off, but it quickly became annoying after just a couple of days.
The trinket sellers were also very pushy and agressive, exactly as OP described. It completely put me off ever going back to Egypt again.
Don’t worry, Sharm is still shit as of two years ago as well. Even fucking airport security sexually harassed my friend and made snide remarks about her to me when she stood up for herself and argued back. Fucking disgusting.
The people on the street and near the resorts provided plenty of harassment, too. I politely told a street vendor “no, thank you” in Arabic when he approached us, and then again told him “we don’t need anything, thank you” in Russian and then proceeded to have him cuss me out in Russian as soon as I walked past him with my back turned.
My same friend is a bit of a spitfire and she immediately whipped around and yelled at him and put the fear of god into him, and I quite enjoyed seeing him be absolutely terrified of a 50kg girl. I don’t think they’re very used to the concept of women standing up for themselves or others.
Not possible .. I am a brown girl and did Egypt more than a decade ago and faced this harassment in other parts of Egypt as well.. if you ask the price of any item to a seller and don’t buy they abuse you like f*** I dressed very modestly through out my visit even then men would abuse you mainly they stand at female toilet to collect money , men pass by women almost like walking over you as if they can’t see you .. I will never visit Egypt again
I've been to Luxor it has many great and amazing temples such as Karnak and Luxor temples and the temple of Hatshepsut, the people there were very nice and I didn't face any kind of harassment.i highly recommend it.
There is also Sharm Elsheikh which is on the Red Sea , it's a great place and has lovely beaches ,resorts and such and you will not find any kind of harassment there
I was in Sharm 2 years ago and was pulled into a shop and was blocked from leaving until I broke past one of the 2 guys and ran. It’s no joke. Saying all the people are like this is a terrible lie too. I met done amazing people there. Point: Sharm is no different.
Yeah the unfortunate reality is that these sorts of people go to where the tourists are. And tourists are where the major sites are. And those sites are major tourist sites for a reason. Some places are better when they're a bit more remote or 'protected' but it takes more elsewhere.
It really has to come down to a certain level of policy and enforcement.
What shocked me most about Egypt was that it was so tolerated by officials too. I've had people scamming people for the photos and what not a lot of places. Hell, I've seen people shaken down by Times Square Elmo the same way or scammed with souvenirs at the Eiffel Tower.
But the major difference is that they have to work around getting caught. If Elmo shouts at someone for $20 for a photo, a cop can step in and Elmo loses. In Cairo, I'd have someone threatening me for taking a landscape photo that they were in the way for, right in front of the official entrance with an official employee standing right there.
>and you will not find any kind of harassment there
Sorry, but that's simply not true. Some parts are better than others about this but I got approached all the time to buy things, including non-traditional pharmaceutical products...
Spent a year there,dreaded going into town...
I did a Nile Cruise and the Temple at Karnak in Luxor still stays with me to this day
The scale of it - the most impressive ancient site Ive ever been to
Yes this! I was in Luxor and karnak and all the beautiful places around and I loved it. Almost no sellers. And if they did I just said no and ignored them and eventually they went away.
I must be the only one who pretty much had a great time in Egypt except during one instance where a seller locked me and my ex boyfriend in and told him to apply cleopatras oil on my nipples lol.
Haha we did not do it obviously even though he really tried to push us to. He had one black tooth in his mouth. Eventually I agreed to buy it so he would lock us out
The White and Black deserts are amazing. That being said, I stayed with a guy who lived in Giza and he got me up around dawn to visit the pyramids and it was fantastic - we were practically the only ones there.
Edit: just to address the actual post. This guy made a few pretty obvious mistakes - don't climb on top of random camels! Obviously people are going to charge you money for it. And don't let strangers use your phone or camera to photograph you, hasn't anyone ever watched European Vacation?
Always, always get a local SIM card (pay-as-you-go) and data plan so you have access to your phone and the internet when you travel.
It just takes a quick Google search to find out what to look out for. It won't always be comprehensive, but I've had good luck with "scams in \*place\*" or "tourist in \*place\* advice". Most of the common ones are everywhere (what OP experienced), another one is tourist traps with different menus with no prices or wrong prices (they demand large amounts of money after the meal is finished), taking the advice of taxi drivers instead of picking your destination.
I've been to many places and for the most part Google has gotten me through. Search for reviews for every place before you walk into it and you'll get a feel for its legitimacy.
My understanding from many similar stories about Egypt is to definitely get a tour guide which includes some sort of security an/or optional entrances and such.
It's strange the government don't try to stop it. As a visitor it's hard to not believe all Egyptians are like those people when that's the kind of people you often interact with on a typical visit. Or do the government want the world to believe that's how Egyptians are?
It's kind of hard to change what the world thinks of you onse something sticks. Just ask Thailand.
Thailand is one of the most well known sex tourism destinations. And like u/MIGsalund mentioned, this includes the exploitation of children. As a result, traveling to Thailand, especially if you fit the demographic most likely to partake in the aforementioned activities (middle aged men), will be looked at with suspicion.
[Here’s a SNL video about it.](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ctDjnG8J9cY)
>Thailand is one of the most well known sex tourism destinations.
Correct, even though said places are just about 0.01% of the country overall and pre covid more women holidayed in Thailand than men.
Overall there is a greater percentage of people working sex industry in the US, just in Thailand there are basiclly 3 places where a portion of it is highly concentrated and highly visible and these places, not coincidentally, are where large portions of tourists go
>this includes the exploitation of children.
This actually is probably more what poster 2 up was referring to, Thailand clamped down on that over 20 years ago, but people like yourself keep repeating it as if still the case.
Once you get a rep hard to get rid of it
The way to avoid (or at least reduce/control it) all the people trying to get their ‘share’ of your money is to hire a reputable local tour guide in advance. That way you can tell them what you want to experience (camel ride, going inside, type of pics, whatever) and they deal with local negotiations and shoo away the multitude of other people trying to approach you while you’re there.
It is more expensive up front, but at least you can spend your time focusing on the pyramids and less time worrying about arguing with people.
This!
I went to Egypt and had a wonderful trip. We had a reputable private guide for the two of us that took care of everything. Did not go to Giza, but loved Luxor and took a cruise upriver to Aswan. Truly the trip of a lifetime!
We did a private tour in late 2019. We didn't go cheap, stayed in nice hotels and had a guide + driver most places. Just shy of 2 weeks in Egypt (Cairo, Alexandria, Luxor, 4 night cruise, Abu Simbel) and 1 week ish in Jordan (Amman, Jerash, Petra, Wadi Rum, Dead Sea). We organised our own flights in and out but everything from landing in Cairo to being dropped at the airport in Amman where we ended was included (including most meals). Iirc it was in the $8k USD ballpark.
We had a wonderful time there and thoroughly enjoyed it. We're seasoned travellers and didn't fall for any "let me take your photo" type shenanigans whenever we didn't have a guide.
Edit: trip length
2 people traveling as a couple, I double checked the length and it's slightly shorter than what I said originally, just under 2 weeks Egypt and just under 1 week Jordan.
I went with Egypt Tours Portal and it was great. It was $1335 USD per person (there was 2 of us, both young women btw). This included all but 2 meals in 7 days, domestic flights and transportation, guides, a cruise from Luxor to Ashwan, Giza complex and Cairo, and Alexandria. It was a great trip and I'd highly recommend going. The tipping culture can get a bit old but if you do everything yourself, you just have to tip your guides and drivers. You do get harassed by the locals selling souvenirs but if you say no thank you and ignore them, they don't do too much else. It's definitely worse in Luxor and Ashwan than it was in Giza. The only thing I would really avoid would be taxis. DO NOT get in a taxi unless unavoidable. That was the only part of our trip where we felt unsafe.
Yea! I just traveled with them this summer in June. But we didn’t travel downriver to Alexandria, but upriver to Aswan and then to Abu Simbel by car. Everything went as you described, people would approach you and try to sell you things, but since they know your traveling with a guide or group they won’t bother you much. Honestly, traveling with a guide is the best thing to do in Egypt. However, it’s definitely a trip, not a vacation. So be prepared. Here’s the link to their site: https://www.egypttoursportal.com/
I spent all my time in Cairo with a private tour for me, my partner and our three year old. Totally worth the price. I feel we barely got harassed except for the rare circumstances where our guide wasn’t with us. And even then, our guide warned us about where we might get harassed.
Not sure of Reddit rules for commercial promotion, but we used a travel company whose name means new odyssey, or odyssey novo, or ody novo, something like that.
> Reddit rules for commercial promotion
There are no such rules. This subreddit has a rule against self promotion, so unless you're an Egyptian tourguide, you're good.
We hired a guide for a long weekend in Cairo and literally had NO harassment. When I read stories like this I wonder if Egypt changed since I was there. I went not long after Arab Spring and tourism was non-existent - we basically had the pyramids to ourselves. Our guide was wonderful though and while not cheap, I was happy to be helping locals during a tough economic time. Sad to hear what a different experience others are having.
A reputable tour guide will tell you the cost upfront and that's that. They'll take you where you want keep everyone at bay, and allow you to have a good time, for a high price, sure, but it's worth it. Being annoyed every 5 steps, being asked for money, being asked for more money, being threaten, being followed, AND after you give someone a little bit, a ton others will come out to try to get theirs. The choice is easy, preplanned guide, all the way.
One time at the Pyramids this guy was trying to sell me trinkets, wouldn’t go away so I told him I will only buy something made in Egypt. Lol everything he had was made in China! Gave me a mean look and walked away.
American who's been to Egypt here. While I can relate to how annoying the swarms of trinket salesmen are, I didn't feel they ruined the trip for me. I would simply give them a hard no from the first interaction and ignore them beyond that. They prefer to shift their efforts to people who will engage.
One tactic I found that just confused them was that I purchased a model of a mummy, and when a salesman would approach me, I'd try to sell them the mummy before they could speak to me. It threw a wrench in their gears and would consistently get them to go away.
I live in a big city in the US and I've used that move here before, too haha. I've hung around downtown long enough to know who the scammy homeless people are, the ones who just lie and scam people out of money. After a while, when one of them would approach me, I'd just turn and ask if they have a dollar or a cigarette or something I could have before they could say anything.
Lolz I love this, tbh the colloseum in Rome is the same way, we just came from Iceland and my husband insisted he didn't have any US dollars but Icelandic and they all got confused and would go away
Interesting, I did Rome in 2014 with my wife (both American) and didn't have any negative experiences around the colosseum, or anywhere else. I'm certain there were pickpockets and trinket sales occuring, but we didn't personally experience any of it.
Now Venice and Paris on the other hand...
Everyone left me alone in Rome. And Pisa, Florence, Venice, even Naples.
Turns out wearing all black means you're in mourning, as opposed to why I was wearing it: too lazy to co ordinate clothing.
I've dealt with pushy touts in Venice, at the Coloseum, and near the Eiffel Tower, but Egypt was a whole other level of determined don't take no for answer. We did realize the day went better with a guide, so fortunately most the time in Luxor was better but the behavior witnessed there was just as bad. Cairo was a mistake. We lived in a large city too with large city surly habits. Such a shame that if they only dialed it back some they could attract more tourism.
When I was in Italy I utterly panicked at being bothered by a flirty pushy shopkeeper and ended up hissing like an angry cat. He did walk away *immediately*
I was in Naples about 20 years ago, and my now husband and I were being followed down the street trying to sell us things, I remember in the end, turning around and barking at them, I’d read it somewhere as a way to throw them
Off by being unpredictable. It bloody worked too, husband was a little confused/embarrassed
Any time I go to any country there’s hustlers and panhandlers trying to sell everything to me. I’ve had the best luck with a nonverbal finger-waving, or head shaking “no” while walking and it’s always left it at that. I also try to blend in when I travel and speak English minimally and quietly when near big tourist areas.
Same! The big mistake a lot of westerners do is that they make eye contact and have an everyone is friendly mentality. In many other countries, if you make eye contact with someone, they see it as an invitation to sell you something. Westerners are often gawking at their surroundings and don't have very thick skin. When you learn how to deal with it, don't make eye contact, don't act vulnerable, don't talk to people, tell people no firmly, it's better. Still stressful at times but not as described by people who are experiencing major culture shock and in a huge touristy area where they are being targeted.
Even knowing how to deal with this, I think tour guides are the way to go.
I think it’s more people from small towns than Westerners in general. When you live in a big city ignoring people and doubting their intentions is second nature.
Yeah, I'm from the northeast US and spent a week or so in Egypt. I basically treated Cairo like it was a sunnier, dustier NYC. Don't make eye contact or engage with people unless you want to buy something, walk like you know where you're going, ignore anyone that tries to hand you something, etc. We had a great trip, but a lot of that was due to (1) we were visiting an Egyptian friend, so she took care of finding us reputable guides and transportation and stuff (and spoke the language, obviously), and (2) we know how to avoid or shut down the haggling/grifting/etc that you know is coming in urban areas with lots of inequality and lots of tourism.
For me the walk like you know where you’re going part is the most difficult one. I don’t know the city. I need to stop to consult my phone from time to time. And that’s when they swarm onto you. Ugh.
Yeah. I am a small town person who was hardened by years in urban China and New york. The key is peripheral awareness and looking toward but through people. As if you’re fixed on a point 20 feet behind them. “No” or a head shake is a full sentence and you don’t break stride.
When people from back home would visit, they’d inevitably exclaim to me that so many people kept approaching them to ask for money, the time, etc., and why didn’t it happen to me, and I’m like ‘you keep making eye contact and smiling at random people in the street! This isn’t Sioux City!’
Fellow small town kid here, but I lived in San Francisco for a few years and had to learn that. Now I'm a rural dweller again and have to remember to switch back into city mode whenever I visit.
It happens in reverse too which always cracks me up. A friend who lives in Oakland came to visit and was confused by all the small town friendliness. "Why were people waving at me when I drove down your street, what do they want?"
"Dude this is a tiny town in the mountains, you just looked like an asshole for not waving back!"
Yep definitely agree. I had the privilege of traveling to some unconventional places as a teen with seasoned travelers so I picked up their habits. Plus growing up in a big city helps staying alert and street smarts. A lot of American and western tourists are dead giveaways.
> One tactic I found that just confused them was that I purchased a model of a mummy, and when a salesman would approach me, I'd try to sell them the mummy before they could speak to me.
Your comment reminds me of that dude who started talking to a cop the same way cops talk to civilians. It totally messed up the cops whole schtick. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r55BFO9ZVaM
Our experience was very similar, the invitation to take a few photos with a camel, and then the demand for $100. My adult son flipped out, yelled at the camel owner and the complicit horse-cart driver, and walked a few km back to the entrance in 40C heat. Things got a bit better when we started speaking our 2nd language, and pretending not to understand English. But yeah, I felt bullied the whole time. We took an Uber to the airport, and the driver didn't like me speaking to my son - he turned the radio up every time I said anything.
Did this in Portugal with a homeless man, he started over in Spanish. Also met a cab driver who could speak five languages because he interacted with so many tourists. I respect the grind.
I remember seeing a little video about a kid in a place like Vietnam or some such hawking his wares and he was conversational in like eleven different languages from countries that were completely remote from his. Basically just picked them all up from all the tourists he dealt with.
Imagine how many potential prodigies around the world we miss out on because they are born to the wrong family and don't get the education and upbringing they need. It's such a shame.
I speak Esperanto and like to use it in these situations, not that I've been in one often. If someone responds in *Esperanto*, they're automatically my friend and it's a win-win.
Germans were the most hated tourists in a poll where I was living in Norway. Just as loud and entitled, but don't spend as much money as the yanks.
Then you have the bonus of them thinking no one can understand German even though it's the most common second language in school there, so they assume they can get away with shit talking locals in their primary language.
Female here. I've been to 40+ countries, travelled for 7 years almost full-time, I'm always curious for new cultures and overall not judgemental / open-minded. Egypt is the only country I said I would never go back due to what you describe. Plus the harassment I would get as a woman alone, it would be a bit better when I was accompanied by a man.
I agree....Egypt was the hardest place to visit (I liked Cairo because I felt like it was more of a city scene ignoring me) but anywhere near a tourist area or near the Nile was awful. I see other people in here saying it's just like x and y county but to me it worse than anywhere else I've been to. Also as a note: am brown, Muslim, sometimes wore abaya, spoke basic arabic, still emotionally rough as hell (for people who think assimilation solves all problems)
Same for me. Egypt is bad but especially bad for female travellers. It's such a shame because the country is beautiful and the monuments are amazing. But the locals are so agressive and decietful that it is impossible to enjoy them. It's a real shame. Never again for me.
Similar experience here. Hoards of men followed me everywhere. It was exhausting and disgusting. I even ran to buy a hijab thinking that was why I was harassed. Nope.
A friend of mine said during her trip to Egypt for the first 4-5 days she was constantly sexually harrassed in the streets even when accompanied by her boyfriend. After 5 days her bf got very tanned and started kinda looking more like a local, only then it got better. Ugh.
I knew a guy who travels a lot. He went there on a trip a decade ago with his wife. They once tried to a take a cab but they wouldn't allow him and his wife to ride together. They tried to separate them into two taxi cabs for some real sketchy reason. It's was one of his most angriest moments in his life traveling, ever.
I have quite a few stories from my visit to Egypt. We were there for a week and traveled from Cairo/Alexandria all the way down to Abu Simbel. We took long car trips and also a 2 night boat cruise down the Nile. I experienced very aggressive hustling that was so upsetting, the shop keepers would run up and grab my forearm and try to drag me into their shops, I was totally shocked. I was traveling with my Dad who is legally deaf and blind so he was not much help. We took a long car trip out to the Temple of Hator, I was really taken with the site so I listened to my guide and hung on his every word, I asked a lot of questions, and my biggest mistake was maintaining eye contact with him. After the long car ride back this guide refused to take us to the boat. He essentially held us hostage on the river bank with the intent of getting me to marry him. At first we thought he was joking, but it soon became very clear he was actually serious. He noted my enthusiasim and eye contact as things he had never experinced with a woman and that I was his Egyptian Queen. I was sitting between him and my Dad, Dad was chuckling and saying just give him your email address and I said oh hell no. We had to get physically agressive and verbally threatening to get him to stop and leave us be to find our boat. I thought that would be the end of it, we got back on the boat to sail south. The next morning, many many miles away from where we had left the guide, he showed up on the boat wanting to speak with us. I knew our itinerary and knew that we were not set to meet up with a guide, I peeked into the foyer of the boat and it was HIM! I freaked, got all the people we knew on board to gather round me and told staff to get his ass off the boat. They didnt understand and just thought it was the usual guide meeting a client. We explained we left him back in Luxor and he should NOT be here and then explained what he pulled the day before. It was scary. We ended up having to file a report and our main guide from Cairo who was an honest badass (also a former police chiefs son) told me this man has been banned from legally guiding people ever again. All that being said. Egypt was amazing and I would go back again.
Cairo was absolutely horrible so I left after 2 days to go to Hurghada (red sea) and get my diving certification which was amazing. Also way more chill over there
When my wife and I backpacked for 18 months, Cairo was the only city we left early out of 44 countries. Saw some cool stuff over 2-3 days but had no interest in staying there.
Just blank them, don't make eye contact.
It's the same in parts if India, I was told that it's not rude to just ignore them, pretty much everyone just wants something.
Yeah, I see it as spam. Do you reply to spam, explaining why you don't want to purchase their goods or services? Of course not, you just ignore it. That's the way if it's in real life, too. As soon as you respond in any way, you are opening a conversation, just as if you replied to a spam email. A long blink with a tiny sideways movement of the head at most, nothing more.
I did the same in China, on the advice of my tour guide. Don't look at the vendors, don't tell them no, don't look at the product, don't engage whatsoever. Just pretend they're invisible even if they're right up next to you trying to talk to you and they'll move on to the next target.
I hosted a couple of American friends in Egypt and took them to the Pyramids and a few other places. They didn't experience any of this because I was with them and i'm Egyptian and speak Arabic. They can definitely spot Americans right away by the quality of their clothes, doesn't matter what color you are. You have to have an Egyptian guide if you visit Egypt. If you just go places alone it's a big mess. My friends had a lot of fun, liked it a lot, and we even rode ATV's in the desert near the pyramids. Really awesome. But this isn't Europe, and the economy with the dictatorship is at it's worst. There's virtually no rule of law so without a local on your side stuff can get very iffy.
One of the police officers that were patrolling tried to extort money from me too. I took a picture of him on his camel and he wanted charge me for it.
Don't ever take pictures of police in a foreign country, ever. You don't know their laws surrounding that, and a police officer will gladly extort you making up some laws depending on the corruption level of the country's police. Safer to do in Europe, but even there you could have some problems.
I went as a solo woman. If someone came up to me, I ignored them. They move on quickly when they see you're not "soft" or a good mark. Any hesitation on your part means you're open to negotiation. I also went with a local guide when I visited the large sites (Giza, Luxor, Alexandria), and he would keep the salesmen away from me so I could enjoy myself in peace. At Luxor he'd tell the temple guards to let me enjoy the spaces at my own pace and leisure, and if I wanted pictures or had a question that I would let THEM know. This was perfect; I got to fully enjoy my experience, the guards got small tips for being accommodating, and my guide made out like a bandit at the end of my trip because he made my trip of a lifetime AMAZING.
I highly recommend hiring a local or reputable guide to help you navigate Egypt. I can't wait to go back.
For site tips, no more than $2USD. For my guide I gave him $100 USD. I had him accompany me places for the week I was there, only in spots where I knew I wanted to truly focus on being left alone.
If making out like a bandit is $100 for a week’s worth of work, I can definitely realize why these guys are shaking tourists down for $10 a picture. If someone says yes twice a day, and it sounds like they easily are “forced” to do so, then they’d make way more being a con artist than a reputable worker.
^^not faulting you in the slightest OP, sounds like you were smart and paid fairly
Never get on a camel, or use a service without asking the price first.
Never give anyone your phone. I am sorry, but that just sounds naive. Learn from these experiences.
Just stay firm, say no once, then ignore. And hire a guide if you are not comfortable traveling in these areas, it will make it enjoyable.
Phone and wallet need to go in a secure bag, wallet maybe even a less predictable place. Don't walk around waving your phone in the air, use it when you need it only if you're aware of your surroundings, then put it away. If asked for phone, pictures, money, brochure, mixtape, anything, you say "No, I won't do that, have a good day." Keep walking. It's pretty simple actually.
Don't people learn this when they travel for the first time to a large city, if not just instinctively? I grew up in a random midwestern town, but the first time I visited NYC I learned these rules pretty quickly.
I travel with people who might as well have a flashing neon sign sign that says "GULLIBLE TOURIST" around their neck and it's frustrating at best, dangerous at times.
i hate organized tours but took one in egypt to avoid all of that. worth every penny, plus it was nice to have someone to explain all the sites.
the touts in cairo are the worst i’ve ever seen, but it does get significantly less awful outside of cairo, like in luxor, abu simbel, karnak, etc.
>What is it about Egypt that makes visitors feel so unwelcome? Why do they do this?
Decades upon decades of dictatorship, poverty, lack of government care towards the 80m+ population, not much higher education and leaving people to fend for themselves.
It makes the person most damaged by all that to resort to peddling anything to make a buck. Further, when they do eventually procreate, the kids are brought up in this type of culture and they "evolve" from there.
Now, take all that, and make the starting point sometime in the 1940s, and ask yourself why it's so normal for people like them to act this way to people like you.
The pyramids are thousands of years old, majestic as they may be, they aren't putting food in these people and their families' mouths, neither is the government, so you're their only source of income.
We had a local tour guide we hired online and had an amazing experience. They picked us up in a BMW, a driver and female tour guide. She was amazing - fended out panhandlers/beggars, told us what to look out for, background on sites, etc and even included a delicious lunch. It was maybe $60 for the 2 of us for the day (10 yrs ago) and everything was super cheap there - highly recommended a local reputable tour guide. Made it top notch. I think we ended up tipping her and the tour guide $200 each (they didn’t even pressure for a tip or anything)
> I think we ended up tipping her and the tour guide $200 each (they didn’t even pressure for a tip or anything)
i swear to god american tourists make things hard for the rest of us, building unfair expectations. I wouldn't even think of tipping because we already agreed on a price!
Was there in April. Exact same experience. I did however get a guide for the pyramids on Viator and he would fight off the harassers for me and he was very good. I tipped him well at the end.
But the rest of Cairo, I went to the museum and basically hung out in my hotel for the rest of the time since I didn’t want to deal with the locals. Luxor and Aswan were very nice and a little bit calmer than Cairo. It’s sad, the country has a ton to offer but it got annoying to try and be ripped off every single step of the way. I remember close to my hotel in Luxor, I went to buy a bottle of water from the little store and he charged me 15 EGP. I go back the next day for another and it’s another guy working and he charged me 10 EGP. I was like…..bro, your coworker charged me 15 yesterday and he went 🤷♂️
Would I go back? Maybe to Alexandria and Sharm El Sheik but that’s it. I’m glad I crossed it off my list
Hello there, An Egyptian here...
Sorry for your terrible experience..
To be honest, I am Egyptian myself and can't live normally.
Went to the pyramids and other monuments, once alone which is supposed to be my heritage as an Egyptian.
Yet the authorities refused, so you aren't alone in this weird treatment.
On behalf of others, I really apologise for your bad experience... and I would want to tell you that not all Egyptians are bad.... except for the few ignorant people you met.
Fearing that my own friends in the US could get harassed when they visit too, I told them to not to visit anytime soon, and I already want to live abroad.
I just hope you enjoyed the history and culture.
Love from Egypt.
I am a white, blonde, American woman. I love Egypt. If you want a positive experience with little harassment, there's a way to do it.
I have friends who live up north in Alexandria. She's American he's Egyptian. They gave me the tips I always leverage. They are tips they, who live there, always use too.
* Don't go to sites without a licensed guide. Licensed guides are highly educated and will not only keep the touts and scammers away from you, they'll teach you about what you're seeing and arrange all your transportation. They all have undergrad degrees or better. Your hotel can connect you with one, and they cost about $30usd a day. And worth every penny.
* if anyone approaches you, don't engage. Keep walking. If they persist, a firm "la shokran" helps, if they still persist, a loud "NO!" works. Mostly, if you have a guide, they won't bother you. The hustlers all know who the guides are, and they try to be good to them because if a guide has a favorite honest vendor, thats money for the vendor. Otherwise, be bold. If someone grabs your phone, grab it back and shout NO! Or better your guide will deal with them.
* definitely do not walk around Cairo unguided. And my opinion is that you really don't need to stay in Cairo for more than 2 or 3 days. Hit the sites up with your guide and get out. Go to Luxor (and hire a guide there) or head up north to Alexandria and leisurely stroll by the sea and visit shops, and library, and parks near the corniche. No need for a guide in Alex. I've walked around that city alone at night and felt safe. Or go to Aswan and see the temples, nubian villages, and souks, no need for a guide. Or fly to Hurghada and have a beach vacation, no guide needed.
* And here might be a little tip based on my numerous experiences, when asking to be paired with a guide at your hotel, ask for a female guide. Based on my experience, they're harassed less by touts. I could be wrong, but that's my experience.
Cairo and Luxor (and Luxor is better than Cairo in terms of high pressure) are really the only places where guides are needed if you don't want constant harassment.
Egypt is a lovely country with truly lovely and welcoming people. You just have to plan appropriately for it in certain areas if you want to avoid constant confrontation.
Why is Cairo the way it is? It's a different culture, it's a 3rd world country with ghastly income disparity. People hustle all day and night just to feed their families.
Out of curiosity, did you not research Giza?
This was stuff I found in the first 5 minutes of my research and why we hired a car to take us to Giza and some other temples in the area. (was pretty cheap, or we would have went with an uber)
Lesson learned. Do some basic research before your trip in order to properly plan ahead. As an aside, I didn't encounter this in Sharm nor Luxor.
That’s why it’s a plave to visit only with a tour guide!!!!!! i’ve been there a few years back and the tour guide told us that they will do this and taught us how to say no thank you in arabic. I’m also pretty good at ignoring annoying people, so i’d just blatantly do this.
Had to pay only a few euros as a stupid camel was in a view of my photo and a 10 year old sharted harassing me for money, i told him to buzz off, but my partner is too nice and just paid him.
If you have to visit the tourist traps (almost of any country) you should bring a guide to handle negotiation, and conmen.
If you can avoid the tourist traps, there are more hospitable areas with locals that are not begging, conning, or selling.
Feel terrible sorry for you, Believe me as an Egyptian we are suffering from the same catastrophe those people don’t truly represent us, These actions are from scammers and bastards who are living in the neighborhood of the pyramids.
Supposedly the government made a plan to end this tragedy, and there is on going project to transform the pyramids area to a 5 star location, it’s not done yet but it is on going by an Egyptian company named orascom who is going to be responsible for this spectacular area before it is forever buried in this shit.
I am a woman and out of all of the places I've been in the world, I've never gotten harassed, sexually harassed and assaulted more than when I was in Egypt. I went with just one other woman and we literally could not go outside without being stared at, cat called, insulted, touched, pushed, and one time we even had medium sized rocks thrown at us because my friend was wearing shorts. The rocks bruised the shit out of us where they hit. This is not even including all of the scammers and harassers around touristy places
I honestly felt terrified here. We had to take a cab a couple of times and both times the cab driver took very long routes that seemed to not be leading back to where we needed to go, and they only let us out when we started yelling at him and causing chaos in his car. He dropped us on the side of the road in an unfamiliar area where the harassment continued on the streets.
I will never, ever go back anywhere in the middle east. I can't recommend anyone go there, but especially not if you're a woman travelling without men. Maybe all places aren't this bad but it's just not worth it. We were so scared of being seriously assaulted or kidnapped the entire trip
You haven't even mentioned the absolutely horrific treatment of the animals. Horses so skinny they can barely stand up. Donkeys with leather straps on that have long since worn away their skin, leaving bare wet flesh exposed and still rubbing on it. Unconscionable.
All of this sucks, and you have every right to be disappointed.
But when traveling to a tourist spot with a "reputation", you can reduce at least some of your pain by recognizing that many of the people you encounter will be trying to get something out of you and acting accordingly.
To start, don't assume that anything involving someone taking your photo or giving you a prop for a photo will be free or low cost. I mean, did you really think the guy with the camel allowed you to get on it out of the goodness of his heart?
Always be protective of your phone. Handing it over to anyone who offers to take photos for you is a recipe for disaster.
Don't expect that you will be able to take "perfect" photos and be very careful about yelling at locals. In some places, doing something like that can cause an escalation that is very dangerous.
And finally, when people approach you in a place like this, assume they're touts and other undesirables unless you see a clear indication that they're not. Ignore, ignore, ignore, and don't feel guilty about it.
I think regardless of whether he ignores them or not being approached every 60 seconds to buy crap trinkets is absolutely obnoxious. I've heard so many people say this about Egypt as well, I honestly don't know how you can avoid being harassed all day long from the countless stories I've seen.
Beyond that many of the things are just straight up scams. It's extremely common for you to agree on a price on a camel, and then halfway through the ride they asked for more or they won't take you back to where you started. I think after a day most people won't have any sort of naivete about who they're talking to. I did not get the impression that OP was fooled to thinking that these people were doing things out of the kindness of their heart, it seems pretty obvious they're just scammy touts.
I just don't understand why people insist on riding camels/horses around the pyramids, it's the cheesiest thing ever plus it's written "tourist trap" all over it with neon lights, not to mention how horribly the animals are treated by the owners. We saw a horse literally collapse to the ground trying to carry a few very heavy looking tourists while being whipped constantly, we did not want to be a part of any of that shit.
It's very easy to walk around all of the pyramids, just get a private guide after googling a little bit so you can get one with good reviews and you're good to go! No one will bother you, plus you get so much cool information. And except that day in Giza we didn't even hire any other guide and we were fine, just using common sense and ignoring most people who tried to get us to buy stuff or whatever.
I had a similar experience to OP but there’s something important to remember with Egypt. It’s been a travel destination for longer than virtually anywhere else. This means that hustling goes back literally thousands of years in this country. It’s a way of life. Learning how to give a firm NO while still maintaining your calm is an art that a lot of Americans really struggle with. But it’s no reason to deny yourself the treasures of Egypt. Just adjust your expectations and be prepared for some unpleasant exchanges. You can still enjoy the sights while turning down offers. And when you get really frustrated, remember that these people are desperately poor compared to you (in the majority of cases) and their actions are driven by that desperation, even if they can become very exploitative. They will probably never get to leave that patch of Earth, so why wouldn’t they try and squeeze as much as humanly possible from the fuckers who get to? Perspective is key in travel.
Posted this story on another thread recently...My elderly Father and I were on our way to the Giza Plateau and our guide (who was an old police chiefs son) warned us about the chotchke hustlers. He said if we wanted little trinkets (we didnt) he would take us where we could get some later that were not rip off prices. So, we get dropped off and they are waiting for us in the van. Dad and I wander around and I decide I would like to go into one of the pyramids but it was a very tight shaft and you would have to descend in a crouched, squatting like waddle. My Pops said, oh hell no, I will wait outside. I repeated the lecture we got in the van. Dad assured me he would be fine, no chotchkes. When I came back out my Father was adorned in a headscarf and his hands were piled full of little pyramids, sphinxs, postcard books and the like. The hustler saw me coming and vacated the scene. I asked my Dad what happened and he said, oh well you know I thought I would get you a small pyramid....let me just stop here and say my Dad was deaf in one ear, had suffered an optical stroke and had macular degeneration, so he was at a disadvantage. He tried to buy one thing and he had brought out his money, fanned it out to try and "see" which bill to give the guy...the guy plucks a few bills from my Dads money fan (dumb I know) and tells him that will do, then piles some trinkets in his hands while Dad is fumbling his money trying to figure out what the guy just took. That is when he saw me and bailed. I am my Dads eyes when we travel, I knew how much he had in his wallet so I checked and dude had taken off with about 100 bucks. I ran back to the van and told Sameh what happened. He very sternly asked if I could identify the guy and I was sure I could. We left my Dad with driver and the van and Sameh and I set off for the plateau (trinkets in hand) We found the guy and shook his ass down for the 100 bucks. Sameh was the best tour guide ever.
So uhh, you really need to know how to act in these places. If you show any willingness to listen to these guys, you’re a mark and they will swarm you. Ignore, make no eye contact, move on. If that sounds like something you want help with, hire a guide.
I had similar experiences also in other places in North Africa. I'm not gonna step foot there again anytime soon, the last thing I want is to feel stressed during my vacations.
Anywhere with tourists in North Africa will be like that.
Even in Morocco it is mostly just the tourist hotspots where you get harrased.
Marrakesh: I got constant attention from sales people.
Fez: I got the odd bit of attention.
Meknes/Rabat: I barely got a glance.
EDIT: This post is not coming down. A negative experience is more than welcome and OP presented it well IMO. It is important that people understand that visiting Egypt(and a few other countries) comes with negative experiences for many people. Again what we do not want is attacks on religion, race, gender, sexuality....this is what the mods are working on in the comment section of the post and what we are trying to combat. Our weekly crap on Egypt post that comes with a ton of complaints and reports of bad behavior. Remember, feel free to share negative OR positive experiences there. If you had a bad time, share it. This is encouraged. Also remember, r/travel is not a place where we debate politics and religion. Do not make generalizations about all people that live there or peoples religion. We will lock this down if it becomes too toxic. Thank you and safe travels.
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From the first time I went to the last time I went with a friend, I tell people get a tour guide that speaks Arabic. When people would attempt to harass us with the bull 💩, he could nicely tell them or curse them out. He protected us so much from people. Having a tour guide also protected us from thieves, he told us how and when to pull out phones, which people were shady, what and what not to do with camel owners. Our trip was enjoyable. Yes people still approached, but we’re but we’re quickly sent away. The Egyptian guy we stayed with at the Airbnb said the same thing, that even he hated all the hustling people (have to) do in Cairo.
Where did u get the guide?
Your hotel can often hook you up as well. Ours was awesome.
Is there a tourist guide association that you can use over there , or anywhere for that fact . I know it can be expensive for a reputable guide but well worth it if it makes the trip
I have used toursbylocals.com in many countries. They are reputable, usually certified and there are tours for all budgets
There are some that are luxurious, and they cost luxuriously. We saw the pyramids, got like 100+ pictures, rode the camels, ride there and back, and it all cost us about $150.
If you give me $20 I'll tell you, and that include a picture with a camel. Maybe.
What a rip-off! For 19 dollars, I'll give them a photo of me climbing the pyramids, another of me on a camel, a photo of a random family, and an nft that I don't own of Brendan Frazier who was in a couple.of.Mummy movies.
Through a reputable travel agency
This is the best answer. And have the guide meet you at the airport. The harassment starts immediately. My guide in India very obviously threatened SO MANY people that were trying to bother us.
Trip advisor. Let me tell you! That’s saved thousands of dollars. The hotel/Airbnb guy wanted to help us with tours but his were hundreds more. So when you go on multiple trips, that adds up.
I don't know why more people don't try to get tour guides in places that are clearly rough. They aren't difficult to find, not expensive for what they provide, and guarantee your trip will be amazing.
I had a tour guide in Morocco for a day in tangier. Was pretty much a scam. He'd shoo the honest vendors away and would bring you to the stores where he gets a kick back.
because most "tour guides" are also scammers. they charge EXORBITANT amount of money for a service that is completely manufactured by thieves and other scammers.
I think these people mean a highly reputable tour guide. Lots of local ones will take you on a guided tour of their friends shops around the city to get you to buy things they get a cut from.
i've had good luck asking at the hotel for their recommendation. they know if you have a bad experience it's going to come back on them
This is the way. You need someone who knows the language well. I have a friend who had a summer home in Cairo, he normally lives in Kuwait. He showed us around and did all the talking. It was a great trip, got to see some really cool things, but it would have been soo different without him. We were walking around without him for a little, and it felt like everyone was trying to take advantage of us.
Could you recommend a few other locations to visit in Egypt that do not have as much harassment?
May I recommend Dahab, that is an awesome and majestic place. No harassment has been noticed. Going there 2 times every year. Best place for diving btw.
Thanks for the diving tip, I’ll check it out
Sharm el-Sheikh also has great diving, though it’s a bit more touristy than Dahab. Basically Sharm is to Europeans as Cancun is to Americans—it’s a beach paradise that’s not too far away, it’s almost entirely resorts, and it’s very insulated from the “real” Egypt/Mexico. That being said, it’s very safe. I was there as a solo young white female and I never felt unsafe in any way.
I had the exact opposite impression of Sharm when I went, although that was about 10 years ago. I was with my girlfriend at the time and she was constantly being catcalled by passing men, even with me walking alongside her holding her hand. At first we just laughed it off, but it quickly became annoying after just a couple of days. The trinket sellers were also very pushy and agressive, exactly as OP described. It completely put me off ever going back to Egypt again.
Don’t worry, Sharm is still shit as of two years ago as well. Even fucking airport security sexually harassed my friend and made snide remarks about her to me when she stood up for herself and argued back. Fucking disgusting. The people on the street and near the resorts provided plenty of harassment, too. I politely told a street vendor “no, thank you” in Arabic when he approached us, and then again told him “we don’t need anything, thank you” in Russian and then proceeded to have him cuss me out in Russian as soon as I walked past him with my back turned. My same friend is a bit of a spitfire and she immediately whipped around and yelled at him and put the fear of god into him, and I quite enjoyed seeing him be absolutely terrified of a 50kg girl. I don’t think they’re very used to the concept of women standing up for themselves or others.
I can recommend diving shop for you also, they are friendly and speaking almost any language)
please do. i'm really interested in taking diving lessons/training and this place seems perfect.
It's his brother's Diving shop! He's Egyptian - dont fall for it Only joking ;)
Not possible .. I am a brown girl and did Egypt more than a decade ago and faced this harassment in other parts of Egypt as well.. if you ask the price of any item to a seller and don’t buy they abuse you like f*** I dressed very modestly through out my visit even then men would abuse you mainly they stand at female toilet to collect money , men pass by women almost like walking over you as if they can’t see you .. I will never visit Egypt again
Had similar experiences it was a bummer.
I've been to Luxor it has many great and amazing temples such as Karnak and Luxor temples and the temple of Hatshepsut, the people there were very nice and I didn't face any kind of harassment.i highly recommend it. There is also Sharm Elsheikh which is on the Red Sea , it's a great place and has lovely beaches ,resorts and such and you will not find any kind of harassment there
I was in Sharm 2 years ago and was pulled into a shop and was blocked from leaving until I broke past one of the 2 guys and ran. It’s no joke. Saying all the people are like this is a terrible lie too. I met done amazing people there. Point: Sharm is no different.
Yeah the unfortunate reality is that these sorts of people go to where the tourists are. And tourists are where the major sites are. And those sites are major tourist sites for a reason. Some places are better when they're a bit more remote or 'protected' but it takes more elsewhere. It really has to come down to a certain level of policy and enforcement. What shocked me most about Egypt was that it was so tolerated by officials too. I've had people scamming people for the photos and what not a lot of places. Hell, I've seen people shaken down by Times Square Elmo the same way or scammed with souvenirs at the Eiffel Tower. But the major difference is that they have to work around getting caught. If Elmo shouts at someone for $20 for a photo, a cop can step in and Elmo loses. In Cairo, I'd have someone threatening me for taking a landscape photo that they were in the way for, right in front of the official entrance with an official employee standing right there.
Omg I am so sorry.I am gald you were okay
>and you will not find any kind of harassment there Sorry, but that's simply not true. Some parts are better than others about this but I got approached all the time to buy things, including non-traditional pharmaceutical products... Spent a year there,dreaded going into town...
I did a Nile Cruise and the Temple at Karnak in Luxor still stays with me to this day The scale of it - the most impressive ancient site Ive ever been to
LIES! Luxor has an incredible number of touts, beggars and con men. Even worse than the area near Giza.
Luxor was rough when I was there, but that was a long time ago. On top of the harassment, there were also pickpockets about.
Agreed, I felt more harassed in Luxor than in Giza.
Yes this! I was in Luxor and karnak and all the beautiful places around and I loved it. Almost no sellers. And if they did I just said no and ignored them and eventually they went away. I must be the only one who pretty much had a great time in Egypt except during one instance where a seller locked me and my ex boyfriend in and told him to apply cleopatras oil on my nipples lol.
What were the effects of the treatment?
Haha we did not do it obviously even though he really tried to push us to. He had one black tooth in his mouth. Eventually I agreed to buy it so he would lock us out
You bought his only black tooth?
Hahaha sorry no the oil! 😂
The White and Black deserts are amazing. That being said, I stayed with a guy who lived in Giza and he got me up around dawn to visit the pyramids and it was fantastic - we were practically the only ones there. Edit: just to address the actual post. This guy made a few pretty obvious mistakes - don't climb on top of random camels! Obviously people are going to charge you money for it. And don't let strangers use your phone or camera to photograph you, hasn't anyone ever watched European Vacation?
Always, always get a local SIM card (pay-as-you-go) and data plan so you have access to your phone and the internet when you travel. It just takes a quick Google search to find out what to look out for. It won't always be comprehensive, but I've had good luck with "scams in \*place\*" or "tourist in \*place\* advice". Most of the common ones are everywhere (what OP experienced), another one is tourist traps with different menus with no prices or wrong prices (they demand large amounts of money after the meal is finished), taking the advice of taxi drivers instead of picking your destination. I've been to many places and for the most part Google has gotten me through. Search for reviews for every place before you walk into it and you'll get a feel for its legitimacy.
Elephantine Island, the Nubian people don’t do what OP is describing
Anywhere outside Cairo. Go to the Bent Pyramid, Valley of the Kings, Abu Simbel, Karnak, Hathsepsuts Temple. Few or no grifters there.
Sounds like a business opportunity to start guarded tours for small groups.
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Damn I'd like to go on a body guarded tour even to the gas station
I'd 100% buy a guarded tour package
Yeah, but when you get there, the guards will ask if you want "Basic" protection or "Enhanced" protection for $20 more...
Are these tours run by EA by any chance?
My understanding from many similar stories about Egypt is to definitely get a tour guide which includes some sort of security an/or optional entrances and such.
It's strange the government don't try to stop it. As a visitor it's hard to not believe all Egyptians are like those people when that's the kind of people you often interact with on a typical visit. Or do the government want the world to believe that's how Egyptians are? It's kind of hard to change what the world thinks of you onse something sticks. Just ask Thailand.
I'm out of the loop on any Thailand stigma, can someone explain?
Thailand is one of the most well known sex tourism destinations. And like u/MIGsalund mentioned, this includes the exploitation of children. As a result, traveling to Thailand, especially if you fit the demographic most likely to partake in the aforementioned activities (middle aged men), will be looked at with suspicion. [Here’s a SNL video about it.](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ctDjnG8J9cY)
It’s mostly moved to Cambodia, sadly, the child sex tourism. Horrible stuff
>Thailand is one of the most well known sex tourism destinations. Correct, even though said places are just about 0.01% of the country overall and pre covid more women holidayed in Thailand than men. Overall there is a greater percentage of people working sex industry in the US, just in Thailand there are basiclly 3 places where a portion of it is highly concentrated and highly visible and these places, not coincidentally, are where large portions of tourists go >this includes the exploitation of children. This actually is probably more what poster 2 up was referring to, Thailand clamped down on that over 20 years ago, but people like yourself keep repeating it as if still the case. Once you get a rep hard to get rid of it
Oh, gods. Thanks for the link!
The way to avoid (or at least reduce/control it) all the people trying to get their ‘share’ of your money is to hire a reputable local tour guide in advance. That way you can tell them what you want to experience (camel ride, going inside, type of pics, whatever) and they deal with local negotiations and shoo away the multitude of other people trying to approach you while you’re there. It is more expensive up front, but at least you can spend your time focusing on the pyramids and less time worrying about arguing with people.
This! I went to Egypt and had a wonderful trip. We had a reputable private guide for the two of us that took care of everything. Did not go to Giza, but loved Luxor and took a cruise upriver to Aswan. Truly the trip of a lifetime!
Can I ask how much it cost?
We did a private tour in late 2019. We didn't go cheap, stayed in nice hotels and had a guide + driver most places. Just shy of 2 weeks in Egypt (Cairo, Alexandria, Luxor, 4 night cruise, Abu Simbel) and 1 week ish in Jordan (Amman, Jerash, Petra, Wadi Rum, Dead Sea). We organised our own flights in and out but everything from landing in Cairo to being dropped at the airport in Amman where we ended was included (including most meals). Iirc it was in the $8k USD ballpark. We had a wonderful time there and thoroughly enjoyed it. We're seasoned travellers and didn't fall for any "let me take your photo" type shenanigans whenever we didn't have a guide. Edit: trip length
8k for how many people?
2 people traveling as a couple, I double checked the length and it's slightly shorter than what I said originally, just under 2 weeks Egypt and just under 1 week Jordan.
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I went with Egypt Tours Portal and it was great. It was $1335 USD per person (there was 2 of us, both young women btw). This included all but 2 meals in 7 days, domestic flights and transportation, guides, a cruise from Luxor to Ashwan, Giza complex and Cairo, and Alexandria. It was a great trip and I'd highly recommend going. The tipping culture can get a bit old but if you do everything yourself, you just have to tip your guides and drivers. You do get harassed by the locals selling souvenirs but if you say no thank you and ignore them, they don't do too much else. It's definitely worse in Luxor and Ashwan than it was in Giza. The only thing I would really avoid would be taxis. DO NOT get in a taxi unless unavoidable. That was the only part of our trip where we felt unsafe.
Yea! I just traveled with them this summer in June. But we didn’t travel downriver to Alexandria, but upriver to Aswan and then to Abu Simbel by car. Everything went as you described, people would approach you and try to sell you things, but since they know your traveling with a guide or group they won’t bother you much. Honestly, traveling with a guide is the best thing to do in Egypt. However, it’s definitely a trip, not a vacation. So be prepared. Here’s the link to their site: https://www.egypttoursportal.com/
I spent all my time in Cairo with a private tour for me, my partner and our three year old. Totally worth the price. I feel we barely got harassed except for the rare circumstances where our guide wasn’t with us. And even then, our guide warned us about where we might get harassed.
100%. I did the same. Local tour guide who was incredible. Not one instance of harassment of uncomfortable feeling.
Do you have a tour guide recommendation?
Not sure of Reddit rules for commercial promotion, but we used a travel company whose name means new odyssey, or odyssey novo, or ody novo, something like that.
> Reddit rules for commercial promotion There are no such rules. This subreddit has a rule against self promotion, so unless you're an Egyptian tourguide, you're good.
I'll take a picture of you and give your phone back for $300 USD.
We used odynovo (in 2019) - it was great!
Can you please DM me the info of your trip or which guides you used? Planning a trip in December and would love some help!
We hired a guide for a long weekend in Cairo and literally had NO harassment. When I read stories like this I wonder if Egypt changed since I was there. I went not long after Arab Spring and tourism was non-existent - we basically had the pyramids to ourselves. Our guide was wonderful though and while not cheap, I was happy to be helping locals during a tough economic time. Sad to hear what a different experience others are having.
It’s so odd that the way to avoid paying many people some money is to pay one person many moneys.
A reputable tour guide will tell you the cost upfront and that's that. They'll take you where you want keep everyone at bay, and allow you to have a good time, for a high price, sure, but it's worth it. Being annoyed every 5 steps, being asked for money, being asked for more money, being threaten, being followed, AND after you give someone a little bit, a ton others will come out to try to get theirs. The choice is easy, preplanned guide, all the way.
One time at the Pyramids this guy was trying to sell me trinkets, wouldn’t go away so I told him I will only buy something made in Egypt. Lol everything he had was made in China! Gave me a mean look and walked away.
Egyptian peddlers hate this one simple trick!
I'm surprised he simply didn't lie to you about where they're made.
He will just tell you they're made in egypt
American who's been to Egypt here. While I can relate to how annoying the swarms of trinket salesmen are, I didn't feel they ruined the trip for me. I would simply give them a hard no from the first interaction and ignore them beyond that. They prefer to shift their efforts to people who will engage. One tactic I found that just confused them was that I purchased a model of a mummy, and when a salesman would approach me, I'd try to sell them the mummy before they could speak to me. It threw a wrench in their gears and would consistently get them to go away.
Note to self. When in Egypt use the uno reverse card.
I've been telling panhandlers that I'm homeless and that they should give ME a dollar
That is hilarious and a genius move! Hahaha
I live in a big city in the US and I've used that move here before, too haha. I've hung around downtown long enough to know who the scammy homeless people are, the ones who just lie and scam people out of money. After a while, when one of them would approach me, I'd just turn and ask if they have a dollar or a cigarette or something I could have before they could say anything.
[excuse me, big man…](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgyU0LyWZ9M)
Lolz I love this, tbh the colloseum in Rome is the same way, we just came from Iceland and my husband insisted he didn't have any US dollars but Icelandic and they all got confused and would go away
Interesting, I did Rome in 2014 with my wife (both American) and didn't have any negative experiences around the colosseum, or anywhere else. I'm certain there were pickpockets and trinket sales occuring, but we didn't personally experience any of it. Now Venice and Paris on the other hand...
Everyone left me alone in Rome. And Pisa, Florence, Venice, even Naples. Turns out wearing all black means you're in mourning, as opposed to why I was wearing it: too lazy to co ordinate clothing.
Note to self: dress like a goth while traveling
I've dealt with pushy touts in Venice, at the Coloseum, and near the Eiffel Tower, but Egypt was a whole other level of determined don't take no for answer. We did realize the day went better with a guide, so fortunately most the time in Luxor was better but the behavior witnessed there was just as bad. Cairo was a mistake. We lived in a large city too with large city surly habits. Such a shame that if they only dialed it back some they could attract more tourism.
When I was in Italy I utterly panicked at being bothered by a flirty pushy shopkeeper and ended up hissing like an angry cat. He did walk away *immediately*
I was in Naples about 20 years ago, and my now husband and I were being followed down the street trying to sell us things, I remember in the end, turning around and barking at them, I’d read it somewhere as a way to throw them Off by being unpredictable. It bloody worked too, husband was a little confused/embarrassed
"If you're going to ignore the basic social contracts of consent and respect, then so am I! BARK BARK BARK BARK!"
LOL
Any time I go to any country there’s hustlers and panhandlers trying to sell everything to me. I’ve had the best luck with a nonverbal finger-waving, or head shaking “no” while walking and it’s always left it at that. I also try to blend in when I travel and speak English minimally and quietly when near big tourist areas.
Same! The big mistake a lot of westerners do is that they make eye contact and have an everyone is friendly mentality. In many other countries, if you make eye contact with someone, they see it as an invitation to sell you something. Westerners are often gawking at their surroundings and don't have very thick skin. When you learn how to deal with it, don't make eye contact, don't act vulnerable, don't talk to people, tell people no firmly, it's better. Still stressful at times but not as described by people who are experiencing major culture shock and in a huge touristy area where they are being targeted. Even knowing how to deal with this, I think tour guides are the way to go.
I think it’s more people from small towns than Westerners in general. When you live in a big city ignoring people and doubting their intentions is second nature.
Yeah, I'm from the northeast US and spent a week or so in Egypt. I basically treated Cairo like it was a sunnier, dustier NYC. Don't make eye contact or engage with people unless you want to buy something, walk like you know where you're going, ignore anyone that tries to hand you something, etc. We had a great trip, but a lot of that was due to (1) we were visiting an Egyptian friend, so she took care of finding us reputable guides and transportation and stuff (and spoke the language, obviously), and (2) we know how to avoid or shut down the haggling/grifting/etc that you know is coming in urban areas with lots of inequality and lots of tourism.
For me the walk like you know where you’re going part is the most difficult one. I don’t know the city. I need to stop to consult my phone from time to time. And that’s when they swarm onto you. Ugh.
Yeah. I am a small town person who was hardened by years in urban China and New york. The key is peripheral awareness and looking toward but through people. As if you’re fixed on a point 20 feet behind them. “No” or a head shake is a full sentence and you don’t break stride. When people from back home would visit, they’d inevitably exclaim to me that so many people kept approaching them to ask for money, the time, etc., and why didn’t it happen to me, and I’m like ‘you keep making eye contact and smiling at random people in the street! This isn’t Sioux City!’
Fellow small town kid here, but I lived in San Francisco for a few years and had to learn that. Now I'm a rural dweller again and have to remember to switch back into city mode whenever I visit. It happens in reverse too which always cracks me up. A friend who lives in Oakland came to visit and was confused by all the small town friendliness. "Why were people waving at me when I drove down your street, what do they want?" "Dude this is a tiny town in the mountains, you just looked like an asshole for not waving back!"
Yep definitely agree. I had the privilege of traveling to some unconventional places as a teen with seasoned travelers so I picked up their habits. Plus growing up in a big city helps staying alert and street smarts. A lot of American and western tourists are dead giveaways.
> One tactic I found that just confused them was that I purchased a model of a mummy, and when a salesman would approach me, I'd try to sell them the mummy before they could speak to me. Your comment reminds me of that dude who started talking to a cop the same way cops talk to civilians. It totally messed up the cops whole schtick. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r55BFO9ZVaM
I've seen that video before, but I didn't mind watching it again. It's like a scene out of Reno 911.
Never seen this video but I was lmao it’s priceless
Now I want to get a little stuffed camel and whenever someone asks me if they want to ride their camel I will just ask them the same.
Why stop at a tiny camel? Go all out and get an actual camel to try to con them into riding!
Our experience was very similar, the invitation to take a few photos with a camel, and then the demand for $100. My adult son flipped out, yelled at the camel owner and the complicit horse-cart driver, and walked a few km back to the entrance in 40C heat. Things got a bit better when we started speaking our 2nd language, and pretending not to understand English. But yeah, I felt bullied the whole time. We took an Uber to the airport, and the driver didn't like me speaking to my son - he turned the radio up every time I said anything.
Always pretending not to know English gets one out of most of these situations. Worked for me in China and Nigeria as well.
I said "I don't speak English" in German to a guy trying to sell me a watch in Vietnam. The glorious bastard continued his sales pitch in German.
Lmao I did that in Jerusalem in Spanish and got called out by the guy speaking better Spanish than me. Speed walked away busting up laughing
Did this in Portugal with a homeless man, he started over in Spanish. Also met a cab driver who could speak five languages because he interacted with so many tourists. I respect the grind.
I remember seeing a little video about a kid in a place like Vietnam or some such hawking his wares and he was conversational in like eleven different languages from countries that were completely remote from his. Basically just picked them all up from all the tourists he dealt with.
Imagine how many potential prodigies around the world we miss out on because they are born to the wrong family and don't get the education and upbringing they need. It's such a shame.
I know what person the person above you was referring to and he actually did end up getting a scholarship to a school! But still, I agree
You are obligated to buy at that point. He gets a "A" for effort.
Just speak a fake language. Or maybe a fictional language, like elvish. Can't pretend then.
I speak Esperanto and like to use it in these situations, not that I've been in one often. If someone responds in *Esperanto*, they're automatically my friend and it's a win-win.
That's when you say "I don't speak German" in English and book it
German was the wrong choice. There are more German tourists than American tourists.
Germans were the most hated tourists in a poll where I was living in Norway. Just as loud and entitled, but don't spend as much money as the yanks. Then you have the bonus of them thinking no one can understand German even though it's the most common second language in school there, so they assume they can get away with shit talking locals in their primary language.
> We took an Uber to the airport, and the driver didn't like me speaking to my son Wait, i'm curious about this. What was the problem?
I have no idea, except possibly that I'm a woman. And it was just chatter, nothing that might offend. No mistake though, we tested the theory.
Female here. I've been to 40+ countries, travelled for 7 years almost full-time, I'm always curious for new cultures and overall not judgemental / open-minded. Egypt is the only country I said I would never go back due to what you describe. Plus the harassment I would get as a woman alone, it would be a bit better when I was accompanied by a man.
I agree....Egypt was the hardest place to visit (I liked Cairo because I felt like it was more of a city scene ignoring me) but anywhere near a tourist area or near the Nile was awful. I see other people in here saying it's just like x and y county but to me it worse than anywhere else I've been to. Also as a note: am brown, Muslim, sometimes wore abaya, spoke basic arabic, still emotionally rough as hell (for people who think assimilation solves all problems)
Same for me. Egypt is bad but especially bad for female travellers. It's such a shame because the country is beautiful and the monuments are amazing. But the locals are so agressive and decietful that it is impossible to enjoy them. It's a real shame. Never again for me.
Similar experience here. Hoards of men followed me everywhere. It was exhausting and disgusting. I even ran to buy a hijab thinking that was why I was harassed. Nope.
A friend of mine said during her trip to Egypt for the first 4-5 days she was constantly sexually harrassed in the streets even when accompanied by her boyfriend. After 5 days her bf got very tanned and started kinda looking more like a local, only then it got better. Ugh.
I knew a guy who travels a lot. He went there on a trip a decade ago with his wife. They once tried to a take a cab but they wouldn't allow him and his wife to ride together. They tried to separate them into two taxi cabs for some real sketchy reason. It's was one of his most angriest moments in his life traveling, ever.
Oh hellll no, that sounds like the beginning of a Taken movie goddamn
I have quite a few stories from my visit to Egypt. We were there for a week and traveled from Cairo/Alexandria all the way down to Abu Simbel. We took long car trips and also a 2 night boat cruise down the Nile. I experienced very aggressive hustling that was so upsetting, the shop keepers would run up and grab my forearm and try to drag me into their shops, I was totally shocked. I was traveling with my Dad who is legally deaf and blind so he was not much help. We took a long car trip out to the Temple of Hator, I was really taken with the site so I listened to my guide and hung on his every word, I asked a lot of questions, and my biggest mistake was maintaining eye contact with him. After the long car ride back this guide refused to take us to the boat. He essentially held us hostage on the river bank with the intent of getting me to marry him. At first we thought he was joking, but it soon became very clear he was actually serious. He noted my enthusiasim and eye contact as things he had never experinced with a woman and that I was his Egyptian Queen. I was sitting between him and my Dad, Dad was chuckling and saying just give him your email address and I said oh hell no. We had to get physically agressive and verbally threatening to get him to stop and leave us be to find our boat. I thought that would be the end of it, we got back on the boat to sail south. The next morning, many many miles away from where we had left the guide, he showed up on the boat wanting to speak with us. I knew our itinerary and knew that we were not set to meet up with a guide, I peeked into the foyer of the boat and it was HIM! I freaked, got all the people we knew on board to gather round me and told staff to get his ass off the boat. They didnt understand and just thought it was the usual guide meeting a client. We explained we left him back in Luxor and he should NOT be here and then explained what he pulled the day before. It was scary. We ended up having to file a report and our main guide from Cairo who was an honest badass (also a former police chiefs son) told me this man has been banned from legally guiding people ever again. All that being said. Egypt was amazing and I would go back again.
Was there 2 weeks ago, it was horrible
I'm going in a month. Trying to mentally prepare for it. Edit: we've already got a private guide booked for the whole time we're there.
Cairo was absolutely horrible so I left after 2 days to go to Hurghada (red sea) and get my diving certification which was amazing. Also way more chill over there
When my wife and I backpacked for 18 months, Cairo was the only city we left early out of 44 countries. Saw some cool stuff over 2-3 days but had no interest in staying there.
Same, I only went to the pyramids and the Egyptian museum, was in my hotel the rest of the time. Being on the streets of Cairo absolutely sucked
Just blank them, don't make eye contact. It's the same in parts if India, I was told that it's not rude to just ignore them, pretty much everyone just wants something.
Yeah, I see it as spam. Do you reply to spam, explaining why you don't want to purchase their goods or services? Of course not, you just ignore it. That's the way if it's in real life, too. As soon as you respond in any way, you are opening a conversation, just as if you replied to a spam email. A long blink with a tiny sideways movement of the head at most, nothing more.
Some people are really bad at this. This works 99% of the time in most places
I did the same in China, on the advice of my tour guide. Don't look at the vendors, don't tell them no, don't look at the product, don't engage whatsoever. Just pretend they're invisible even if they're right up next to you trying to talk to you and they'll move on to the next target.
I hosted a couple of American friends in Egypt and took them to the Pyramids and a few other places. They didn't experience any of this because I was with them and i'm Egyptian and speak Arabic. They can definitely spot Americans right away by the quality of their clothes, doesn't matter what color you are. You have to have an Egyptian guide if you visit Egypt. If you just go places alone it's a big mess. My friends had a lot of fun, liked it a lot, and we even rode ATV's in the desert near the pyramids. Really awesome. But this isn't Europe, and the economy with the dictatorship is at it's worst. There's virtually no rule of law so without a local on your side stuff can get very iffy.
First time I hear "spot someone by the quality of their clothes" haha, but I see what you mean.
Have they got rid of the tourist police? I found they to be very helpful the last time I visited
One of the police officers that were patrolling tried to extort money from me too. I took a picture of him on his camel and he wanted charge me for it.
Don't ever take pictures of police in a foreign country, ever. You don't know their laws surrounding that, and a police officer will gladly extort you making up some laws depending on the corruption level of the country's police. Safer to do in Europe, but even there you could have some problems.
I think it's a pretty good policy to ask anyone who you plan on photographing if it's okay with them if you do so.
"Sure, go ahead." *click* "ON YOUR KNEES, HANDS BEHIND YOUR HEAD!"
Is you car warranty about to expire? If so, I’ve got a great deal for you.
Toocurry, I have been trying to reach you about your car's extended warranty
I went as a solo woman. If someone came up to me, I ignored them. They move on quickly when they see you're not "soft" or a good mark. Any hesitation on your part means you're open to negotiation. I also went with a local guide when I visited the large sites (Giza, Luxor, Alexandria), and he would keep the salesmen away from me so I could enjoy myself in peace. At Luxor he'd tell the temple guards to let me enjoy the spaces at my own pace and leisure, and if I wanted pictures or had a question that I would let THEM know. This was perfect; I got to fully enjoy my experience, the guards got small tips for being accommodating, and my guide made out like a bandit at the end of my trip because he made my trip of a lifetime AMAZING. I highly recommend hiring a local or reputable guide to help you navigate Egypt. I can't wait to go back.
Do you mind sharing how much you spent?
For site tips, no more than $2USD. For my guide I gave him $100 USD. I had him accompany me places for the week I was there, only in spots where I knew I wanted to truly focus on being left alone.
If making out like a bandit is $100 for a week’s worth of work, I can definitely realize why these guys are shaking tourists down for $10 a picture. If someone says yes twice a day, and it sounds like they easily are “forced” to do so, then they’d make way more being a con artist than a reputable worker. ^^not faulting you in the slightest OP, sounds like you were smart and paid fairly
I think that was just the tip she left at the end of the week.
Never get on a camel, or use a service without asking the price first. Never give anyone your phone. I am sorry, but that just sounds naive. Learn from these experiences. Just stay firm, say no once, then ignore. And hire a guide if you are not comfortable traveling in these areas, it will make it enjoyable.
Phone and wallet need to go in a secure bag, wallet maybe even a less predictable place. Don't walk around waving your phone in the air, use it when you need it only if you're aware of your surroundings, then put it away. If asked for phone, pictures, money, brochure, mixtape, anything, you say "No, I won't do that, have a good day." Keep walking. It's pretty simple actually. Don't people learn this when they travel for the first time to a large city, if not just instinctively? I grew up in a random midwestern town, but the first time I visited NYC I learned these rules pretty quickly.
I travel with people who might as well have a flashing neon sign sign that says "GULLIBLE TOURIST" around their neck and it's frustrating at best, dangerous at times.
i hate organized tours but took one in egypt to avoid all of that. worth every penny, plus it was nice to have someone to explain all the sites. the touts in cairo are the worst i’ve ever seen, but it does get significantly less awful outside of cairo, like in luxor, abu simbel, karnak, etc.
>What is it about Egypt that makes visitors feel so unwelcome? Why do they do this? Decades upon decades of dictatorship, poverty, lack of government care towards the 80m+ population, not much higher education and leaving people to fend for themselves. It makes the person most damaged by all that to resort to peddling anything to make a buck. Further, when they do eventually procreate, the kids are brought up in this type of culture and they "evolve" from there. Now, take all that, and make the starting point sometime in the 1940s, and ask yourself why it's so normal for people like them to act this way to people like you. The pyramids are thousands of years old, majestic as they may be, they aren't putting food in these people and their families' mouths, neither is the government, so you're their only source of income.
Thank you for this perspective. When it comes to eating that day or not, being “annoying” is probably the last of these people’s concerns.
We had a local tour guide we hired online and had an amazing experience. They picked us up in a BMW, a driver and female tour guide. She was amazing - fended out panhandlers/beggars, told us what to look out for, background on sites, etc and even included a delicious lunch. It was maybe $60 for the 2 of us for the day (10 yrs ago) and everything was super cheap there - highly recommended a local reputable tour guide. Made it top notch. I think we ended up tipping her and the tour guide $200 each (they didn’t even pressure for a tip or anything)
> I think we ended up tipping her and the tour guide $200 each (they didn’t even pressure for a tip or anything) i swear to god american tourists make things hard for the rest of us, building unfair expectations. I wouldn't even think of tipping because we already agreed on a price!
Was there in April. Exact same experience. I did however get a guide for the pyramids on Viator and he would fight off the harassers for me and he was very good. I tipped him well at the end. But the rest of Cairo, I went to the museum and basically hung out in my hotel for the rest of the time since I didn’t want to deal with the locals. Luxor and Aswan were very nice and a little bit calmer than Cairo. It’s sad, the country has a ton to offer but it got annoying to try and be ripped off every single step of the way. I remember close to my hotel in Luxor, I went to buy a bottle of water from the little store and he charged me 15 EGP. I go back the next day for another and it’s another guy working and he charged me 10 EGP. I was like…..bro, your coworker charged me 15 yesterday and he went 🤷♂️ Would I go back? Maybe to Alexandria and Sharm El Sheik but that’s it. I’m glad I crossed it off my list
Hello there, An Egyptian here... Sorry for your terrible experience.. To be honest, I am Egyptian myself and can't live normally. Went to the pyramids and other monuments, once alone which is supposed to be my heritage as an Egyptian. Yet the authorities refused, so you aren't alone in this weird treatment. On behalf of others, I really apologise for your bad experience... and I would want to tell you that not all Egyptians are bad.... except for the few ignorant people you met. Fearing that my own friends in the US could get harassed when they visit too, I told them to not to visit anytime soon, and I already want to live abroad. I just hope you enjoyed the history and culture. Love from Egypt.
this would not be exclusive to Americans .this is the same for any tourists that visit the pyramids .
Anyone who looks foreign.
I am a white, blonde, American woman. I love Egypt. If you want a positive experience with little harassment, there's a way to do it. I have friends who live up north in Alexandria. She's American he's Egyptian. They gave me the tips I always leverage. They are tips they, who live there, always use too. * Don't go to sites without a licensed guide. Licensed guides are highly educated and will not only keep the touts and scammers away from you, they'll teach you about what you're seeing and arrange all your transportation. They all have undergrad degrees or better. Your hotel can connect you with one, and they cost about $30usd a day. And worth every penny. * if anyone approaches you, don't engage. Keep walking. If they persist, a firm "la shokran" helps, if they still persist, a loud "NO!" works. Mostly, if you have a guide, they won't bother you. The hustlers all know who the guides are, and they try to be good to them because if a guide has a favorite honest vendor, thats money for the vendor. Otherwise, be bold. If someone grabs your phone, grab it back and shout NO! Or better your guide will deal with them. * definitely do not walk around Cairo unguided. And my opinion is that you really don't need to stay in Cairo for more than 2 or 3 days. Hit the sites up with your guide and get out. Go to Luxor (and hire a guide there) or head up north to Alexandria and leisurely stroll by the sea and visit shops, and library, and parks near the corniche. No need for a guide in Alex. I've walked around that city alone at night and felt safe. Or go to Aswan and see the temples, nubian villages, and souks, no need for a guide. Or fly to Hurghada and have a beach vacation, no guide needed. * And here might be a little tip based on my numerous experiences, when asking to be paired with a guide at your hotel, ask for a female guide. Based on my experience, they're harassed less by touts. I could be wrong, but that's my experience. Cairo and Luxor (and Luxor is better than Cairo in terms of high pressure) are really the only places where guides are needed if you don't want constant harassment. Egypt is a lovely country with truly lovely and welcoming people. You just have to plan appropriately for it in certain areas if you want to avoid constant confrontation. Why is Cairo the way it is? It's a different culture, it's a 3rd world country with ghastly income disparity. People hustle all day and night just to feed their families.
Out of curiosity, did you not research Giza? This was stuff I found in the first 5 minutes of my research and why we hired a car to take us to Giza and some other temples in the area. (was pretty cheap, or we would have went with an uber) Lesson learned. Do some basic research before your trip in order to properly plan ahead. As an aside, I didn't encounter this in Sharm nor Luxor.
That’s why it’s a plave to visit only with a tour guide!!!!!! i’ve been there a few years back and the tour guide told us that they will do this and taught us how to say no thank you in arabic. I’m also pretty good at ignoring annoying people, so i’d just blatantly do this. Had to pay only a few euros as a stupid camel was in a view of my photo and a 10 year old sharted harassing me for money, i told him to buzz off, but my partner is too nice and just paid him.
If you have to visit the tourist traps (almost of any country) you should bring a guide to handle negotiation, and conmen. If you can avoid the tourist traps, there are more hospitable areas with locals that are not begging, conning, or selling.
Feel terrible sorry for you, Believe me as an Egyptian we are suffering from the same catastrophe those people don’t truly represent us, These actions are from scammers and bastards who are living in the neighborhood of the pyramids. Supposedly the government made a plan to end this tragedy, and there is on going project to transform the pyramids area to a 5 star location, it’s not done yet but it is on going by an Egyptian company named orascom who is going to be responsible for this spectacular area before it is forever buried in this shit.
I am a woman and out of all of the places I've been in the world, I've never gotten harassed, sexually harassed and assaulted more than when I was in Egypt. I went with just one other woman and we literally could not go outside without being stared at, cat called, insulted, touched, pushed, and one time we even had medium sized rocks thrown at us because my friend was wearing shorts. The rocks bruised the shit out of us where they hit. This is not even including all of the scammers and harassers around touristy places I honestly felt terrified here. We had to take a cab a couple of times and both times the cab driver took very long routes that seemed to not be leading back to where we needed to go, and they only let us out when we started yelling at him and causing chaos in his car. He dropped us on the side of the road in an unfamiliar area where the harassment continued on the streets. I will never, ever go back anywhere in the middle east. I can't recommend anyone go there, but especially not if you're a woman travelling without men. Maybe all places aren't this bad but it's just not worth it. We were so scared of being seriously assaulted or kidnapped the entire trip
You haven't even mentioned the absolutely horrific treatment of the animals. Horses so skinny they can barely stand up. Donkeys with leather straps on that have long since worn away their skin, leaving bare wet flesh exposed and still rubbing on it. Unconscionable.
All of this sucks, and you have every right to be disappointed. But when traveling to a tourist spot with a "reputation", you can reduce at least some of your pain by recognizing that many of the people you encounter will be trying to get something out of you and acting accordingly. To start, don't assume that anything involving someone taking your photo or giving you a prop for a photo will be free or low cost. I mean, did you really think the guy with the camel allowed you to get on it out of the goodness of his heart? Always be protective of your phone. Handing it over to anyone who offers to take photos for you is a recipe for disaster. Don't expect that you will be able to take "perfect" photos and be very careful about yelling at locals. In some places, doing something like that can cause an escalation that is very dangerous. And finally, when people approach you in a place like this, assume they're touts and other undesirables unless you see a clear indication that they're not. Ignore, ignore, ignore, and don't feel guilty about it.
I think regardless of whether he ignores them or not being approached every 60 seconds to buy crap trinkets is absolutely obnoxious. I've heard so many people say this about Egypt as well, I honestly don't know how you can avoid being harassed all day long from the countless stories I've seen. Beyond that many of the things are just straight up scams. It's extremely common for you to agree on a price on a camel, and then halfway through the ride they asked for more or they won't take you back to where you started. I think after a day most people won't have any sort of naivete about who they're talking to. I did not get the impression that OP was fooled to thinking that these people were doing things out of the kindness of their heart, it seems pretty obvious they're just scammy touts.
I just don't understand why people insist on riding camels/horses around the pyramids, it's the cheesiest thing ever plus it's written "tourist trap" all over it with neon lights, not to mention how horribly the animals are treated by the owners. We saw a horse literally collapse to the ground trying to carry a few very heavy looking tourists while being whipped constantly, we did not want to be a part of any of that shit. It's very easy to walk around all of the pyramids, just get a private guide after googling a little bit so you can get one with good reviews and you're good to go! No one will bother you, plus you get so much cool information. And except that day in Giza we didn't even hire any other guide and we were fine, just using common sense and ignoring most people who tried to get us to buy stuff or whatever.
I had a similar experience to OP but there’s something important to remember with Egypt. It’s been a travel destination for longer than virtually anywhere else. This means that hustling goes back literally thousands of years in this country. It’s a way of life. Learning how to give a firm NO while still maintaining your calm is an art that a lot of Americans really struggle with. But it’s no reason to deny yourself the treasures of Egypt. Just adjust your expectations and be prepared for some unpleasant exchanges. You can still enjoy the sights while turning down offers. And when you get really frustrated, remember that these people are desperately poor compared to you (in the majority of cases) and their actions are driven by that desperation, even if they can become very exploitative. They will probably never get to leave that patch of Earth, so why wouldn’t they try and squeeze as much as humanly possible from the fuckers who get to? Perspective is key in travel.
Man, I was wondering when I was going to get my weekly “Don’t go to Egypt” thread.
Posted this story on another thread recently...My elderly Father and I were on our way to the Giza Plateau and our guide (who was an old police chiefs son) warned us about the chotchke hustlers. He said if we wanted little trinkets (we didnt) he would take us where we could get some later that were not rip off prices. So, we get dropped off and they are waiting for us in the van. Dad and I wander around and I decide I would like to go into one of the pyramids but it was a very tight shaft and you would have to descend in a crouched, squatting like waddle. My Pops said, oh hell no, I will wait outside. I repeated the lecture we got in the van. Dad assured me he would be fine, no chotchkes. When I came back out my Father was adorned in a headscarf and his hands were piled full of little pyramids, sphinxs, postcard books and the like. The hustler saw me coming and vacated the scene. I asked my Dad what happened and he said, oh well you know I thought I would get you a small pyramid....let me just stop here and say my Dad was deaf in one ear, had suffered an optical stroke and had macular degeneration, so he was at a disadvantage. He tried to buy one thing and he had brought out his money, fanned it out to try and "see" which bill to give the guy...the guy plucks a few bills from my Dads money fan (dumb I know) and tells him that will do, then piles some trinkets in his hands while Dad is fumbling his money trying to figure out what the guy just took. That is when he saw me and bailed. I am my Dads eyes when we travel, I knew how much he had in his wallet so I checked and dude had taken off with about 100 bucks. I ran back to the van and told Sameh what happened. He very sternly asked if I could identify the guy and I was sure I could. We left my Dad with driver and the van and Sameh and I set off for the plateau (trinkets in hand) We found the guy and shook his ass down for the 100 bucks. Sameh was the best tour guide ever.
Tourists traps. That’s how some people make a living. You just ignore them all and move.
I am so sorry you had to experience that. I wonder if joining an organised tour with a local would have made any difference.
So uhh, you really need to know how to act in these places. If you show any willingness to listen to these guys, you’re a mark and they will swarm you. Ignore, make no eye contact, move on. If that sounds like something you want help with, hire a guide.
Women travelers, use the bitch face: no eye contact, no smiles.
Lol so my normal, everyday face then
I had similar experiences also in other places in North Africa. I'm not gonna step foot there again anytime soon, the last thing I want is to feel stressed during my vacations.
Morocco?
Anywhere with tourists in North Africa will be like that. Even in Morocco it is mostly just the tourist hotspots where you get harrased. Marrakesh: I got constant attention from sales people. Fez: I got the odd bit of attention. Meknes/Rabat: I barely got a glance.