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Safety
IS
EGYPT SAFE NOW?
Travel always entails some uncertainties, but then, so does life.
I've been asked this question about
Egypt since late 2000...and then
there was the horror of 9/11, the Iraq War, and more recently the
attacks in
Sinai. I invite you to read my very well considered
response to this question.
Egypt has been a completely safe destination for tourism for years.
Despite the other situations in Iraq, in Israel and in Palestine,
tourism in mainland
Egypt (the
Egypt of the Classical tours) remains
unaffected. The Egyptian people, the vast majority who are
thoughtful and moderate in their views, like Americans
enormously...we're so very similar when it comes to friendliness,
warmth and we share the same, sometimes silly, sense of humor.
And, of course, the way the
Egypt Magic tours are organized --
private and escorted -- maximizes personal safety. You travel in a
private car, with 2 Egyptians: your private Egyptologist guide and
your driver. You are as inconspicuous as it's possible for a
Westerner to be. Your guide & driver are both in constant cell
contact with our offices throughout
Egypt...our staff will know
where you are almost every minute of every day.
The United States Department of State has issued no new travel
warnings, advisories or alerts for
Egypt. The most recent issuance
from the State Department concerning
Egypt was as part of the
general Advisory regarding Avian Flu. Under the current world
conditions the State Department's recommendation, and the
recommendation of our Embassy in
Cairo is: maintain a discrete
profile, avoid large crowds or demonstrations, be alert about your
surroundings and generally exercise prudence...and this is excellent
advice no matter where or when you travel.
Air travel continues to be safe, both internationally and within
Egypt. And the security precautions the Egyptian government has had
in place to protect tourists since 1997 are impressive. There are
metal detectors at the entries to all the sites, and at the hotel
entryways plus you might see sniffer dogs and might be prevented
from driving directly to the hotel entrance unless your vehicle
passes a stringent inspection. You will see the military presence
everywhere and over-the-road travel between certain cities tourists
frequent is by army escorted convoy. And, consequently, there have
been no problems in mainland
Egypt.
Tourism is one of the country's most important sources of hard
currency, and besides not wanting any untoward incidents,
Egypt is
pragmatic and wants in no way to jeopardize a vital economic
benefit. And, quite frankly, I would never want to send guests over
to my favorite destination in the world if I didn't have an
excellent expectation that their time spent would be thoroughly and
completely wonderful.
Egypt is just too important to me, and too
special a place, to sell short.
So, to answer the question...safety in mainland
Egypt is excellent.
I usually travel in
Egypt alone...and it would be impossible to
mistake me for anything other than a "Western woman of a certain
age"...and I'm usually off the beaten path of the tourist
route...and I have never had even the slightest problem. If seeing
Egypt has always been your dream, this is a good time to turn the
dream into reality.
I had the great good fortune to have met with Dr. Zahi Hawass, the
Director General of the Supreme Council of Egyptian Antiquities
during my trip in January 2004. I will pass along his comment on
Tourism Safety in
Egypt which he made in answer to a question about
travel safety in his country during a book-signing tour in the
United States… “When you get to Heaven, I tell you, you will not be
admitted…you will be sent back to Earth again if you haven’t seen
Egypt.” Thank you, Dr. Hawass. I am unable to add even one single
word that would make that statement stronger or more true.
Egypt is safe
for foreigner women
About
foreign women who traveling alone
Foreign women travelling alone in
Egypt are generally
very safe; however they will be noticed much less in larger cities
than in smaller towns or in the countryside. Should any problems or
difficulties arise, help should be sought from the police or any
shopkeeper in the vicinity! Women shouldn't walk alone in isolated
areas, which is true in any other city or place around the world.
Though most male advances are innocent and harmless, women should
not accept these advances from strangers. And dressing
appropriately is just plain common sense!
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