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Useful Info Health Insurance It is advisable to insure oneself and one's family while taking an overseas trip. An insurance policy to cover for theft, loss and health is a wise decision. When u plan your holiday ensure that if you are under an insurance cover and do plan to undertake any activities like scuba diving, motorcycling etc do check and note if you are covered. Make it a point to keep and carry all records of your insurance and take pains to understand minute details with regards to all aspects of the policy. Medical Kit It is advisable to carry a well-stocked medical kit with a card mentioning any allergies and reactions to medicines with your personal information. It is also makes sense to carry prescriptions of medications you are on as well as their generic names in case you run out of them and need to procure them locally. Carry a spare pair of contact lenses or spectacles and the prescription if you wear glasses. It is also advisable to carry plenty of insect repellant and precautionary anti- malarial tablets even though there is a low risk of malaria in this area. There is a low risk of Yellow fever in North Africa and one does not require immunisations if travelling from overseas but one may require a yellow fever certificate if one is coming from countries in South America or Sub Saharan Africa. It is imperative you check with a doctor with regard to the immunisations and follow up doses. Make sure you carry adequate sun- block, insect repellants and Chap Stick. Health Precautions Drink only bottled water and ensure the caps are sealed before you buy them. Be careful of drinking juices from local vendors as it may be mixed with local water. Avoid open cut fruits and vegetables on display. If required do carry water purification tablets and drink plenty of water during the summer to prevent dehydration. Carry oral electrolyte sachets as a part of your medical kit. Care should be taken in swimming in fresh water pools because they can be carriers of a variety of infections predominant in the area. It is advisable to swim in pools, which are well chlorinated. Ensure that you also do not swim with cuts and wounds, which can be entry for some microorganisms. Electricity The wall plugs are two pronged European types. It is wise to bring your own adapters or transformers. In Egypt it is 50 cycles AC and 220 Volts. Dress Pack clothes, which are modest because of the conservative surroundings. It is a good idea to pack a sweater, as the evenings tend to get chilly but also ensure you carry a lot of cotton clothes, hats, scarves and sunglasses during summer and woolens during winter. Do not forget your bathing suit or the trousers if you fancy a camel ride. It makes sense to invest in a good pair of walking shoes or sneakers. Holidays Egypt is predominantly Muslim hence it is necessary to keep in mind that Friday is a holiday and since they follow the Lunar Calendar their holidays change annually. Public Holidays * National Revolution Day - July 23, 2004 * Armed Forces Day - October 6, 2004 * Eid Al Fitr - November 13 - 14, 2004 * Waqfat Arafat - January 20, 2005 * Eid El Adha - January 21 - 24, 2005 * Islamic New Year - February 10, 2005 * Prophet's Birthday - April 21, 2005 * Sinai Liberation Day - April 25, 2005 * Sham El Nessim (Egyptian Easter) - May 1, 2005 * Liberation or Evacuation Day - June 18, 2005 It is advisable to check the holidays as they might be subject to change. Photography Ensure you carry enough film, as it is expensive in Egypt. It is polite to check while photographing women and people during prayer. One will require a flash to photograph inside monuments and a small fee will be charged at some sites to use your camera. Greetings Arabs are very expressive with their hands as well as face. It is important to note that the left hand is considered unclean and hence try to make it a point to take or receive something one uses one's right hand. It is quite natural in Arab societies where men are taken by the arm or hand and led along when asked for directions and it is also natural for them to hold hands and does not mean anything. A right hand over your heart means "no thanks" when you are offered something you want to refuse and when you have enough to drink you can put your hand over the cup. Egyptians say "no" merely by raising the eyebrows and raising the head up and back. Shaking the head side to side means, " I do not understand". They also use the term Insha'allah quite often which means 'god willing', this is almost a standard reply when asked about a particular event or outcome. Hello, 'salãm alekum', literally means 'peace upon you'. This can be responded to by 'wa alekum es salãm', which means 'and peace upon you'. Egyptians have elaborate good-byes as well and welcome concerns about their health and welfare. Visiting Mosques Tourists are allowed to visit only those mosques, which are designated as "tourist sites" by the Ministry of Tourism. Prayer in a mosque takes place five times a day and one cannot visit the mosque at those times. It is only appropriate to dress modestly and not wear revealing or tight fitting clothes or shorts to these places of worship. One should be prepared to take one's shoes off or opt for a shoe covering while entering the mosque, the shoe coverings are available outside the mosques for a few piastres. Visiting Egyptian Homes Muslims are very scrupulous about washing hands before a meal and prayers and using their right hand. It is important to note that wine is not appropriate gift to take while visiting an Egyptian house. It is also considered rude if one sits with the soles of one's feet showing, as the feet are considered unclean. Customs It is sensible to declare all items of value especially photo and video equipment on arrival at the airport and have it recorded by the customs in your passport with the serial number. Egyptian Embassies United Kingdom Address 2 Lowndes St. London Swi xqet Telephone (44) 2359777 / 2359 719 Address 26 South street. London W.1.Y 6 DD. Telephone (71) 4992401 / 4992567 Fax (71) 3553568 France Address 166 AVENUE DE HAMBOURG 13008 MARSEILLE Telephone (33) 491250404 / 491251998 Fax (33) 491737931 Address 56,AVENUE D' IENA 75116 PARIS Telephone (33) 47209770 / 47207597 Fax (33) 47230643 United States Address 1110 Second Avenue New York, 10022 Telephone (212) 7597120 / 7597121 / 75917122 Fax (212) 3087643 Address 2000 WEST LOOP SOUTH Houston,TX 77027 Telephone (713) 9614915 / 9614916 Fax (713) 9613868 Address 2310 Decatur Palace N.W.Washington D.C, 20008 Telephone 1 202-8955-400 Address 3001 Pacific Ave. San Francisco, Colifornia 94115 Telephone (415) 3469700 / 3469702 Fax (415) 3469408 Egyptian Tourist Offices United States
Europe
Canada
Egypt - Headquarters
Cairo Code +202
South Sinai : Code: +20-62
Egypt Air Tipping Most restaurants do include a service charge hence tipping is optional but it is the discretion of the traveller if he wants to tip for the service rendered. It may be advisable to carry candy or pens for children. |
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