When I decided to go to Egypt I met a lot of negativity from friends and family. The words dangerous and unsafe popped up in every conversation, not to mention an the concern that I would be harassed; me as a woman.
As primarily a solo female traveler, I’m no stranger to these types of warnings and usually manage to brush them off. But, I’ll admit, I was a little worried about coming to Egypt. Stories from other women about sexual violence and unwanted attention. Tales from other travelers about being harassed in the streets, constantly asked for money, being taken advantage of and treated rudely. Not to mention that the government of the United States has marked Egypt as a place to avoid all non-essential travel. Egypt was definitely one of those places that I heard more bad than good about. But, it was also a destination that I dreamed to visit since I was a little girl and I also don’t pay to many attention to the media .
Cairo will be almost everybody’s first introduction to Egypt (unless you’re here to lay on the beach). The ideal position of the city offers you the possibility of various trips and excursions.
Vacations in Egypt have always been attractive to tourists. However, traveling to an Arab country is not the
same as traveling elsewhere, so you should keep in mind that you have to follow some of their rules and
lifestyle.
Here’s what you should know before packing your suitcases and heading to Egypt or another resort in
this wonderful country
Whether you will enjoy Cairo or not is up for debate; I guess it will depend on your tolerance levels and your capability to adjust to different cultures. While it is true that the Pyramids of Giza are close by, Cairo itself is somewhat short of major tourist attractions.
Yet a couple of nights here is perhaps all it takes to appreciate and understand the Egyptian way of life. Walk around Khan el-Khalili markets, try some local street food, visit a mosque or two, and then prepare yourself for that journey down south to Luxor – which is probably the city most people most associate with Egypt anyway!
In the 10 days, I spend in Egypt I never felt unsafe, I know a lot could influence this the fact I look a bit Egyptian with my black hair and my big eyes helped.
Must off all was because I had a guide who took cared me the all-time.
Having a local around who know all the rules and the tricks was very helpful.
Well don’t get me wrong I got a lot of attention as obviously as a tourist.
In terms of my experiences with the men, I never was made to feel uncomfortable and also I traveled to many Arabic countries before and its no differences.
Based on my experience, would I recommend Egypt to a solo female traveler? To be honest, yes and no.
Yes, you should go to Egypt as an Solo female travel and no you should not be touring around alone special in Cairo, here why.
Cairo it’s a very big city with 20 million people and the public transportation is not the best.
Tours are good because you get a good overview of the Country and you get a “feel” for the place. Plus all of the hassles of transfers, entrance fees, etc are taken care of. On the downside, Egypt is a developing country and you will receive a fair amount of “hassle” from vendors, some people find this intimidating, being with a guide reduces the amount of hassle.
Egypt is really easy to travel around independently and it is relatively cheap to hire guides and cars/taxis for the day.
Where to stay is a very important fact since the city is very big and sometimes take 1 hour to cross town(especially if the present has an intention to leave his house).
Where to Stay in Cairo?
Cairo is a vast city of over eighteen million people and still growing.
With so many mouths to feed and families to accommodate the city continually expands into the surrounding desert. The pyramids, once isolated on the sandy Giza plateau now rest on the very edge of town. And were it not for the River Nile, splitting the city like a snake, there are few visible landmarks to help orientate first time visitors.
Hotels in Cairo are spread across the city so it’s highly advisable to book a room before you arrive. You’ll find every kind of accommodation in the city from 7 star hotels to budget hostels and guest houses.
Before deciding where to stay in Cairo, it’s a good idea to first pick a district:
Giza
If you want to wake up to a view of the Pyramids (smog permitting) in the morning then this is the place to stay. Giza is not strictly part of Cairo. Formerly a village on the West bank of the Nile, Giza has expanded into a massive bustling district while Cairo has grown to engulfed it on all sides.
The Great Pyramid, the sphinx, and Cairo University are all located here. Most of the city’s other places of interest are to be found in Cairo proper.
Unless you want to spend all day every day exploring the pyramids, it’s advisable to base yourself in one of the city’s other districts and travel to Giza.
I stayed in Giza because I want to wake up looking at them every day ? but it’s totally personal, if you like to be around a lot things and don’t want the white like I did I totally recommend
Central Cairo & Downtown
DOWNTOWN is the area behind the Egyptian Museum and Tahrir Square. It’s here that most of the budget accommodation is to be found as well shops, cafes, restaurants and travel agencies. It’s also one of the loudest and most congested parts of the city.
On the other side of the Egyptian museum is the River Nile. Many of central Cairo’s 5 star hotels are located along it’s east bank including the Ramses Hilton, the Nile Hilton and the Sheraton. If you’re partial to some metropolitan madness and want to be within easy reach of the majority of the city’s sites, then head downtown…
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