For mass Russian tourist Egypt, along with Turkey, has always been one of the most popular resort destinations. Reasonable prices, year-round heat, stunningly beautiful sea with the richest underwater world- all this can compensate for any shortcomings of the tourist service, which, however, friendly Egyptians are trying to eradicate from year to year.
Most of the offers from travel agencies are directed to the two main resort centers of Egypt - Hurghada and Sharm el-Sheikh. Almost all major airlines regularly offer flights to these destinations. The capital of Egypt, Cairo, is also very popular.
Climate of Egypt
In Egyptian territory, the climate changes from subtropical in the north in the area Mediterranean Sea, to tropical as you move south. 96% of the territory is desert, active life is concentrated in the delta and on the banks of the Nile. In winter and spring, the temperature does not exceed 33-35 degrees, but often blow strong winds from the desert, sandstorms are frequent in such areas. On winter nights, temperatures can drop dramatically, so it's best to take at least some warm clothes with you. In summer, the temperature rises, and can reach 45 degrees in August, but the sea in summer is truly remarkably warm - up to 27-28 degrees. Although in winter its temperature does not drop below 21 degrees. Bathing season here it is open all year round. Even heatwave tolerated well, as the climate in Egypt is very dry.
Egypt beaches
The shores of the Red Sea with sandy beaches- the real pride of Egypt. The best resorts coasts - Hurghada, Sharm el-Sheikh, Soma, Makadi Bay, Safaga, El Gouna are famous for their incredibly blue, as well as gentle and warm sea... The water in the Red Sea is very clean and salty (which is often suitable for tourists who come to restore their health). Not a single freshwater river flows into the Red Sea, which maintains its constant salinity at a very high level.
The beaches of Egypt always offer a wonderful opportunity to do aquatic species sports, scuba diving, sailing. Every tourist will find entertainment for every taste.
The beginning of the journey. customs control
For citizens of the former CIS, an Egyptian visa, worth $ 25, is issued at the airport (a special stamp is glued to the passport). A visa for children with a passport is also paid.
Customs in Egypt have their own specific requirements. Corals and shells cannot be exported from Egypt. Foreign currency is imported without restrictions, for personal use it is allowed to import 250 grams of tobacco, a liter of alcohol or 50 cigars. You can take out 2 liters of alcohol purchased in duty-free shops.
Transport in Egypt
You can move on local shuttle buses(£ 2 per person) or by taxi (depending on the distance of the route). It is advisable to agree in advance with the driver about the price and not deviate from the agreed amount. It is better not to rent a car, it is not too safe due to low culture road traffic in the country.
Safety regulations
As for the rules of conduct, they primarily concern beautiful ladies. Egypt is a Muslim country. Mini-skirts and open blouses will not be the most the best choice, although the Egyptians, in principle, are used to foreign tourists. It is not worth flirting with the locals, just as openly swearing with them and insulting them.
When swimming in the sea, it must be remembered that corals can injure an unwary tourist, and on them you can find marine life which should not be disturbed. Do not drink tap water in the hotel - it can cause severe stomach upset. Money and valuables must be kept in a safe. Theft, unfortunately, is quite common in Egypt. Currency exchange is best done at a bank. You can also do this at the hotel, but this is unlikely to be beneficial. After the exchange, it is important to check the received money. Dexterous Egyptian fraudsters sometimes substitute large bills for smaller ones, using similar-looking banknotes.
Types of local population
While traveling in Egypt, you may come across interesting types of locals. Surely during the excursions you will see extremely annoying Egyptians begging for "baksheesh". Most often these are children, but adults do not disdain begging. Offering a variety of services, from photography, to the services of a guide or guide, and in any case, the result will be the same - you will be asked to give the assistant "baksheesh" with a smile. If you do not want to part with your finances more often than you should, it is better to be on the alert. Also, an innocent tourist at every step will be awaited by local traders and “lovers of ride”. Often, traders will beckon to their shop, claiming that he will simply show the goods, and there is no need to buy anything. But rest assured, they are not going to let you out without buying. Therefore, if you do not need this or that product or service, be firm and do not respond to the pleas of the locals. Remember - tourists are one of the main ways of earning money for them.
Tipping in Egypt is also a different story. Be prepared to ask them of you for any, even insignificant service, and not giving a small reward is considered bad form. It is better to have a certain amount of small money with you, in local or foreign currency. It will be enough to give one or two Egyptian pounds, depending on the situation.
If you have any problems with the locals, there is a special tourist police in Egypt. These are people in black uniforms with a machine gun or a pistol. They can be found almost everywhere in resort towns... You can always turn to them for help. The mere mention of the tourist police often silences even the most lively local.
Egypt hotels
All of them are almost 100% all-inclusive. For comparison, there are much fewer such hotels in the resorts of Turkey and Greece. Typically, breakfast included and half board are offered there most often. It happens that a hotel in Egypt is located far from settlement, but they all have a well-developed infrastructure. A large number of all kinds of services: restaurants, bars, cafes, shops, entertainment establishments most often located directly on the territory of the hotel. Many services are offered free of charge, but there are always those for which you have to pay extra. This should be clarified as you arrive at a particular hotel.
Payment systems in hotels may vary. Some use a magnetic card system that records the amount paid services during the rest, and some - the check system. Any receipts issued by the hotel staff must be kept with you and not thrown away until final check-out. Some services may be paid for in cash.
Check-out in all hotels is carried out at 12.00, check-in - at 14.00.
It is worth repeating about the safe for storing money and valuables. You should definitely use it and keep the code secret from strangers. It can be free or offered for a separate surcharge of $ 1-3.
Nutrition
In Egypt, you can choose for yourself: eat in a restaurant for tourists or in canteens and public catering for local residents... The choice of food in restaurant canteens is usually very varied, but it is better to give preference to dishes more familiar to a Russian person, without "exoticism." You cannot drink tap water, it is recommended to drink only water from tightly packed bottles. If you prefer local eateries, go for the more crowded. Locals will not go to a canteen where they do not cook well or wash dishes. It is not accepted to eat with the left hand in Egypt, this hand is considered "dirty, unclean." Bargaining should be moderate in local eateries, prices are low initially.
Purchases
If you want to buy souvenirs from the land of the pharaohs for yourself or your family, you will always be offered various figurines depicting gods, pictures from papyrus, figurines from alabaster, basalt or granite, hookah, perfumes from aromatic oils. The prices of the overwhelming number of stores are either approximate or far from the truth. Bargaining in stores should be "until you lose your pulse" - the price can be knocked down several times! Bargaining must be thoughtful, unhurried and not hesitant. Those who buy without bargaining are not highly respected in Egypt. After hearing the £ 300 price tag, feel free to suggest 10! The cost of the goods will be clear already in the bargaining process. It is also necessary to check the quality of goods on the spot. For example, stone figurines may not be stone at all, but made of painted plaster, on which it is easy to leave a white stripe. Aromatic oils should only be purchased from specialized factories. A visit to such a factory is often included in the tour price. The shops on the territory of the hotel most often buy these oils and dilute them. The quality of the papyrus also varies. Low-quality and short-lived factory stampings are sold cheap, at 1-3 pounds each, but high-quality papyrus prints will cost much more. They are easy to distinguish by their neat drawing technique and, if possible, be crumpled and rolled up without damaging them. You should check the hookah you bought; you often come across souvenir hookahs, the use of which is very difficult or impossible for the intended purpose.
Egypt landmarks
Egypt is a country with a rich and ancient culture. Millions of tourists come here every year to see the ancient pyramids, temples, museums of antiquities. Most of the attractions are concentrated in Cairo, Luxor and Aswan. In Cairo on central square Tahrir is the world famous museum of Egyptian culture, and if you are in the capital, be sure to visit it. If you are a student or schoolboy, having issued an ISIC international student card, you can save up to 50% of the ticket cost. In addition, you will have an additional international document in your hands, which can be useful in case of an emergency, for example, the loss of other identity documents or getting into the police. Also in Cairo, in the Giza district, there are the well-known Great Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx. Every tourist will be interested in seeing one of the seven ancient wonders of the world. You can get there by a local minibus, which can be found in the square (if you are traveling on your own).
You can go on excursions by ordering them from the guide of your travel agency, which you can always find at the hotel. But it is worth remembering that tourists traveling on an excursion with such a guide do not have the right to move between cities, since they are tied to a specific hotel! You can easily organize your trip on your own and get to the cities of interest from the bus station in Hurghada or Sharm El Sheikh. However, you should always remember that unknown guides should not be trusted. Money and documents must be kept with you and monitored; it would be best to buy a special bag for them, which is hung around the neck.
In addition to Cairo, Luxor deserves special attention - a city in the south of Egypt, one of the most interesting for fans of Egyptian culture. This is one of the ancient capitals of Egypt, which was called Thebes. The city is divided by the Nile into eastern and western parts, the eastern one in ancient times was considered the city of the living, in which ordinary people lived, and the western one was the city of the dead, and there is also the Valley of the Kings, and the dead pharaohs were buried in it. On the east coast Neela is ancient temple the sun god Amon-Ra, where hundreds of unique statues, columns and paintings, the age of which reaches 4.5 thousand years. On the west bank you can visit the tombs of the ancient pharaohs, the entrance ticket gives the right for 3 such visits. Also within Luxor, you can visit the perfectly preserved temple of the ancient queen of Egypt, Hatshepsut.
In the very south of the country, on the border with Sudan, there is the city of Aswan, famous primarily for its Abu Simbel temple. Also in Aswan, tourists are invited unforgettable journey on sailing boats on the Nile, excursions to local tombs, cozy botanical garden, the Aga Khan mausoleum. Entry tickets in any of the temples do not exceed $ 4 per person.
The Egyptians themselves prefer to vacation in Alexandria on the Mediterranean in the summer, and in Aswan in winter.
Conclusion
Egypt is not only an ancient country with a distinctive and mysterious culture, but, undoubtedly, the main "health resort" and a place of tourist pilgrimage for residents of the post-Soviet space. Be that as it may, this country is truly captivating. Despite the originality local customs, flaws in the tourist service and an unusually hot climate for a Soviet person, a visit to this country will bring a lot of unforgettable impressions, pleasure and reveal all the facets of the exotic beauty of the East.
Whether you are traveling in a familiar and safe European country, or going on a trip to exotic places, you need to remember about a number of universal rules.
Take care of a good one before the trip travel insurance... Ask the insurance agent in detail what risks the insurance covers, whether the loss of luggage will be compensated, and whether it is possible to insurance policy get dental care. An employee of an insurance company may not immediately tell about all the nuances, but he is obliged to answer questions honestly and in detail. Don't skimp on insurance. Believe me, this is not the case when you can save.
Consider keeping money while traveling. If you have a plastic deposit, great. It is better to have several cards from different banks. It is not uncommon for the card to be suddenly blocked, if you have withdrawn a large amount, or the ATM decides not to give back exactly yours. golden visa gold ". Have a couple of backup options in case. Be sure to take cash with you so that you can pay with something, water at the nearest kiosk until you find the right ATM.
Make copies of passports and tickets. Place them separately from your documents. It would be nice to send copies of documents in electronic form to your mail. Even if absolutely everything is stolen from you in a foreign country, the local police will help you to your embassy, and it is much faster and easier to restore passports with existing copies.
Take a little time and find out at least the basic rules and customs of the countries where you are going. For example, in many Asian countries shouting and raising your voice means losing face. If you are unhappy with something and shouted at the service staff in a cafe or hotel, then most likely your requirements will be met. But they will stop respecting you once and for all. And in the future they will be treated accordingly. In many Muslim countries, women should not walk around in miniskirts, and men should gaze very closely at a figure in a hijab. In India, you should not rush and fuss, otherwise you will be considered a frivolous, empty person.
If you are flying by plane, in addition to documents and a book, take a set of spare linen, medicines that you regularly need, glasses and valuables in your carry-on baggage. Even the most famous and prestigious airline cannot boast that it has never lost a passenger's luggage. Usually the luggage will be found sooner or later, but for now, underwear, glasses and headache pills will come in handy.
Do not try to try all the dishes of exotic cuisine on the first day upon arrival at a new place. Get used to the local cuisine gradually, do not force the body. And do not drink too many alcoholic beverages for at least the first 2-3 days.
Drink plenty of water on the plane. The body spends a lot of fluid in flight. On average, you need to drink at least a glass of water every hour.
Observe basic safety rules. Don't put on your best on vacation at once. Leave your gold chains, rings, bracelets, designer pants and fancy bags at home. Do not give another reason to thieves and scammers. Decide what is more important for you - to see the world or to show yourself? Do not let strangers into your room, bungalow, house, compartment. If you and these people were sitting at the same table yesterday in a cafe, they should not pass from the category of unfamiliar to the category of “friends forever”.
And the main rule in travel, which for some reason is often forgotten even by the most advanced tourists - enjoy. Learn to enjoy everything new and unusual, from what you see, hear, taste, feel for the first time. Appreciate every moment, treat any transport delays, changes in plans easily and calmly, like a fun adventure.
In this article I will try to sort everything out - from boarding a plane, staying at a hotel, to flying home.
So, after buying a tour, you should have three vouchers in your hands, an agreement with a travel agency (it may not be - it depends on the tour operator), air tickets. The entire package of documents, except for the contract, travel companies can send you to your email address, and you print them yourself. These documents are issued 2-3 days before departure.
Sometimes a representative of the tour operator will issue them directly at the airport of departure on the day of departure. Please note - not a representative of a travel agency, but a representative of a tour operator! See the name of your tour operator in the contract with the travel agency.
Moreover, sometimes the tour operator of the sending and receiving sides may be different. If this is a large Russian operator like Tez-Tour, Coral Travel, Pegas Turistik and others, then the receiving and sending sides will be the same. Which, of course, is more convenient for a tourist.
The Turkish coast beckons ...
Tourists get to the airport on their own 2.5-3 hours before departure. Look at the flight number of your plane on the ticket and go to the check-in counter for the plane. There you get boarding passes and check in your luggage, before that you can wrap it with foil so that the bags do not break during loading and unloading.
After you head to passport control- the border guard checks passports and go to the search hand luggage and the contents of the pockets. You should not have with you more than 200 milliliters of liquid, piercing-cutting objects (nail scissors, etc.).
At the end of all these procedures, you will find yourself in a duty-free trade in duti-free, where you can buy acogol, cigarettes, perfume, souvenirs, etc. When buying, at the checkout you must present your boarding pass... Next, look for the boarding gate number (GATE).
Again, you are guided by the flight number indicated in the ticket. Smoking is prohibited on the territory of the airports. And few airports have equipped smoking areas. However, so far this ban does not apply to electronic cigarettes. But on the plane, some airlines have already begun to prohibit not only ordinary cigarettes, but also electronic ones.
Warm turkish sand
Upon arrival in Turkey, all tourists go through passport control and go to the baggage claim hall. It is not necessary to obtain any visa - Turkey has long been a visa-free state for Russians.
The bags go out on a conveyor and after passing along the "green corridor" go out into the street to the curbstones with the logos of tour operators. Find your tour operator, show him the vouchers and he will direct you to the right bus... Or, if you have an individual transfer - at the exit from the arrivals area there will be a guide with a sign with your name.
Everything! From now on, the guide will accompany you to the hotel itself. On the way, the guide will definitely ask - who and how many times has been in Turkey. Introduce the bus driver - casually (I wrote about this in a separate article). If you are not too lazy, he will conduct a short excursion.
Check-in at the hotel from two o'clock in the afternoon. Room keys, towel cards, wrist bracelets - all of this you get at the reception. Often inexperienced tourists, the hotel administration tries to accommodate in worse rooms, holding best numbers hoping that they would not ask to change the room.
So, if you don't like the room, go to the reception desk and firmly and clearly state that you will not live there. Do it without scandal, but simply state your position clearly and firmly. It usually works without any money (bakshisha). Sometimes you have to give a little - depending on the level of the hotel, the amount can vary from 10 to 100 dollars.
The next day, after check-in, there is a meeting with the tour operator's guide. The most important thing for you is to take his phone number, give him your voucher, and listen to information about the hotel. Most of the meeting will be dedicated to stories about the excursion. As a rule, they are much more expensive from tour operators.
The day before departure from the hotel, see the departure information at the information booth. The flight number usually does not change, but the departure time is often changed. Therefore, this information is very important, do not miss it. The room is vacated until 12 noon.
Fish-watermelon day 🙂
On the way to the airport, tourists will definitely be brought to some shopping center. At the airport, the guide should take you to the check-in counter for the plane and make sure that all tourists receive boarding passes.
Although some guides just show you to the airport doors, they wish you a safe journey and leave. When going through security, many forget simple thing- liquids over 100 milliliters in carry-on baggage are prohibited! Moreover, when they fly to Turkey - they remember this, when from Turkey - they completely forget!
I had a case when a whole collection of expensive alcohol was taken away from a group of not poor tourists. If you are carrying liquids with you, no matter what, pack them, wrap them in towels and put them in your luggage bags. Upon arrival, go through passport control, pick up your luggage and leave the airport through the “green corridor”.
What you need to know when buying a tour - useful articles and notes for travelers on "The intricacies of tourism".
- Tours for May Worldwide
- Last Minute Tours Worldwide
Planning a long-awaited vacation is a reverently pleasant activity for everyone, without exaggeration. I would like the rest to turn out, if not ideal, then certainly memorable, emotional, but it is not easy to immediately grasp and understand all the intricacies of the upcoming tour. Therefore, in this article we will try to tell you about the main points that you need to know about when choosing a tour.
What is a "package" tour and how is it different from an "individual" one?
All tours can be divided into two main groups: tours formed by the tour operator - the so-called "package", and tours that, if necessary, can be collected and transformed to suit any needs of the tourist. Relatively speaking, a "package" tour is a ready-made set for recreation, which includes air or train tickets, transfer, hotel accommodation and medical insurance. The prices have already been calculated by the tour operator and provided for use - you do not need to find out on your own how much a ticket or hotel costs. Today you can buy a "package" tour without leaving your home on the site putevki.ru. An individual tour is like a constructor - it can be modeled from blocks (flight, hotel, transfer) forming even the most difficult trip. A classic example of such a trip is a tour when a family of three flew on vacation, but dad needs to fly out earlier, and grandmother will fly to his place in the room, and at the same time, the mother and child will remain at the resort all this time. Individual tours, as a rule, turn out to be significantly more expensive, and wait for them special offers- a senseless undertaking.
What should be included in the package of documents for the tour?
The standard package of documents for the tour includes a voucher, medical insurance, tickets and a passport with a visa (if you plan to travel to a "visa" country). Recently, documents are provided to tour operators in electronic form - the data of tourists have already been entered into the bases of the airline, hotel and host (which meets tourists at the arrival airport), as well as the insurance company. Therefore, the traveler receives printed copies in his hands, which are equated to documents with seals. You should not be afraid of such documents - no one will be accommodated in the hotel instead of you, even if there is a similar set, and registration for the plane is carried out only on the basis of a passport.
How to pay for tours?
The easiest and most familiar way is to pay in cash. In this case, you receive a cashier's check, since the federal law "On the use of cash registers when making cash settlements and settlements using payment cards" dated May 22, 2003 obliges organizations and individual entrepreneurs to issue customers when receiving cash and settlements with using payment cards, cash receipts printed by cash registers. However, first of all, the customer needs a cashier's check: it, together with the contract, serves as evidence that you have purchased and paid for the goods (in our case, a tour). In the event of non-standard situations, cash will be returned by the agency upon presentation of the tour agreement and receipt.
If the tour is purchased in an online store, then you can pay for the tour online using bank cards.
What does health insurance cover and what to do if you get sick on vacation?
In case of unforeseen circumstances related to the life and health of a tourist, tour operators, as a rule, include a travel health insurance policy in the standard travel package. If during the trip a tourist falls ill, then medical assistance will be provided free of charge, but only on condition of a preliminary call to the phones indicated in the policy. When you contact medical institutions without a referral from the insurance company, you will have to pay for all services yourself. In addition, not all diseases will be treated with insurance: exacerbations of chronic diseases, cases associated with pregnancy, dental treatment (only relieve pain) are not insured events, and insurers are also very careful about injuries sustained while intoxicated.
What if I have booked and paid for the tour and now I cannot go on vacation?
In each case, this issue is considered individually. All tour operators have a system of penalties for canceling the tour, and the amounts can range from 0 to 100%. It depends on the reasons for the refusal and, above all, on the amount of time before the start of the trip - the shorter this period, the greater the fine. To prevent such situations from arising, you can take out travel cancellation insurance.
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What is cancellation insurance?
Travel cancellation insurance or travel cancellation (interruption) insurance is used if the tourist is not sure that he will be able to travel. The most common reason for such insurance is a trip to a "visa" country or a vacation with children. However, do not forget that not all cases are "insurance" - a simple unwillingness to travel cannot serve as a basis for payment of compensation.
With some exceptions, insurance companies recognize as insured events: Cases of hospitalization, serious injury, infectious disease (requiring quarantine measures), death, non-receipt of a visa, subpoena, damage to property, and some other cases.
All of the above reasons fully apply to the close relatives of the tourist, who are the father, mother, children, legal spouse, siblings, grandparents, grandchildren.
You should also pay attention to the fact that the insurance indemnity is paid by the insurance company, so you need to monitor the correctness of the paperwork at the stage of booking the tour. To receive compensation for expenses, the insurer should be notified in writing about the occurrence of the insured event and provide supporting documents.
What is a Franchise?
Franchise is stipulated by the conditions insurance contract, part of the tourist's losses that are not subject to compensation from the insurer. In tourism, a franchise can often be found in a medical policy equal to thirty dollars / euros. This means that if a tourist is provided with medical assistance for one hundred dollars / euros, then thirty of them are paid by the tourist himself, and seventy - by the insurance company. This also applies to insurance against cancellation, only the amounts are usually not fixed, but as a percentage of the cost of the tour. If you have the opportunity to choose, then it is better to take out insurance without a deductible.
The official language of the Kingdom of Nepal is Nepali. But in the main tourist centers the English language is widespread.
The national currency of the country is the Nepalese rupee, which consists of one hundred pais. $ 1 costs 8 rupees. You can exchange currency only through a bank or an official exchange office. Banks are open from 10.00 to 14.30 from Sunday to Thursday and from 10.00 to 12.30 on Fridays. On Saturdays - an official day off in Nepal - banks are closed.
The climate in Nepal is monsoon, with a pronounced altitudinal zonation. In the Kathmandu Valley, the country's most visited tourist area, the year is divided into two seasons: dry (October-May) and wet (June-September). In May-June, the temperature in Kathmandu exceeds 30oC, in winter it drops below 0oC.
To visit the country, Russian citizens need a visa. To receive it at the Nepal Embassy in Moscow, you need one photo, a valid passport. The minimum processing time is two days. The consular fee is $ 30. While in the country, you can extend your visa at the Immigration Department.
A special permit is required for tourists arriving in Nepal for trekking. It is issued in four main mountain areas: Kanchenjunga and Lower Dolpa, Upper Mustang and Upper Dolpa, Manaslu and Jumla. At the same time, each tourist is charged a fee in Nepalese rupees at the rate of $ 10 to $ 700, depending on the area and length of stay.
Tourists are allowed to import a mini-computer, audio and video equipment with a corresponding mark in the passport on the mandatory export. When leaving the country, a note is made in the passport about the export of the inscribed item. Special permission must be obtained from the Department of Archeology when exporting items of any historical or artistic value from the country.
All people in Nepal are deeply religious. This should be remembered by tourists visiting places of worship. As a sign of respect before entering a Hindu temple or Buddhist Holy place visitors take off their shoes. Therefore, during excursions to temples, open sandals are more comfortable than any other shoe. Some temples are only allowed for Hindus. It is forbidden to enter churches with any leather goods with you. It is best not to touch the believers or the offerings made for the gods. According to tradition, a temple or stupa is bypassed from left to right.
In order to make life easier for foreign tourists, a special police department operates in Nepal. His phone number is 2-20-18. In case of problems, you can call the Tourism Department by phone: 24-70-41.
While in the country, you should beware of suspicious individuals posing as representatives of various companies and offering to conclude trade deals at low prices.
It is better to use safes in the hotel for storing valuables and documents. In no case should they be left unattended in a hotel room.
An airport tax of Nepalese Rupees 700 will be charged when departing from the country. For domestic flights, the airport tax is Rs 50.
It is allowed to photograph temples and stupas, religious processions and monuments. But before photographing, it is better to ask permission.
