All my life I have wanted to cruise down the river Nile. To see the pyramids the sphinx the eygptian life. Egypt is my once in a life time destination.

Let me know if you need a translator!

I will soooo do that

Just be VERY careful while in that part of the globe. With the rise of Islamic extremism and global terrorism, you'll run the risk of becoming a target.

I was supposed to go to Morocco for a job a couple of months ago when we got word of several terrorist car-bombs that had detonated in nearby Algeria. The fact that the bombings happened SO close to Morocco made the powers-that-be cancel the entire project, as they simply didn't want to be targets of the next act.

That is absolute rubbish! You have no experience of Egypt and so you make up complete stories.
I have lived in Egypt for years,and I have never had a problem.
I am there now. I am sitting in a cafe with wonderfully warm, friendly people making fun about the weather.

With comments like this,it is no wonder the Americans are afraid to come to the Middle East. Scaremongering and ignorance of the country have no place in a public forum.

Tourists should take the same precautions here as you do anywhere else. I feel safer here than I do in London.

You should do your homework before you talk about something you obviously have no idea about.

Come to Egypt and you will be welcomed everywhere you go. They want to know about your country, your family, and it is not nosiness, they have a genuine interest in things outside of Arabia.

... and for your information, I think you will find that Egypt to Algeria distancewise is nearly 1800 miles from one capital to the next, and Algeria is not "The Middle East" and Casablanca (Morocco) is another 1000 miles away
[shakes head in disgust, and walks away]

Hi Duncan

It may be that it's just safer for any person of any nationality other than an American to travel almost anywhere on the globe.
Not faulting the US people but they're glorious leaders aren't doing them any favours.

Hope you're enjoying yourself!

I have to agree with Belushi.
Help from Forums can be good, or useless.
I'd trust more the people who live in location, than people who think-how-things-are.

There are forums more dedicated to Travel than this one, Lonely Planets Thorn tree for example.

If this is your once in a lifetime, go for it. Don't let forums, friends or family stop you.
And of course, bad trip (like diarrhea all the way) is always better than never leaving at all

Hi Harry,
Hope all is well with you.

I stand by my original statement. Its a load of rubbish.

The Americans are as welcome here as anyone else. In fact there are at least 4 Americans that I have met here. One of them has been here over 3 years.

Do you honestly think that your common-or-garden terrorist can be bothered to search out one British woman (because Lois is from the UK) to bomb her? Or even one member of the US? In the Sinai there are 10,000 peacekeeping troops here. All are American. What would you rather do? Use a suicide bomber on a tourist boat down the Nile and get a few Westerners and a lot of Arabs or get 100s of Westerners in one go?

Egypt is one of the safest countries in the Middle East for tourists. Sure its had its bombings and shootings, but then so has the majority of the US states and the UK had 30 years of it. did it stop people coming to the UK? No, of course not.

All this guy is doing is compounding his own ignorance of the region with his paranoic percieved fear of an area that is renowned for its hospitality and generosity, and then passing it on to someone else - incorrectly.

Homework Done,

http://www.travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1108.html

SAFETY AND SECURITY: Egypt suffered a series of deadly terrorist attacks in or near tourist sites in 2004, 2005, and 2006 – often coinciding with major local holidays. Prior to the October 2004 attack, there had been no terrorist incidents involving tourists in Egypt since the mid 1990s. Americans should be especially vigilant in crowded tourist areas in the Sinai, practice good personal security measures, and be alert to their surroundings. A heavy security presence is apparent to travelers throughout the country. Americans are encouraged to visit the U.S. Embassy in Cairo web site at http://cairo.usembassy.gov/ for the most up-to-date security information.

Since October 2004, three major, coordinated terrorist bombings targeting the Sinai Peninsula’s tourist infrastructure caused many deaths and hundreds of injuries, mostly to Egyptian nationals. U.S. citizens do not appear to have been targeted in any of these incidents, but many non-Egyptian tourists, including Americans, were killed or injured in these attacks.

Three explosions in the town of Dahab in April 2006 killed over 20 people and wounded at least 80 additional people, including five U.S. citizens. In July 2005, three explosions in Sharm el Sheikh killed over 60 people, including one American. In October 2004, three bombs detonated in Taba and two nearby tourist camps, killing 34 people, including one American. Evidence of instability in the Sinai has also been reflected in random attacks on vehicles transiting the interior and two bomb attacks on Multinational Force Observers near the Rafah border crossing in August 2005 and April 2006.

While the Egyptian Government took measures against the perpetrators of the 2004 and 2005 attacks, the April 2006 bombings reflect a persistent, indigenous threat of terror activities in the Sinai.

Travelers seeking to cross the Egyptian-Gaza border at Rafah are likely to encounter difficulty. The border is frequently closed and re-openings are announced on short notice. Travelers wishing to cross this border should contact the American Consulate General in Jerusalem for more information on the current status of the border crossing. Travelers should also refer to the Israel, West Bank and Gaza Travel Warning before traveling to Gaza.

U.S. citizens who still plan to visit the Sinai in spite of the persistent threat of terrorist attacks should exercise great caution. Travelers are reminded to remain alert to their surroundings, to avoid crowded tourist areas, and to use caution when visiting destination resorts and hotels without significant physical setback and security procedures.

In addition to the Sinai attacks, there were three terror attacks on crowded tourist destinations in Cairo in April 2005. In one, a lone suicide bomber killed three foreigners, including an American, at Cairo’s Khan el-Khalili Market. Three Americans were seriously injured in this incident.

There have been instances of instability and public disorder in some other areas of Egypt, most notably in the Nile Valley governorates of Assiut and Sohag, located between Cairo and Luxor. These governorates, along with the adjacent governorates of Minya and Qena, have been areas of extremist activity in the past. U.S. Embassy personnel traveling to these areas (apart from Luxor and adjacent tourist destinations) require advance approval. Egyptian authorities also restrict the travel of foreigners in these governorates. American citizens planning to travel in these areas should contact the Embassy prior to travel.

Public demonstrations occasionally take place in areas such as Tahrir Square in Cairo and in the vicinity of universities and mosques following the Friday noon prayers, including the Azhar mosque across from the Khan El Khalili Bazaar area. These demonstrations are typically accompanied by a heavy security presence. Roads in the vicinity are often closed. Americans should remain attuned to readily-available English-language media outlets and avoid all public demonstrations.
Travelers to Egypt's frontiers, including the borders with Libya, Sudan, and Israel and parts of the Sinai off the main, paved roads, must obtain permission from the Travel Permits Department of the Ministry of the Interior, located at the corner of Sheikh Rihan and Nubar Streets in downtown Cairo.

In addition, travelers should be aware that landmines have caused many casualties, including deaths of Americans, in Egypt. All travelers should check with local authorities before embarking on off-road travel. Known minefields are not reliably marked by signs, but are sometimes enclosed by barbed wire. After heavy rains, which can cause flooding and the consequent shifting of landmines, travelers should take care driving through build-ups of sand on roadways. Though mines are found in other parts of Egypt, the highest concentrations are in World War II battlefields along the Mediterranean coast west of Alexandria, the Eastern Desert between Cairo and the Suez Canal, and much of the Sinai Peninsula. Travelers are urged to be especially prudent in these areas.

For the latest security information, Americans traveling abroad should regularly monitor the Department of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs’ web site at http://travel.state.gov, where the current Travel Warnings and Travel Alerts, as well as the Worldwide Caution, can be found. Consular information is also available via the Internet on the U.S. Embassy Cairo’s web site at http://cairo.usembassy.gov/.

Up-to-date information on safety and security can also be obtained by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll free in the U.S. and Canada, or for callers outside the U.S. and Canada, a regular toll-line at 1-202-501-4444. These numbers are available from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays).

The Department of State urges American citizens to take responsibility for their own personal security while traveling overseas. For general information about appropriate measures travelers can take to protect themselves in an overseas environment, see the Department of State’s pamphlet A Safe Trip Abroad.

Be Careful!!

I'm very well, thank you!

Amazing how fear and propaganda can motivate.

I wonder, if more people traveled would the rest of the world have a different opinion of the rest of the world?

Union threat intel looks dated vs. our man on the ground. I agree, more long-term travelers might help PR, tourists are getting the fast-food version of the locale (leading to "I've seen hundreds of Americans and they were all whining! Etc."), not connecting with people. Question: does local Egyptian news reflect the real situation?

The above post was accurate viable information from the US State departments Egyptian Embassy.

I didn't post it for political debate. I posted it for the young lady who wishes to visit Egypt. So that she would have accurate information with which to plan her trip!

Eew, not the P word! Didn't mean to be disparaging about your info, by all means, gather information. I was raised by and with medical missionaries, that's my only frame of reference.

Military!

oh, and by the way ... Im in Dahab now!

Its a wonderfully warm place with lots laughing, smiling people ... surprise, surprise, its a fun place, and its safe.

There's a few Americans here too!!

Lois, do not listen to the paranoid ravings of two delusional xenophobes.

Come to Egypt ... its awesome

I didnt mention a Nationality!

Did you ride your scooter there?



Careful with your attacks on other users!!!

Yeah, yeah, yeah ...

Boooooring. As usual