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Select Egypt Travel Special safety measures
Safety procedures:
-Since Select Egypt Travel is a licensed travel agency
from the Ministry of Tourism, we officially inform the
Egyptian authorities of the data of all tourists travelling
through our company. Therefore, travelers are always secured
during their travel with us
-All our tours are always escorted by a company
representative that is well equipped and experienced to act
in all emergency situations
Transportation safety
procedure:
-All our vehicle drivers are prohibited to exceed a
speed of 100 kilometers per hour in highways in order to
ensure the safety of all our valuable passengers
-If we are traveling for a long distance around Egypt,
the vehicle will always have two drivers in order to
divide the driving task between them
-Any long distance traveling by vehicle will be done
in the morning to ensure the safety of the trip
-All our 4X4 jeeps are perfectly equipped for any
emergency situation. The equipments include motors that
are prepared to move in any sort of sands or clays, two
container of fuel kept in a safe place to be used in any
case of emergency, full equipment to change any flat
tire in minimum time, and a locomotive to be used when
needed.
-We only deal with hotels that are classified by the
Egyptian Ministry of Tourism to ensure maintaining the
highest quality for our guests making sure they are
secured at all times.
-When traveling using the railway services, we only
book for our guests in the trains specified for tourists
that receive the best services and have the best safety
procedures in the country
General
safety advices :
Although many foreign affairs authorities advice their
citizens against non-essential travel to Egypt, except
for some regions like Sharm El Sheikh, Hurghada, Luxor
and Aswan, we have to clarify that tourists from all
nationalities are totally secure in most destinations in
Egypt.
Tourist numbers have started increasing in many regions
around Egypt including Cairo the capital and the oasis
of the Western Desert of Egypt. Tourism companies'
representatives, tour guides, or even any Egyptian would
safeguard tourists with all their might. Moreover, if
the tourists avoid going to places where it is known
previously that there will be demonstrations, everything
will go smoothly in their trip.
It is always a good idea to follow the local news of
Egypt in order to know where demonstrations or large
gatherings will take place in order to avoid them
The Tahrir Square and the area around it, the Television
building in the Kornish Street, the areas around the
Israeli embassy and some other places around Cairo is
safe as long as there are no demonstrations. Most
demonstration usually take place on Friday, so always
monitor the news very well before the weekend and avoid
being in the location of a demonstration.
Furthermore, it is advisable to avoid the area around
the Police academy in Qatameya in the days when the
trial of the former Egyptian president, Mubarak, is
being held. There are usually some clashes before the
train begins and a huge traffic load.
Following the advices and instructions of local
authorities and tour representatives concerning
foreigners is always advisable Always carry your
passport with you all the time, especially in areas
where demonstrations are expected. Always keep a
photocopy of your official papers at the hotel in a safe
place
Although some demonstrators sometimes block streets and
highways, there are always secure alternative routs to
reach the destination spot.
There is a tourist police force that was established in
Egypt and they are quite helpful in assisting all
travelers.
The
situation in Sinai :
Sinai has always been a popular touristic destination in
Egypt. Having many wonderful beaches in Sinai has
attracted tourists from around the world for a long
time.
Although some regions in Sinai, especially in the North near
the border passage of Rafah, had some security issues
and concerns, cities like Sharm El Sheikh, Dahab, Ras
Suder, Neiwba, Taba, and the Saint Catharine region are
always safe and secure to visit at any time
Crime
:
In most destinations in Egypt petty crime rates remain low
in comparison to other regions and countries in the
world. However, some cases of purse snatching and
pickpocketing have been recorded in extremely remote
areas and crowded places. Therefore, travelers should
always pay attention to their valuable belongings.
If you are traveling with a reputable travel agency that is
licensed from the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism, you will
not have worry about these issues as the company's
representative will be escorting you most of the time,
giving you advice concerning transportation and which
neighborhoods to avoid, assist you and support you if
being exposed to any sort of crime or abuse.
Crimes should be reported as soon as possible to the
touristic police authorities in order ensure
prosecution. It is always a good idea to have a copy of
the police report with you after the incident
Terrorism :
Terrorist attacks have become a threat in Egypt, the same as
many other regions around the world, during the past few
years.
A number of terrorist attacks have been recorded in Egypt
including a small bombing in Khan El Khalili Touristic
bazaar in 2009 and the bombing of a Christian Church in
the beginning of 2011.
Travelers should always pay attention to their personal
safety and follow the instructions of the local
authorities and tour guides.
The Egyptian Police has shown a considerable improvement
during the past few years in securing tourists and
touristic destinations adding more security gates at the
entrances of most of the famous touristic and historical
sites, plus adding more policemen and police forces in
every spot where tourists are expected to go.
It is always safe, on the other hand, to walk around the
streets of cities like Cairo, Sharm, Hurghada, Luxor,
Aswan, and Alexandria individually or in groups.
Egyptians from all social sectors are well known for
their friendliness and hospitability.
Kidnapping :
Kidnapping incidents are extremely rare in Egypt. although
an incident of kidnapping tourists took place in
September 2008 when a group of Europeans were kidnapped
in Sothern Section of the Western Desert near the
Sudanese borders, it never occurred before in decades of
time and it never occurred inside any city or major road
that a tourist was ever kidnapped in Egypt.
Health in Egypt
-although there were some rare recorded cases of human
infection of bird flu in Egypt, chances of travelers, or
Egyptians, getting infected remain very low until today.
All the cases that were recorded having bird flu had
direct contact with dead or sick poultry
-It is always advisable when traveling to Egypt as any other
region around the work to keep all immunizations up to
date
-Medical services and care are good in Egypt especially in
private hospitals in major cities. Health services in
other regions around Egypt may prove to be rather basic
-It is always preferable for travelers to drink bottled
water as they are safer and quite cheap in Egypt
-Air pollution is an issue of concern in Egypt especially in
crowded cities like Cairo. Therefore, travelers with
respiratory problems should always pay attention to get
their medications with them.
-It is always advisable to have a travel insurance package
that covers all medical and health services costs in the
destination country
-Egypt is rather a hot weathered country so travelers are
advised to wear hats especially during long visits to
the historical sites and to have a considerable amount
of water with them
-The prevalence rate of AIDS in Egypt is considered to be
quite low estimated to be less than 0.1% in comparison
to other countries like Great Britain with prevalence
rate estimated to be 0.2%
Road Travel :
-Egypt is among the countries
with high road accident rate. This is because of the
poor conditions of some routs and ignoring the traffic
regulations
-However, all touristic vehicles are not permitted to
exceed 100 kilometers per hour in highways. Moreover,
all the touristic vehicles drivers are usually educated
and respect all the traffic conditions
-It is always a good idea to pay special attention to
the road before passing any street especially in cities
like Cairo and in streets with known high speed driving
-It is strongly advised to travel on a highway after the
sunset as the lighting in the roads is poor with many
drivers exceeding the road speed limit
- The best transportation means inside the cities in
Egypt are taxis and the metro even if it is quite
crowded sometimes. It is strongly advisable not to ride
in public microbuses in Egypt
-A traveler can drive in Egypt using his international
driving license for a period that does not exceed 6
months
-If the traveler intend to spend more than 6 months in
Egypt and he wants to drive, he should apply for a local
driving license from the Egyptian authorities
-The Egyptian law states that the seatbelts should be
worn at all times and it is always recommended to do so.
-If tourists are traveling off paved roads or main
highways, they should have an experienced tour guide
with them plus obtaining a permission from the
authorities
Rail Travel :
-Traveling by train is always
considered a safe and secured mean of transportation in
Egypt specially with new trains specified for foreigners
only
-The sleeping train from Cairo to Aswan and Luxor and
vise versa is a comfortable convenient mean of
transportation
-First class trains are always good in Egypt
Ferry services :
-In general, it is not
recommended to take local ferries in Egypt because of
the poor conditions of the boats and overcrowdings
-In some areas like Luxor and Aswan, Nile ferries can
prove to be a convenient mean of transportation |