General Information:
- Take some of the local currency for taxis, tips, buses and telephones. To avoid spending time in line upon your arrival, purchase a comfortable amount of foreign cash before you leave, ideally about $400 Canadian.
- Always carry I.D. (e.g. passport), as identification may be required when cashing travellers cheques.
- $US travellers cheques are recommended as a good back-up in case you run out of foreign currency or foreign currency travellers cheques.
- Familiarize yourself with the various denominations and respective values of your foreign currency prior to your departure.
- Record all travellers cheques serial numbers as you use them to expedite a possible refund. Also, keep two copies of your travellers cheques serial numbers: leave one copy at home with a relative or friend and carry one copy while travelling, however, remember to keep this copy separate from your travellers cheques. In the event that your travellers cheques are lost or stolen, immediately call the refund centre number provided to you when you purchased the travellers cheques.
- Do not bring back coins from any foreign countries. Either spend them or convert them to banknotes prior to returning home.
- Consider carrying funds several different ways when travelling: a mix of foreign currency travellers cheques, a comfortable amount of foreign currency,and an internationally accepted credit/debit card to access your home bank account. Note: It is strongly recommended that while travelling abroad you do not rely on credit or bank/debit cards alone. Mechanical ATM problems, limited access to your account via a foreign ATM network, as well as most European ATM's only processing transactions for debit cards with 4 digit PIN #'s,may result in your inability to access your account.
- Always make use of safety deposit boxes in hotels to safeguard your valuables (including your travellers cheques and passport). Do not carry too much money around with you or leave it in your room unattended.
- Travel Insurance is a must.Ensure you have comprehensive coverage including medical, baggage, return flight and missed connection. Rarely will a credit card cover all of the above. Air ambulance and hospital stays require up front payment and may cost you thousands of dollars.We highly suggest to purchase Travel Insurance at the same time of purchasing the package.
- Leave your contact information and an envelope with photocopies of your passport and any credit cards or bank cards you are taking on your journey with a friend or family member. In the event of an emergency at home,loss or theft at destination, you are accessible and your vital information is obtainable and protect.
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Egypt Information:
Language Description: Arabic Language is the main language the people speaks in EGYPT.
Passport / Visa: Passports and visas needed by Canadian, US, Australian, and UK citizens. Air passengers may obtain a renewable 30-day visa upon arrival. Others must obtain a visa in advance. Reconfirm travel document required with the airline carrier three days before departure.
Population: About 67,273,906
Religion: Islam (Sunni), Christian (Coptic).
Time Zone: 2 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (+2 GMT). Daylight Saving Time is observed from the last Friday in April to the last Friday in September
Tipping Overview: It's common to leave small tips for restaurant staff. Use the 10% rule for bills up to EGP 200; for bills that are more than EGP 200, it's acceptable to leave a smaller percentage
Voltage Requirements: 220 volts. Plugs have two round prongs
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Shopping in Egypt
Among the interesting souvenirs that Egypt offers are inlaid wood, jewelry, brassware and leather goods (though some of the cheaper items may not be adequately cured). Other items include carpets, shisha water pipes, alabaster and soapstone carvings, paintings on papyrus, rag rugs, Egyptian clothing, silver and copper ware, perfumes and reproductions of antiquities. For the reproductions, the Egyptian Antiquities Museum is a good source. Elsewhere, if an item is presented to you as an antique, it's probably a fake (and if it is genuine, it can't be legally exported). In fact, be very careful when buying something that may appear to authorities to be of historical importance -- the police have detained tourists for days while determining that well-made reproductions were not authentic. Look for campy postcards and stationery that looks as if it were first printed 40 years ago. And do go into one of the herb shops. They carry everything from dried lizards to licorice powder.
The Khan el-Khalili Bazaar in Cairo is a good spot to shop for many of these items, and its fun just to walk through even if you're not very interested in shopping. The streets leading up to it are wild and woolly -- lots of interesting shops can be found. Bargaining is acceptable almost everywhere: Even fine shops will consider bids on big-ticket items.
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