Egypt
Modern Egypt is arguably one of the most splendid, if not the most fascinating places on earth. At the same time the taste of Ancient mysticism still lingers in the air, throughout Egypt. This is a perfect holiday destination where the present meets the past.
As a traveler to Egypt, you may not see the gods as such, but you cannot ignore the feeling of their presence. The gods are honored all over the country. The ancient Kings and Queens may have died thousands of years ago, but they live on inside Egypt’s soul.
This ‘modern-ancient’ atmosphere really does give one the impression that secrets are yet to be revealed. The colorful, rich history of the land has been a big attraction to the numerous visitors who flock Egypt every year, to experience the revered history.
On this page are just a few of the holiday destinations and ideas if you are to visit Egypt. You may just be lucky to stumble some of the secrets from the ancient world, and help reveal them to the modern world.
TRAVELING IN EGYPT
LAND – Egypt has an area of 1,001,449 square kilometers (386,662 square miles).
CLIMATE -Egypt essentially has a hot desert climate (Köppen climate classification BWh). The climate is generally extremely dry all over the country except on the northern Mediterranean coast which receives rainfall in winter. In addition to rarity of rain, extreme heat during summer months is also a general climate feature of Egypt although daytime temperatures are more moderated along the northern coast.
TOPOGRAPGHY -Egypt is mainly a desert country, with the River Nile dividing the country unevenly in two, and the Suez Canal together with the Sinai Peninsula provide a third division. The landscape is mainly made up of flat desert, without any vegetation apart from the few oases that have survived in the Western Desert. Over 90% of the land area is covered by deserts – the Libyan Desert to the west, the Sahara and Nubian Deserts to the south and the Arabian Desert to the east. More than 90% of the population is centered on the River Nile. It is only the Nile valley and the Nile Delta that is both habitable and arable. Narrow strips are also inhabited on the Mediterranean coast and on the African Red Sea coast.
PEOPLE – The Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS) had released high/medium/low population projections for 2011-2031 based on Final Results of 2006 Population Census. The current population of Egypt is 99,269,916 as of June 2018, based on the latest United Nations estimates.
ECONONY – Egypt’s economy depends mainly on agriculture, media, petroleum exports, and tourism; there are also more than three million Egyptians working abroad, mainly in Saudi Arabia, the Persian Gulf and Europe. Agriculture: 29.2%, industry: 23.5%, services: 47.3%. All values, unless otherwise stated, are in US dollars. The economy of Egypt was a highly centralized planned economy focused on import substitution under President Gamal Abdel Nasser.
LANGUAGE – The official language of Egypt is Arabic, and most Egyptians speak one of several vernacular dialects of that language. Main foreign languages: English and French. Main immigrant languages: Greek, Armenian.
ELECTRICITY SUPPLY -In Egypt the standard voltage is 220 V and the frequency is 50 Hz. You can use your electric appliances in Egypt, if the standard voltage in your country is in between 220 – 240 V (as is in the UK, Europe, Australia and most of Asia and Africa).
TIME –Egypt is in central Africa time zone (CAT). Egypt Standard Time is 2 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT+2).
CURRENCY -The Egyptian Pound is the currency of Egypt. Our currency rankings show that the most popular Egypt Pound exchange rate is the USD to EGP rate. The currency code for Pounds is EGP, and the currency symbol is £.
BANKING HOURS – Typical work hours are Sunday through Thursday 8:00 am – 4:30 pm.
COURIER & MONEY TRANSFERS –Money transfer in Egypt can be made through, Western Union, wire transfer, EX trade, MoneyGram. For courier services, ems, sky express ingez offices are within the city.
PUBLIC HOLIDAYS –
Jan 1 – January 1 Bank Holiday
Jan 7 – Coptic Christmas Day
Jan 25 – Revolution Day January 25
Mar 20 – March equinox Season
Apr 6- – Coptic Good Friday
Apr 7 – Coptic Holy Saturday
Apr 8 – Coptic Easter Sunday
Apr 9 – Spring Festival
Apr 25 – Sinai Liberation Day
May 1 Labor Day
Jun 15 – Eid el Fitr
Jun 16- – End of Ramadan Day 2
Jun 17 – End of Ramadan Day 3
Jun 21 – June Solstice Season
Jun 30 – June 30 Revolution
Jul 1 – July 1 Bank Holiday
Jul 23 – Revolution Day July 23
Aug 15 – Flooding of the Nile
Aug 22 – Eid al-Adha
Aug 23 – Eid al-Adha Day 2
Aug 24 – Eid al-Adha Day 3
Aug 25 – Eid al-Adha Day 4
Sep 11 – Coptic New Year
Sep 12 – Muharram
Sep 23 – September equinox
Oct 6 – Armed Forces Day
Nov 21 – Prophet Mohamed’s birthday
Dec 21 – December Solstice
HEALTH REQUIREMENT- The CDC and WHO recommend the following vaccines for Egypt: typhoid, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, cholera, yellow fever, rabies, influenza.
CUSTOMS – Customs accepts the entry of samples exempt from all duty for the purpose of sales promotion or exhibition. The value of these samples must not exceed EGP 500 or it should not be possible to sell them as such. These conditions must be repeated specifically in the accompanying documents. If they do not meet these conditions, a deposit must be made to Customs with a file which will ensure a re-export of the product. The deposit will be returned on proving the re-export of the goods. For medical samples, health regulations must be met.
IMMIGRATION REQUIREMENTS – No matter where you are from, you will need a valid passport and a visa to enter Egypt. If you are coming to Egypt as a tourist, you will be able to purchase a visa upon your arrival at the airport (or any other major port of entry).
CAIRO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT – The airport is located in Heliopolis, to the northeast of the Cairo around 15 kilometers (9.3 mi) from the business area of the city and has an area of approximately 37 square kilometers (14 square miles). The terminal facilities include Departure Hall 1, International Hall 3, and Hall 4 for private and non-commercial aircraft services.
SECURITY – All travelers need to produce passport and air tickets because the security at the airport is tight. Also note, for hand luggage the following rules apply.
• All containers, with a maximum capacity of 100ml, must be packed in a transparent, re-sealable 1 liter plastic bag
• Only one bag is permitted per passenger
• The bag must be completely sealed